Trailer Tires "ST" or "LT"??

[charlier]

It is getting to be that time for me to be replacing the tires on my car trailer.

I noticed on one of the "RV" forums there is a lot of talk from members there that they are replacing the "ST" designated tires on their trailers with the "LT" type.

Are there any tire engineers here on the forum that can explain the pros and cons of making such a switch?

According to the RV Forum posts I have read the "LT" tires perform better and hold up better than the "ST" tires.

Is anyone here running the "LT" tires on their car trailers? If so, how are they performing for you?

[msmazcol]

I'm running LTs on my trailer. The factory also had LTs on it when I picked it up in 2007. I installed two new ones when I tangled with a broken buffalo box in a overgrown yard.

You are going to start a never ending debate on this question. It ranks right up with do you cross your tie down straps or not.

Best of luck.

[Trulyvintage]

It is getting to be that time for me to be replacing the tires on my car trailer.

I noticed on one of the "RV" forums there is a lot of talk from members there that they are replacing the "ST" designated tires on their trailers with the "LT" type.

Are there any tire engineers here on the forum that can explain the pros and cons of making such a switch?

According to the RV Forum posts I have read the "LT" tires perform better and hold up better than the "ST" tires.

Is anyone here running the "LT" tires on their car trailers? If so, how are they performing for you?

Charlie,

I assume you have 15 inch tires.

I assume you have 6 inch wide rims.

My choice for a trailer tire has been decided by trial and error

traveling literally hundreds of thousands of miles across every

type of roadway in the country.

RADIAL 7.00R x 15 10 ply load range E tires

I usually get Ling Long brand.

I just put on (6) in Wichita, KS on Friday.

They will last me about 40,000 miles.

Then, I will sell them on craigslist when they have about

50% tread left and buy a new set.

7.00 x 15 was THE standard trailer and light truck tire size

years ago.

I prefer them to metric - less sidewall flexing and narrower

side profile.

I usually pay $85 to $110 a tire loose.

Pictured below is a tire that had been on my trailer about

35,000 miles that was typical of the (6) I sold on Friday

off craigslist in Wichita, KS.

Jim

[charlier]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

Jim,

My trailer does have 15 inch wheels that are 5 inches wide and rated for a max load of 1,820 lbs (as stamped on the rim). That means I would need to buy larger rims for larger tires with more load capacity.

Over the weekend I measured the clearance my current 205/75/R15 tires have in the trailer wheel wells. A replacement tire that has a larger circumference or is wider could be a problem when it comes to fitting in the wheel well.

In researching on line it appears that in order to get about the same load rating an LT tire will have to be larger than my current ST tires. That in combination with what size LT tires are made makes it a real challenge to use an LT tire on my trailer.

Unless I can find an alternative, I will probably end up getting a set of Goodyear Marathon ST tires. My trailer came from the factory with "Mission" ST tires (made in China) which have performed well for me the last 5 years (ie no blow outs, tread detachments or sidewall failures). I am anal about checking the tire pressure and condition of the tires which is probably a good thing (regardless of what company made the tires and where they were made).

Thanks again for your thoughts on tires.

[Marty Roth]

Charlier,

My enclosed hauler is essentially the same as MSMAZCOL, and came with Ironman Chinese (Carlisles?) 235/85-R16 LT Load Range E. Three out of five split the interior sidewall within the first 5,000 miles, and I'm anal about checking tire pressures. They offerred no assistance - I replaced with B.F.Goodrich Commercial T/A, and have had no problems since.

My old trailer had XL extra-load car and truck tires, and constantly had tread separation problems until I learned of LT and ST tires for trailers

[Bhigdog]

I had two out of four Carlisle (CHINA) load rated E trailer tires EXPLODE in under 1000 miles....Bob

[mrspeedyt]

i had a set of 'mission' on my car trailer and all but one broke a belt...however not one came apart with total tread seperation. right now i have a mismatched assortment of brands of radials (205/75 15) mounted... the most trouble free tires on my trailer were the origional china bias 'rag' tires that i completly wore out.

Edited April 7, 2010 by mrspeedyt
'total' and 'brands' (see edit history)

[charlier]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

My trailer came with Mission Tires made in China. During the 5+ years of service I had no problems with them what-so-ever.

This spring while doing some maintenance I inspected the tires. I noticed some small cracks starting to appear on the sidewalls of some of the tires. With plans to attend the Grand National at New Bern, the Eastern Division Spring Meet in upstate NY and of course Fall Hershey this year, it was time to replace these aging tires before I did have problems.

Due to clearance and load rating concerns the LT tires were not a good fit for my needs. I ended up getting the Goodyear Marathon STs. According to the sidewalls these tires were made in the USA about a month ago. I also purchased another wheel so now I will be carrying two spares instead of just one.

Since I am thinking about getting a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) for the trailer tires I had the tire shop install metal valve stems instead of the rubber ones. From what I have read, some of the TPMS units require metal valve stems in order to work properly.

I sincerely hope that the Goodyear Tires hold up as well or better than the Mission tires they replaced.

Given that I am running around 1,500-1,800 lbs lighter than the tire's max total load rating that cannot hurt.

[Ron Green]

I installed new tires on my trailer last winter. For the most part I have used Goodyear Marathon's since buying it however I did switch to bias one time and they were actually pretty good. My trailer / tire guy told me that Goodyear will no longer sell tires to him, only the trailer manufactures and their tire shops, so I put on a set of Tow-masters (unsure who makes them). I used these twice before and don't recall any problems.

I have went through my share of tires since the trailer has over 55,000 miles on it. At one time I had an assortment of Goodyear Marathon tires that were made in USA, New Zealand and of course China. I was under the impression that Goodyear trailer tires were all now made in China?

[Guest motogp12]

I installed new tires on my trailer last winter. For the most part I have used Goodyear Marathon's since buying it however I did switch to bias one time and they were actually pretty good. My trailer / tire guy told me that Goodyear will no longer sell tires to him, only the trailer manufactures and their tire shops, so I put on a set of Tow-masters (unsure who makes them). I used these twice before and don't recall any problems.

I have went through my share of tires since the trailer has over 55,000 miles on it. At one time I had an assortment of Goodyear Marathon tires that were made in USA, New Zealand and of course China. I was under the impression that Goodyear trailer tires were all now made in China?

Unfortunately all radial trailer tires are now made overseas. I used to sell trailer tires and would always get asked for a brand of radials that was made in the USA. No such luck anymore! My experience has been that most brands of trailer tires are alright as long as they are taken care of. Most of my past customers would overload their trailer tires and under inflate them....then wonder why they'd have blow outs!

[Marty Roth]

motogp12 states that most brands of trailer tires are OK as long as they are taken care of.

Those of us who have had almost new, low mileage, properly inflated, and NOT overloaded IRONMAN Chinese tires blow out within a few thousand miles would CERTAINLY refute that assertion.

I have bought my last four "Liberator" Load Range "E" LT235/85-R16 tires at Wal-Mart.

THEY ARE AMERICA-MADE.

Contrary to motogp12's comment that "all" radial trailer tires are made overseas, and yes, I know that they are stamped as "LT", not "ST" - they are just fine - likely better for trailering.

[Guest Timothy Kelly]

ST - Special Trailer tire; these tires are made specifically for trailers and have heavier duty sidewalls that are better able to withstand the twisting action which trailer tires suffer when turning, especially in tight turns.

As another poster pointed out, today, there are no ST radial tires manufactured in the U.S. I can't speak to bias-ply ST tires.

LT - Light Truck tire; while many people use LT tires on their trailer, they were not designed for that purpose.

As another poster pointed out, today, there are indeed LT radial tires manufactured in the U.S.

If in fact LT tires are better for trailering, as some believe, why would a manufacturer design and produce ST tires?

Edited October 27, 2011 by Timothy Kelly (see edit history)

[R W Burgess]

...................If in fact LT tires are better for trailering, as some believe, why would a manufacturer design and produce ST tires?

I don't think its a manufacturer problem, it's a money thing. To be competitive, the trailer dealers sell them with the least expensive tire to stay competitive.

Of course, the trailer can travel with wheelbarrow sized tires...empty, that is!

Tire size overkill has cured my tire changing ways. I do not have to change them anymore. I buy the largest tire that will fit my wheels. ST? LT? I never saw any difference in their endurance. They both have suffered blowouts in my case.

Wayne

[Paul Dobbin]

After many years of this cheap tire argument, I found Red Neck Trailer Parts

Wheels And Tires | Wheel Chock (Single) | Drawtite | Reese | Tekonsha | Bulldog | Fulton

and I buy the tire mounted on a new wheel for less than the tire alone at my local tire dealer. That encourages me to clean and polish my two car trailers to look as good as the wheels. (One open car hauler, aluminum, and my enclosed box trailer we refer to as the storage POD.)