up-grading Montna tires - Page 3 - Montana Owners Club

Wrenchtraveller · 02-11-2006, 03:39 AM

I just was at Keystone's website and I see the Challenger line was using an LT tire in the 05 models and then in 06 went to the ST, a cost cutting measure I am sure.

Garin1 · 02-11-2006, 05:20 AM

I just posted these web sites on the problems and technical help section. Good information about the "ST" vs "LT" tires.
http://www.championtrailers.com/tire_art.html
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/inf...rTireFacts.dos

richfaa · 02-11-2006, 05:37 AM

Hummmmm..all ST tires have a max speed rating of 65 MPH..so says the above link. The speed imit is 65 or more in most States.
The ST tires is the stronger tire but doing the speed limit is at the tires limits..This information confuses the issue even more????

Wrenchtraveller · 02-11-2006, 12:41 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by skypilot

Two large weights?? You may want to take that tire back and have it rebalanced -- wonder if they did it 'hub centric' instead of using the adaptor. (Mine must be balanced using the stud hole adaptor! -- I have a mountaineer).

Skypilot, thanks for this info and you were right. I called different tire shops and found one that said all wheels that get their fit on the studs with tapered wheel nuts have to be balanced with the stud hole adapter. Our Monties are like this.
If your rims get their fit on the hub, like my truck, then the hub centric is the way to go.

Mine had been balanced wrong and the second shop I brought the tire to put it on the way the other shop had balanced it and the thing was galloping so bad, it was incredible. The tire guy in this shop had to dismount the tire and rotate it 180 degrees to balance it. It still took 2 large weight but they were in a different spot.

I went home , checked and none of the tires were balanced so I remounted the balanced one and brought 2 more tires down to this tire guy. He was amazed how badly out of balance these tires were. Both had to be remounted and rotated on the rim. One was so bad it took him 3 remounts to get right and it ended up with 4 weight in a row that were about 9 inches long.

I asked if it were the aluminum rims that caused the trouble , he said absolutey not, it was the tires.

When he first saw the tires he said they should be fine, after taking 45 minutes to balance the last two, he said he would not run them more than a couple of seasons. I asked him his opiniom of LT versus TR and he said that TR in the 16 inch size were fairly recent and technically a TR tire should be better for a trailer than an LT.

After he balanced them, he said the Missions were not a very good tire and an LT tire would be a better replacement.

I watched when he first mounted these tire on the balancing machine and the way they hopped around was incredible. Remember the first tire had never been on my Montana so this was not flat spots.

The bottom line is Montana is putting Tr tires on our new rigs and the TR should stand for trash. Not only that but they are not balancing this junk and the tire guy said running them the way they were was not a good thing. This guy is the owner of this Tirecraft franchise and has been in the same location for 21 years, although he just joined this franchise. He was very knowlegable.

The guy that incorrectly balanced my first tire, did not even recheck it after he banged on the weights.

Once again Skypilot , thanks for the info and all you guys buying new units, get it in the deal, dealer pays for a good balance job.

This tire guy has earned my business for future tire puchases and he only charged me 15 bucks a tire. He said the way they are balanced now I should get a couple of years out of them. I have one more tire to get done next weekend because I had other things to do. I wonder how well it will balance? Don

richfaa · 02-11-2006, 01:10 PM

I had always wondared why Rv tires were not balanced. When I had new tires on my TT the tire shop balanced them without me asking them to. Your post convinces me to have the tires balanced first thing. I will see if the dealer I order it from has the facilities to do it. If not will have it done first thing...

Bill Frisbee · 02-11-2006, 01:20 PM

The Goodyear G614 RSTs have a max speed rating of 75 mph according to the following.

http://www.goodyear.com/truck/produc...R16_GData.html

As I follow this lengthy and very informative discussion, I am becoming more and more convinced that investing in these tires (with the appropriate rims) is the way to go for us.

Montana Sky · 02-11-2006, 02:35 PM

I had my tires balanced last year for my own peace of mind. I figured why put any additional stress on the rv, especially if the tires unbalanced feel the same in the coach as a car/truck does while driving down the highway. The Tacoma tires have been wearing even and so far have given me no trouble. I am still considering getting something different this spring.

richfaa · 02-11-2006, 04:06 PM

That's good 75MPH is better than 65MPH.There is no doubt that we will upgrade the tires we always do anyhow. We will not be doing much hi speed interstate running for at least the first year but we WILL have whatever tires comes on the Montana Balanced, maintain proper pressure and check tire temps often.This is all good information..You know the forum members should get together a design a fifth wheel camper.Of course it would weigh about 30K and cost 100K..but it would be a good one...

dsprik · 02-11-2006, 05:11 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

That's good 75MPH is better than 65MPH.There is no doubt that we will upgrade the tires we always do anyhow. We will not be doing much hi speed interstate running for at least the first year but we WILL have whatever tires comes on the Montana Balanced, maintain proper pressure and check tire temps often.This is all good information..You know the forum members should get together a design a fifth wheel camper.Of course it would weigh about 30K and cost 100K..but it would be a good one...

I guess I'm not confident with that statement about ST tires rated at 65 mph max. Mich Interstates are all 70 mph. Why would a mfr do that?

Garin1 · 02-11-2006, 06:13 PM

dsprik, maybe bacause there are to many lawyers out there

. How many of us have hauled a U-Haul trailer down the highway at 45mph? But that is the recommended speed painted on the trailer. The main enemy of any tire is heat, caused by sidewall flex. A "ST rated tire is bias construction with bigger cords and stiffer sidewalls,hence, less flex. But that also lowers the "recommended speed". The "LT" radial tire will have a higher speed rating but they are designed to distribute the heat more evenly. They also have a much softer sidewall and when mounted on a thirteen foot tall RV may cause overflexing. This may induce more heat and make the pulling platform less stable in a high speed turn (unseen obtructions,sudden lane changes,etc).

dsprik · 02-11-2006, 06:22 PM

So what's your preference, Gary? Over-speed (over heat) or over-flex? Doesn't sound like a very exiting choice...

Garin1 · 02-12-2006, 01:36 AM

This was not a recommendation but merely a supply of factual information. Wether people drive within the recommended guidlines from the manufacturer is solely up to that individual. I myself have exceeded posted limits from time to time

. And I still think there are to many lawyers out there

dsprik · 02-12-2006, 06:27 AM

It's too bad the consumer is left with such a choice. I would probably opt for the LT tires. At least I control the situation on sway a little easier than running down the road not being aware that my trailer tires are too hot and in imminent danger of failure. Especially here in MI, as I would spend a fair amount of time pulling on the Interstates with the speed limit at 70 mph.

Thanks for the info, Gary. I wouldn't have known. Oh yeah, I forgot... the dealer would have told me... right???

Bill Frisbee · 02-12-2006, 06:44 AM

Quote:

quote:[i])]. And I still think there are to many lawyers out there

LOL ... Let the lawyer jokes begin

Bill

Bob & Lee · 02-13-2006, 03:38 AM

At this time I have not driven many miles on the new tires that came on the Rig, This has given me a lot of great information to check out prior to my full retirment and long road trips Thanks to all. My question is you were talking about flat spot in the tires when they sit to long, How long is to long? and what do you recommend lifting the frame with, I have the small stabilizer jacks in front and behind the axle but they dont take the load off the tires. I have not moved in a year now. Thanks again for all the info.

Montana Sky · 02-13-2006, 11:50 AM

Bob & Lee,
Both of my Montana's have been garaged over the winter months. They spend from mid October to April in the garage without being moved. I make sure when I put the coach away for winter that the tire pressure is 80psi cold, so far now for almost 4 years between the two I have not had any trouble with flat spots on the tires. The garage does have a concrete floor so that helps I am sure. So far so good on the tires as far as no flat spots or uneven wearing.

snfexpress · 02-13-2006, 01:55 PM

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[i])]. And I still think there are to many lawyers out there

You only need a lawyer when you need a lawyer: "Send money, guns and lawyers, the s**t has hit the fan"

Michael

Garin1 · 02-13-2006, 05:31 PM

F/get the lawyers. They'll take away your guns and charge you for it in the process.

Garin1 · 02-13-2006, 05:34 PM

Sorry, lawyers are a hot button for me

to many years behind a badge defending the rights of the victim over the rights of the criminal

. But hey,,, that is another loooooooong post.

sreigle · 02-17-2006, 11:24 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Garin1

dsprik, maybe bacause there are to many lawyers out there

. How many of us have hauled a U-Haul trailer down the highway at 45mph? But that is the recommended speed painted on the trailer. The main enemy of any tire is heat, caused by sidewall flex. A "ST rated tire is bias construction with bigger cords and stiffer sidewalls,hence, less flex. But that also lowers the "recommended speed". The "LT" radial tire will have a higher speed rating but they are designed to distribute the heat more evenly. They also have a much softer sidewall and when mounted on a thirteen foot tall RV may cause overflexing. This may induce more heat and make the pulling platform less stable in a high speed turn (unseen obtructions,sudden lane changes,etc).

My Montana currently has ST tires on it and they are radials. ST235/80R16. Right on the sidewall it says "Radial Tubeless." I just crawled under the slide and checked and now my knees are dirty.

Someone gave you some bum information.

My understanding is the primary difference is the stiffness of the sidewall. The ST better withstands the scrubbing forces in a trailer application in a tight turn. Up a few posts is a link that probably explains the difference. I'll check that out in a few minutes.

Dsprik, I am afraid I am having trouble figuring out what you mean when you say you could control sway better with an LT tire. My understanding is the ST sidewalls are stronger than the LT's. Also, sway is not a problem with a fifthwheel. Even with a blowout. We've blown tires and I didn't even know there was a problem until someone signaled me. This last time I heard the pop but not the other times. They were not overheated. It was January and I check tire temperature with an infrared temperature probe at nearly every stop.

There are many trailers with ST tires and many with LT. So long as they are correctly rated I don't think it is that big a deal. Keystone has used both, including ST on ours. I'm replacing tires in about two weeks and am going with LT simply because they are more readily available. It is not fun sitting for several days somewhere short of your destination because the replacement tire had to be ordered.

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