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Old 09-26-2011, 05:12 PM   #1
mtheo
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Need clarification with new tires

I was at Les Schawb tires today to check out new tires. I have read about some of you going to the Goodyear 614 HT tires over the ST.
I was told that the load rating on the comprarbale HT was 500 lbs less than the ST. To get the same load rating I would have to go to the 14 ply HT. Also check out the Toyo which was also rated 500# less.
What tire are you Guys taking about, or are all of you going to the 614's 14 ply which cost about double the 10 ply.
I'm not sure if I got all the numbers right, but I walk away in a daze.
 
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Old 09-26-2011, 05:41 PM   #2
moutard2
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This subject has been covered every which way in various threads on the forum. It is generally accepted that you'd be wise to avoid ST rated tires altogether! A Goodyear G614 or G949 or any suitably sized brand name LT tire NOT made in Asia (China) will give you better and safer service. Your Monty is not among the heaviest and should fare well with a 265/85R16 LT tire.
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Old 09-27-2011, 02:30 AM   #3
bncinwv
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I was unaware that there were different 614's. The ones we are using are the G614 RST's they have a higher load rating than the ST's (at 110 psi they are rated at 3750 pounds each)? Not sure what information you are being given, but if these tires are only inflated to 80 psi, then they do have a lower load capacity than the OEM tires. We run ours between 100 and 105 cold psi which provides a slightly higher load capacity than the OEM "China"-bombs that were supplied with the rig and removed prior to the rig leaving the dealer's lot.
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Old 09-27-2011, 05:01 AM   #4
DonandJudy_12
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My advise is simple- Forget about "ST" rated tires- Select any "Made in USA" 235/85R16E tire in a highway tread design- This tire is designed for light truck and commercial trailer use- This configuration has served me faultlessly for more than 20 years- We have NEVER had a tire failure- We put new tires on the trailer every 4 years, regardless of remaining tread- Incidentally, I worked in the tire business for over 35 years at the service level- JHMO- Don
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Old 09-27-2011, 07:14 AM   #5
Gorgeguy
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I recently checked with Les Schwab and got a choice between two LT tires made in China and two made in Japan. I went to The Tire Factory and got Goodyear Wrangler LT made in the USA for $100 less than the foreign tires quoted by Schwab.
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Old 09-27-2011, 10:39 AM   #6
Jim Dickey
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After the china willpops, I put Les Schawb TOYOs (LT) and they are working fine.
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Old 09-27-2011, 11:44 AM   #7
gr8330
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When I picked up my new Montana I drove to Discount Tire and replaced the Marathons with Michelin LT XPS Ribs. I then offered the Marathons for sale on Craig's list and sold them in three days.
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Old 09-27-2011, 05:00 PM   #8
LonnieB
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mtheo, I have the same Montana you have, just one year older. I run LT235/85R16 load range E light truck tires, rated for 3042 pounds at 80 psi. With the 5200 pound axles under the 3000RK, these tires are more than adequate. The Goodyear G614 is overkill for your trailer, and can cause un-necessary wear to other components of the trailer.
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Old 09-27-2011, 07:29 PM   #9
Sinterior
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Maxxis are the only ST tires I would replace my Marathons with.....that's going to happen before heading South this coming winter.
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Old 09-27-2011, 07:43 PM   #10
mtheo
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Thanks for the input, I guess I'll go with the LTs, I was just concerned about the minus 500# capacity over the ST's and I have wieght my trailer loaded and there is only 9800# on the tires that would leave me with 2000# to spare.
Thanks
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Old 10-22-2011, 06:34 PM   #11
bighornram
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I got mine from Discount Tire and as it was explained to me one of the benefits of the "Goodyear Unisteel G614 RST" tire is the UNISTEEL belt(s) making the flex from trailer turns less of an impact on the sidewalls. I guess most tires only have steel belts under the tread??? Maybe someone else who knows could chime in on that.
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Old 10-22-2011, 07:44 PM   #12
DQDick
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There is a thread that was on here a while back and is currently on Anything-Camping.com here is the basic part of the article if you want to read it all go it's under gear at Anything-Camping. Anyway this should help you understand the numbers:

If a tire size begins with 'LT' it signifies the tire is a "Light Truck-metric" size that was designed to be used on trailers that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or tow vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" designation are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.

So what is reserve capacity? It is capacity beyond the rating of the tire, capacity that is held in reserve. This reserve capacity comes from the heavy-duty sidewall of the LT type tires. LT's rank at the top of the list when we look at P, ST and LT tires.

Now I finally have an answer to how a ST tire can be rated to carry more weight than a LT tire of similar size.

The ratings of ST tires infringe into the reserve capacity of the tire. This is double bad, because the design of the ST gives us a tire with less reserve capacity to start with as it has a lighter sidewall to start with as most ST tires are much lighter than their LT counterparts.

To quote one tire site:
"Put a different way, the load carrying capacity of an ST tire is 20% greater than an LT tire. Since durability is strictly a long term issue - and the results of a tire failure on a trailer are much less life threatening than on a truck - the folks that set up these load / inflation pressure relationships allow a greater......ah......let's call it load intensity."

There it is in print to be read. They make a calculated decision to give the ST tire a higher load rating because a failure is less life threatening.

I have on a number of occasions pointed out the weight difference between the different tires and have been told that does not matter. Well it does matter. The rubber in the average tire only makes up around 40 some percent of its weight, the rest is in the steel belts, gum strips, steel beads, and the carcass plies. The remaining 60 or so percent of the stuff in a tire is what builds in the reserve capacity.

So to review again, here are some weights:
1. Michelin XPS RIB LT235/85R16 LRE (rated to 3042lbs) Weight 55.41
2. Goodyear G614 LT235/85R16 LRG (rated to 3750lbs) Weight 57.5
3. Bridgestone Duravis R250 LT235/85R16 LRE(rated to 3042lbs) Weight 60
4. BFG Commercial TA LT235/85R16 LRE(rated to 3042lbs) Weight 44.44
5. Uniroyal Laredo HD/H LT235/85R16 LRE(rated to 3042lbs) Weight 44.44
6. GY Marathon ST235/80R16 LRE(rated to 3420lbs) Weight 35.4

So which tires on the list have the most reserve capacity? Well that is not a completely simple answer, as one of the tires is a G rate 110 lb tire and the rest are LRE at 80lb inflation. So if we disregard the G614, then the Michelin XPS RIB and the Bridgestone Duravis R250 due to their all-steel ply construction will have the most reserve capacity inherent in their construction. The twin Commercial TA and Laredo will be next and the Marathon would have little or no reserve capacity available because it was used up in its higher load rating, AND because of it's much lighter construction it had much less inherent reserve capacity to start with.
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Old 10-23-2011, 04:51 AM   #13
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Good post Dick. Thanks for sharing it again.
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Old 10-23-2011, 06:12 AM   #14
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Dick,
Thanks for the easy to understand and concise explanation.
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