[Desert185]

Originally Posted by CWtheMan

"Light truck (LT) tire means a tire designated by its manufacturer as primarily intended for use on lightweight trucks or multipurpose passenger vehicles."

That's a verbatim quote from NHTSA. Basically it's all that needs to be known about the design. The same can be said about a Special Trailer tire.

Some manufacturers will tell you a little bit more about their tires but not much. Why? They already told you it's a trailer tire. Why go into a comparison? They don't have anything to do with vehicle fitment selections. If anyone wants some feedback about why their trailer was fitted with ST tires and not LT tires they need to ask the trailer manufacturer. They know the why about the fitments they make. Good luck on that one. In the regulations that gives them the authority for their fitments it says for them to make an "appropriate fitment". They signed the trailer's certification papers. Therefore, their fitment is locked-in.

The only recourse an owner has with replacements that differ in design from the Original Equipment tires is to use vehicle manufacturer recommended options, or, go out on the limb and do it their way.

Yet, the government continues to essentially bless tires with a history of issues, i.e. china bomb branded tires. As an example, the Jaxxon brand ST's that came on my car hauler were dimensionally undersized compared to the same size in Carlisle's and wore out unevenly and prematurely.

I think there is more to the process than just blindly replacing trailer tires with any brand as long as it states "ST" on the sidewall. There are times when following the government regulations is "going out on a limb." There is such a thing as choosing to be safe rather than legal or recommended.