Whether it is a $10,000 HP or a $100,000+ ASG/DG/LS/S-H/Antares/wh
atever, I think I would err on the side of the 'ST'
tire. It's precious cargo back there and I don't want
to 'skimp' on the tire. Sure, I might get a car tire
for $30 or $40 vs. the 'ST' for $80 or $90, but I still
go back to thinking about the cargo I'm hauling. And
in the case of a nice trailer, the cargo and the trailer
itself!

The last time I bought tires for my homebuilt trailer,
I bought the 'ST' tires from Goodyear. Now I have
new trailer and when the five or six years have come
and gone, I'll put 'ST' tires on it. Sway was not
a problem with the old ugly homebuilt (it towed extremely
easily) and it isn't a problem with the factory trailer.
It too tows well, both empty and loaded, behind a
Honda Accord V6.

Amazing that we can drop thousands of dollars (or whatever
currency) on instruments and gel coats and winglets
and fuzzy dice or whatever, but we want to skimp on
the trailer tires.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA


At 12:48 27 September 2006,
wrote:

Ken Ward wrote:
what's the story on tires? is it OK to use regular
automotive radial
tires or are ST tires required?

thanks,
Ken

Almost no trailer loads a tire as much as a car.
That said- a couple things to consider-
A slightly lower profile tire can go a long way toward
reducing
sidewall flex which does feed back to the towing vehicle
as sway. Paul
Cordell found some cool inexpensive wheels for his
Cobra trailer that
were larger in diameter allowing low profile tires
and retaining ride
height.
MOST IMPORTANT- A not well know fact is that materials
of tire
construction have changed and the usefull safe life
is less due to
aging affects. Car manufacturers now specify replacement
after 5 years.
This is mostly due to changes made to get long wear
life and better
fuel economy.
The bottom line is it probably less important what
you change to than
that you change.
Good luck UH