Quote:
"one of my concerns with folks going to LT tires is the tire profile.
st tires are rounded, which is good for mileage, heat and pivoting...
most of the LT selections have a squarer profile/shoulder; i think this is undesirable for trailering.
the 'squarer shoulder tire' will generate more heat, poorer fuel economy and the tread is MORE LIKELY to move/roll when backing/turning...
a rounded profile tire (properly inflated) tolerates this sort of twisting and squirming better."
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Not all LT tires are "square-shouldered", some, like the YOKOHAMA RY215 I chose have a narrower tread than the Marathon. I was out to my trailer the other afternoon and made a visual comparison to an SOB that had Marathons, and, they look to have more rolling resistance as well as a good deal more resistance to making turns than the RY215s, which look more like the non-radial tires trailers used to have.
A comparison below:
GOODYEAR MARATHON
Goodyear Marathon Radial
225/75R15
*C Trailer Use Only
MAX LOAD: 2150 lbs.
MAX INFLATION: 50 psi
TREAD DEPTH: 10/32"
TIRE WEIGHT: 28 lbs.
RIM WIDTH: 6-7"
MOUNTED RIM: 6"
SECTION WIDTH: 8.8"
TREAD WIDTH: 6.2"
OVERALL DIA: 28.3"
REVS PER MILE: 736
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YOKOHAMA RY215
7.00 X 15 (7R-15)
Yokohama RY215
MAX LOAD: 2040 lbs.
MAX INFLATION: 65 psi
TREAD DEPTH: 13/32"
WEIGHT: 32 lbs.
RIM WIDTH: 5-6.5"
MOUNTED RIM: 5.5"
SECTION WIDTH: 7.7"
TREAD WIDTH: 4.9"
OVERALL DIA: 29.4"
REVS PER MILE: 706
The GY-M has a tread that is 20% wider than the RY215.
I agree that some LT tires DO have square-shoulders (I have seen the well-rated MICHELIN LTX M&S recommended for A/S trailers and have visited with two of them; one, a dealer), and that 2Airs comments are probably dead-on in those points. But not all LT tires are built this way.
Among the reasons I chose this tire as a replacement was the narrower tread (cooler running I figured) and less squirm on u-turns (ditto; confirmed on a new, cross-hatched concrete roadway into a distribution center -- truck was over to full lock on the wheel), and the narrower section width. As well, the higher speed rating and that it is an older design with many miles on fleet delivery vehicles; marketed for light and medium commercial use.
Whether or not it is an ideal replacement is another question. I am only trying to make the point that one can do ones homework and come up with some competition to the GY-M in a 15" size (as well as 16").