The company in California you are probably referring to is Inland RV out of Corona CA. Andy is the owner and a frequent contributor to the forums. Go to the "axles" portion of the forum and you'll find lots of information (and opinions).
Regarding tires, there are a TON of posts on LT vs ST on this forum and others, and just about everyone has an opinion. An excellent thread started by "Tireman9" can be found by following this link
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f438...il-109199.html
Great reading.