Tires - China bombs going off!!

[regan]

Hope someone can help. We are on the road, and of course one of the China bombs blew. Trying to replace with Goodyear G614, or Michelin XP. My question is trailer has ST 235/80R16. Has anyone gone to the LTS 235/85R16?

How much of a difference between the 80 and the 85, Camping world says that the 85 will work fine, that the 80 is an odd size. Opinions/experience?

Thanks

 

[Big Al and Donna]

I just put the Goodyear 614's on my Bighorn 3370 and they fit just fine. I even replaced the spare tire.

 

[Dave012]

Here's an earlier thread on the subject. //heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/14975-want-to-replace-tires-on-2008-BC-3300?p=115202&highlight=


After reading lots of threads on this subject, I'm not sure you can get a definitive answer. I'd measure the distance between your existing tires, and see if you have a bit of extra room in case the G614 is actually slightly larger. As noted in the prior thread, the websites list them as basically the same diameter as the 235/80R16.

 

[TXBobcat]

Hay Regan
I have a 2008 Bighorn 3400 RE. The day I took my trailer off the lot I went to Discount Tire and had 5 Michelin LT235/85R16 E XPS RIB's installed with metal valve stems. I use Pressure Pro to monitor the tires on both my truck and trailer.

I have not had a problem with the XP Rib's . I would strongly suggest the XP Rib's but they are not cheap. I have paid anywhere from $215 originally to $300+ for a tire. They are E Rated, but if your not overloaded on your trailer they will do find. They have the same load rating as the tires that came on your trailer, except they have a much stronger side walls and tread.

I was talking to the manager of Discount Tire about going to 614's just for safety and he asked.. "Why.. The XP Rib actually have a stronger sidewall and tread than the 614. Now this not my words and I don't know if he is right and a lot of people will take exception. But I have not had any problem with my Michelin's.

FWIW
BC

BTW.. Here is a great thread explaining the difference between the tires.
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/12076-Trailer-Tires-Explained?highlight=LT235%2F85R16

 

[jmgratz]

The biggest thing you have to look at when going from an E rated to a G rated is are the wheels capable of handling the higher G pressure. Max pressure on E is 80 PSI and G is 110 PSI. Putting a G rated tire on an E rated rim is asking for trouble. Look at the rim and see what the rating is.

 

[Gary521]

I am new to responding to anything on this forum but have done research on tires. I am concerned about tire overall diameter, sectional width, tread width and load capacity. In reviewing specs on the ST 235/80/16 and the LT235/85/16, I found that the diameter of the LT235/85/16 to be a bit too big. There is not a heck of a lot of clearance between tires and the tire to the trailer. I have opted for LT245/75/16. The OD is the same as the ST tire, the sectional width is the same and the tread width is the same. However, in viewing all the forums, I have not seen anyone suggesting the size that I am. Thers is an on-line tire place called Tire Rack. I have purchased tires there for a race car that I run. They have a chart that shows OD for all LT size tires. Using this chart, I have compared the various sizes of LT tires to the ST tires that came on the trailer. Also from Tire Rack, I have found a RIB tire that I like and at a reasonable cost. It is the Bridgestone RIB tire. This tire is also available from Discount tire and was original equipment on a few light trucks.
Does anyone have comments on this?

 

[Dave012]

Gary521,

In post 3 above I refer to another thread on this subject. I had reviewed the OD of the tires including the G614 and the website shows that they are basically the same OD as the other tires being discussed at 235/80/16. Seemed odd, but thats what the websites were showing.

 

[Gary521]

Dave012

You are correct on the 614's being the diameter that they are. However, several other posts are about the Michelin XPS Rib. That tire has almost a 32" Diameter.

The 614's are a G rated tire and are excellent but so is the price. My question was regarding the 245/75/16's. Has anybody used this size of tire? Are there any issues using this tire size, etc?

 

[Netem]

Gary everything I have looked at says the 245-75-16 are the closest to the 235-80-16. I talked to a tire dealer and he says the LT tires are a better tire than the trailer tires.[ heavyer built] This is the tire I am also looking at putting on my Sundance.

 

[caissiel]

One of the problem with wider tire like a 245 compared to 235 would be the shock clearance on the inside of the tire. I already have a shock rubbing in turns on the left rear with the G rated tires on my unit.

The solution would be to remove the shocks that are doing hardly anything. I saw some SOB trailer without shocks with lippert frames.

 

[regan]

Thanks everyone for your input. I ended up with the Goodyear G 614, I took the blown China bomb and rim in first to the tire store, to make sure everything was going to be ok. They checked and compared, the slight difference had no effect on my rig. The rims are rated at 110 PSI. I still have plenty of room between tires. Just a little more to the story, I do have pressure pro monitoring, when we pulled into the RV park, I had set up the RV and was relaxing inside. I kept hearing what I thought was someones smoke detector going off. My wife went out to the truck and came in and said, your pressure pro monitor is beeping. Yes.... the tire did wait until we arrived at the park before it died. When the tire store took it off the rim they said that it disintergrated from the inside, and that one of the steel belts actually poked a hole to the outside, no evidence of road damage, just disintegrated. Anyway we feel much safer now, we bought 4 G614 for $1,100 installed with new stems, and balanced. Goodyear also has a $10.00 per tire rebate now on their website. Its a investement, but now we feel much safer flying down the highway....

 

[lwmcguir]

Hope someone can help. We are on the road, and of course one of the China bombs blew. Trying to replace with Goodyear G614, or Michelin XP. My question is trailer has ST 235/80R16. Has anyone gone to the LTS 235/85R16?

How much of a difference between the 80 and the 85, Camping world says that the 85 will work fine, that the 80 is an odd size. Opinions/experience?

Thanks

Stay away from wider tires. We have both of the ones you are looking at. The 80 came on a dually trailer and when they fail they will go. Stay with a standard and don't go below the 85 to to clearance issues.

 

[Gaffer]

Hey Regan, where did you end up getting your tires?

 

[tmcran]

Has anyone used the Maxxis tires? I had them on another SOB and had no problem with them at all. Have a couple of buddies that have used them on their RVs and not had any problems as well.

 

[wazz_zup]

Hey Regan, where did you end up getting your tires?

Hey PJ, you guys up at the Oregon rally? I'm also in the market for some G614's.

 

[Gaffer]

Hey Rich. Winchester was great. Sunny weather if a bit breezy. Missed you (and your blender) at the potluck. The guy from the line up shop put on a great seminar about line up, suspensions, tires etc. Then spent about 5 hours inspecting everyones trailers and tow rigs. I have less than 3,000 miles on my OEM tires and am thinking about running them for a total of 24 months or 10,000 miles. My tires hold good air and I check them every time I move the trailer. I also scan them with an infrared digital thermometer at every rest stop. I haven't weighed individual tire loads yet but I am only at 10,000 pounds on my rear axels. The tech said that the small additional diameter of the Michilean Ribs wouldn't be a problem and I have plenty of reserve so I may now go with the Ribs instead of the G614's. The main thing is to get away from a tire with polyester belts and get the steel belts on the sidewalls.

 

[wazz_zup]

I'm pretty close on the gap between my tires, I can't go any larger on the OD. If I remember correctly the XPS's (235/85R16) are 32" on the OD and the G614's (LT235/85R16) are 30.7". Also with the G614's being a G rated vs E rated for the XPS ribs, I'm leaning towards the Goodyears. I've got metals stems already and a TST tpms to keep any eye on them china bombs. Like you I check 'em with a infrared temp gun at every stop. We missed being there with you guys at Winchester rally. I promise to be at the Jackson rally....with the blender! And....ssshhhh, I got my hands on a couple bottles of Sheridans Irish liquor. Good stuff!

 

[Gaffer]

I will take a second look at my spacing before I make my final decisioin. Anyone out there with Ribs have any issues with the tire to tire spacing?

 

[Rockerga]

Not to hijack but I have a best friend (Like a son and is my son's best friend) that owns a (Brakes, alignment, on the vehicle speed balancing, tires, etc.) shop mostly for racing set-up here in the N. Atlanta suburbs. (Gran Turismo east) He sells nothing but quality and when I asked him about RV tires he highly recommended the Maxxis. His is the recommended shop for the Road Atlanta crowd.

 

[Jim-n-Leslie]

Look at the Maxxis tires (www.maxxis.com). I have been pleased with mine since I replaced my Chinese tires.
Jim