Re: Passenger car tires on trailer?
Hmm, guess I'll be looking at the weight rating of some car tires before getting ST tires.
I have had 5 flats in 6 months with 4 brand new car tires (on my car). A flat doesn't mean the tire is rated wrong. It could be a bad batch or just a cheap tire. Seeing as we are all boaters, I think it goes without saying, many marine items have absolutely nothing special about them except the word 'marine' in place of 'auto' (and maybe a white paint job).
Why some think this wouldn't follow to products such as tires I don't understand. Gas is federally regulated, too. Who here fills their boat with Mobil Premium gas and no other, even though Mobil gas come from the same pipeline as all other gas, and most marine engines aren't even made for premium gas (the tiny difference there is between it and regular)? I would guess near noone, as it is just advertising.
Calling someone cynical because they choose to do their due diligence and have direct experience with 'empty marketing' is dismissive and perpetuates ignorance. I'd love to learn the difference (if any) between how a ST tire is manufactured or if they just get a different sidewall label and what the cutoff (and more importantly, overlap) is between a passenger tire and a trailer tire.
I think one factor may be the rubber hardness, as bifflefan mentioned, passenger tires may be designed to grip better and, as such, may be softer rubber. After all, a trailer just has to follow, not grip. Assuming this is true, the high mileage passenger tires would be best, as they are harder rubber (performance tires are much softer, hense the low mileage warranties on them).
Beyond all of that, I'm all for discouraging empty marketing by purchasing the cheapest equivalent product in hopes the 'marketing' lines are dropped as a failed price hike idea. Sort of like a the lower shift cable tool, which is just a really deep 9/16" socket.. $30 for that? No thanks.
