17.5 tires for step deck

I buy lots of them. I was getting bridgestones and they were in that $400+ range but they didn't stand up very well so I tried Kumo's. They were about $300 IIRC and stood up about the same. I then tried some Hercules (made in China), that were about $225 and had a higher weight rating, two of them dissintegrated the second day so I took them back for full credit and tried LingLongs (no points for guessing where those are made) that are also about $225 and they have stood up better than any of the others. My trailer is hard on tires (don't know why) and I'm on my 3rd set. They are "J" rated IIRC which is, I believe 18 or 20 ply. They are a ##### to install as the sidewall is almost an inch thick. Bear in mind, this is in Canada and it seems like we pay way more for tires than you guys do so you SHOULD be able to get them cheaper than the prices quoted.

 

The biggest reason these tires blow, is the speedrating. I drive upand down i-15 from salt lake city to los angeles, with the speed limit being 80 mph in ut. There arent any tires rated for that speed. That "j" rating is also a speed rating. Those tires are all rated to 62 mph. You take those tires over the speed rating and they go off like a grenade. The only tires i have found with a higher speedrating is the continentals, and a chinese tire made by sailun. The continentals are 500 bucks, the sailuns are half that. The speed rating/load rating on them is "L". The sailuns seem ok. Ive been running them for about two months.

 

Everything he said, we not only run 17.5's but also run a spread, hard on tires is an understatement, we have tried most all, bang for buck Sailuns, BEST 17.5 tire out there, Continentals, hands down.

 

I had Roadmaster RM160 "J" rated (Cooper Tires) that came w/my Benson 53' SD trailer from the factory. Roadmaster stopped making RM160 but have RM170 now. They are around $220 mounted. Lasts about a year and didn't really cared about the wear patterns.

I recently started replacing them w/ Michelin XTA2 Energy (approx. $312 w/FET on national account). Hope they wears better.