Like many of us, I have accumulated far more tire failures on ST tires than on any other vehicle I have ever owned. I would love to know why, and I kinda like your theory. But let me add one data point to the contrary.
My wife and I spend half the year in Maine, and half in Arizona. While we are in Maine, we leave a 2005 Jeep Wrangler in the garage in Arizona (hot summer!) with weight on wheels. When we are in Arizona, we leave a 1998 Ford Ranger in the garage in Maine (cold winter!), again with weight on wheels. Neither of these vehicles has ever experienced a tire failure. Yes, the tires wear at the normal rate, but they don't fail, as in "come apart". Again, I admit that this is only one data point, but it seems a pretty good one.
As for squaring? We used to call it flat spotting, and I remember it happened a lot when I was kid. But I haven't seen it in a long time, including on the two vehicles mentioned above. I have been told (by a tire guy) that it happened on nylon tires, which were popular back then, but it does not happen on steel-belted tires.
Just my experience. But keep thinking, please. I would love to know why ST tires fail so much more often than P- or LT- tires.
Bill
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