What about smaller diameter on 15" wheels?

[rickst29]

As Bill just pointed out [http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...38&postcount=6], I'm probably thinking too much - I've also had a great experience with Marathon ST225/75R15 Load Range D (though I run them at reduced pressure, to make up for my less flexible 5000 lb Torflex). But here is a new idea: We have many reports of Tread separation, and I wonder if some of those might be caused by road hazard (pothole or rock) pushing the tire against the TM wheel well. Maybe these tread separation disasters are more a result of "tread scraped off against the wheel well", and less of "failure internal to the tire"?

Even with lift kit and bigger Torflex, my 2619 provides for only small excursions in the wheel well. (The worst dimension under the worst conditions is barely one inch.) Diameter of the tire is about 28.3".

Maybe a switch into a smaller tire, on the same 15" wheel, (ST205/75R15 on 6.0") would be as effective (or even more effective) for blowout reduction as use of heavier-duty ST225/75R15 LR-D and LR-E tires?

Looking at the new Carlisle "HT" product line specs here, http://www.carlisletransportationpro...wables/Tires43, we would be staying on 6.0" rims. The diameter would be reduced from about 28.3" to about 27.2", and we also loose some mounted width: 9.0" down to 8.2". That's roughly 1/2" more room for the tire to move, relative to TM, before hitting a wheel well surface.

But the maximum load per tire would be significantly less, dropping from 2500+ lbs to about 2150. (These "smaller" tires running at 65 PSI can only carry the weight of the "normal" ST225/75 tires running at about 50m PSI - performance like load range "C" in the bigger tires.) The original 14" tires, with so many problems, were rated at either 1760 lbs or 1870 lbs.

So I'd loose a bit less than 2/3 of my current load capacity improvement, in order to gain about 1/2" of space in the wheel well. What do you all think?

(This Carlisle "HT" seems to be the only ST205/75R15 tire with Load range "D" on 6.0 inch rims - the other ST205/75-LRD tires want to mount on only 5.5".)