Tires: ST Tires, Trailer Tires

Question
1)Is it correct that ST tires should all ways be inflated to the full LR value, e.g. LRE 80#, regardless of actual TT weighed value (assuming its not overloaded)

2) I was interested in your history of ST old molds. I thought ST tire index ratings were set to match with the common TT/5th axle ratings. Is this not true?

Answer
Ecker,

1)  No,  but it is a rare situation where ST tires are used where something less than the max pressure would be appropriate.

2)  This is not true.  Axle ratings and tire ratings are done differently and independently by different manufacturers.  If you look, you'll notice that ST tires have the same sizing as Passenger and Light Truck tires - and in a lot of cases, the old versions of the sizing structure.  This gets back to my remark about old molds being utilized for this purpose.  Nothing wrong with that.  It's just how this thing evolved.

If there is a matching of tires and axles, it is because the trailer manufacturer brings together the pieces to make a trailer and they would naturally bring appropriately sized parts together.