# Lt Truck Tires On A 1/2 Ton



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Ok guys,

My next truck plans are usually covered in a cloud of diesel soot







but every now and then it clears enough to see my wife frowning and asking how much this beast will cost







.

So, I thought of picking up a set of LT tires to see what help they are. Well, that price made me think I should just ask...
So, who has switched from the P tires to the LT ones, and what benefits did you see? 
Were there any downsides?


----------



## 1jeep (Jul 24, 2007)

Nathan said:


> Ok guys,
> 
> My next truck plans are usually covered in a cloud of diesel soot
> 
> ...


The ride will change as a LT tire is much stiffer and heavier if they are in a load range "E"

I do not get the same tire buldge when loaded as i did with the car tires my truck came with, less buldge means it is less likely i will overload my tires. I felt it necessary to change my tires as i am at my trucks limits with my trailer, but i put the OE tires back on for the winter as it did chage the ride that much.

What are you looking at for tires? I was sort of limited as my truck has 275/70 18 from the factory and i didnt want to change the size.


----------



## WYOCAMPER (Mar 28, 2007)

Nathan said:


> Ok guys,
> 
> My next truck plans are usually covered in a cloud of diesel soot
> 
> ...


I think a lot of factors come into play here (vehicle, tire size, brand, tread type, use, etc.), but here's my personal experience. I switched from P to LT on my Expedition - not neccesarily because I had planned to, but because I came upon a free set of brand new LT Bridgestone Revos that happened to fit my Expedition (they are slightly larger than OEM). I do not tow with the Expedition, so hopefully someone else here can comment on any towing benefits/downsides. As far as ride quality, I found that the LT's ride harsher than the P-rated tires. These particular tires are more aggressive than my OEM's, so they seem a little louder going down the highway. On the flip side, I have much better dirt/snow/mud traction and they are wearing noticeably less than the OEM tires. My Expedition sees a good mix of on & off road use. I have been very pleased with the overall performance of these LT's and would definitely do it again if/when this set wears out. Just my 2 cents.


----------



## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

Huge difference towing. Much less sway; more of a solid feel.

I expected more of a rough ride, but we delibrately stayed away from the highest load rating specifically to help with the ride (If we had a 3/4 ton we would have gone for the higher load rating, but with a 1/2 ton it was overkill given the axle rating).

Ed


----------



## 1jeep (Jul 24, 2007)

LarryTheOutback said:


> Huge difference towing. Much less sway; more of a solid feel.
> 
> I expected more of a rough ride, but we delibrately stayed away from the highest load rating specifically to help with the ride (If we had a 3/4 ton we would have gone for the higher load rating, but with a 1/2 ton it was overkill given the axle rating).
> 
> Ed


I would have loved to had found a "D" range tire for my truck, but due to the odd 18" size my choices were slim and only availble were "E"


----------



## D1Boz (Oct 18, 2007)

I would go to a LT in a heartbeat but that's just me.







I went to a D rated BFG TA KO on my old 06 and it was nite and day of how it felt towing the camper. It was like the others said, less sway and a firmer feeling going around curves while towing. You will feel that it will ride a little rougher over bumps and stuff but it's not bad just doesn't let the sidewall flex like the P tires do. When these tires get low enough to trade I will be finding another set of BFG KO's load D to replace.


----------



## D1Boz (Oct 18, 2007)

1jeep said:


> The ride will change as a LT tire is much stiffer and heavier if they are in a load range "E"
> 
> I do not get the same tire buldge when loaded as i did with the car tires my truck came with, less buldge means it is less likely i will overload my tires. I felt it necessary to change my tires as i am at my trucks limits with my trailer, but i put the OE tires back on for the winter as it did chage the ride that much.
> 
> What are you looking at for tires? I was sort of limited as my truck has 275/70 18 from the factory and i didnt want to change the size.


What tire brand did you go with??? I will be upgrading to a D or E rating in the future and just curious what you went with.

Thanks!!!


----------



## LarryTheOutback (Jun 15, 2005)

D1Boz said:


> What tire brand did you go with??? I will be upgrading to a D or E rating in the future and just curious what you went with.


Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo for us.


----------



## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

One interesting thing I've learned with my E tires. Because they're so stiff, they look the same at 40 lbs as with 60 lbs. Max capacity is at a very high pressure compared to what you're used to with passenger tires.

From what I understand, when not towing you can run them at 40 and get a much softer ride, but you'd have to make sure you pumped them back up with in TV mode to be safe.


----------



## 1jeep (Jul 24, 2007)

D1Boz said:


> The ride will change as a LT tire is much stiffer and heavier if they are in a load range "E"
> 
> I do not get the same tire buldge when loaded as i did with the car tires my truck came with, less buldge means it is less likely i will overload my tires. I felt it necessary to change my tires as i am at my trucks limits with my trailer, but i put the OE tires back on for the winter as it did chage the ride that much.
> 
> What are you looking at for tires? I was sort of limited as my truck has 275/70 18 from the factory and i didnt want to change the size.


What tire brand did you go with??? I will be upgrading to a D or E rating in the future and just curious what you went with.

Thanks!!!
[/quote]

to keep the size my tundra came with i could only find 4 choices in a 275/65 r18. they were a Toyo, Nitto dura grappler, Yokohama Geolander, Michelin ltx at/s.....i went with the michelin.


----------



## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

One thing to keep in mind - if those LT's are load range E and on stock wheels, the tire pressure allowed on the sidewall will exceed that allowed by the wheels. If the OE wheels aren't marked on the outside (mine aren't) they will be marked on the inside for size and max pressure.

Sluggo


----------



## 1jeep (Jul 24, 2007)

Sluggo54 said:


> One thing to keep in mind - if those LT's are load range E and on stock wheels, the tire pressure allowed on the sidewall will exceed that allowed by the wheels. If the OE wheels aren't marked on the outside (mine aren't) they will be marked on the inside for size and max pressure.
> 
> Sluggo


i am aware and dont plan to run them at 80psi, empty i have been running at 60psi.


----------



## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

I have Goodyear C rated and that is plenty for my tt. As they are not THAT stiff I don't find the ride any rougher, but I do find it LOUDER. I had Michelin passenger tires on it before and they were squishy, but much, much quieter. Oh well, it's a truck.


----------



## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

Sluggo54 said:


> One thing to keep in mind - if those LT's are load range E and on stock wheels, the tire pressure allowed on the sidewall will exceed that allowed by the wheels. If the OE wheels aren't marked on the outside (mine aren't) they will be marked on the inside for size and max pressure.
> 
> Sluggo


 The wheels will be your biggest issue. If they are OK then you will see the benefit of the stiffer walls. If the wheels are not up to it then don't fit them becuse someoen will over pressure them at some point. 80 psi vs 35-40 psi is a big difference.

Good luck


----------



## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I'd just get a new set of wheels with the tires mounted on them. I lease, so they would be towing tires (only on in summer). The issue is that DW would prefer something with more creature comforts (think Expedition, etc.). She also has a fit every time she sees what it costs to lease a SD truck.








So of course I start looking into the trucks, and the only significant difference I can find to explain handling between today's 1/2 ton and yesterday's 3/4 ton is the tires. (Ok, there are plenty of things that make today's 1/2 ton better handling, but you know what I mean)

Thanks for the input. Plenty of shopping time left before I head for the mountains...


----------



## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

You could try a shorter tire on your rim also. This will help a bunch when handling your trailer. Low profile tires flex less. This is the coming wave.

For instance my tires are 275/65/20 They have a load rating above 3k each. They handle a trailer very well.

Plus you could gain some rear gearing.

Again for instance I am going from 275/65/20 33 tall to 285/55/20 31 tall. This will give me a gear of around 4.10. It will make burn outs even easier.. lol It will tow a bit better though.

A heavier e rated tire will reduce gas mileage too. Many say around 1 mpg. They weigh more than p rated tires by alot. There might even be a bit of empty braking loss. The heavier mass takes more brakes to stop them.. But in the day of our trucks with 13+ rotors this prolly is no longer an issue.

By going to the next lower profile, you will gain mileage, braking, and handling.

After you are done just whip it by a shop and have them reset the speedo..

Carey


----------

