275/60R20 for towing

[boubou]

I am not able to find a LT tire for the Dodge Ram 275/60R20
I see Michelin LTX M/S2 but that's not a E tire, still only takes 2365@44psi
there's also the Cooper Zeon LTZ which is rated at 2998 max load
These are still P tires (XL)

What are the problems with going down to 17" some people say do it, some don't

Does anyone have LT tires in that size? where to find them?

[fajitas21]

What are you towing out of curiosity?

If it's the Shasta 21FBS LE trailer, how much does it weigh?

I'm thinking a load range E might be super overkill for a 3000 - 4000 lbs trailer considering a max load of tires is distributed over more than 1 tire, and with a WD hitch it's even more distrubuted than just a weight carry hitch.

I realize the Michelin are XL P metrics but I've towed a good bit with a set and they tow incredibly well. That also was with a 7000 lb (weighed @ CAT) trailer of Father in law.

For clarification: I was towing with my FiL's truck with those tires. It was a F150 2006 5.4L XLT CC Long Bed.

What are the problems with going down to 17" some people say do it, some don't

Speedo will be off, and rear end will change from 3.92 or whatever your truck is to a different ratio.

Does anyone have LT tires in that size? where to find them?

I also had a super hard time finding this.

[boubou]

Originally Posted by fajitas21

What are you towing out of curiosity?

If it's the Shasta 21FBS LE trailer, how much does it weigh?

yes, it's the Shasta 21FBS LE

weight at the scales: steer axle 3320
drive axle 3460
trailer axle 5140
gross weight 11920
with WD

it added about 780 lbs on the truck so if I add 5140 and the 780 distributed to truck is : 5920 for trailer (I think I add this right ?) so round it off to 6000 lbs

Originally Posted by fajitas21

Speedo will be off, and rear end will change from 3.92 or whatever your truck is to a different ratio.

ratio for this truck is 3.55 right now

[M109Rrider]

If you go to a 275/65/20 you can get E rated. They're OEM to Ford Superduty w/20" wheels. A 265/70/17 is roughly the same diameter as a 275/60/20 so the speedo and gear ratio is not changed. However, going from a 20" to 17 wheel greatly reduces your unsprung weight and makes the truck feel more alive.....so I'm told

[Terier]

Originally Posted by M109Rrider

If you go to a 275/65/20 you can get E rated. They're OEM to Ford Superduty w/20" wheels. A 265/70/17 is roughly the same diameter as a 275/60/20 so the speedo and gear ratio is not changed. However, going from a 20" to 17 wheel greatly reduces your unsprung weight and makes the truck feel more alive.....so I'm told

What do you mean by "feel more alive"?

[M109Rrider]

I used to have a 1500 with the hemi, 20's and 3.92's and pulled a 8k TT. I too was looking to downgrade._ What I found was the 20" is almost twice as heavy as the 17" therefore taking more power to get it rolling and apparently makes a slight noticeable differance (unconfirmed). I like the looks of 20's so instead bought XL p-metric tires and changed my rear end to a 4.56. What a huge differance that made... lol!!!!!

[boubou]

I'm thinking about the Michelins LTX ms/2
Cooper Zeon LTZ
General grabbers XL
Bridgestones dueler A/T
BF Goodrich Rugged Terrain T/A

The difference in price does not matter, I am looking for the best all around tire. Good for towing, general all around driving and snow.

[M109Rrider]

The coopers get rave reviews on the dodge ram forums. I used the Kumho STX, they were "XL" and rated around 2900lbs. I could only get them in 275/55/20. I had a 2wd and could get away with a shorter tire. There was a noticeable difference in towing compared to the Toyo Open Country I had previously.

[ScottnKimmer]

I put 275/65/20 E rated Wrangler all terrains on our Dodge and the only issue is that they rub when turned to full stop but it's no danger to the tire... they only barley rub the sway bar in the front at the very corner on the tread so I just don't force them to rub. No other issue and we feel much more confortable with the extra ply's. Just thought we'd letcha know they fit without any real issue.

[boubou]

Originally Posted by ScottnKimmer

I put 275/65/20 E rated Wrangler all terrains on our Dodge and the only issue is that they rub when turned to full stop but it's no danger to the tire... they only barley rub the sway bar in the front at the very corner on the tread so I just don't force them to rub. No other issue and we feel much more confortable with the extra ply's. Just thought we'd letcha know they fit without any real issue.

how's the ride compared the to hp?

[chadster1]

Originally Posted by boubou

how's the ride compared the to hp?

I put the same Wranglers on my Dodge. No noticable change in the ride.

[kandl]

The stock 20-inch HP weighs about 40 lbs. The E-rated 20-inch AT being mentioned here weighs 60 lbs. That's gotta hurt at the pump...

[chadster1]

Originally Posted by kandl

The stock 20-inch HP weighs about 40 lbs. The E-rated 20-inch AT being mentioned here weighs 60 lbs. That's gotta hurt at the pump...

My mileage has dropped some. Its hard to get an accurate read on it because the taller tire has thrown the speedomer/odometer off some. The tire size calculater says that the tire is 34.1", when I changed the tire size option in the PCM with my flashpaq tuner, the options were either 34" or 34.25". I know the speedo is still off by probably about 5-7% based on comparing the speedo to the speed shown on a handheld GPS.

It may be costing me more at the pump, but its still cheaper than buying a new truck. If these tires wear out before the truck does, I will look at buying 17" wheels and tires. Right now, I am going to stick with what I got.

[kandl]

Originally Posted by chadster1

It may be costing me more at the pump, but its still cheaper than buying a new truck.

Acknowledge that but do the E-rated tires appreciably improve the trailer towing handing characteristics of your Dodge? We're somewhat in the same boat in that we're pushing the limits of the 1500 but are reluctant to move up to a 2500 (3/4 Ton) because the 1500 does a respectable job lugging the Rockwood and is otherwise my plush daily driver for the remainder of the year. Gonna be replacing the OEM skins (HPs) this fall and looking at the GY Silent Armour or Bridgestone Revo. We've put a lot of miles on the HPs with TT in tow and have been quite impressed with how they handled the load given the negative press this tire has rec'd over the past few years. Not convinced that a jump to a D or E-rated tire would improve the truck's handling with the TT latched to her.

Cheers

[chadster1]

Originally Posted by kandl

Acknowledge that but do the E-rated tires appreciably improve the trailer towing handing characteristics of your Dodge? We're somewhat in the same boat in that we're pushing the limits of the 1500 but are reluctant to move up to a 2500 (3/4 Ton) because the 1500 does a respectable job lugging the Rockwood and is otherwise my plush daily driver for the remainder of the year. Gonna be replacing the OEM skins (HPs) this fall and looking at the GY Silent Armour or Bridgestone Revo. We've put a lot of miles on the HPs with TT in tow and have been quite impressed with how they handled the load given the negative press this tire has rec'd over the past few years. Not convinced that a jump to a D or E-rated tire would improve the truck's handling with the TT latched to her.

Cheers

I did notice less sway when I put the new tires on.

I bought the tires when I was 1300 miles away from home. I had made a trip from Dallas to Utah pulling a flat bed trailer with 3 atvs (approx 5000lbs). When I got to my destination the stock rear tires were showing the wear indicators. I did not want to make the trip back home on those tires. I did some research online and talked to some of the others in the campground about tires and thats when I decided to get the LT275/65/R20. I use Goodyear exclusively because I get a National Account pricing. I probably would of chose the Goodyear anyway. On the trip home, there was a definite improvement in the way the truck and trailer handled. I got 9.5mpg on the trip up and 8.5mpg on the trip home but I dont know how accurate the trip computer is anymore since the speedo and odometer is off.

If I would of had more time, I would of researched the cost of buying 17" wheels and tires vs. the cost of buying 20" tires. But as you can see, I was in somewhat of a bind.

Another note about improved handling with better tires. I recently upgraded the tires on my toyhauler to a D rated tire. I made my first trip a couple of weeks ago and I noticed an improvement in the way the trailer handled with the better tires as well. Not that the trailer handled badly to begin with but it seemed like there was less bouncing on rough roads and the wind effect of semis was less noticable.

Based on my experience, I am sold on buying better tires for my trailers and tow vehicles in the future. The better ride and peace of mind are worth the difference in cost.

[acadianbob]

One of the problems with the bigger wheel sizes is that it becomes much harder to get the exact tire you want; there is less selection. Typically the bigger wheels are more about appearance than function so the heavier tires are generally less available.

[NJAg78]

I have Goodyear Wrangler SR-A 265-60R20 Load Range E tires on the 2011 Chevy 2500HD. Came that way from the factory.

Difference between the 265 and 275 is 0.4" in width and 0.24" in height (diameter).

[boubou]

Well, thanks to all for the replies. i'll reseach it all and let you know what I get in the spring

[boubou]

Back on the tire hunt!
Still undecided on to which tire I will get but here's my short list:

Michelin LTX A/T2 275/65R20
BFG All Terrain T/A 285/65R20 (unsure why the tire guy didn't quote the 275/65R20

Now these are for towing with small 5th wheel and as a driving around town vehicle.
We live in Ontario so we get our fair share of snow and ice and want a tire that can also handle this kind of weather.

Pondering if I should just get rims and go down to 17 inch tires?
these tires already are expensive so lets just say money isn't in the equation for rim and 17's vs 20's
going to 65 instead of 60 will change my speedo and gear ratio
would going down to 17 with new rims do that to?

[MikeDett]

Try the Tire Rack, they have geart spec info and sell all manufactures tires and more. They ship to your home or where you want them mounted
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