Tire Question

[frank4711]

When I buy a car/truck it comes with tires ... tires that I did not choose they may or may not be OE .... the premise that somehow I would let the tire store pick my new tires is not the world I live in ... my choice is based past experience and current needs ... tire threads somehow end up in this worm hole ... pick the tire you want ... make sure it fits and carries the load ... I am going to crawl out of this hole Frank out

[dannyabear]

I think the LX series fits in between a 'P' rated and a "LT' rated tire; most 'truck' customers want them to ride like a car, so P tires for them; If you 'use' a truck for its intended purpose-to haul a load- you want LT tires

[Iwannacamp]

Originally Posted by Airdale

That 275/60R20 Michelin shown in the picture is a euro-metric passenger tire. Sometimes their specs will differ slightly when compared to the same sized P-Metric tires.

Hmmm. I zoomed in. I guess it’s a stock photo.

[KMP44]

Originally Posted by Daebado

Yeah, my Ram dealer is pushing the Goodrich TA K02 in a LT. They look pretty aggressive but he swears all his customers love them. I'm worried about them being noisy but he says they really aren't. My current tires are horrible in the rain and here in the Midwest, we occasionally get snow as well so that's something to consider.

I'm on my 3rd set of these. You can't go wrong. They ride nice, they're quiet, and the traction is great. They look like an off road tire, but they are great on the pavement.

[DadJones]

I'm in the same situation as the OP. I have the same tire size on my Ram 1500 and there are not many options for LT in that size. I talked to two different dealerships and they both told me that P rated tires are preferred on this truck, even when you are towing. I am very confused if I should get P rated or go to LT.

[Beachbourbon]

Originally Posted by frank4711

When I buy a car/truck it comes with tires ... tires that I did not choose they may or may not be OE .... the premise that somehow I would let the tire store pick my new tires is not the world I live in ... my choice is based past experience and current needs ... tire threads somehow end up in this worm hole ... pick the tire you want ... make sure it fits and carries the load ... I am going to crawl out of this hole Frank out

That’s a whole lotta angst about tires

I’m too old ant tired to have that much angst about tires

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by Beachbourbon

That’s a whole lotta angst about tires

I’m too old ant tired to have that much angst about tires

No worries... guess I am not that old

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by Daebado

Thanks for the info. Can I ask which model of LTX tires you bought? There appears to be several to choose from (A/T2, M/S2, maybe more?).

FYI, I am in the process of buying the last of 6 tires for dually. I have bought 4, of the Michelin LTX M/S2 variety. I am now ready to buy the last 2, the inner rear.

Well, the LTX M/S2 is discontinued!!! So I have four almost new tires and no one has the last 2 to sell me.


I did find a Discount Tire that said they found 2 in another of their stores, out of state. They have ordered them to be shipped. I'll know next week if/when they arrive and I'll get the last two installed.

But that's the last of them.

Something called Agilis is replacing them.

[JoelMarc]

Load range E tires are 10 ply rated tires, another name for them is LT (light truck). No 1500 series truck ,1/2 ton truck has ever come with 10 ply tires. You find them on 2500 series and 3500 series, 3/4 & 1 ton trucks. You can not load a 1500 series truck truck enough to need them without exceeding the gross vehicle weight of the truck itself. However, putting them on will give a much more stiffer ride, somewhat less bounce and sway. P metric tires are standard load 4 ply tires. Some small trailers use 6 or 8 ply tires depending on their weight. They have a prefix of T in front of the size. Some small trailers use 10 ply tires they usually are hauling back hoes etc. I have a 2008 F250 4WD that I converted to a dually. While it had 10 plys on it when I got it, converting to a dually made it more stable due to the wider axle and tire setup. I cant haul any more weight than what it was originally designed for but you get blowout protection.

[skipatroller]

Originally Posted by Daebado

I am pulling a 23WS with a Ram 1500 Sport Quad Cab. I am at the point of needing new tires and the question has come up as to whether I need LT tires or are passenger tires ok? I have towed this camper for a couple years on the original passenger tires (P275/60 R20) but have always felt the truck could have felt more steady for lack of a better description. Not sure how much rougher the ride would be with LT tires during normal driving.
I do have a load distribution hitch on the truck (don't remember the brand at the moment).

Any thoughts on this subject?

Go with the LT, the ride will not be that much different from what you have now but you truly get better and a safer tow ride, will help with but sway on the truck when towing even with the anti sway, this a true case where more is better. You will get more mileage out of them if rotated on a regular basis as well, worth the extra money.

[Jimmy1439]

FWIW, I'm very impressed with Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tires as direct replacements. I'm on my 3rd set over 2 trucks. 1st truck was 2014 Dodge Ram Express and current is a 2016 Ram Big Horn, both originally with Goodyear Wrangler tires on 20 inch rims. I put P275/60R20s on both trucks and have towed quite a bit with them. I have a Flagstaff 27 RLWS that comes in around 7250-7500 when loaded for a long trip. They are worlds better than the stock Goodyears all the time. I've also gotten the advertised mileage out of all of them. With that said, i am a very relaxed driver. I don't push and never go above 70 when towing, usually staying around 65 tops. I'm not knocking Michelin nor do I have anything against L/T tires, just offering another option.

[JoelMarc]

Originally Posted by skipatroller

Go with the LT, the ride will not be that much different from what you have now but you truly get better and a safer tow ride, will help with but sway on the truck when towing even with the anti sway, this a true case where more is better. You will get more mileage out of them if rotated on a regular basis as well, worth the extra money.

Agreed

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by Jimmy1439

FWIW, I'm very impressed with Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza tires as direct replacements. I'm on my 3rd set over 2 trucks. 1st truck was 2014 Dodge Ram Express and current is a 2016 Ram Big Horn, both originally with Goodyear Wrangler tires on 20 inch rims. I put P275/60R20s on both trucks and have towed quite a bit with them. I have a Flagstaff 27 RLWS that comes in around 7250-7500 when loaded for a long trip. They are worlds better than the stock Goodyears all the time. I've also gotten the advertised mileage out of all of them. With that said, i am a very relaxed driver. I don't push and never go above 70 when towing, usually staying around 65 tops. I'm not knocking Michelin nor do I have anything against L/T tires, just offering another option.

X3 .... My ride is as good or better than the XL's ... at 60 psi I have more load than I will ever need for my RAM .... nearly 3000 lbs per tire...

[mxtreme30]

Don't want to hijack the OP's thread, but if you go from P-metric to E rated tire do you still use the recommended PSI for the truck (mines 35) or do you have to experiment with pressures when empty and not towing? Then just use close to max when towing. Don't want to ruin sidewall of E rated tire by underinflation if I go that route.

Looking for experience from others that have run them. Did you stick with the P-metric tire placard or do they put another one on your truck for the E rated tires? Thx.

[frank4711]

Originally Posted by mxtreme30

Don't want to hijack the OP's thread, but if you go from P-metric to E rated tire do you still use the recommended PSI for the truck (mines 35) or do you have to experiment with pressures when empty and not towing? Then just use close to max when towing. Don't want to ruin sidewall of E rated tire by underinflation if I go that route.

Looking for experience from others that have run them. Did you stick with the P-metric tire placard or do they put another one on your truck for the E rated tires? Thx.

No ... once you change tires from OE the placard does not apply .... use a chart like this to determine psi so load matches your trucks needs most add at least 10-20 % buffer https://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static...+inflation.pdf I went from XL to LT E rated and run 60 psi all 4 then up 5 lbs in rear when towing

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by Airdale

The vehicle manufacturer has the sole responsibility for the selection of Original Equipment tires. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be irresponsible with such selections for automotive vehicles.

The government regulations instruct them, in part, to select tires that are appropriate for each vehicle. There are tens of thousands of pick-up trucks fitted with passenger tires each year. Their manufacturers have the experiences needed to insure they are the best fitment for all road conditions that vehicle may be tasked to fulfill. If they foresaw a need for more sturdy tires they would have offered options. Installing replacement tires on that vehicle that do not meet vehicle manufacturer’s optional/approval recommendations will become the sole responsibility of the installer.


Reputable tire retailers are not going to install replacement tires onto a vehicle without the vehicle manufacturer’s approval. The risks are too high.

Well now this is a broad statement . Manufactures install tires for the minimum of load and ride comfort . The only requirements of installers is to install an equal or greater capacity tire for the vehicle. so going from a P rated tire to an LT or LRE will not be against any regulations will not require approval from manufactures will not void warranties , and any reputable tire installer that uses educated people will know the difference . most nationn wide tire dealers use kids that can only do what the computer tells them and they know no difference .

[DadJones]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Well now this is a broad statement . Manufactures install tires for the minimum of load and ride comfort . The only requirements of installers is to install an equal or greater capacity tire for the vehicle. so going from a P rated tire to an LT or LRE will not be against any regulations will not require approval from manufactures will not void warranties , and any reputable tire installer that uses educated people will know the difference . most nationn wide tire dealers use kids that can only do what the computer tells them and they know no difference .

So when I spoke with the dealership, they told me to stick with P for my Ram 1500. They stated P would be able to tow anything that the truck is rated to tow. I like your comment about nationwide tire dealers being kids that use computers, I have found that very same thing. That's what leads me to ask more questions on forums. Hard to find someone that really knows what they are talking about.

[MR.M]

Originally Posted by DadJones

So when I spoke with the dealership, they told me to stick with P for my Ram 1500. They stated P would be able to tow anything that the truck is rated to tow. I like your comment about nationwide tire dealers being kids that use computers, I have found that very same thing. That's what leads me to ask more questions on forums. Hard to find someone that really knows what they are talking about.

Yes the p rated will handle the load max for the truck but will it offer the best and most stable ride when you are at max or close to max load ?? that's the question that needs answered

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Yes the p rated will handle the load max for the truck but will it offer the best and most stable ride when you are at max or close to max load ?? that's the question that needs answered

THIS^^^^^^

[Airdale]

Originally Posted by MR.M

Well now this is a broad statement . Manufactures install tires for the minimum of load and ride comfort. That can be true AFTER they have met the minimum FMVSS requirement which forces them to provide a percentage of load capacity reserves. Then the can fit what they deem appropriate. The only requirements of installers is to install an equal or greater capacity tire for the vehicle. You have overlooked tire nomenclature - designated size. so going from a P rated tire to an LT or LRE will not be against any regulations will not require approval from manufactures will not void warranties, and any reputable tire installer that uses educated people will know the difference . most nation wide tire dealers use kids that can only do what the computer tells them and they know no difference .

Original equipment tires are minimum requirements as determined by the vehicle manufacturer. When replacing any OE tire with something other than the Designated size of the OE tire, numerous regulations and standards are involved. We cannot boldly pick-out a line of dialog that suits our purpose because it's just plain out of context. Normally I just use my own knowledge when writing about such choices. However, maybe that's just not enough for this P-LT thing. So the following is directly quoted from solid industry standards (USTMA). Preceded by this NHTSA intreptutation; “Industry standards generally form the basis for demonstrating product safety and quality before courts, regulators, retailers, consumers and others.”

REPLACING O.E. PASSENGER TIRES WITH LT TIRES: Some vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, vans, and pickup trucks, have passenger tires installed as original equipment. As previously stated, it is preferred that replacement tires should be the same OE size designation -- or approved options -- as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

When LT tires are used to replace P tires the requirement for a recommended cold inflation pressure for the replacement tires did not disappear. The - in this case - pick-up truck was built under the guidance of FMVSS (standards) and certified from 49 CFR part 567 (vehicle certification). The industry has standard procedures for establishing the new recommended cold inflation pressures for the replacement tires. The procedure requires two load inflation charts, one for the OE tires and another for the replacement tires. The installer is required to use the certified inflation pressure for the OE tires to determine from the inflation chart for the replacement tires a cold inflation pressure that will provide a load capacity equal to what the OE tires were providing. NHTSA allows the use of an axillary tire placard to display the new tires designated size and recommended cold inflation pressures. that placard should be displayed adjacent to the original tire placard. Notations should also be made in the vehicle owner's manual.

I live just 10 miles from Michelin of North America so I use a lot of their SOPs. Here is a direct quote:

Never choose a tire that is smaller in size or has less load-carrying capacity than the tire that came with the vehicle.

Tires should always be replaced with the same size designation — or approved options — as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

The correct tire size designated for your vehicle should always be verified with the information in your vehicle owner’s manual in the glove compartment or on the tire information sticker on your driver’s side door.