Load range E tires for a Tacoma overkill?

I am looking to purchase tires in a few months and was looking at various tires. I like the Falken Wildpeaks AT and General Grabber AT but in a 265/75/16 they only come in a load E tire, overkill for my truck. I talked to a tire guy and he said just run normal pressures such as 35psi and they work fine plus I know many guys run this load range for overall strength of the tire. I dont care about ride I came from a Ram 2500HD before. Would these tire kill my mpgs? they falkens are 50lbs so 5 lbs more than the GoodYear silent Armors I have now. The Generals are 57lbs! kinda heavy. Also looking at the Federal Courigia MT which has grea reviews for an "all Season" MT with sipes for winter and weighs 48 lbs and they are priced right. another tire is the Cooper discoverer AT3 but they are not really aggressive looking but come in a load C. My truck sees moderate trail use, rocks, mud, snow, sleet, rain, and mostly street use. So pretty much are guys out there running E tires also just because they like the tire design? and will it kill mpgs?

 

You'll be surprised how many member on here are running E's. I used to run a set of Cooper Discoverer's in E.

I had mine inflated to 65 PSI, as 90% of my truck's miles are on gravel. In my experience, running the tires at a high PSI will offset the increased weight in the MPG department, as a harder tire has much less rolling resistance.

You may find this thread helpful: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/wheels-tires/241091-what-load-range-do-you-run.html

 

Hey man,
I have the BFG AT E rated in a 265/75/16. I honestly didn't see a mpg change from the stock rugged trails. I have the fronts aired to 48psi and the rears are 40 psi. They ride and handle better than the rugged trails i think. Plus lots more traction off road. Depends on what size tire you get too. If you go really big, say a 35, then a re gear is going to be needed.

 

For on road use or light off roading, a load E tire is way overkill for the Tacoma. A lot of people run them because it's the only load range offered for the tire they want in a particular size or they want the heavy duty tire to withstand sidewall cuts. If you do a lot of city driving, your MPGs will suffer. On the highway, you likely won't really notice much of a difference.

 

I bought some used load range E Fierce Attitudes. It is hard to find used 265/75/16 local for some reason. these were the only ones I could find. I like the tires (wish they were load range C). The ride is horrible, I think I can feel every bump in the road. I would never get them on a Tacoma again. I do drive a lot of city and I have noticed my MPGs suffering. I also went from street slicks to these.

 

Overkill ? Yes

I have them though

 

With a full load the taco don't get much above 6k lbs, so if an C rated tire gives you 2400lbs a tire, and a E gives you 3500, the E is overly stiff. That can lead to a poor ride.

And I think it is overkill since you can lose things like traction and overheat tires if they are too low in pressure...

However, the decision is yours.

Also remember that your rims might not be rated to the pressure that E rated tires require to give full load.

Howard

 

Bingo

 

Yea my truck sees alot of city stop and go so mpgs would take a hit. I dont want P rated tires again the tread depth for off road driving, mud, etc is not enough. I would prefer C or D rated tires but not too many choices. I see many run E tires probably due to tire choice not load. Tire decisions are a PITA. want a fairly aggressive tire for looks but want it to perform well in New England weather and trails, so the perfect tire .

 

I love these tires! Have 285s load range e on my powerstroke, first set I got 80,000 miles! A friend of mine had Michelin lts load range e on her 98 Toyota and got 105,000 miles on them.
Michelin makes same tire in load range c, that's what I'll be installing on taco when rugged fails wear out. I drove straight to discount from dealer when I bought the taco, hoping to trade rugged fails for Michelin AT2's, but discount would only give me $75 per tire, and the AT2's were around $200 per tire, so I decide to wait until I wear these down.
I've never had a problem with michelins.

 

UPS man is bringing by some BFG AT 265/75/16's in a few hours...don't even make me think I will regret getting E (altho yea..im with OZ and others...there is no other option than E..i think the 245 is D LOL )

 

durability comes to mind when putting tires on a 4x4 truck, the e load will be a tougher tire than a c load, if you never leave pavement c is probably good, but i prefer a beefier tire for peace of mind. also if you notice the stock tires on these trucks are p rated, not lt, p to me is a car tire, not a truck tire. i run e rated on my reg cab with 36psi up front and 33 out back, truck rides like a truck, but not jarring or rough.

 

My E load 255/85/16's MT's seem to drive better on road then my 265/70/17 AT's in C load.

 

search this "Love new Michelin LTX AT2 Tires" on tacoma world, sorry i dont know how to link this thread, but it has nothing but positives about the AT2s.

 

I purchased a set of Grabber AT2's -265/75/16's and they are everything you see posted....

Only "played" in the snow for a little bit BUT ...hooked up and pulled me through all of it so far...I have not noticed any MPG changes BUT I only drive 20-50 miles a week...

THEY DO GET ATTENTION......E series have that wide-look......

Pulled up to the service door at the dealer this AM and had all kinds of questions ...and with them sitting around '09 TRD wheels the ?? just flowing...

The best advice offered when I purchased these was to keep them maintained;air them up and keep them rotated...works for me....

 

Yea I probably won't run a MT anymore, those days with the Jeep are gone but I want the truck to perform good in all terrains so AT it is. A load E tire may be the only way to go for the looks I want. Worried about wear and tear on truck, wonder if the heavier tires are going to effect anything

 

Im rolling on 265/75/16 Wild Peaks Load Range E @35psi. I love them. Hopefully they last a little longer the D's would but Im not sure Im not a Doctor....

 

LTX AT2's are a great all around tire. Best I've had on the truck all-around.

 

firestone destination AT "load range C" LT265/75/16

 

The load range isn't necessarily what makes the tire stiff. The wildpeaks have a 3 ply sidewall. That has more to do with it. Most 3 ply's are E's, and some are D's. my E rated Duratracs (2 ply) rode softer than my D rated Wildpeaks. However, the Wildpeaks are all around much more comfortable, and very capable off road.

Biggest misconception I see here is folks thinking they should run more PSI in the E load tires. This is completely wrong! You only increase the pressure if the load on the vehicle requires it. On a Tacoma, you would never get within half of the capable load of the tires in E. you would run an E tire at the same PSI as a D or C if the weight and load on the truck is the same. Over inflating will cause more of a rough ride than anything else IMO. And the effect of over inflating will only last until the center tread wears down even with the outer tread.