Which tire for a “working” Tacoma? C or E

Another vote for SL with a decent spare tire, jack, patch kit and inflator. Prepared AND a decent ride/mpg.

 

It would be the C

 

RRRRRRRRRRR

 

Nope

 

you think it'd be R (arrrr) but its the C (sea)

 

Been wheeling on C-loads for over three decades (to include several trips over Rubicon, Dusy/Ershim trails as well). No issues that warrant mention.
I put E-loads on my Tacoma a few years ago (only due to lack of C-load availability) and although they grip well offroad, the tread has fared worse then some C-load tires I've run (quite a bit of chunking).

I would say if you can find what you want in a C-load, go with that. But I tend to think the difference between C & E is not as dramatic as some make it out to be (there are some pretty heavy C-load tires out there as well).

 

My 265/75/16 Duratracs were C Load and never had issue. I literally beat the shit out of them. I believe they also made the same tire in an E load, but don't quote me. My current Wildpeaks are E load, but being pizza cutters, I never noticed much difference, when I switched over. I will however go back to Duratracs when it's time. I found them to be slightly better for my needs, especially in the winter. (Both have 3 peak snow designation).

But I dont tow, nor rarely carry shit, so my reasons may be different than your needs.

 

Yeah, that’s why I said “basically” there are no C options…there have been some options like your Duratracs but they don’t exist anymore. Currently tire rack doesn’t have any tires listed as a LT265/75R16 C. So may as well plan on choosing E or SL.

 

Change to 17s...unless you have your heart set on 16s...then, good luck.

Here's what a buddy of mine has on his Sport...and I'm leaning towards.

 

A "C" rated tire doesn't really offer any advantage over a P or SL tire. The main reason to go to an "E" rated tire is to get a tougher tire that is less likely to be damaged on rough roads. There are compromises but if you really spend that much time on rough roads "E" rated tires may cost less in the long run.

I've been driving 4x4's off road for about 50 years and I've had "E" rated tires about 1/2 of the time. I've had 3 P or SL rated tires damaged beyond repair. I've never had an "E" rated tire damaged.

 

A little of what I learned about "Rated Tires":

I'm not an expert..but I have a friend with "C" rated tires.

Sooooo, it's a preference in "Ride Quality" from what is stated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJNA_4rfTF4&t=7s

 

Well, thank you everyone for all of your input. The current Open Range’s that I have been running our the only “sea”(C) rated in the 265/75/16 size from Les Schwab. I am committed to the 16” wheel size as I just got new rims. They have the Toyo Open Country R/T but only in E rating. Because of how many highway miles I put on per year and the limited amount of intense off roading, C should be plenty fine based on the comment shared. They just wear down fast and was thinking I needed go up to E because of the travel trailer. I’d like to keep a nice comfy ride. Maybe I’ll try E rated tires when I turn the truck into a rock crawler after it’s paid off.

 

Tacoma not weighing enough to achieve side wall flex on e-rated tires is an absolutely ridiculous statement. My truck isn’t nearly as kitted out as the regular insta-lander and weighs in at 4,800lbs. I’ve been running e-rated Cooper tires for 10 years on it. And I can see the sidewalls flex just rocking the truck when parked. Lmao

 

I like the E rated tire because it makes my truck feel and ride like the trucks of my youth. Harsh yet dependable!

 

Well, I'm glad I did not make that statement about D/E-Rated Tires! lol

I try to support my opinion as best I can...and also utilize others own experiences.

A friend of mine has those C-Rated Falken Wildpeaks and he is happy with their performance so I will try them when the time comes.

At the end of the day, we each make our own choices...just glad to be part of the conversation.

 

If I could get 285/75r16 in c-rated I would probably get that. But, I can’t…

 

E's ride harsh compared to C's.

I'll soon be switching to D's that I think will be perfect for my application (~1000lbs of payload at all times).

For your application, E's would probably suit you well but understand you will likely lose some road comfort.

 

My observation. For the driving you describe that you do Ed, you will be happiest with an SL/P-metric load in your favorite tire.

 

Just drive through the whole alphabet maaaan and when you find the right letter of tire, you'll know, your truck will sing to you like a full choir of angels racing down from the clouds to pick you up and lay you on a floaty cloud to change your diaper and sprinkle a little johnson and johnson....on your johnson and the sky will turn to cotton candy and you'll fly around eating it up at which point you'll abruptly snap out of it and realize you shouldn't have eaten those mushrooms you found growing in the forest.

 

I run “E”s