Thoughts on load E rated tires?

For the past few days ive spent hours on TW and Tirerack reading reviews, and looking up prices on some 285/75/16 tires but every 285 i see in that size is a E rated tire and from what ive read there very heavy and ride rough, any suggestions or input from guys running "E" rated tires.


Anything would be helpful, thanks in advance.

 

People complain about them beening stiff but I don't really feel a difference.

 

I was looking at the goodyear Duratrac's im restricted to goodyear because my Wrangler AT/S were defected and are giving me a discount on a new set but they discontinued my Wranglers.

 

if the ride is too rough, let a little bit of air out. Sure you may chew through the tires faster, but sometimes you just can't have your cake and eat it too, life is a pain in the dick sometimes!

 

Yeah im not really concerned about the ride as much as i am about the weight and power loss, i dont really have the option to re-gear

 

with the manual in your truck you can "compensate" for the power loss. However, your fuel mileage will suffer. Save the money on the re-gear until you can afford lockers and a re-gear

 

I switched from C rated to E rated +1.5" but lost 4mpg avg before re-gear. I drive like an asshole though

 

Im in college so the re-gear probably wouldn't happen for awhile but i defiantly wanna save up for a locker!

 

i wheel about twice a month or more and we go through some pretty sharp rocky sections at fast pace... i been running E load KM2s they they hold up really well... they are scarred but not punctured...

only puncture i ever had was when i had to tear through one section during a race to get to our race truck and got an 18 inch long branch into the sidewall... at 45mph, not even the thick sidewall could keep that sharp branch out...

 

OOOPS

 

yep.. the worst part of that, the tire was brand new... i had it mounted the day before the race, and America's Tire refused to honor the certificate because i didn't have certs on all 6 tires on my truck, and with the branch, they said it was proof that i took it offroad...

the manager was a total dick to me, so i have since stopped going there...

 

and why would you take an off-road tire off-road?! You're crazy!

 

hahahahaha... that's exactly what i said to him...

 

So gay, makes these look straight

 

I'm running Load E tires. Love em. Tough as nails. When I go up a tire size in the future I will stick with them. They may not flex out as much, but I don't wheel hardcore enough to need to air down that much anyway.

 

Does load E tires last longer? They are more expensive I assume? Thanks.

 

i'm running goodyear dura trac 285/75/16. it looks really sweet on a 3inch lift. but i don't think is very realistic for a daily driver. unless you use them offroad a lot. that would be your preference. i'm switching my out for 265's, c range. there's a couple of reasons for that.

1- i definetely feel a power loss on it
2- mpg went down about 3.5 mpg
3- i do feel the harsh ride.

i think 265/75/16 will do just fine for what i need it to do.

 

Are those the 265/75/16 on your truck? those look pretty good, i dont wheel my truck as much as i would like to but i do get out every now and then

 

E-rated tires really dont ride any more rough than any other tires. Where this misconception comes from is that the change in tire load rating usually coincides with a change in tire size or type, possibly overinflation, possibly failure to compensate for the lower inflation requirements of a larger tire.

One of the BIGGEST problems that lead to the misconception that large tires ride extra rough, is from those people who inflate their tires to the number specified on the side wall. A "P"-type tire will usually say something like 40 psi. A "C" rated tire, about 50 psi. An "E" rated tire, about 80 psi. Obviously, if you're (inappropriately) inflating to the sidewall rating, going from 40 to 80 psi is going to have a HUGE effect on the ride quality.

As a hypothetical example, if you change from the stock "P" tires and go up to "E" tires of the exact same size, the inflation spec in the owner's manual (probably about 30 psi) remains valid and the ride should be fairly similar.

Now if you're going with a larger tire, lets say its 25% wider, but the same height, you will note that there is 25% more tire touching the road, so it will actually support a greater load at the same pressure. In other words, it will ride more harsh. In this instance, you would want to select a lower inflation to compensate.

Now there is one critical element that has to be considered when selecting a lower than factory inflation: lateral support. Larger tires do not provide an increase in lateral support. The only thing that maintains your level of lateral support is the inflation pressure. If you run at lower pressure, you reduce lateral support, which increases the tendency for the tire to get pulled under when you're coming around a corner, possibly even collapse or pop the tire off the rim.


Summary: the effect of load rating on ride quality is minimal, as long as you follow the vehicle's specifications regarding inflation and don't go to far oversized. If you do go too far oversized, then your ride quality may decrease, but due to the size, not so much the load rating.

 

265/70/17 E rated tires will ride rougher than 265/70/17 P rated tires at the same PSI , no ?