Load Range E tires - too hard?

I'm going to take delivery of a 2013 Tacoma, my first Tacoma. Looking forward to it. I also have a bit of a tire fetish! It's coming with 17" rims, 265/65/17 rubber. Nothing fancy. I have no plans to modify the truck, but I do like decent rubber.

I drive on highway, construction sites daily, deep snow in the winter from time to time.

For the last 6 or 7 years i've been riding around on BFG All Terrain KO's, I've been though two sets. I love them. Being snow rated too is a terrific plus and they have never ever been stuck anywhere unless they wernt touching the ground! But they were always Load range C, 6 ply tires.

In a 265/65/17, the BFG AT KO only comes in Load Range E, 10 ply. Will that be too stiff and hard for a light truck like the taco? Anyone got any actual experience?

Are there any other all terrain load range C snow rated tires out there that I could try instead?

Would like to hear from anyone who has tried load range E tires on there taco. And suggestions for alternatives.

 

Personally, I believe load range E is overkill for a truck the size of a Tacoma unless you off road and need the thicker sidewall for puncture resistance. I would keep looking for a C rated tire, E is going to be a very stiff tire and will also negatively impact your fuel economy.

 

Very true. I do run KM2 E's on mine, as it sees alot of hauling and jobsite deliveries on access roads that are nothing but jagged blasted rock. I don't think it rides bad, but that is just my opinion. They are definitely heavier than a C and will negatively effect gas mileage

 

I'm running 265/75R16 E's on my truck. Are they a little overkill, probably. I didnt notice a difference in ride quality, but between the lift and tires, I noticed about 1.5-2mpg drop.

 

My winter tires are studded Winterforce's in 10 ply.I do a fair bit of long gravel/ice/snow/gravel road driving it the winter. other then being loud and they arent too much stiffer.

 

The more I read, the more people write that D and E are too hard for a small truck like a Tacoma. A lot of unsprung weight too.

If I go to a [FONT=Verdana,Helvetica,Arial] LT265/70R17, they are available in load range C. I wonder if I should just do that. I believe they will fit a stock taco without any issues.
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I have 245 e rated tires and I love them I still get great mpg

 

I've gone through around 5 sets of the bfg a/t's over the years and won't change... they're one hell of a tire. I'm running the e rated 265/75/16 now and have no complaints. The truck rides and handles better and feels like it's on tracks going around corners. Also, the tires handle the ruts in the roads around here better. Are they over kill? Probably, but i you can say the same thing for alot of the aftermarket things we put on these trucks.

 

I went from E load BFG T/A KO 265/75-16s to C load DuraTracs in the same size.

The ride is more compliant as expected, and mileage went UP according to my frequently calibrated/verified UltraGauge.

The truck does wander a little more while rolling down the road as well as under heavy braking, but this might have as much to do with the fresh full-depth tread as the softer sidewalls.

I'd say that 60% of my driving is commute, the rest is work/play either hauling something heavy in the back or pulling a 5x10 trailer full of whatever. The C loads have sufficient load capacity and work well for my needs. I don't see the need for E in my case.

 

You can put 265/70/17's on stock wheels without lift and should not even have to loose front mudflaps.

Those 265/70/17 C rated BFG's will be an inch taller, but still not as heavy as the smaller stock size 265/65/17 BFG E rated tires.

22.8kg vs 20.4kg.

 

I have had both D and E BFG ATs on this truck. For me, the D is much better.

 

I run the Michelin LTX M/S in a 265/75/16 that are E load range and they ride just fine. You can feel that they are a bit stiffer, but they ride very well.

I only got E-load because thats all they had at discount in that size for that tire.

 

Ditto.

I ran "E" on my 3/4 ton Duramax. Would need them for heavy hauling and towing, but the Tacoma would be way overgross before getting close to making the E tires even take notice.

 

I've got a 2011 Taco with the off-road package. Original equipment tires were BFG's 265/70R/16's. I regularly pull a travel trailer with a weight of about 2 tons. The BFG's were pretty much worn out at about 20,000 miles.
My tire dealer suggested going to an LT tire and we installed Goodyear Wranglers. Big mistake. On a southern road trip to Florida this spring, the truck and trailer combination was pretty much undriveable. Felt like driving on ice the whole trip. The only variable that changed was the LT tires. Tried presssures from 40 psi all the way to 70 psi, which was recommended by Goodyear. Nothing worked. Now back at home and the tire dealer swaped the LT's back to the P rating. Installed Michelin's. Won't be taking another road trip until this fall, so wont be able to rate them, however, I'm confident that going back to the P rating will make the truck and trailer driveable again. LT's appear to be way toooo much tire for the Taco.

 

70 PSI ?

 

Goodyear Duratracs has load C Ride is great

 

That's typically the sidewall limit for a load-range "E" tire.

Load capacity is directly proportional to tire pressure.
Heavier sidewall and tread construction support the higher pressure and load safely.

A fully loaded Tacoma, hauling the heaviest trailer it is rated for, can not exceed the capacity of a load-range "C" tire.

BUT... A load range D or E, run at higher pressures, will last forever.
I had over 40k on the set of BFG KO's on my Duramax, ran them at about 60, and they still had at least 50% of their tread left, perfectly even wear across the face.

 

I know that , my E rated ATm's have a max 80 PSI rating , I'm just not sure why you would ever run them at that if they were on a Tacoma

 

I took the leap and got some Duratracs load E 235/85 r16. They ride fine on a reg cab. Honestly, they seem to run as smooth as the stock at20s they replaced.
With 4.56 gears turning them, I lost 2 mpg....23 down from 25mpg, only noteworthy but I don't really care how much I lost. Now I added the DT headers, might gain 1mpg, who knows.

What is likely certain is that I cant really perceive much of a ride difference and the tire noise is lower frequency perhaps a bit quiter (due to a modern design I guess) and I went from a 33lb stock tire to a 46-48 lb tire, it will be harder to turn. aired down to 20psi they seem to quish still but less, I didn't try to really do a comparison here.

Take your time and study the tires, I'm sure you'll make a decent choice no matter what you choose.

As far as pressure I doubt I'll go over 50psi, I just don't know what the rims are rated for. I doubt I'd get over 40psi really on an 80psi tire, just wont be needed, like OZ said, for a Tacoma.

 

The only up side I see in putting a load range E on a Tacoma is durability.

They are heavy, so they hurt fuel economy, the Tacoma can not take advantage of the load carrying capability, they ride like a covered wagon when fully inflated, and when not fully inflated, their carrying capability is actually lower than a load range C or D at the same pressure.

That pressure was fine for my Duramax... it was an 8000lb truck, and the combination of weight and having a real suspension damped the hard ride.
"Mini" and mid-sized trucks have always had the suspension in the seats.