"C" load final tire decision?

I went from e rated ST maxx to c rated toyo at2, and went from about 12.5 mpg to 14.5 mpg. 265/75/16 size

 

Good data point. There's about a 9lb difference in tire weight between those two.
How did you like the S/T Maxx's? How many miles did you get out of them?

 

I only used the st maxx for about 10000 miles and then sold them. They held the road great as well as offroad. But the were just to heavy, killed the little power these trucks have and mileage. I am also heavily armored.

 

I got 21.1mpg on mixed side streets and freeway recently with my C rated KO2's in size 265/70/17 on my TRD Sport 4x4, OEM roof rack (closed position) and factory tonneau cover. Love these tires and they look great.

 

How will the KO2 look too small, especially if you go up a size?

 

Tire weight is one thing, but rolling resistance is another. The goodyear MTR and Duratrac's both have massive resistance/noise compared to BFG's and the Toyo.

Noise = friction = resistance.

The Toyo is king of the LT choices for MPG and performance, but I wanted more so I went E Duratrac.

 

Good point here. Most of the time we talk about tire weight and tire size but not about the actual tread pattern, tread compound, and tire construction, which play a role in heat generation and the force of rolling resistance. Although noise generation has little to nothing to do with fuel efficiency, that's more of a tread pattern design compromise.
Actually going to an overall larger diameter tire helps in reducing the force of rolling resistance because the tire deflects less as it rolls through the contact patch, but the weight of the larger tire negatively overpowers the affect of the lower rolling resistance force and provides worse fuel economy...

Load Range E is totally overkill for these trucks, it's meant for an F-250 for example, and LRE hurts fuel efficiency by about 2mpg in the real world on a Tacoma for a given tire size (ex going from 265/70R17 to LT265/70R17LRE).

Nonetheless we continue to use LRE's on our trucks, myself included...

 

Im just worries with the Boss lift kit and having a DCLB that it could look to small. I am hoping that it won't, because right now I am leaning towards the BFG KO2 265/70/17 load range C.

 

So what is your recommendation for me on what tire I should get? Leaning towards the BFG KO2 in the C load 265/70/17 but the Cooper AT3 I can get an extra .5 inch of ground clearance with the C load 275/70/17...and not to mention the Kumho AT51.

 

265/75/16 Duratracs load range E on mine. Best tires I've run hands down. I like the E's, I'm much less worried about flats on the rocky mountain roads I spend time on. IMO, ride is far from rough, noise isn't bad at all, and grip is awesome, especially in snow. Might have lost maybe 2 MPG, but the trade off is worth it. No regrets, I'd buy them again without question. Hope that helps.

 

Still no love for the Cooper AT3? Really like the idea of that tire being offered in a 275/70/17 C load.

 

Stay the hell away from Duratracs. Worst tires I've ever owned. Weren't too bad when they were new, other than balance issues (which never go away). Once they had some miles on them, terrible on top of horrible. Mine are finally wearing down to where I need new tires. Can't wait to get something else!

 

What do you think you'll go with next?

 

I keep looking at the cooper st maxx, but I'm hesitant because it's only offered in a load e.

 

So with the load C options out there...what are you thinking?

 

Not sure. There aren't really any load c options that I like that I can find. Only d and e. The nitto terra grappler has a load d.

 

So is the load D an in-between option C+E? Best of both worlds? Load range D still overkill?

 

Yeah, d is in between. Still an overkill size for these trucks. Tire weighs more, plus it will ride a bit more rough.

 

I am In The same boat. I am stuck between the cooper at3 in 275/70r17 c at 47 lbs and the nitro trail grappler in 285/70r17 c at 43 lbs.

 

I didn't know that there was a nito trail grappler that size in a C load.