Ideal load range for snow wheeling

I'm in the midst of getting new tires. 90% of the winter I am up wheeling in the deeper powder. I've always bought tires that I can really air down with and pillow the tread path out over the largest possible footprint. Sometimes as low at 5psi, my truck does do better with bagged out sidewalls.
With that being said, what is an ideal load rating for our tacomas without being too hard on the road, and too soft and weak offroad when aired down?

I'm stuck between Duratracs(RT?), Wildpeak AT3/4, BFG KO2.
Suggestions for overall excellent All-Terrain that really shines in the deeper snow?

 

5 psi means E really. I'd want a wide tire on a skinny rim to reduce bead loss and ease of reinflating.

I worked on a truck today with 285s on 7" rims and it was visibly too wide of tire but would work well in powder.

As for the tire? I'm suggested duratracs in this scenario. (edit duratracs are dead)

https://www.nittotire.com/light-truck-tires/ridge-grappler-light-truck-tire/

 

Would a higher load sidewall still bag out a bit at lower psi? I'm not sure why, but I'm under the impression that higher load rated tires have rock hard stiff sidewalls even when on lower pressure? I'm learning about tires as I go here.

 

They do but you'll damage a C or SL tire side wall if run that low. They are far softer and can't handle that abuse.

I suggest SL or C for ice, but E for any low pressure scenario.

 

What about these XL load ratings? Are those equivalent to E?

 

XL is still passenger tire rating, basically minivans and light SUVs

You want more layers on sidewalls. E often has 3 ply C/SL is 2.

Ply is just a rating now, but C is 6 ply and E is 10 ply. SL is sometimes 4.

 

And it's true that the higher the rating, the more rough the ride may be on road?
I mean, as long as I will still be able to air down and bulge out the sidewalls a little with a E load tire, I'm sure I'll live.
I'm not talking flat out sloppy sidewalls. But more so I can push my knee into it and it feels squishy at 10psi even. I always forget how light these trucks are.
My old Jeep, this is about how much moosh I'd like to see out of some E load tires. Is that possible with an E rated on a small truck.
I forgot what these were rated But that was at 3psi.

 

Goodyear still makes Duratracs. They're called Duratrac RT now.

 

I saw that! Supposedly a bit better. Smaller valleys between lugs, better siping. Aimed mainly towards better in the snow?

 

New vs Old, new better side wall & lil more Aggressive. No holes for studs. & these @ Dealership.

 

My winter tires DuraTrac studded & sipped & have Summer set as well

 

I love seeing the tires in the actual size I'll be getting. Thank you for that!
All those extra sipes got me really leaning towards them. Those tighter tread lines are supposed to really help with snow traction

 

Those really are beautiful. Do you have them aired down a bit? If so, what to?
How do the additional sipes help out compared to the stock ones. From the looks of it you just have additional sizes on the center tread blocks? Smart move is so.
I imagine you like them enough to have a winter AND summer pair?

 

My experience has been that the lower load range tires air down much better. I run C load MTs (Goodyear MTR or Nitto trail graps) in 35x and 37x, which have no problem down to 5 psi in deep snow on non-beadlocks, and even 1-2 psi on beadlock wheels. The MT treads with larger voids also self-clear better than an AT will, especially here in the PNW where the snow is wet and heavy (Cascade concrete).

I will never run an E load tire again, they ride like a dump truck on these light trucks. Those are for full size trucks.

 

Ok Ok you caught me, im not Air Down guy always travel solo. If it’s not going im not going. My response was more bout DuraTrac, living in Alaska winter Oct~May. Goodyear had Workhorse tire & these replaced them Lots’O research went into them. I have been running them ever since on my F-350 & when was building this truck had dealer in Seattle set them up Soo when got truck in February i was good to go (he actually made spare studded to). Another story for different thread. & yes Summer same 265/75/16.

 

& for more info you can watch this..

 

been running LR E at 5-8 psi on the trail for 5+ years, they definitely will flex enough when you air down lol

 

What pressure are you running here?
Or is this flat? Lol

 

5 psi according to my ARB deflator gauge lol

assuming it is wrong, probably lower running 7.5" yota wheels with 12.5" wide tires, never popped a bead or sliced through a sidewall after wheeling all over Colorado and Moab

 

Hot damn.
And those are for sure E load? Do they drive pretty stiff? I know higher load rating tires run really stiff on these little trucks