Load Range E Ride Quality

I may be needing to replace the original Dueler HT's on my '13 DCSB Sport 4x4 late next month, after a hunting trip to South Texas. That's the reason for my question, the areas that I hunt in Central and South Texas are full of thorns that take a toll on conventional-construction tires. I've had good luck down there with load range E tires on 1/2 ton trucks, but am concerned how the same type of tire will ride on the Tacoma, as well as fuel mileage drop with a heavier tire.

The Tacoma is a 99% on-road vehicle, the only "off-roading" it gets is at the deer lease or on the boat ramp. So, I'll go with a mild AT tread pattern like a Michelin LTX AT2 in an effort to minimize noise. My question would be how negatively, if at all, will an E rated tire affect ride quality and fuel mileage on a light truck like my Tacoma? Or, should I stick with the lighter P-series tires with road hazard insurance and a fistfull of tire plugs?

 

they are quite rough without extra weight to flex the sidewalls. if you are going to run them, you can air down a bit to reduce their stiffness but you'll definitely feel those tires underneath you in comparison to a P rated tire

 

Went from bfg mud terrains to bfg all terrains. Both load range E. The ride was like night and day. All terrains make truck feel like a cadillac compared to the other on a smooth road but when you start hitting the bumps you feel the stiffness and you feel the weight when you hit the brakes.

 

Both my E rated Hankook MT's and my E rated Hankook ATm's have ridden stiff

 

It rides like a truck. You'll probably lose ~2mpg going to an aggressive AT.

 

If you're worried about fuel economy consider tire weight as much as you do tread pattern. If you want a 6 ply Michelin doesn't offer one but Cooper makes some good 6 ply AT tires that are highway friendly and good off road. Firestone Destination AT comes in 6 ply as well.

I have 10 ply cooper tires for winter and actually find them soft. I have 10 ply Michelin LTX M/S2's for summer and love them. Go for the 10 ply... or at least a 6 ply if you want to avoid punctures. BONUS - LT rated tires usually have about 20% deeper tread.

 

I recently went from the dunlop (factory tires) to the BFG All-Terrain KO's and i noticed about a 1MPG difference in fuel economy, and you can feel the weight when hitting the brakes a little bit. I honestly think the truck drives better though, it seems to steer better, to handle better, and almost seems that those tires are the kind of tire MADE for the truck. This is just my opinion on this, im sure i will be bashed over it, but this is just my take on things.

Also my truck is a 2014 Base DCSB V6

 

I got Hankook Dynapro ATM RF10 in P265/75/16 and couldn't be happier. E rated on a Tacoma on a truck that rarely goes offroad is definitely not worth the price, MPG loss and rough ride. E is way overkill for a Tacoma.

 

just put E rated grabber at 2s on after the worn out bfg all terrains 6 plys and i think the grabbers ride better firm but not harsh like the bfg s were on sharp bumps and washboard. i ran both at 30 psi for every day driving so far im impressed i was worried about the ride but its realy good and the grabbers are quieter than the bfg s were (the bfs got louder with time) but never had a problem with them .

 

I have 265/70/17 Dura Trac Wranglers E Rated with over 60k on them, they ride great. My only complaint with these tires was the original price, but after lasting 60k all over the country... I'm okay with the price. I have a 2011 TRD Sport DCLB rides like a cloud. If you're rolling on a 1 ton pick up then yea they're rough, but if you're in a tacoma, you're golden... at least with Dura Tracs

 

I am having the same dilemma, I don't want E rated but between 285/70/17 or 275/70/18 there isn't many options.

 

The KM2 is available in 285/75/16 in a load D. I might get that over the Goodyear MTR just because of the load rating.

 

As I life long South Texas hunter:

No tire, no rating can survive Mesquite/huisache thorns. The only solution is to use Green Tire Slime and you need to refresh it every 1-2 years(it tends to dry up with the heat). It does work. We went from having to change out about a dozen flats a season to maybe 1.

Just take the time to keep your roads clear and stay on the dirt.

 

I have p rated coopers. I now wish I chose something in c rated. E seems excessive for most people's applications and it seems excessive for yours IMO.