New Tires for Tow Vehicle

In my last three 3/4 ton trucks (2 rams and one F250) I ran my rears at 80psi and the fronts at 75psi all the time. Never had a problem with the handling or ride and the wear was constant and even. My tires usually lasted about 70,000 miles or so.
Barney

Had the Michelin LTX's 18" LTE on our F250 for about 5 years after they were recommended by quite a few on RV.net. They seemed fine and the original tires it had were some old knobby off-road type so wasn't really able to assess the difference.

Just bought a set of Goodyear Wrangler, but in 17" for our new truck ('12 GMC 2500HD). Got them from a guy who used to own a local major chain tire shop with 30 years in the biz. He showed me the difference in the sidewall strength. The Michelins have a soft flexible sidewall sort of like ST tires. The Goodyears have a Kevlar sidewall which is a LOT stiffer. Seemed to me that should be more stable for towing so I got those instead. Very impressed.

Did a 10 hour drive on the new Wranglers yesterday over a long mountain pass with plenty of steep-ish grades, twists and turns and also some bumpy sections. I loved the way they felt and being brand new didn't think they'd feel as good as they did.

I always used to run the rear tires on the F250 at 80 psi and fronts at 75 psi. Ended up with those pressures because I played around with different pressures and found 80/75 was the best (after playing around with the WDH setup). Had zero sway and excellent handling. A few folks have been shocked at that high a psi. I lower it over the winter. No abnormal tire wear.

Interestingly, the new 2500 HD Sierra says to inflate the rears to 80 psi on the door sticker. Neither DW or I have a problem with the harsher ride and don't actually notice it being harsh. I like the handling and steering to be optimal for towing so 80 psi it is. When you're towing on twisty roads with lots of bumps and dips, harshness is the last thing that matters.

Load E can ride OK if the pressure is dropped to 35-40 psi however that was a lot of parasitic drag on older V8 engines when they had 220-250 hp. The newer V8 with 375-400 hp not so much.

You won't get a generic answer for those big LT E for a 1/2 ton truck as we all don't perceive things like a rough ride/handling/etc the same.

Deano_1 wrote:
Will the load E tires ride ok when we’re not towing?

Air based on your actual weights plus 5psi and your GOLDEN!!!

Will the load E tires ride ok when we’re not towing?

Deano_1 wrote:
I found the Defenders on sale locally. What is the biggest difference between the load rating 123/120 with a PSI of 80 vs load rating of 116 with. PSI of 44?

Thanks!

Load E tires with 123 rating = 3420 lb capacity at 80 psi.
Load P tire with 116 rating = 2760 lb capacity at 44 psi.

I found the Defenders on sale locally. What is the biggest difference between the load rating 123/120 with a PSI of 80 vs load rating of 116 with. PSI of 44?

Thanks!

I had Michelin LTX M/S2 for 4yrs 60k miles. Mountain Snowflake symbol with fantastic snow/ice performance. Quieter, lighter, better fuel economy than the OEM AT tires with more grip in all conditions. They just look very humble. Now I have the Defender LTX the successor. Again, same qualities so far after one winter.

Deano_1 wrote:
I have another question on this. If the sticker in the door jam states 40 PSI, it the tires can be inflated to 80, can you safely pump them up to 80? I was looking at the LTX At 2.

Thanks

1/2 ton size OEM wheels may not be rated for 80 psi so let the wheel maker determine max pressure.
Results of wheel over pressure are split tire bead seats or cracked valleys on especially cast aluminum wheels while carrying a load and highway speeds.
We can't tell you what your wheel max pressure is so its up to you to find out. The wheel should have a max load number stamped or on a sticker. It can be on the front or backside or in the valleys which requires the tire to be removed.

I would pump them to 60-65 psi which is way above a 1/2 ton vehicle gross axle capacity anywayz. I sure wouldn't use 80 psi for a 1/2 ton size vehicle.
I've tried LT E on a couple different 1/2 ton size trucks but always went back to OEM P tires (or a LT C) mainly to get my mpgs and softer ride back.
We travel lots of miles out here running empty or pulling something.

"Switching from "P" (passenger car) to "LT" (light truck) may give a harsher ride,"

Harsh is not the word I would use. Inflate based on load plus 5psi and the ride will be fine with much better handling.