"P" tire designation vs. "LT"
I bought a new Ram 1500 in 2011 that came with Goodyear Wrangler HP tires. The tires are P275/60R20 and I have only 15k miles on them. My question has to do with the "P" designation which I understand...
Forum Discussion
To help the OP place some of these opinions into context...
There is more to it than just the differing classes of tires
Ditto wheels and their weight class & PSI ratings...their rim width in reference
to the tire going to mount on them also plays huge...as does the aspect ratio
Going up in class from 'P' class to the next higher class 'LT' requires a review
of the wheel spec. Weight carry rating, PSI rating and rim width to the tire
OEM's recommendation for 'that' tire
Going larger dia wheels does have the need for lower profile (lower aspect ratio)
tires. Mainly to keep the effective diff ratio the same or 'close'
A rim width on the narrow end of the tire OEM's recommended for 'that' tire will
increase the 'ride quality' attributes. Going wider will increase the performance
(mainly slip angle), reduce roll resistance (give PSI) and reduce ride quality
Personally not a fan of the extra rating for 'P' class tires. Still have to DE-RATE
the sidewall listed max weight rating by 9% when using any 'P' class on a pickup
or SUV. The OEM has done that with the tires they provided from the factory
Going up in tire class will NOT solve TV ratings problems. Just help with handling
and safety, but at a cost (wheel spec)
There is more to it than just the differing classes of tires
Ditto wheels and their weight class & PSI ratings...their rim width in reference
to the tire going to mount on them also plays huge...as does the aspect ratio
Going up in class from 'P' class to the next higher class 'LT' requires a review
of the wheel spec. Weight carry rating, PSI rating and rim width to the tire
OEM's recommendation for 'that' tire
Going larger dia wheels does have the need for lower profile (lower aspect ratio)
tires. Mainly to keep the effective diff ratio the same or 'close'
A rim width on the narrow end of the tire OEM's recommended for 'that' tire will
increase the 'ride quality' attributes. Going wider will increase the performance
(mainly slip angle), reduce roll resistance (give PSI) and reduce ride quality
Personally not a fan of the extra rating for 'P' class tires. Still have to DE-RATE
the sidewall listed max weight rating by 9% when using any 'P' class on a pickup
or SUV. The OEM has done that with the tires they provided from the factory
Going up in tire class will NOT solve TV ratings problems. Just help with handling
and safety, but at a cost (wheel spec)
