The amount of information and details in purchasing new tires for my TV is almost overwhelming. I, like many people, research the******out of this type of larger purchase. Tires are one of the unique items that once you bought it, you own it regardless of how they work for your needs.Anyway, I anticipate towing only a few thousand miles annually for the next couple of years, between camper and small boat. Other than the poor longevity (42k and done) of my current P rated LTX Michelins they have performed well as far as towing and everyday driving. Decent handling in weather and fairly solid in towing. However, as I mentioned in another post, I do not want to buy another set of Michelins (even though Costco is starting their $70 off deal next week).My question is this…..I am considering putting LT or E rated tires on my truck. In your experience, will I notice a much firmer, bumpier ride for everyday driving? With two kids in High school I tend to do a lot of running around town playing taxi, but I also get out the highway for an occasional road trip.Would putting E rated (or LT..since most of those seem to be E’s…with a few being C rated) be a huge mistake? Will it ruin the smoothish ride of my truck? Would it give me more longevity / miles?The tires I’m looking at are..Hankook Dynapro RF 10 P265/70/17 …$149Hankook Dynapro Rf 10 LT265/70/17 E….$210Hankook Dynapro RF12 P 265/70/17…$175Hankook Dynapro RF12 LT 265/70/17 E …$196All from DiscountTiresDirect.comFree shipping, no tax. The local NTB will install for $60.What do you think? E vs. P vs. LT ?

There is the option of LT "D" rated tires, without looking they should be right between the P rated and the LT D rated tires in load carrying capacity.They will ride better than the E's and a little harsher then the P's.That said are your rims rated for LT E rated tires, 80 psi Max air.

The "E" tire IS an "LT"- E is the weight rating."P" is of course for "passenger car", and most folks don't run them on light trucks.

increased road noise and harsher ride but yes they will last longer. simply because there is more tread to start with. But with the increased price I dont think longevity will be a benefit.If you are performing well towing I would stay with OEM tires. are you really towing 3000 miles a year cause that sounds like a lot.

popupcamping wrote:increased road noise and harsher ride but yes they will last longer. simply because there is more tread to start with. But with the increased price I dont think longevity will be a benefit.If you are performing well towing I would stay with OEM tires. are you really towing 3000 miles a year cause that sounds like a lot.Most years we tow 5-6k, I anticipate a bit less in the next couple of year. Use it or lose it!WOW!!! Popupcamping. You've been a forum member for about a week or so and are already a senior member (200+ posts). You are posting at a rate of more than 23 a day! You truly are an active participant of this forum. I am about 7 years in and am only a couple of posts aways from senior status (for whatever that will buy me!) :)

yeah...I like to give an opinion..loland I do like to learn

E, LT or P Rated Tires for my 1/2 Ton? | Good Sam Community

39 Replies

TomG2
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
"Same can be said for a generator. 100K+ for truck and trailer and then looking for the cheap loud generator to power it all. Never could figure that one out..."

That one is easy. So that they can "camp" in Wal-Mart parking lots. No "Quiet Hours" there.
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Aug 18, 2013
kmfvfr wrote:
monkey44 wrote:
Not specifically directed at OP here - but, I'm always amazed a guy will spend $30-$40k on a truck, $10k-$30k on a trailer, or $10k on a boat, and then try to save $100 bucks on tires, and buy P rated ... then, use it like a truck.

I know, we have a 2500, but still, even when I drove 1500's, I still put truck tires on them. We're mostly talking safety here, not 'smooth ride' and if you want a smooth ride, buy a car. Trucks are made to work, and most people use them for hauling or towing at least part of the time - and when you do that, it makes sense to buy the safest tire you can, within budget. And, when I say within budget, don't spend $60-$80 grand on toys, then try to save $100 bucks on tires and pass on safety, even when it's only part of the time - it only takes once, and a lot more than that $100 bucks goes in the ditch.

Same can be said for a generator. 100K+ for truck and trailer and then looking for the cheap loud generator to power it all. Never could figure that one out...

LMAO, you boys called it (darned if I can ever figure that one out.) :h
kmfvfr
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
monkey44 wrote:
Not specifically directed at OP here - but, I'm always amazed a guy will spend $30-$40k on a truck, $10k-$30k on a trailer, or $10k on a boat, and then try to save $100 bucks on tires, and buy P rated ... then, use it like a truck.

I know, we have a 2500, but still, even when I drove 1500's, I still put truck tires on them. We're mostly talking safety here, not 'smooth ride' and if you want a smooth ride, buy a car. Trucks are made to work, and most people use them for hauling or towing at least part of the time - and when you do that, it makes sense to buy the safest tire you can, within budget. And, when I say within budget, don't spend $60-$80 grand on toys, then try to save $100 bucks on tires and pass on safety, even when it's only part of the time - it only takes once, and a lot more than that $100 bucks goes in the ditch.

Same can be said for a generator. 100K+ for truck and trailer and then looking for the cheap loud generator to power it all. Never could figure that one out...
monkey44
Nomad II
Aug 18, 2013
Not specifically directed at OP here - but, I'm always amazed a guy will spend $30-$40k on a truck, $10k-$30k on a trailer, or $10k on a boat, and then try to save $100 bucks on tires, and buy P rated ... then, use it like a truck.

I know, we have a 2500, but still, even when I drove 1500's, I still put truck tires on them. We're mostly talking safety here, not 'smooth ride' and if you want a smooth ride, buy a car. Trucks are made to work, and most people use them for hauling or towing at least part of the time - and when you do that, it makes sense to buy the safest tire you can, within budget. And, when I say within budget, don't spend $60-$80 grand on toys, then try to save $100 bucks on tires and pass on safety, even when it's only part of the time - it only takes once, and a lot more than that $100 bucks goes in the ditch.
TurnThePage
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
Guess I'll share my experiences. I've gone through several sets of tires on my current half ton truck. The OEM's were P rated. I upgraded them to LT "D" tires, then when they wore out I replaced them with LT "E" rated tires. When those wore out, I decided to try a "P" rated tire again, though it was one that can inflate to 51 PSI and is rated higher than a "C" rated LT.

The ride may have been a bit harsher with the E rated tires, but it was still very acceptable to me. Of course I added helper springs to it years ago which also stiffened the ride. You just had to correctly time those sips of coffee. I used to routinely overload my truck with two ATVs, extra gasoline, generator, firewood, ramps, four or five family members, and the travel trailer. It rode rock solid on those tires (inflated to 50 - 55 PSI) up and down the Rocky Mountains of Idaho. Never any pucker moments.

These P rated tires still get the job done, but i have to be very careful to ensure they are inflated to at least 45 PSI just to tow the trailer, with NO load in the truck. It gets very squirrely otherwise. I won't even consider including the toys now days. I've learned my lesson. It's LT tires from now on, at least "D" rated.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Aug 18, 2013
If you are planning on keeping your truck get the E's air them per weight chart when solo or towing and you will have a hard time wearing them out. MUCH better stability towing!
TomG2
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
I took the advice of many and went with LT's on a Silverado 1500 and all I got was a rougher ride for my nearly one thousand dollars. Fuel mileage went down a little bit, but that may have been a coincidence. Put on LT's, Timbrens, and a couple of fancy hitches. Each helped a little, but 2500HD was the only real improvement in towing behavior. Anyone need the Timbrens? I removed them before trading.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Aug 18, 2013
What do you think? E vs. P vs. LT ?

I've tried LT E on two different 1500 trucks and didn't like the overall performance at all mainly a rougher ride and carcass roll issues and reduced engine performance due to a heavier tire (parasitic drag). Straight across psi requirement don't work with the P to a LT tire.
I use LT C on the wifes 1500 crew cab chevy 4x4. The most a std duty 1/2 ton truck can carry on the rear axle/tires is 3800-4000 lbs or 2000 lbs per tire. The LT C at 50 psi has 2400 lbs of capacity which is plenty of reserve plus the tires can be used at max pressures.
Like Michelin truck tire add said "max tire performance and max tire reliability come at max pressures." Don't settle for anything less.

This from our resident tire engineer on tire pressure requirements for the LT vs P on a truck.

CapriRacer LT requires 15 psi increase above P tire pressure

Perhaps I should have approached this from a different angle - and I'll do that after I clear up an issue.

The maximum pressure is not the same as where the load carrying capacity maxes out. On P metric Standard Load tires, the load carrying capacity increases as the inflation pressure increases - up to 35 psi.

The maximum usage pressure for a Standard Load P metric tire might not be 35 psi - it might be 44 or 51 psi, but that doesn't change the relationship between the pressure and the load.

Don't believe me? Find a load table for P metric Standard Load tires and see for yourself. They all end at 35 psi.

OK, here's the different tack on the issue at hand: Increased inflation pressure when going from P metric to LT metric tires.

On every vehicle sold in the US, there is a sticker, called the vehicle tire placard, that lists the originasl tire size and the vehicle manufacturer's Inflation pressure specification. For pickup trucks using P metric tires, no vehicle uses more than 35 psi for the specification (which is in line with where the load carrying capacity maxes out for P metric tires).

If you do the math, you will find that the load carrying capacity of P metric tires is the same as the same "size" LT metric tire +15 psi.

Don't believe me? Get the load tables and do the math yourself. (Don't forget to derate the P metric tire by a factor of 1.1 because it is being used on a truck!)
bbaker2001
Explorer
Aug 18, 2013
Good morning Captain
So much info, what a great site

2009 ½ extended cab GMC Sierra
2009 23 Ft Trailblazer
Carry 2 bikes, and 2 Kayak in truck
Truck weighs about 6000 loaded
Trailer weighs 5800 loaded
OEM Eagle LS-2 P275/55R20 max load 2450@44lbs 2 ply polyester sidewall
Air Lift air bags to help level unit. Just using the WDS did not work. .
Will need new tires soon and I have used Michelin LT in the past on other ½ ton trucks.
I keep seeing sidewall sway mentioned and I do get a little sway. On my 20” tires, is it correct that the sidewall is stiffer than a LT. mine only has 2 ply polyester.
Are 20” tires better than 17” I am thinking of selling these rims and going to a 17” wheel.
The LT 20” are really expensive. I can buy new 17” wheels and Michelin LT for almost same price at
Americas Tire
I see many posts, sorry about another
HuckFinn410
Explorer
Sep 17, 2012
OP here....

I have received and installed the P rated 265/70/17 Hankook ATM’s on my GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 crew cab. First off, both of my experiences with Discount Tire Direct have been outstanding. Great service, great prices and very fast free shipping.

I’ve put a few hundred miles on my new tires and here are my observations. P rated tires are rated with sufficient capacity to handle the needs of my ½ ton truck. Why would the lawyers protecting the manufacturers let them install them as OEM if they didn’t? As I’ve said in earlier posts, I have towed my current trailer (and on many many separate occasions, my fishing boat) many thousands of miles around the country with my previous P rated Michelin tires. They worked perfectly. Now, if I thought that I was going to tow another 10k in the next year or 2 I might have gone with an LT / E tire. But, I do not anticipate putting on as many towing miles in the near future. The new tires handle great, ride very smooth and look great. So far, I’m glad I got them. The price difference between the P rated and the LT / E was about $100 per tire….about 70% higher than the P!

It’s a great topic and one that each person can only figure out by experimenting with their own set up.

For what it’s worth, I do not fit the profile indicated by “Mowermech” in his previous post.
If it is a "Toy Truck", or a "fashion statement", and never carries anything other than a 150 pound driver and 110 pound passenger and perhaps a 10 pound yapping furball, then P tires are perfectly adequate. That, too, is just my opinion, and is NOT to be taken as a factual statement.
[/i]“Mowermech”, I happen to be 6”2” 280 lbs. of hard core right wing buttkicker. My dog is 75 lbs. and he is also ornery. My 17 year old son, who is my usual fishing and camping companion is 6’4” and 270. Not a lot of missed meals in our house! We don’t take a lot of b.s. either.

Mowermech, I suspect that you and I would get along just fine!

I’ll see if these tires work out in the long run…

Have a good day!