Tow vehicle tire pressure

I went to LT’s from P’s on the last tire purchase, but stayed with load range C. I put 45 psi from normal 35 when towing. There definitely is an improvement in towing, not huge, but it is there.
I went with Cooper highway all season tires to replace a set of Generals. They ride fine and are a lot quieter. Worked well in the snow we’ve had, too.

When I purchased new tires for my F150, i wanted a higher load capacity tire but didn't want to go to a heavy LT tire that would lower my non-towing gas mileage. I drive the truck about 50,000 miles a year. I chose Hankook Dyanpro ATM extra load tires. You can air them up to 50 psi instead of the standard 44 psi maximum. The truck tows much better than standard tires, but still has a good ride and gas mileage when not towing. Do they tow as good as LT tires? Probably not but it is a good compromise. Other tire manufactures make XL tires also.

It is not a matter of P vs. LT it is simply a matter of what you like or need.

The LTs I looked at were more expensive, rated for more weight, had a more aggressive tread pattern but they were guaranteed for the same mileage.

Since I did not need anywhere near the tire weight rating, and I certainly did not need an aggressive tread plus the fact that my Ps had served home well, I stayed with what worked for me.

Other think no more is better.

I inflate the rears to 44 PSI (max pressure) & the fronts to 40 PSI. These are "P" tires, this spring I'll replace them with "LT" ones.

dave54 wrote:
The upside of increased pressure is more weight capacity, tires run cooler, and better mpg. The downside is the vehicle rides like a tank running around unhitched.

Not my Silverado, love how it rides. :B

The upside of increased pressure is more weight capacity, tires run cooler, and better mpg. The downside is the vehicle rides like a tank running around unhitched.

I'm always on the fence. I'll buy good P rated one time, then bump up to LT, then try P rated again. If they're inflated to their max, they usually do quite well. For me anyhow.

donn0128 wrote:
Next time you buy tires look to upgrade to something with a stiffer sidewall. P metric tires have very soft sidewalls, which translate to poor towing performance.

Non-towing miles accumulated year 'round on my Silverado FAR exceed it's trailer towing miles which only accumulate during the camping season ... no way I'd want to run anything but what I have already, P rated tires. I simply run them ~ 40 p.s.i. year 'round and all is well. :B The biggest improvement I've seen when towing is when I replaced the stock soft sidewall trailer tires with a set of Goodyear Endurance which have a MUCH stiffer sidewall. :B

When it comes to towing with passenger rated tires, I would definitely tow with the maximum PSI listed on the sidewalls.

rbpru makes a good point as well and makes good sense. ;)

I have "LT" tires on our truck and highly recommend "LT" tires as well. However, I have no reason to inflate them at or even near the maximum PSI listed on the sidewalls. And I have never had a towing performance due to the tire pressure with which I run. :)

Now for our "ST" TT tires, I always fill them to the maximum air pressure listed on the sidewalls.

I also bump my tire pressure both front and rear. My 2011 F-150 door jamb sticker says 32 lbs. in each tire. They ride nice around town. :)

However, for towing I run them up to 40 lbs. for each tire. They usually stay at 40 psi during the summer because we use the TT every couple of weeks.

I thought about going to LTs, but with only 1411 lbs. of max cargo the "P" tires work just fine. No sense fixing what is not broken.