SL/P vs LT rated tires discussion

[FORDTEXAS]

if one was to run "P rated" tires with less sidewall, would you still feel all road bumps/irregularities more commonly? I am under the impression that a "P rated" tire with less sidewall will always ride better than a "E rated" tire that has more sidewall. i am curious to hear what you folks have to say. TIA!

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[UGADawg96]

A tire with a thicker sidewall will be more firm.

 

[Je1279]

I am about to try E rated tires for the first time, but I've always been told that E rated tired will ride noticeably firmer than passenger tires. Unfortunately, they do not make passenger tires in 295/60R20, so I didn't have any options.

 

[Aron]

Are those your only two choices? Softest vs firmest? Do you want to add C or D range tires to the discussion?

P tires will generally have ride characteristics that are closest to your typical passenger car, and E tires will be some of the strongest load-bearing tires on general sale, so will ride firmer but are capable of carrying much heavier loads.

Which tires you need really depends upon the typical usage of your truck. Frequent hauling or towing might push you towards C, D, or E range tires, but you’ll be punished with a bumpier ride when not doing those things. If you generally don’t load your truck down, then you might be better off with P range tires.

Another reason to go with the stronger tires is if you do lots of off-roading, where you might want the stronger tires as extra insurance against punctures.

 

[Davexxxx]

Are OEM F150 tires Ps or LTs?

 

[Atlee]

Are OEM F150 tires Ps or LTs?

Most are P. There are some exceptions. HDPP trucks come with either LT C or D tires. Back in 2014, the HDPP trucks came with E rated tires.

 

[Mtnman1]

Are OEM F150 tires Ps or LTs?

Depends. Most are P. I checked the LT tire option when ordering my 2022 RCBS 5.0.

So my OEM is LT

 

[UGADawg96]

Now have 17k miles on LT285/60r20 Geolandars and they have been really good for both towing and daily driving. Also have the max tow pkg and RAS installed too.

https://www.f150gen14.com/forum/threads/yokohama-geolandar-g015-lt285-60r20.7572/

 

[TexasTruck]

I just went through this. I went from factory P Hanook's to E General's ATx to SL Nitto's RG. The main reason, to get a lighter weight tire. The instant I drove away from Discount Tire on the Generals, the truck was notably slower to accelerate (3.31 gears), heavier steering/handling and rougher ride. I air up all my tires with 38 to 40 PSI. I tried several air pressures with the Generals, no dice. So back they went and I switched to an SL rated Nitto RG 305/55R20 116Q 2756 lbs. at 44 PSI. Night and day difference over the E tires. Acceleration was back, handling/turning was back, ride was back, love them. I typically tow a #5000 equipment trailer or a #4000 21' boat, and I haven't noticed any difference whatsoever, not even swaying

The way I look at is Ford didn't put E on my truck. I could be wrong but I think I read the non-HDPP rear axle is rated to #5000 ?‍ So why do I want a tire that exceeds the weight carrying capacity of the truck. One reason as mentioned above, sidewall strength. So when you do load up or have a heavy trailer, the truck doesn't sway back and forth as much. I did the sway test with my Generals and then my Nittos but I was hard pressed to see one tire sway more than the other. I suppose if you air up an E rated tire to 80 PSI it would be rock (Flintstone mobile) and not give at all

I also read "no no no, you need an E tire if you do any kind off roading, even a gravel driveway" There is a big write up in 4-Wheeler on the pros and cons of E rated tires for off roading that says otherwise...

Any way, just my $0.02 and hope it helps.

 

[Aron]

I just went through this. I went from factory P Hanook's to E General's ATx to SL Nitto's RG. The main reason, to get a lighter weight tire. The instant I drove away from Discount Tire on the Generals, the truck was notably slower to accelerate (3.31 gears), heavier steering/handling and rougher ride. I air up all my tires with 38 to 40 PSI. I tried several air pressures with the Generals, no dice. So back they went and I switched to an SL rated Nitto RG 305/55R20 116Q 2756 lbs. at 44 PSI. Night and day difference over the E tires. Acceleration was back, handling/turning was back, ride was back, love them. I typically tow a #5000 equipment trailer or a #4000 21' boat, and I haven't noticed any difference whatsoever, not even swaying ….I suppose if you air up an E rated tire to 80 PSI it would be rock and not give at all

So, yeah, I guess I made an assumption that isn’t necessarily accurate: if you don’t pressurize the tires to take advantage of the rating, you may not get the best results. What I and others have said above with regard to tire load ranges assumes that you increase the tire pressure commensurately to take advantage of the added tire strength. You certainly won’t see as much of a difference if you keep the pressures in a similar range (and may even induce extra damage by flexing the stronger tires more than their intended design).

 

[Snakebitten]

Keep in mind not all E"s ride alike.
(probably true for each category)

If you were to ride in the same truck with a Load E Michelin and then a Load E Goodyear, for example, you might be surprised at the ride difference between the two.
Michelin has earned the reputation amongst the fleet drivers for a Load E tire with a softer ride. Although their advantage over the competition regarding that better ride isn't as wide a margin today as it was 25 years ago. In the 90's it was night/day.

 

[FORDTEXAS]

so i’m still lost.. but what is the factor that makes one feel all the irregularities and bumps in the road every second??

 

[UGADawg96]

so i’m still lost.. but what is the factor that makes one feel all the irregularities and bumps in the road every second??

shitty roads maybe ?

 

[FORDTEXAS]

shitty roads maybe ?

my F150 is currently running 20 inch wheels wrapped in 35 inch “F Load Rated” tires.
my Ram 1500 is currently running 20 inch wheels wrapped in 33 inch “SL Rated” tires.

if i’m driving drive the same exact road that i always take i notice that i feel every single characteristic of the pavement in my Ram as opposed to my Ford. is this just because my tire sidewall profile is thinner on the Ram or more like an air pressure issue?

 

[UGADawg96]

my F150 is currently running 20 inch wheels wrapped in 35 inch “F Load Rated” tires.
my Ram 1500 is currently running 20 inch wheels wrapped in 33 inch “SL Rated” tires.

if i’m driving drive the same exact road that i always take i notice that i feel every single characteristic of the pavement in my Ram as opposed to my Ford. is this just because my tire sidewall profile is thinner on the Ram or more like an air pressure issue?

What brand/model tires are on each and how many miles on each set of tires ?

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