Anyone Switch from P/SL to LT Tires on Tow Vehicle?

[Vermilye]

I almost hate to admit it with all the Michelin fans here, but I've been pleased with a set of BF Goodrich ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO2s on my F 150. LT275/55R20 D rated.

[Mike Lewis]

Originally Posted by Selkirk

Are your Michelin's LT rated? If so, what size?

Maybe not. I thought they were due to the "LTX" label but I'm not familiar with tire lingo. Here is what is on the tire:


Michelin LTX M/S
245/75R16
Treadwear 800
Traction A
Temperature A
M+S

I can tell you that I've pulled my trailer more than 40,000 miles with Michelins and have had no problems.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by JeffinBC

That’s right. Got my ex’s confused 😉

I never get my ex's confused, one lives in Maryland, the other in Florida......

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

The old Excursion would have been comparable to an F-150...

That was supposed to say that the old Excursion would have been comparable to an F-250 (or SuperDuty), and I thought that I caught the typo immediately after posting it... but apparently not.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

Maybe not. I thought they were due to the "LTX" label but I'm not familiar with tire lingo. Here is what is on the tire:


Michelin LTX M/S
245/75R16
...

The "LTX" in the name is to suggest that the model of tire is suitable for light trucks in "cross country" service, and that's true.
The lack of "LT" in the specification means that it is not a Light Truck tire as defined by Tire and Rim Association standards; with no letter in front, it apparently follows European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation standards instead... which is not a problem, it's just not an "LT" rated tire.

People have been fooled by this sort of tire model naming for a long time. There are also tires sold specifically for trailer service which are built to LT standards rather than ST... and that's okay, too.

[Randy in Maine]

I am sort of shocked no one has noted that when using non LT or Commercial rated tires in a truck or a motor home or a commercial vehicle or on a trailer in the US requires that the weight the "P" or "SL"(standard load) rated tires is legally allowed carry will carry is actually reduced by when used on one of those uses.

"S4.2.2.3 (a) For vehicles equipped with P-metric tires, the vehicle
normal load on the tire shall be no greater than the value of 94 percent
of the derated load rating at the vehicle manufacturer's recommended
cold inflation pressure for that tire."

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by Randy in Maine

I am sort of shocked no one has noted that when using non LT or Commercial rated tires in a truck or a motor home or a commercial vehicle or on a trailer in the US requires that the weight the "P" or "SL"(standard load) rated tires is legally allowed carry will carry is actually reduced by when used on one of those uses.

If a vehicle is factory-equipped with P-rated tires (which I imagine is the case for most 1/2 ton or mid-size trucks), would vehicle's published GVWR/GAWR numbers not reflect this?

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Randy in Maine

I am sort of shocked no one has noted that when using non LT or Commercial rated tires in a truck or a motor home or a commercial vehicle or on a trailer in the US requires that the weight the "P" or "SL"(standard load) rated tires is legally allowed carry will carry is actually reduced by when used on one of those uses.

"S4.2.2.3 (a) For vehicles equipped with P-metric tires, the vehicle
normal load on the tire shall be no greater than the value of 94 percent
of the derated load rating at the vehicle manufacturer's recommended
cold inflation pressure for that tire."

That de-rating is true, but I'm not shocked that it hasn't come up, because...

Originally Posted by Selkirk

If a vehicle is factory-equipped with P-rated tires (which I imagine is the case for most 1/2 ton or mid-size trucks), would vehicle's published GVWR/GAWR numbers not reflect this?

Yes, "P" tires are common on light trucks, and tire selection by the auto manufacturer considers the resulting tire de-rating. And it typically doesn't matter because most factory-available tires on non-commercial trucks have more capacity than needed - even after de-rating - because they are so unnecessarily large.

My minivan came on "P" tires, even though any van fits in the "truck, van, and trailer" vehicle category for which the de-rating is required by industry standards. That's okay - they're sized suitably... and in fact the GAWR for the rear matches the de-rated total capacity of the two tires in the base size, which I'm sure is not a coincidence.

[Centex]

Yep, I knew my Michelin Defender LTX M/S were not "LT" (nor "P") tires when I bought them. The door-placard OE spec tires are "P 235/70 R17" for my 7050 GVWR F150. The same size Defenders I now run happen to have a slightly higher load rating than the OE "P-labeled" Hankook tires which were already generously above the F&R GAWR.

I'm OK with that. Haven't done a direct comparison but I suspect the ride comfort would suffer a tad with an "LT" tire of the same size. I could well be wrong, again.

One reason I'm a Michelin fan .... many years ago my Dad put new Michelins on his Airstream-towing 2WD Suburban. Only a few thousand miles later the posi-traction differential started whining constantly. The tire shop determined one tire was out-of-spec inflated OD. The tire shop advised Michelin corporate and they (Michelin), without prompting, paid for the rebuild of the P-trac, refunded the cost of all tires, and had the dealer install another full set of (carefully checked) new tires. Defects happen, Michelin responded, earned two fans in the process.

[advenas]

I'm a big fan of Continental and now General tires having had both on my Subaru and Ford F150 with no problems. I've found Michelin tires to be wanting vs what I've paid. I think they're way overrated.

[Mark&Elaine]

I have Michelin Defender LTX on my Tundra and love them. Very smooth ride and long wear. And they have the LT rating!

[Bea]

Well....we just bit the bullet and forked over the dough for some Michelin Defenders LTX and decided to go with the LT rated tires this time. Just drove home from Costco and so far they feel great. Very stable. Set the PSI to 55 and added some metal stems. Will probably decrease the PSI a bit until we find the sweet spot for towing. BTW I measured the rims with the old and new tires and turns out we are 0.5 inches taller all around now so the hitch ball will be a little higher now. Interesting....hopefully we won't need to adjust anything.

Now to find a new wheel/rim for the new spare, since the spare wheel/rim was not the same size.

Thanks again for everyone's feedback! -Bea

[Wunfiddy]

I'm too late to this party. Hope you enjoy the tires.

I've found since my F150 was operated at or often exceeding GVWR for the first 4 years, and then usually operated with a load and towing since then, that LT tires made a huge difference in comparison to the factory P rated ones in handling.
The weight capacity of any tire is dependent on its pressure, so not running under inflated, especially when loaded, is important.
I've had zero flats with two sets of BFG KO2s, one in LT235/80R17 E, the other in LT34x10.5R17 D, vs three in the OEM tires. I don't know how much that has to do with luck vs tire design and build, but I've pulled screws and an electrical staple out of my LT tires and they had bent rather than penetrated the tire carcass.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Wunfiddy

... the other in LT34x10.5R17...

In case anyone is curious, 34x10.5R17 is roughly 265/80R17, but in the "balloon tire" size designation scheme which usually has slightly different standards from the other size designation scheme.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Wunfiddy

I don't know how much that has to do with luck vs tire design and build, but I've pulled screws and an electrical staple out of my LT tires and they had bent rather than penetrated the tire carcass.

The higher the load range (allowed load for given size of tire), the more pressure is required. More pressure capability means more reinforcing cord... and thus probably better penetration resistance.

[Bea]

Originally Posted by Wunfiddy

I'm too late to this party. Hope you enjoy the tires.

I've found since my F150 was operated at or often exceeding GVWR for the first 4 years, and then usually operated with a load and towing since then, that LT tires made a huge difference in comparison to the factory P rated ones in handling.
The weight capacity of any tire is dependent on its pressure, so not running under inflated, especially when loaded, is important.
I've had zero flats with two sets of BFG KO2s, one in LT235/80R17 E, the other in LT34x10.5R17 D, vs three in the OEM tires. I don't know how much that has to do with luck vs tire design and build, but I've pulled screws and an electrical staple out of my LT tires and they had bent rather than penetrated the tire carcass.

Nope...never too late. And yes, the LT tires are already a big . Took our E21 down to Big Sur last week and could feel the difference on the road, especially on that beautiful and curvy Hwy 1 coastline. Yes, the ride is more like a truck but much prefer the stability for towing. I too, had a slow leak from a small nail in our OEM tires so from what you've said, hoping for less leaks/flats in the future, too. Cheers, - Bea