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A P series tire has exactly the same load capacity as a "D" rated LT tire and more than a "C" rated LT tire. A P rated tire or LT with a "D" rating will carry more weight than you can load in a 1/2 ton truck. Anything you run over that would cause a flat in a P rated tire will cause a flat in an LT tire.
Any LT tire will have stiffer and tougher sidewalls than a P rated tire. This could be a factor if driven off road in large rocks that come in contact with the sidewalls.
An "E" rated tire will carry much more weight than you could possibly put in a 1/2 ton truck will ride rougher, especially in an unloaded truck, and cost a lot more.
I've run P and LT's in the past. Never had any issues with P series tires and I do drive off road. But I'm far more likely to drive in mud than rocks. For mostly highway driving I'd not pay the extra for LT's on a 1/2 ton truck.
The OEM Michelin P-metric tires that came with my truck still had 4/32" - 5/32" tread left at 75,000 miles when I replaced them.
I replaced them with the P metric Michelin Defender LTX M/S and am quite satisfied with them. I bought the P-metric guaranteed for 70k miles, but they are also available in LT-metric guaranteed for 50k miles. Generally, P tires have longer mileage guarantees than LT tires. LT tires have no UTQG ratings at all, so it's difficult to judge the longevity.
P rated tires generally will have lower rolling resistance and may get a little better fuel mileage. They have a more comfortable ride because of the more flexible sidewalls. Many say the LT tires are more stable while towing a heavy trailer because of the stiffer sidewalls. I have no complaints about the P metric while towing.
The rear axle is rated for 3850 lbs., and the P tires are rated for 2337 lbs. each (4674 lbs. per axle).
Bottom line: I couldn't come up with a reason to switch from P to LT.
What a one sided and biased comparison...geez...at least try to be factual.
To the original poster, please don't listen to this post.
Generally speaking LT rated tires have a higher load rating (nobody buys a C rated LT) and stiffer sidewalls because of extra reinforcement. That extra reinforcement makes then less susceptible to sidewall punctures. That's why guys who go offroad demand "LT" rated tires. You can still get a warrant. There are negatives, a rougher ride is probably the biggest because of the extra weight and stiffer sidewalls.
Don't listen to my post?
Let me set this straight.. nobody buys a LT-E tire, except for heavy duty trucks. So if you're buying a LT tire you're looking at C rated ones, and what I stated is fact.
Do yourself a favor and compare a good P rated tire to a LT rated tire. The sidewalls are still 2 ply on most of them. Even the LT-E tires, which are overkill, have 2 ply sidewalls. There isn't magic fairy dust in there that's going to prevent failure that would happen to a P rated tire.
Fact is, almost ALL fullsize trucks and SUVs come with P rated tires for all of the reasons I listed. If you want good advice, take it. If not, listen to this clown ^
There are P-rated, metric-rated and LT-rated tires with strength of tire in that order. The real difference between a P-rated and metric-rated tire is the way in which they are tested so they are pretty close and they are usually interchanged but the metric is usually a tad stronger.
If you look close you will notice that some P/metric rated tires have different inflation pressures. Most tires are rated at 44psi but some are rated at 51psi. The higher the pressure the tougher the carcass. Look to Yokohama A/T GO15 and you will see what I mean. A real nice oversize is the 275/60R20 or there abouts depending on your rim size. Any bigger than that and you will need LT's and they usually inflate to 80psi or higher. I think you get the picture on inflation pressures and strength of carcass.
Most P/metrics come in at 44 pounds in weight but LT's go from 55 and up. Spinning 10 pounds more per tire can make a difference.
You can deflate the LT's to make them ride better but they will still ride rougher than a P/metric tire and the gas mileage will suffer. The tire may also wear unevenly or suffer belt damage because they were never designed for the low pressures that you will need for a decent ride.
Your chances of using an LT tire for its intended purpose is close zero and to me you are far better off buying a good quality P/metric that inflates to 51psi and backing it off to 40 that way you are at least close to design pressure.
I am sure that a lot of people will disagree with me but I am here to respond to your post and not theirs. I will not revisit this thread.
A P series tire has exactly the same load capacity as a "D" rated LT tire and more than a "C" rated LT tire. A P rated tire or LT with a "D" rating will carry more weight than you can load in a 1/2 ton truck. Anything you run over that would cause a flat in a P rated tire will cause a flat in an LT tire.
Any LT tire will have stiffer and tougher sidewalls than a P rated tire. This could be a factor if driven off road in large rocks that come in contact with the sidewalls.
An "E" rated tire will carry much more weight than you could possibly put in a 1/2 ton truck will ride rougher, especially in an unloaded truck, and cost a lot more.
I've run P and LT's in the past. Never had any issues with P series tires and I do drive off road. But I'm far more likely to drive in mud than rocks. For mostly highway driving I'd not pay the extra for LT's on a 1/2 ton truck.
While mostly true, the first paragraph is definitely wrong. An "D" rated LT tire does not have the same load rating as a P rated tire. EXAMPLE FROM LOAD INFLATION INDEX TABLE:
P255/55R18 (SL): 1984 lb max load on a car. The tire is derated for a pickup by 9.1% or divide by 1.1. 1984/1.1 = 1804 lbs max load at 35 PSI. The tire may have a max inflation pressure of 44 PSI or 51 PSI, but the max load rating does not change with pressure higher than 35 PSI. It does change some for a XL (extra load P rated tire)
LT255/55R18 (D rated): 1460 lbs at 35 PSI (comparable pressure to P tire), but LT rated tires run higher pressure to prevent too much flex on the reinforced sidewall. The correct operating pressure is 47 PSI to match the P rated tires load rating at 35 PSI.The max load rating is 2270 lb at 65 PSI.
I agree that a P rated tire will handle the design weight of a truck; however, a P-rated tire was not specifically designed for a truck. The reason why they are de-rated by 9.1% from the sidewall load rating.The reasons that a manufacturer specifies a P rated tire on a truck are:
- Lower cost
- Better EPA fuel mileage (every incremental increase makes a difference to the EPA) which equates to lower weight. I doubt rolling resistance changes between the LT and P rated tire of the same size.
- Better ride quality
An LT tire will help minimize trailer sway because the sidewall is not flexing side-to-side in cross winds or swerving to avoid traffic, but it will increase the harshness of the ride when empty. Personally, I would never tow a travel or box trailer using P rated tires on winding roads or in areas prone to high cross winds. A boat or similar setup is more forgiving in high winds and swerving in traffic. I occasionally tow in an area that has several large bridges with metal grates for drainage. A LT rated tire is night and day better in this situation. A P rated tire squirms all over the pavement making it feel like you have little control over the steering.
Last edited by GMC to Ford; 04-17-2017 at 08:23 PM.
This is about someone's wife driving a truck. I did not see anything about hauling or towing. If neither are in play, go with a P-rated tire.
As for running over curbs, yes an LT tire will have a small window of additional allowance, but not much - this is a heavy vehicle. Explain to her that hitting curbs is a bad thing and teach her to concentrate on center lines...
This is about someone's wife driving a truck. I did not see anything about hauling or towing. If neither are in play, go with a P-rated tire.
As for running over curbs, yes an LT tire will have a small window of additional allowance, but not much - this is a heavy vehicle. Explain to her that hitting curbs is a bad thing and teach her to concentrate on center lines...
Because it addresses the OPS original question:
Why would we option LT tires over regular tires? The LTs are only a couple of hundred dollars more so cost isn't an issue. She does run over curbs sometimes.
04-14-2017, 08:42 PM
