Hello everyone,
Forgive me if this is in the wrong topic area and/or if it is a really dumb question but I'm pretty confused. So I have lt255/75/17 tires on my 2003 f150. I ordered tires and they are apparently p255/75/17. When I went to get them mounted the tire guy said it was not possible to mount them because the new tires are p metric and essentially are too narrow for my rims. Now if this is true, which it probably is, how do I buy the right size rim online without messing it up even more? Thanks for any input!

 

Nope should not be the case. Same size is basically same size.... Same diameter, same aspect ratio ie width

Go to the manufacturer site for the brand of tire you have
Look it up
It will give you the rim width range for that tire.

You can actually go outside that.... If a tire place will mount them on a rim that is not correct... And some will ... And some won't..... But the tire chart from every manufacturer will tell you exactly what rim width is approved by them for the tires. And that's your by the book answer. Many people mount tires on wider rims to get a wide tread fat tire look.

For instance here is a tire chart of Cooper AT3.
You can see the rim size for the p-metric tire and the LT tire are the pretty much the same rim sizes, although you can go on a slightly wider 8" rim with the LT tire.

. Ford's stock rim for only going to be 7.5 max. Now if you got some aftermarket 8-in or greater rims on there currently then you ran into a shop that isn't going to mount them on a rim that's not approved by the manufacturer.

Try different shop.... Or get some factory rims from a junkyard

 

Some shops won't put P's on a truck because they are intended for passenger vehicles.

 

And some shops put LTs on trucks and immediately inflate them to 85 psig..... And you discover that as soon as you drive away and you have virtually no steering... There's no contact patch.

I guess the moral of the story is that the guys working at many tire shops didn't graduate the top of their class at tire school

 

Assuming all other things remain the same, the main difference between Lt and P is the approx. 10% lower difference in weight rating of the P and difference in Ply rating.
If you're towing anything with a electric Brakes requirement and a high load weight, better to have LT tires in the long term, if towing often.
There are rules and specs for everything.
You choose what to do right or wrong and take responsibility for the wrong part.
My 2018 came with P rated tires. It's not wrong but tires have limits in both weight and speed limits.
Good luck.

 

I’d find a different tire shop.

tire sizes aren’t effected by load ratings. Cargo capacity…. But not sizes.

 

Oh come on!!!!! The damn trucks come with P rated tires from the factory.
Unless theres only a drivers seat in your truck...it is a passenger vehicle!

 

my 2020 has a P-rated tire.

my 2023 I ordered has LT tires.