Lets talk tires

[Viggen]

Okay, I am looking into tires for the 60 and am faced with a decision: stay 15" or go put to 16". I like the 15" stock steel wheels that are on there but the selection of 15" wheels is pretty thin. 16" wheels gives one many more options. I want to run 33x10.50 (in this or metric equiv.) and can do it in 15" or 16" with the main difference being load range. Load range C is as high as it goes in 15" but with 16", I can go all the way up to E.

The 60 is no featherweight and like many of the trucks on this site, will be heavy when loaded up for trips but will be run relatively (fridge, tools and recovery gear only inside so maybe 200 lbs) empty 95% of the time. With usage like this, typical Expo member usage, why should I care about load range C vs. load range E? If I were running full gear all the time, E would be a no brainer but what about relatively empty most of the time. I would love a set of 33x10.50r15 BFGs (load range C plus I wouldnt need to buy new wheels) but if increased load range is needed, then I would have to get a new set of 5 16" wheels and the price of the tires jumps up too.

So, here is the question: Is E, or even D, a necessity?

 

[1911]

You will have to air "E"'s way down to get them to soften on a truck of your weight, unless it is (over) loaded. They tend to have very sturdy sidewalls though, if sharp rocks and punctures are a concern where you go off-road. I currently have E-rated Toyo MT's on my very heavy FJ Cruiser; as I said very sturdy and never had a flat but I have to air down to 10-11 psi to get any significant softening and traction.

I'm running C-rated 33x10.5x15 BFG KM2's on my 40 (which weighs a lot for a 40 though obviously not what your 60 weighs) and have been very happy with them so far. No flats, good softening and traction at 15-20 psi.

 

[TangoBlue]

I had to air down to about 12-15 lbs on my D-rated 285 KMs at about a 5,000 lb loaded weight and the side walls held up great. I just changed over to 315 KM2s which are also D-rated so we'll see.

I wouldn't go for a C-rated tire with the BJ60 and how you plan to use it. I doubt your butt-dynomometer will notice the difference in ride or performance between the 2 different ratings really. I mean, it's a truck, right? I'd be really concerned if it was my wife's 4DSC... but not a Land Cruiser.

 

[Viggen]

Ive actually never aired down. Ever. Went through Rausch Creek trails and mud, etc... with fully aired up tires. E's due run harder but its to hold more weight. There just isnt much available in decent tread patterns in the 15" size anymore. There are more 18" options, for the brodozer set, than 15's. I guess I will have to up to 16" then.

 

[The Adam Blaster]

Something to keep in mind - the carrying capacity of the tires is dependent on the tire pressure.
The C-rated tires have a max inflation of 50psi while the E-rated tires will take 80psi. The load charts that the manufacturers publicize are based on these pressures. The C-rated tires will all hold 2200+ pounds at 50psi, while te E-rated tires will typically hold 3400+ pounds at 80psi. I don't recommend travelling with the pressures at these levels though, you'll have a pretty rough ride, and you'll likely get some uneven wear issues with your tires. (Remember these E-rated tires are designed to be installed on 1-ton trucks that are over 7000 pounds dry...)
Those weight ratings decrease as you lower the air pressure, so running your E-rated tires at 40psi on the street is not going to net you a total carrying capacity of 13,600lbs.
The other benefits of the E over the C have already been mentioned - thicker sidewall = more cut resistance, and more stable on the road.
My opinion on the E vs. C decision, the E's are going to cost a bit more, and provide a few more benefits that may not be needed, but that's open to your own personal uses.

In regards to the 16" vs. 15" argument...
I've got a Cherokee with 2 different sets of 15's for it right now, but my next set of rims will be 16" for a few reasons:
To expand my choice of tire options, I will be able to run the tall 'n skinny options from BFG in the 255/85R16 size. Also, there are TONS of other sizes I can go with on a 16" rim - 245's, 265's, 285's etc. In a worst case scenario having to get tires replaced out in the boonies, I think 16" would be easier to find.
The trend in the tire industry in general is going away from 15" sizes. I don't know how many more years that tire manufacturers will continue to produce light truck tires to fit 15" rims. The decline has already started - pick up any manufacturer's data book and you won't see many LT tires in 15" sizes.

I figure buying the 16" rims is a better long-term investment.


EDIT: One more note on carrying capacity - if you're buying new rims, check the manufacturer's site to see what the load rating on the rims is. It may be quite a bit lower than the max load the tire can take, thereby just changing what the weakest link is.