C rated tires too light for a 4x4 Van?

[cstamm81]

Posted this in general, see if it gets more response here. So I have an 87 Dodge Quigley 4x4 van with 15x8 steel wheels and some crappy MT's. It looks like all they sell in a 33x12.5x15 tire is a C rated tire. Question is, are these rated too light for a full size van? Trying to stay on budget, but I would upgrade to 16" rims to be able to run E rated tires if it is absolutely necessary.

These are the two tires that are in contention at the moment:

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...sw=false&cs=33

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/di...sw=false&cs=33

Each link has a product details screen if you scroll down. Perhaps I don't understand tire ratings, it just seems odd that there are no D or E rated 33" tires in a 15" rim. After all, 15" rims ruled the roost for a long time.
Thanks in advance.

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

sometimes the larger tires are rated C,...but have the same ratings as a D or E sometimes....read the sidewall...

I have E rated....but I actually TOW with my van..I imagine if the standard vans run C you would be ok...

 

[naterry]

The links don't go to a specific tire, just the front page. I would find out what the specific load capacity for each tire is.

Chris (Ujoint) talked with me a while back about seeing D rated tires de-laminate on a Sportsmobile (presumably because of weight).

 

[Saline]

I have D rated BFG tires on my SMB, and it weighs in around 10k lbs. I should have gone with E rated tires on it for a bit more safety margin though. I'm eyeballing Toyo Open Country MT's. Anyone want to buy some nice BFG AT 315's?:sombrero:

 

[arz]

hundred bucks and I'll pick them up this weekend.

Mo

 

[cstamm81]

Sorry those links stopped working for some reason.
The two tires I was looking at in 33x12.5x15 were Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10
and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac. They both have 108 load ratings, which equals a load carrying capacity of 2205lbs. E rated tires of the same variety have 124 load ratings, equals capacity of 3527. I guess I answered my own question. I still am puzzled as to why there is nothing but C rated tires in the 33" size. Looks like I will have to buy wheels and tires, there goes the budget!

 

[deserteagle56]

15" wheels never ruled the roost as far as 3/4 or 1 ton trucks were concerned. It was always 16".

But unless you intend to drive lots of dirt, especially at higher speeds, there is no reason the "C" rated tires won't hold up for you. And where are you going to find those roads in Pennsylvania? (The first 20 years of my life I lived just north of Scranton)

I bought a GMC 4X4 conversion van new in 1976 and drove it for the next 32 years. It came with 15" wheels and tires and I could find none that would hold up to driving 60 mph on the long, straight dirt roads we have here in Nevada. Hit a fist-size rock at speed and the tire was history. So I bit the bullet and bought 16" rims and tires and that made all the difference. But not just any 16" tire. Even though a tire may be "E" rated it may be constructed mainly for highway use and have only 4 plies across the tread and that is not enough for serious dirt work. A dirt-rated tire will have 6 or even 7 plies in the tread and at least 3 in the sidewall and those extra plies are what make the tire hold up in the dirt.

 

[matt s]

Sorry those links stopped working for some reason.
The two tires I was looking at in 33x12.5x15 were Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10
and Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac. They both have 108 load ratings, which equals a load carrying capacity of 2205lbs. E rated tires of the same variety have 124 load ratings, equals capacity of 3527. I guess I answered my own question. I still am puzzled as to why there is nothing but C rated tires in the 33" size. Looks like I will have to buy wheels and tires, there goes the budget!

BFG 33x10.5 r15 are rated to 2650lbs. It's not 3500, but it's better than 2200. BFG has a great spec sheet you can download that has ratings, recommended wheel width, actual measurements etc.