Tire grade for Tacoma with old Skamper

[Stereo]

D? Must I? Or is C adequate?

First, a big thanks again for advice on my shocks. I got my rears changed out today. :wings: Took about an hour 'cause it was tough to get the old ones off. I'm not as strong as I used to be.

Second, I'm sorry to revisit the tire grade question again but a couple of the tires I'm looking at only come in C or E grade (Kumho Road Adventure KL61 and Goodyear Duratrac). Some of you said "D" minimum since I'll be carrying a camper on a Tacoma that will be close to max weight, but I'm wondering if others have carried similar loads on C's without having any issues. I'm afraid of how stiff the ride will be on E's since the majority of the time, I won't have my camper on. Plus the E's are heavier and more expensive.

If I MUST go with D's, then I guess I'll go with the Geolanders, unless someone finds their sidewalls to be prone to puncture or their rubber to chunk as I was warned the Destinations are.

ALSO, can I go with a narrower tire? My stock is 265 but can I use a 245? A local reputable dealer suggested the 245 would be a better off-roading size but I failed to ask him why.

Thanks again for your assistance - and patience.

 

[tanglefoot]

Nice work on the shocks. Trucks get so dirty and rusty that getting things apart is the toughest part of the installation.

I like narrower tires, myself. One size you might look into (if you don't mind the E-range) is the 235/85R16. It's a tall, (almost same diameter as 265/75R16) skinny, heavy-duty tire that has good availability--it's common on 1-ton and commercial, dually trucks. I love the look of them. Since it's a fairly common, work-grade tire size, the prices might be a little better. The 245 will be lighter duty--look for the "LT" sizes instead of the P-metric (i.e. LT245/75R16 instead of P245/75R16) for a tougher tire carcass.

Also, for price shopping, you can try www.tirerack.com or www.discounttiredirect.com. The first adds shipping but often the total price is still below the tire shop price. The latter has free shipping to the Discount Tire store of your choice.

There are many schools of thought about tire width and 4-wheeling. In many cases, narrow tires are helpful for picking lines between rocks and cutting through mud and snow. They also deliver better highway MPG due to reduced wind resistance. In Colorado, unless you do snow-busting in the deep stuff (and some prefer narrow tires for that too), narrow "pizza cutter" tires work very well. They also help on snow-packed roads due to the higher ground pressure and less tendency to float and plow.
Wider tires are only helpful when you need flotation, such as in sand or "bottomless" mud or snow. In many cases, narrow tires can be aired down enough to float sufficiently.

Hey, you know what--I'm a complete hypocrite! I just checked and my 31x10.50's are C-range. I've been using them for years. Wow--I think the dementia's setting in early. I do avoid the P-metric tires though.

 

[Stereo]

Tangleroot, you are the BEST! Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed explanation. It's exactly what I wanted. I'll be price-shopping this weekend. Off this thread, Mescalero has given me prices for a "group" buy that I'll include in the comparison.

The Bilstein shocks: I got clarification from the former owner that they came off a TRD and only had a few thousand miles on them. I may be imagining it, but they seem to make my truck stay put better with an empty bed. With the old shocks, I felt like I'd lose stability on even the smallest bumps. Then again, maybe I'm just looking for justification for changing them out.

 

[SLO_F-250]

Tangleroot, you are the BEST! Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed explanation. It's exactly what I wanted. I'll be price-shopping this weekend. Off this thread, Mescalero has given me prices for a "group" buy that I'll include in the comparison.

The Bilstein shocks: I got clarification from the former owner that they came off a TRD and only had a few thousand miles on them. I may be imagining it, but they seem to make my truck stay put better with an empty bed. With the old shocks, I felt like I'd lose stability on even the smallest bumps. Then again, maybe I'm just looking for justification for changing them out.

Agreed, Eric, nice little write-up there.

Stereo, those bilstein shocks will make a big difference over stock. You are not just imagining it. Especially with the camper on. Have you looked into the fronts?

 

[Rob in MT]

Along the same lines of the thread, I just purchased a ATC Bobcat shell with modifications for my 2010 Frontier crew cab. As is the shell weighs 650 pounds.

Looking at two tires (Costco $70 off special). The Bridgestone Dueler A/T (not Revo) LT265/70R16 which is D rated, or the Michelin LTX LT265/75R16 which is E rated. The Michelin has a better warranty, the Bridgestone is over $100 cheaper.

Any recommendations? Thanks for your help.

 

[tanglefoot]

Say, Stereo, in the interest of saving more $$, which tires do you have on right now? Do they really need replacing or do they have some life left?

Rob--those are both really nice tires. If it were me, I'd go for the savings--I like the regular Bridgestone A/T's. They are nice all-around tires and they are good on the trail. The LTX's (M/S) are more highway-biased and probably don't quite have the same trail grip. If you do most of your driving on the highway and don't do much trail driving, the LTX (M/S) might be better suited and quieter though. The LTX A/T would probably perform similarly to the Bridgestone on the trail.

 

[Stereo]

Tread depth

Tanglewood, the former owner had Goodyear Wrangler RT/S on them. The tread is about 5/32 front, 6/32 rear but there's cupping on the front so they're smooth on the surface in the middle of the tire on either side of the tread grooves. The rears show some feathering. So though I've got highway miles left on them, once I put on the camper and head for the forest trails, l think I'm going to need more bite. Do you agree?

 

[tanglefoot]

You can sure try them. When I was a teenager, a friend of mine found a set of nearly-bald Wrangler GS/A's next to a dumpster. I had them put on some salvaged wheels and ran them on the Toyota for a while. They did fine, even on stuff I'm too chicken to try these days.

The RT/S is a common, original equipment tire that came on trucks when they were new. They have nearly-solid center and shoulder ribs--that's not a sign of wear. It sounds like they still have about 1/3 of the tread left. It depends on how challenging of trails you're on but they'd probably be fine for rambling around in the woods with a camper. Just make sure your spare is in good shape and aired-up in case you encounter one of those sharp, pesky rocks that would happily puncture a brand new tire with the same vengeance. Also, try out your spare-lowering winch to make sure it works, isn't seized and that you have everything you need to use it. It uses the jack handle and crank. Most trails around here are gravelly/rocky dirt-pack and tread-type isn't all that important unless you're getting into mud or snow. In those cases, a pair or two of tire chains can be a bigger help than cleaty tires.

If you come across the Colorado old-timers on the trail in the completely stock rust buckets with the mismatched, balding tires, they'll just tell you that the mud-tires/differential lockers/etc just get you in further before you get stuck. There's some truth to that.

It's always good to carry a come-a-long hand winch or a hi-lift jack and a few straps and/or travel with another rig. Even the most capable 4wds get stuck!

 

[Overland Hadley]

I am a firm believer in having good tires. They are the only thing that is in contact with the ground.

 

[Stereo]

Thank you for the advice for a newbie (me!) on equipment for the back roads, Tanglewood.

Regarding the tires, I've been convinced by this forum and other advisors to go with at least a C with the camper on, so while the last thing I want to do is drop many hundreds of dollars on anything, I'd rather not be worrying every second about the possibility of something happening with the tires. While I can't control mother nature (i.e. sharp rocks, etc.), I'd like to control what I can, especially in deference to safety.

Also, the smoothness of the center section on my front tires is definitely different than the look of the rear tires, so I do believe it is wear, not design. Maybe someone would like to buy some used tires with a little life left in them - cheap?

 

[matt s]

Letter rating isn't everything. Check the manufactures load ratings for each tire. For instance my rims are 15's so E rated tires in 33" are hard to come by. My BFG C rated tires have a load rating that is surprisingly high and comparable to the load rating on other brands higher "letter" rated tires.

Just looked it up, I have a pdf of bfgoodrich tire specs. A little over 2500 per tire. Some of their E loaded tires in similar tires are between 2600 and 2900. Not a huge difference and 2500 is more than enough for my 5k rig.

 

[Stereo]

That brings this discussion back full circle to my initial question about P vs. C or D-rated tires. The load rating on many P's suggests they could handle my load too, but others have experienced that they squash out anyway and are more prone to fail under the load. Very confusing.

 

[JCMatthews]

Some manufacturers like to give a number of plys in their tires. They list it as though it is all in the side wall. However, if you read carefully they have added the number of plys in the sidewall to the number in the tread. P metric tires have fewer less stiff plys in the side wall, thus the squish you have heard about. A good LT tire will have more and stiffer side wall plys. This will make it more difficult to puncture your sidewall off-road.

I too am a believer in having good tires. I know that I have changed even my BFG ATs before others would, but I feel that I need decent traction in the rough stuff. Good tread makes a huge difference off road. It will allow you to travel more slowly and pick your lines. Thus being easier on your equipment.

 

[tanglefoot]

The RT/S does have high load numbers--higher than my BFG's for the 265.

255/70R16 2271lbs (1030kg)

265/70R16 2409lbs (1095kg)

I can't afford to put new tires on a truck, so I either keep using what I already have or buy used. I hardly put any miles on though. I'm still on last-year's gas.

You can always set the camper on there and get a feel for things. Then you can change things out if you want to.

Here's a set of 265/75 Firestone E's for $150 in Lakewood:
http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/2390084830.html

A set of studded 245/75 Trail Marks on 6-lug wheels that might even fit your truck for $250 in Lakewood:
http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/2385219949.html

A pair of 265/75 D-range Revos in Lafayette $40
http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/2357300750.html

 

[Stereo]

Thanks to all of you. I'm getting a better understanding with each post. I hope to get the camper on this weekend after I install the air bags so I will get a chance to observe my existing tires under load. Stay tuned!

Tanglewood, thanks for researching some used options. I do buy used items whenever I can, but I admit to being a little leery about buying used tires after a mechanic told me that on four-wheel-drive vehicles, the tires have to be perfectly matched wear-wise or they could cause problems long term with the [drivetrain? transmission?- I don't remember exactly what he said could be damaged] because a difference in the tires on opposite sides would cause differential action on the [?]. He claimed a problem with one tire might mean having to put a whole new set on.

No, this mechanic doesn't sell tires and he has a good reputation. I wish I could better relate what he said. I'm just feeling overly cautious as a newbie 4-wheel driver and as someone who hopes to avoid any major repair.