I’m probably going with a E rated tire because there are not many choices in a SL tire. Probably will go with 285/70 18. I had E rated 285/75 18s on all of my previous trucks because they were all Superdutys. Never had a problem with flats or cut sidewalls. This 1/2 ton changes everything. I want to keep the nice ride but also want to keep the strength needed to handle the rough trails that I encounter on almost every excursion.
Thanks for the above information. At least that answered my questions.
so capability, strength, all you need on an F150 is a C Rated tire. E Rated will be tougher and heavier, giving a less compliant, rougher ride, this is a fact of physics. Tire choice is always about compromise
every tire has a spec sheet on capacity, that is your best resource, pick the tire with the correct capacity, the decide if you want a tougher, rougher riding tire.
ps, more important than C/D/E Rating, is tire weight. Increase the unsprung weight exponentially creates a rougher ride. I went from C Rated 33x10.50R15s to D Rated 7.50R16s and lost 8# per tire even tho I went from C to D, The ride is exponentially smoother, And the gas milage increased from 17mpg to 22mpg. Compromise, guys laugh at my skinny tires but I no longer need to carry 5 gallons of extra gas. Pick the compromise important to you.