Hercules

Anyone using 285/75/16 D load tires on the stock rims of a '94-'98 rim. I'm concerned about two things. First, the stock steel rim has a 6.5" diameter and I'm wondering if the 285 tire is a bit too much for it. Second, I've only used E load tires, but, I found a sale locally for one of those buy 3 tires get the 4th free. The only problem is the tire is a D load tire. I know the D load rating exceeds the stock 245 E load tire rating that came on the truck. But, is that enough, or, is there side wall stiffness or something else I'm missing? Any advice or opinions? Thanks!

Dr. Evil

The D tires generally have an 8 ply sidewall while the E's have a 10 ply. It really comes down to what you use your truck for. if you put thousands of pounds of stuff in the bed or tow a big trailer you may want the E's. I am unloaded 9% of the time and I have ran several sets of D's without a problem.

I have had 285 Ds on my stock chrome wheels for a years and a half now and they are wearing great.

96_12V

I would suggest staying away from Load Range D tires, despite what Dr. Evil reccommends (no offense!). The truck isn't designed for them, and even Load range E tires need frequent rotation on these trucks due to thier massive front-end weight (especially on braking) and quite lightweight rear-end. I purchsed my truck, seven years back, with "D's" on the front & E's on the rear. About 10k later, I noted a very bumpy ride, coming from the front. The tires were wearing unevenly, cupping on the insides badly, and had a cord or two coming apart! It was only a matter of time before one of them let go. There may have been other issues, but overall, I learned my lesson - go with what the truck is designed for - not what's on sale. Those Load Range E's will cost you, that's why my signature says what it does.

98whitelightnin

I ran the maxxis buckshot mudder in a 305/70/17 on my 03 with stock wheels and liked them very well. They are a D rated tire and max tire pressure is 50 pounds which I really didnt like. I never towed very heavy but never had any problems either.

SIXSLUG

A lot of tires that step into the oversize category are unavailable in a 10 ply. This commonly starts at the 285 size for 16 inch rims. I just purchased a set of D rated tires after considering the duty my truck performs. The D rated at 3400# per tire, the E, if available in this design, rated 3800#. My truck is max rated to carry 8800# so I have an actual carry capacity of 13600# instead of 15200#, both of which are way over the suggested max GVW.

A second consideration is towing, I don't use a fifth wheel so my tounge weight with my trailer is only around 700-800 lbs max which is easily accomodated by my rear tires even when the bed is loaded and I doubt the TW ever exceeds this as its usually only around 500 for regular use.

Also, I purchase from a local reputable tire shop with knowledge that I trust so I don't really worry about it too much.

Lastly, 96 12V has real experience with this set up and I am only starting mine so I would get a few more opinions before making a final decision on this.

Kurt

Western Rammer

I asked much the same question of my brother-in-law who owns a tire shop. His answer was that the air in the tires is what carries the load. The larger tire has more surface area and even at the lower rating has more than sufficient weight rating. Also, the "ply ratings" are somewhat irrelevant now since most of the light truck tires have a 3 ply sidewall regardless of the "Load range".

You will notice a spongier feel to the ride at first though but I quickly got used to it.

Randy.

jentas

I agree with 96_12V. For most people, load range D tires really do not belong on these trucks. Of course you could use them, but they just won't last very long and become unsafe when they wear out prematurely. Of course it's different if you're going with huge, oversize tires on a lifted truck and the ones you want only come in load range D.

My brother told me pretty much the same thing the last time I was looking for new tires. He's been working on heavy duty trucks for over twenty years. For about the last 6 years, he's been maintaining a fleet of vehicles for a large steel company, including everything from small parts delivery trucks up to big welding service trucks and crane trucks. I tend to trust his judgment on these types of things.

boney

I find this comment overly simplisitc and misleading, perhaps even dangerous.

A tire must be able to tolerate the pressures the air inside it exerts. A lower rated tire cannot contain the same pressures as a higher rated tire. Hence the "load rating." Pressures are subject to change, especially under heating, which we all know is a by-product of friction. (Heating also causes changes in the ability of the tire to contian the pressure inside it. Also, over time, multiple extreme heat cycles weaken tires.) The friction between your tire and the road changes based on the load, the road surface, your tire pressures, tire size, tread design, etc.

Also, consider that your truck, in motion, constantly changes the loading on the tires. Starting and stopping shifts weight front and back. Turning causes the loading to shift to each side. The simplistic view of measuring your "corner weights" at rest misses the fact that 2/3 of the weight of your truck and it's load could easily shift to the right or left sets of tires while cornering, perhaps even more in emergency manouvers.

So using your numbers above, at 3400# per tire on a truck loaded to a max GVW of 8800# would meet the tire load rating in a corner if about 3/4 of the weight of your truck and load were shifted to the outside set of tires in a corner on a smooth road with no defects. Undulations and imperfections would obviously increase or decrease the loading. Easier to do with a taller load, harder to do with a shorter one.

I'm not saying anyone is right or wrong in choosing their tires, I'm just saying there's a lot more to load ratings and loads than what has been discussed in this thread so far.

Hercules

Well, I decided against it today and am sticking with finding a tire the same size that I've been running...265/75/16 E. I'm always moving 1 ton of wall block, rock, top soil, etc, I know I'll be more confident/comfortable with something I know works. My biggest concern was safety. I have traveled down the highway at 70 mph with 1 ton in the back and had concerns about heat build up in a D load tire with only 50 psi in them. So, it's back to deciding if I want to go back to what I used to run, Cooper Discoverer ATR tires(possibly the best tire I've owned), or try something else like Yokohama Geolander A/T-S, General Grabber AT2, etc. The only thing I know for sure is it will not be another BFG Rugged Trail T/A E load. By far the worst tire I have ever owned. The only condition it does well in is when the truck is parked. Thanks for all the advice and help. I just couldn't bring myself to deviate from what I know works safely.

Western Rammer

Did you think the ratings didn't take motion into effect? The Bro in law has been in the tire business for nearly 40 years and mostly deals with loggers. I think he understands the abuses tires need to withstand fairly well. Of course that's just my opinion!

Cheers! Randy.

PaulDaisy

I am driving on 305-70-16 D and tow 10,000 lbs and have zero problems. The 285-75-16 actually might have a higher load rating than 305s. Look on the sidewall, it may say 3300 lbs or so at 65 psi. I would buy these in a heartbeat and have no worries over it. People spend too much time pondering these things, instead just find a good deal, make sure you don't load over the axle or tire limit and go.
The rear axle weight limit on these trucks is 6084 anyway, so having tires that go to 7400 makes little sense. Yes, E-rated are stiffer but D are adequate. I speak from experience.

boney

I'm under the impression that they do not.

I've done a bit of searching around the internet, checking tire manufacturer's web sites and various other engineering sites and can only find one statement referring to how the actual test is done. It's a VW van site.

Here's the quote:

Here's the link: http://www.dualport.com/bustech/load...ml#anchor-load

The reference link on that site has gone bad. I did some searching around from the root URL of the link included on that page and couldn't find the information.

blackdiesel

i'm running 255 75 16's rated D's on my truck haul 3 tons daily. (firewood) with no problem