Thanks in advance..

Have to replace all 4 BFG tires at 47K... Any suggestions to replace the BFG's? They were a good tire, but they were always slinging rocks and most of my driving is highway with a three horse trailer behind... Do I need "load Range E"?

 

Definitely load range E. Stay away from the cheap tires with the big ***** on them, they cause a lot of wander from the rubber squishing.

 

That depends on what size you want to run. The OEM 265/70/17 E BFGs had a load rating of around 3100 lbs/tire if I remember right. Their 315/70/17 ATs are 8 ply D range with a load rating of about 3300 lbs/tire. The smallest D range tire with a 3100 lbs load rating (that I know of) is the Nitto Terra Grappler in a LT295/75/17. Any smaller than that and you need to go to a 10 ply E rated tire. The Nitto Terra Grappler are an extremely popular tire. So much so that they are on national back order.

A local tire guy did find a set of four, but the price was higher than I wanted to pay ($197 each + 100 freight + mount, balance, and tax) so I will wait. There is a set on Ebay right now...

At tires.com they are $153.00 each + shipping. Or $172.00 each at Discount Tire installed with life time rotate/balance (none of those stores in my area;-(.

 

Load index, 118/121 for example, seems to be similar to load rating, 3000 lbs max for example, and both are different from load range, E for example. Load range seems to be a spec for loads :^), such as towing and max GVWR, and seems to include parameters like sidewall flex. With the 'death wobble' problems it seems prudent to use a load range E tire regardless of what the load rating is.

 

There is a lot more to load range than just the weight rating.

Don't substitute load range for weight rating !

This is a huge safety issue more folks should be aware of.

Goosenecks and 5th wheels should stay with at least E ratings from all
the research I have done.

 

My truck came with Michelins load range E. Very good tire from all reports I have seen and that is all my dad has run on his 90 Dodge, now has somewhere around 280,000 miles and all of them running Michelins.

 

I agree with the above. I don't think you can do better than a Michelin. My favorite is the LTX A/T. Don't know if it comes in your size.

 

I agree do not settle on less than a load range E tire. I just replaced my Michelin LTX A/S tires on my truck with the BFG Rugged Trail T/A's. They are probably not the best thing out there but they are E rated and have a more agressive tread than the oems. The price seemed good ($161 per tire + tax and disposal with new stems, monut, life time balance, and rotation) and there were not a whole lot of choices on E rated tires in the 265/70/17 size. I got 60k out of the Michelins and hope to get 40 to 50 K out of the BFG's. Only time and miles will tell.

 

My question is why do you need a Load E tire as opposed to a Load D that has the same or higher weight rating, such as in the case of the BFG All-Terrain T/As? I'm planning on putting a set of these on to replace the Michelins when the time comes. For the record, I hate these Michelins. They don't grip with a **** in anything besides dry pavement, and have left me stuck at times when my old Chevy truck (4x2 with Kumho tires) would've gotten through without a problem. Mind you, my Chevy truck had an open diff and this has the Anti-Spin.

 

My BFG Rugged Trail's have taken a pounding out here. Held up great.

I believe Michelin owns BFG now.

 

Those Rugged TA's are good tires I have 71,000 on mine and will probably get another 5000.

 

Yes Michelin owns BFG, have for quite a few years now. I've had both the Rugged Trails and the LTX A/S. I liked the BFGs better. They wore evenly, were quiet, and worked well in snow and on ice.

I didn't know there was much to load ratings other than just load and plys. I figured a Load Range D tire with a weight load of 3100+ lbs was just as good as a Load Range E tire with the same weight rating.

So what is the difference besides 2 more plies? I would have thought the BFG A/T KO's with the 3 ply side wall in a D range with a 3100+ weight rating would be equivelent to an E range tire with a very similar weight rating. What gives?

 

Try them up here in the Canadian oilfield. Now that spring break-up is upon us, I'm very sad that I haven't been able to where the Rugged Trails down enough to get the boss to replace these things that came OEM on the work truck. On ice, they suck. In snow, they're terrible. In the mud, they're even worse - it's going to be alot of chainin' up.

Who cares how many miles you get out of a tire if you take your life in your hands riding on them.

No flame considered, intended, or implied, but not all of us run trucks strictly on pavement. The best tire I've ever run in the oilfield is the Toyo M-55. Just waiting for them to come in 17 inch.

Cheers from the Great White North.

 

If you look at sites like TireRack a tire that gets even worse reviews than the Michelin A/S tires, which are not rated well, are the BFG Rugged Trails. It's mind boggling that Dodge decided to go with the Michelin A/S as it's main attribute seems to be that it was designed to be quiet. It's not even a good all season tire as I had to sipe mine to keep them wandering in the rain. A nice tire for the 4x4 would have been their XPS traction tire with some more siping.

Load range (D, E, etc.) is different than load index (118, 121, etc.), that's why there are two specs. If the BFG A/Ts were eqivalent to load range E they would be marked as such, but they aren't so they're not. I'll guess that's why they aren't offered on the 2500 and the 3500.

 

take a look at the Mastercraft Courser C/T in the stock size of LT265/70/R17. They are new to the market and are "E" rated 10 plys.

I'm running the Courers in the winter for more traction, then I will switch back to the Michelins in the spring. I have found that the Coursers do wander a bit more than the Michelins due to the 18/32" of blocky tread depth when new. They are a bit louder, but not bad. They have made a huge difference with off highway driving when pulling my enclosed snowmobile trailer.

Now I need to find wheels for my Michelins! I think a nice set of Alcoas are in order.