Higher Pressure tires under load?
#16
09-23-2014, 11:29 AM
What does your door sticker say the stock size and pressures are?
Just because a tire has its max rating at 80 lbs does not mean that it should be run at 80 lbs in all instances--50 front and 60 rear might be just fine.
I have had excellent service from Michelin LTX M/S tires on my van; these were the stock tires used in P(XL) rating on E150 vans, and the E250 and E350 vans used them in higher load ratings. I know 245/75x16 was one of the stock sizes in the higher load ratings. Not sure what they offer in 17" sizes or how the prices run. And as the posters above say, pricing is often based on how common a size is, with larger sizes sometimes being cheaper than smaller ones. You could look at the LTX M/S and M/S2 specs and see all the sizes offered and all their prices on Tire Rack.
Tire Rack is a great resource for tire reviews of different brands and styles--their owner surveys often have an experience base of millions of miles.
Good luck,
George
Just because a tire has its max rating at 80 lbs does not mean that it should be run at 80 lbs in all instances--50 front and 60 rear might be just fine.
I have had excellent service from Michelin LTX M/S tires on my van; these were the stock tires used in P(XL) rating on E150 vans, and the E250 and E350 vans used them in higher load ratings. I know 245/75x16 was one of the stock sizes in the higher load ratings. Not sure what they offer in 17" sizes or how the prices run. And as the posters above say, pricing is often based on how common a size is, with larger sizes sometimes being cheaper than smaller ones. You could look at the LTX M/S and M/S2 specs and see all the sizes offered and all their prices on Tire Rack.
Tire Rack is a great resource for tire reviews of different brands and styles--their owner surveys often have an experience base of millions of miles.
Good luck,
George
#17
09-23-2014, 11:15 PM
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Today's update
Door sticker info.
GVWR 6650.
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 3800
Original tires were P235/70R17 38 PSI (currently using P245, 42 PSI max)
Rims 17x7.5J (what's the J?)
A website says that when new, base curb weight was 4747.
I wanted to know the total weight now, and I knew my brother had an old stove in his back yard, and when i went to pick it up, his neighbor had an old stove too. At the scrapyard I got paid $22.30 to weigh my truck!
The truck weighs 6190 lbs including me, and my everyday cargo. Fuel tank was almost empty.
Subtracting my almost 300lbs of flab, This puts my cargo at approximately 1153 pounds, and my guess of "over half a ton" was pretty accurate.
It also means that if I put 460 pounds of additional cargo in the bed, then climb in the cab, I'm not technically overloaded - if the tank is nearly empty.
Please tell me your opinion.
Should I get tires in the Class E weight rating and 80psi max, or should I look some more for the Class D tires that came standard with Ford's payload package, 50psi front, 60psi rear?
BruteFord already said I should get the class E, and run them at 65 psi. I know that that would not be a problem, when I was in the army, we would drop the pressure down to 5 pounds to go mubbogging in the deuce-and-ahalf. It just doesn't seem like the correct thing to do for highway driving.
GVWR 6650.
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 3800
Original tires were P235/70R17 38 PSI (currently using P245, 42 PSI max)
Rims 17x7.5J (what's the J?)
A website says that when new, base curb weight was 4747.
I wanted to know the total weight now, and I knew my brother had an old stove in his back yard, and when i went to pick it up, his neighbor had an old stove too. At the scrapyard I got paid $22.30 to weigh my truck!
The truck weighs 6190 lbs including me, and my everyday cargo. Fuel tank was almost empty.
Subtracting my almost 300lbs of flab, This puts my cargo at approximately 1153 pounds, and my guess of "over half a ton" was pretty accurate.
It also means that if I put 460 pounds of additional cargo in the bed, then climb in the cab, I'm not technically overloaded - if the tank is nearly empty.
Please tell me your opinion.
Should I get tires in the Class E weight rating and 80psi max, or should I look some more for the Class D tires that came standard with Ford's payload package, 50psi front, 60psi rear?
BruteFord already said I should get the class E, and run them at 65 psi. I know that that would not be a problem, when I was in the army, we would drop the pressure down to 5 pounds to go mubbogging in the deuce-and-ahalf. It just doesn't seem like the correct thing to do for highway driving.
#18
09-23-2014, 11:35 PM
Door sticker info.
GVWR 6650.
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 3800
Original tires were P235/70R17 38 PSI (currently using P245, 42 PSI max)
Rims 17x7.5J (what's the J?)
A website says that when new, base curb weight was 4747.
I wanted to know the total weight now, and I knew my brother had an old stove in his back yard, and when i went to pick it up, his neighbor had an old stove too. At the scrapyard I got paid $22.30 to weigh my truck!
The truck weighs 6190 lbs including me, and my everyday cargo. Fuel tank was almost empty.
Subtracting my almost 300lbs of flab, This puts my cargo at approximately 1153 pounds, and my guess of "over half a ton" was pretty accurate.
It also means that if I put 460 pounds of additional cargo in the bed, then climb in the cab, I'm not technically overloaded - if the tank is nearly empty.
Please tell me your opinion.
Should I get tires in the Class E weight rating and 80psi max, or should I look some more for the Class D tires that came standard with Ford's payload package, 50psi front, 60psi rear?
BruteFord already said I should get the class E, and run them at 65 psi. I know that that would not be a problem, when I was in the army, we would drop the pressure down to 5 pounds to go mubbogging in the deuce-and-ahalf. It just doesn't seem like the correct thing to do for highway driving.
GVWR 6650.
Front GAWR 3150
Rear GAWR 3800
Original tires were P235/70R17 38 PSI (currently using P245, 42 PSI max)
Rims 17x7.5J (what's the J?)
A website says that when new, base curb weight was 4747.
I wanted to know the total weight now, and I knew my brother had an old stove in his back yard, and when i went to pick it up, his neighbor had an old stove too. At the scrapyard I got paid $22.30 to weigh my truck!
The truck weighs 6190 lbs including me, and my everyday cargo. Fuel tank was almost empty.
Subtracting my almost 300lbs of flab, This puts my cargo at approximately 1153 pounds, and my guess of "over half a ton" was pretty accurate.
It also means that if I put 460 pounds of additional cargo in the bed, then climb in the cab, I'm not technically overloaded - if the tank is nearly empty.
Please tell me your opinion.
Should I get tires in the Class E weight rating and 80psi max, or should I look some more for the Class D tires that came standard with Ford's payload package, 50psi front, 60psi rear?
BruteFord already said I should get the class E, and run them at 65 psi. I know that that would not be a problem, when I was in the army, we would drop the pressure down to 5 pounds to go mubbogging in the deuce-and-ahalf. It just doesn't seem like the correct thing to do for highway driving.
I didn't review your earlier post, but if your normal driving weight is 6190 (with you in the truck) and your GVR is 6650, you have less than 500 lbs of cargo and passenger capacity left--and this includes trailer tongue weight. Not a lot. Sounds like you really need an F250 or a heavier GVW package.
What is the load rating on P rated tires in your 245 size? Seems to me like your tires with the max 42 lbs in them will far exceed the 3800 lb weight rating of your rear axle which will be one limiting factor if you plan to overload your truck over 6650 lbs... Can you lose some of your everyday cargo?
My E150 van has a 7200 lb GVW and is fine with P235/75x15XL Michelins--I think max inflation is 44 lbs or so and I run them at the factory pressure of 41 or 42 lbs. I had C rated tires on it for a short time and hated the hard ride and felt the weight when accelerating (I have only a 4.6.)
If you want to increase tire capacity, I'd first look at what is available in a C rating, which is the first logical step up. Tire Rack's specs include tire weight. Then consider D's, but even if you push the GVW a bit, I would take the max axle weights more seriously. Note also that the C and higher rated LT tires have their max weights reduced 10% from P rated tires to give more capacity in hard use (hitting big chuckholes with big loads). So for a totally fair comparison, add 10% to the capacity when comparing to P rated tires. The only reason I'd go above P rated tires on a 150 would be if I was getting a lot of side to side sway--possibly while towing.
Good luck; there was a really long thread a while back when guys with higher trim-line F150 trucks (especially with 20" wheels) were left with a payload of 950 lbs. Four 250 lb guys in the truck and there would be NO official capacity left even for a cooler full of cold ones.
George
#19
10-04-2014, 08:43 AM
Join Date: Dec 2011
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The question is moot
The question is moot, because from from where I'm standing, the D-range tires don't exist.
I went to five different places, asking for D-range. Three said they can't get them. One said the only D-range they can get are trailer tires. One wanted to put on 235/65 instead of 235/70, and they would be $245 each.
I went with General HT's 245/70 in the E range. $138 each.
Still going to slap on my P-range snow tires when the time is right, since I have them mounted on their own rims. I get excellent traction with the increased contact patch.
I went to five different places, asking for D-range. Three said they can't get them. One said the only D-range they can get are trailer tires. One wanted to put on 235/65 instead of 235/70, and they would be $245 each.
I went with General HT's 245/70 in the E range. $138 each.
Still going to slap on my P-range snow tires when the time is right, since I have them mounted on their own rims. I get excellent traction with the increased contact patch.
#20
10-04-2014, 08:03 PM
P-rated snow tires on the back with E rated tires on the front will be dangerous; I have had tires with large differences in sidewall stiffness on vehicles. Floppy tires on the back with hard ones on the front will create some scary behavior around turns, especially when changing direction from side to side or in something like a quick lane change or swerve.
It's your truck and your body, but you need E rated snow tires for the rear of your truck if you want to use snows with E's on the front. Go ask a good tire store guy if you need a 2nd opinion.
George
It's your truck and your body, but you need E rated snow tires for the rear of your truck if you want to use snows with E's on the front. Go ask a good tire store guy if you need a 2nd opinion.
George
#21
10-13-2014, 06:24 AM
...and as to the wider tread; My OEM wheels are the same as yours, although the stock tires were 255 width. I got 265 width the last time I replaced them, and the backs (at 35 PSI) always seem to not quite make full road contact. That is, the outer 1/2 to 3/4 inch of tread doesn't contact the road unless they are loaded down. They wear about normal over time due to regular rotation, but appear to need a wider rim to make proper surface contact (on the back) with normal inflation pressure.
Since you say you run loaded all the time, a step up to 265 should work OK for your truck.
Since you say you run loaded all the time, a step up to 265 should work OK for your truck.
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