Hey guys, is it absolutely necessary to run an load range E rated tire on my 2006 F250 SRW? I tow maybe twice a year and its mostly hard top driving..or can I save a few bucks and run a 113 load index tire (P rated)?

I'm on the BFG Rugged Trails and its almost that time to replace them.

Thanks,

Sam

 

Load range "P"? As in "P235-75x16" or similar?

If so, those are car tires, and should not be used on your light truck.

Stick with the OEM designation. If it is an E and those are too much, maybe a D would work for you if you are never loaded to capacity.

 

I believe P stands for passenger tires, in lieu of LT which indicates light truck.
The load range is the rated weight capacity of the tires. My F350 requires load range E, but I thought an F250 only needed load range D... I am probably wrong on this though, I dunno...
I think you legally need to put the load range tires on your truck that match the capacity of the truck, i.e. max gross vehicle weight rating (gvrw). If someone were to load the truck with too much weight, based on the truck's gvrw, then that would be hazardous to you and others on the road. Besides, your truck itself weighs quite a bit, laden or not.
I suppose you could put a lighter tire on but I think I would stay with what is required for your truck. Definitely do not put on passenger tires, though I don't even think they make them in the size for your truck.
I've been using Michelin LT LTX2 tires on my truck. They are a bit spendy. The BFGs that you are running are a little less expensive. For my truck, my tires are a little over $1000 on sale. I don't think a tire shop will even mount tires on your truck that aren't at the correct application, for liability reasons. The only way to take the unsafe and cheap route would be to have tires mounted on rims and then install them on your truck yourself in your driveway.
In my opinion, there is too much riding on your tires to take the cheap route, and I think people should be safe. Personally, I would get the right tires for your truck.

 

Can you even get them in the size you need? Assuming that you could, it appears that they would be maxed out or even overloaded in the front while the truck is completely empty. These are big, heavy trucks and that is a very bad idea.

 

Sam: go find a set of cat scales or weigh station and roll your truck across the scales. Get total weight and then roll the fronts off to get the rear -- the rest is on the front. Go to a place like tirerack,com and look at the specs of the tires you are considering.

Are they safe unloaded? How much capacity is left? How much did you save on the tires versus the worth of who's in the vehicle those couple times a year you tow?

Tim has an extremely valid point and trust me, I've seen the underbelly of insurance companies, and they play hardball if it's worth their lawyers time. Underrated tires, over loaded, accident, and guess what?! Yes, you know what...

At least do the D's and don't over load them and please be safe...

 

Any 18" rim truck tires aren't going to be cheap. Neither is the brake job.
Cheaper tires can be had for 16" rims.
The cost of operating a larger truck like these, including Maintenance is head and shoulders above a half ton.
I wouldn't recommend P rated tires on a half ton either. That's the LT market.

 

Forget who's in the truck of the person trying to save a buck. What about the people in the other vehicle that gets killed and had no input on the decision to cheap out. If you want to save a buck buy a 1/2 ton or used Ranger.

 

Thanks fellas, will look into D or E range tires.

 

I would recommend sticking to an "E" rated tire and would consider the Nitto Dura Grappler 275/70 as a serious contender.

 

Better mpg with E rated tires as well...

Josh

 

Dealer I bought my truck from put d tires on it, and I absolutely hate them. especially considering I was running e rated tires on the expedition I traded in. In reality, I'm not sure that there's a big price difference between "d" and "e" rated tires. just stick with e.

 

There's a lot of difference between D and E tires in drivability on a bigger truck. It's worth the money in comfort and peace of mind IMHO.