Cooper makes a few tires that you may like in that size. They are as follows:
Discoverer HT XL load good for 2271lbs
Discoverer ATR good for 2403 LBS

Bridgestone also makes a Dueller AT Revo in several sizes that would work:
265/70/17, 31.6" tall load E good for 3195 lbs
265/70/17, 31.7" tall good for 2535 lbs

 

Just to give a forewarning on the revo's. For backround i work at a tires plus and we sell them, they're our best tire! But it does seem that when you put them on a heavy truck and do a lot of towing with them they seem to wear out quickly. However I dont believe the LT's have a mileage warranty on them anyhow. If you get the regular dueller A/T's those seem to last much longer.

I have load range C's on my truck, which are 6ply. I usually run them at 35 PSI, but now that you mention it, i might go air them up to 40 at least being it is summer and everything.

The main difference I think you can notice is when you are going down the highway, and you wiggle the steering wheel, you can feel the truck sway as the sidewalls on the tires flex (with a p-rated tire). When you upgrade to even a load C this effect is greatly reduced. Load C's (6PLY) are generally rated to 50 PSI, Load D's (8PLY) are somewhere around 60, and Load E's (10PLY)are around 80.

In my opinion for what a F150 is capable of the load C's will be just fine. I believe load D's are getting to be overkill (for a 1/2 ton), like it was mentioned before, even though the tires can handle the extra weight, you still have to worry about the braking systems, suspension systems, transmission, rear end, etc....

Hope this helps a little
-Peter

 

Is it my imagination, or does anyone else see the advertisement on my previous post for the GMC Sierra? This is a Ford site! How can GMC be advertising on it?

 

When I got tires back in September for my 97 F150. I went with 255/70R16 and after looking around a few weeks ago, I could have gone with a 245/75R16. The 245/75's are about a 1/2 inch taller and I could of had an LT tire instead of a P tire.

I agree with you Peter that D range on a 1/2 ton is overkill. Our suburban had them and when my parents got new tires last summer they went with C's.

I think the next time I get tires I'll go with LT245/75R16 as I do tow on occasion.

 

I just checked my tires yesterday, and according to what I read on the sidewalls, my C rated tires (Revos, BTW) are 5 ply. (or 7 if they're added together, but I don't think that's how plys are counted)

Tread: 2 steel + 2 polyester + 1 nylon
Sidewall: 2 polyester

 

FTE does not control the ads that are served. They get their ads from an outside source (google, I think).

It's a bit amusing, but harmless.

Elsewhere, it's been suggestd to pony up the sponsorship money, to get rid of the ads all together.

-blaine

 

With the incredible number of available tire choices for a 16" rim, I wonder why Ford puts 17" rims on base F150s. I have the most stripped truck they sell and it has 17" rims. Weird.

 

Oh BTW I almost forgot. Check out Uniroyal Laredo AWP. I had them on my Expedition. They wore great, rode great and looked great. Load range D

 

You know, when I started working for tires plus, thats the first question I asked when I looked at a load C revo. Because the salesmen told me to make sure i grabbed the 6 ply version and not the P version, I threw it down on the ground and looked and the tag said it was an LT tire, but the ply's didnt add up to 6 or whatever. I questioned him and he said that it is a 6 ply tire.

So someone explain that to me? I'm by no means saying i know everything about tires or anything like that, but if anyone has any insight as to how ply ratings are devised that would be awesome. I'll have to go look at my BGF 6 plys and see what they say for tread!

 

To the best of my knowledge and from what I have read and been told, the ply rating comes from the bias ply type tires. Bias ply tires actually have the same number of plies as the number that is stamped on them. Radial tires, being of different construction type, carry a PR or ply rating of that equivallent of a bias tire. The are more modern tire construction techniques that will give you the same load rating without the same number of plys. Steel, polyester, and nylon are much stronger than the old rubber and nylon cord that tires used to be made out of. This is the reason that you can get the same type of tire with the same load rating that is rated for a different load. It has a different construction to it. It may have 2 plys of steel where another manufacturer may only have one.

 

The only thing I want to add to the above that bias ply tires have to have even number of plies because of the way they are constructed, that's why the ply rating jumps by two.

 

It all comes together now!