It's time to start shopping for new tires. Currently on my '04 FX4 I have the stock Goodyear AT/S LT275/65/18's. I'm looking to get something similar to OEM tires. I don't do too much off roading and I don't tow that much. The door sticker on my truck says LT275/65/18's. What would be the difference going with a "P" tire instead of an "LT"? My dad's '05 F150 FX4 has stock "P" series. Why is ford switching these up?

Turk

 

Ford isn't switching them up, they are just giving you the consumer two different tire options. P is the standard tire, the LT's are an optional tire. Check your window sticker, I think the LT's are like a $200 option. The LT's have stiffer sidewalls and more load capacity, so some say they ride a little rougher.

I think the P-rated BFG tires are junk. I'm only at 28k miles now and on my 2nd set of tires and they are also nearly worn out. Ford replaced my first set at 16k miles for free based on the tire warranty for uneven or excessive wear. I'm going to put on the LT Goodyears now, I got a good deal on some new takeoffs from ebay.

How did you like the Goodyears and how long did they last?

 

The Goodyear AT/S 's that I have aren't bad. I notice they do give a stiffer ride compared to my Dad's P-series BFG's. I currently have 41000 on them and could probably get another 10000 out of them however winter is coming and I'd rather not just "get by" on them. I most likely will use them again, one of the reasons is just to be able to use the spare as one of them so I'll only have to buy 3.

 

I had Toyo Open Country A/T P rated on my truck and got 47,000 miles out of them and they wore very evenly. I could have gotten another 3,000 or so miles out of mine also, but it could snow any time now. I do not tow much either though. If I towed more, or carried heavy loads in the bed (I carry 200 - 800 lbs. on a regular basis) I would opt for a LT rated tire. I like the comfort of a P rated tire though.

 

Long P vs. LT thread:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...versus-lt.html

 

These are heavy trucks, and if you plan on towing, LT tires will be your best bet.

The P nametric tires shouldn't be put on these trucks in the first place.

I would look at some of the good year silent armors. They come in your size, an LT, and they should last and perform well.

 

When I had the BFG A/T's put on the '05, the tire guy said to have them rotated every 5K or so for maximum mileage. Seems a little too often to me, but they dont charge for rotating tires, so I will go.

 

Quoted for truth

 

Depending on what type of driving you do, that's about right.
I takes me a year to put 6,000 miles on my 77 so I rotate them every 3,000 miles(they take a lot more corners and turns than a truck that does a lot of hwy driving).
But my dad's truck can easily put 6,000 miles in about two months.
So depending on how I feel and when I have time, those get rotated every 4,000-6,000 miles(usually right around 5k).

To get the most mileage, check the air pressure often, balance and rotate every 5k miles, and take it easy on them.... no burn outs, or (fast,hard corners).

 

P = passenger tire.......you will typically find these tires stock on most 1/2 trucks and SUV's. They are normally 6 ply or load range "C". If you check your specs on your stock "P" series tire, you will see that they have load rating of about 2400 - 2600 pounds (2500 x 4 tires = 10,000 pounds).

LT = light truck tire......you will typically find these on 3/4 ton and larger trucks. They are usually D range (8 ply) but mostly E range (10 ply) tires. They will have load ranges for around 3200-4200 pounds (4000 x 4 tires = 16,000 pounds).

The LTs will be much stiffer and harder riding, particularly on a 1/2 truck with little or no load.

The problem here is that our stock tires on 18s are mostly P 275/65/18. As soon as you try and go larger (33" and up) everything is LT and mostly load range E. So.......to go to a larger tire in on an 18" wheel there are few choices without going to a very stiff riding load range E tire.

Anyway.......I'm looking for options to stay with a P series or load range "C" tire and go to a 33" - 34" tire.

In the "JEEP" community, most will go with 16" or 17" wheels any day because the selection of tires (and cost) is so much better than trying to deal with the limited choices and higher prices for an 18" wheel. Changing wheels is one option to help find the tires you want.

 

On a F150 you will overload the truck before you overload the tire (with a P series or LT).

I just put a set of Bridgestone Dueler Revo's on an 05 F150 two days ago. The truck was a black lariat model. Man did those tires look AWESOME once we scrubbed the blue protectant off of the white letters. Looked like a million bucks. If I ever have a newer F150 it WILL have revo's on it.

 

get the LT tires...P tires are crap...you bought a truck. no matter what you do, you'll never have a ride like that of a car.

 

I would go with the LT. I do a fair amount of gravel roads and the P just seems too easy to push a rock through.

 

If you like Michelin tires, look into the Cross Terrain SUV tires.

My truck came stock with the chrome 17's and Hankooks. I switched them out for the 18" FX4 wheels and 255/70R18 Michelin Cross Terrains. They were new take-offs from a Navigator that I got on ebay for $275 including shipping.

They are narrower than the stock FX4 tires, but they are close in height, handle very well in wet and snow, and are quiet. They do come in wider/taller sizes, which I may switch to when these wear out, but these look pretty good, and the narrow tire in better in the snow anyway.

I put them on at 5,500 and now have 25,000 and they look very good. They'll probably last to 50,000. I tow a light snowmobile trailer in the Winter and load my truck rarely. I've been running them at 35 pounds. They ride stiffer than the stock tires, but the pros far outweigh the cons.

Oh yeah, as a bonus, my steering nibble went away when I switched.

 

I've been following this thread, and gotten quite a bit of info. I have a Black 07 XL, eight foot body, and wanted more than the plain steel wheels, even the wife doesn't like them! I bought a set of Lincoln wheels (18", and it already has a Lincoln grille!)) and have been itching to put some good tires under the truck. To keep the speedo somewhat accurate, I have been looking at keeping the width the same, and dropping the aspect from 70 to 65. I am surprised that the ride deteriorated when you made the switch from Hankooks to Michelins, I had expected it to be at least the same, if not better. My truck hauls usually only me, and the wife, maybe 200 pounds of cargo, max. I was thinking of going to a better riding tire, as I still have my 77 F350 for dirty or heavy work. (It was just getting TOO UGLY!) With all the variables you guys have mentioned, maybe I should rethink going up in size from 17 to 18, and get some new rims, and keep the Hankooks. Any thinking on anyone's part? Oh yes, has anyone had trouble with the TPMS damage as to mounting, and remounting the tires?