Load Rating

[MileHighPosse]

How much attention do those of you with heavy trailers (Cyclone) pay to the load rating when replacing tires?

Just got an F450 and the stock tires are for pavement only, and awful in any kind of wet weather, so looking at replacing them.


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[centerline]

you NEED to pay attention to the load rating of the tires if you are driving at highway speeds... if you dont get over 40mph, the tires wont develop the heat, nor do they get the abuse that high speeds cause, and so the load range is somewhat less important.... but my advice is that you get the right load range tires for the application...

as for the tires on your new F-450, they dont make tires that can ONLY run on pavement, but they do make tires with a highway tread pattern, which are still ok to drive on gravel roads.... or in the dirt if its dry enough, or in the sand if you lower the pressure in them by less than half the maximum rating...

its coming on to summertime, so if they are quality highway tires, I would run them... but if they arent good on wet pavement, they probably arent quality tires.

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[RickL]

How much attention do those of you with heavy trailers (Cyclone) pay to the load rating when replacing tires?

Just got an F450 and the stock tires are for pavement only, and awful in any kind of wet weather, so looking at replacing them.


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Load ratings on tires are extremely important. To maintain your trucks carrying capacity, any replacement tire(s) must be equal or greater then the original tires that came from the factory. It doesn’t matter what speed you are traveling (as long as you don’t exceed the recommended speed rating of the tire) it’s important to have the right rating.

As to your lack of traction in wet weather I’m going to guess you may have a very “compliant” tread design. One that more of a rib design, with few, if any, shoulder slots. These are usually for “highway use” so the road noise is kept to a minimum. As for brands you’ll find Michelin historically provides long wear, but to get that they start with a stiffer/more durable tread compound. The offset is their wet weather traction, especially in colder temps is compromised. The issue you may run into having 19.5” wheels is you go from “rib style” to an aggressive open shoulder style traction tire with a minimal selection in between. 19.5” falls into commercial applications, thus the reason for limited tread selections (when compared to 16/17/18” wheels).

 

[danemayer]

I had to replace tires on the truck some years back and replaced Load Range E with Load Range E. A bit later I discovered that the actual load capacity of the new tires was less than the originals. The Load Range is a range with some higher and some lower. I'd suggest checking the actual capacity.

 

[RickL]

I had to replace tires on the truck some years back and replaced Load Range E with Load Range E. A bit later I discovered that the actual load capacity of the new tires was less than the originals. The Load Range is a range with some higher and some lower. I'd suggest checking the actual capacity.

According to the TRA (tire and rim association) the size and LR are the same for the size between manufacturers in the US. In other words, a LT235/75R16 LRE carrying capacity is the same for every manufacturer. Many times a slight change in size i.e. 265/75 to 265/70 is overlooked and due to the difference in chamber size the carrying capacity will be different.

 

[centerline]

According to the TRA (tire and rim association) the size and LR are the same for the size between manufacturers in the US. In other words, a LT235/75R16 LRE carrying capacity is the same for every manufacturer. Many times a slight change in size i.e. 265/75 to 265/70 is overlooked and due to the difference in chamber size the carrying capacity will be different.

the problem is, not all tires are made in the US, and yet some high quality tires sold here are made in other countries... and so the size cannot be depended on as an indicator of the load rating, of ALL tires available in the US...

 

[MileHighPosse]

It would appear that this decision will be drawn out, as no one has any stock with the Rona having lasted so long. As I proceed further down the rabbit hole here’s where my head is; 1) 20” wheels with G rated 265/70r20 tires 2) Toyo Open Country or BFG KO2 tires.

Thoughts?


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[danemayer]

It would appear that this decision will be drawn out, as no one has any stock with the Rona having lasted so long. As I proceed further down the rabbit hole here’s where my head is; 1) 20” wheels with G rated 265/70r20 tires 2) Toyo Open Country or BFG KO2 tires.

Thoughts?


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Would the truck sit higher? If so, you might end up towing nose high.

 

[MileHighPosse]

Would the truck sit higher? If so, you might end up towing nose high.

I am hoping it won’t sit too much higher, staying with a 20” wheel and going to 265’s, I am thinking it won’t be much more than an inch or so.


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[jnbhobe]

Look at the specs from the Mfg. It will tell you the outside diameter.

 

[CDN]

I have BFG All Terrain TA KO2 on 20 inch wheels. LT 275/ 65R20 on my 2016 SRW F350. I put them on last summer, stock were worn out 75,000 km. The BFG stick to the road in rain and are great in Mud at the campground and we get snow, they do well here as well.

I was stuck on a site with Michelins the week before I bought the BFG. Highly recommend these tires. Same height as the stock Michelins.

Brian

 

[RickL]

the problem is, not all tires are made in the US, and yet some high quality tires sold here are made in other countries... and so the size cannot be depended on as an indicator of the load rating, of ALL tires available in the US...

If the tires are sold for highway use in the US they must comply with our standards. It doesn’t matter where they are sourced from. Most major manufacturers now source certain lines/sizes from specific locations worldwide.

 

[RickL]

It would appear that this decision will be drawn out, as no one has any stock with the Rona having lasted so long. As I proceed further down the rabbit hole here’s where my head is; 1) 20” wheels with G rated 265/70r20 tires 2) Toyo Open Country or BFG KO2 tires.

Thoughts?


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You are replacing tires on a Ford F-450 correct? I have never seen or heard of 20” wheels on a 450. OE they are 19.5”. The only other size I have seen people do is move to a 22.5” wheel/tire (which I wouldn’t recommend, but keep in mind I’m a staunch supporter of keeping the vehicle as it was built).

Keep in mind moving to an aggressive tread pattern like a KO2 (which BTW is an excellent tire) will require rotations religiously or you will develop irregular wear patterns AND your tire noise will be much more then a less aggressive tread design. One of the things I always told people are tires are a compromise. You’ll never get everything so you’ll need to compromise and pick a tire that best suits one’s needs.