Are load E tires too stiff?

I've seen responses to this question ranging from "I can't even tell a difference" to "E load tires will knock your teeth out if you go over a speed bump."

Here is my experience since getting load E Falken Wildpeak AT3w 235/85-R16's about a month ago. On the road, I noticed a difference driving away from the tire shop, but it was no big deal and I quickly got used to it. Driving on trails is a different story. I drove the same rocky dirt road on passenger tires (Bridgestone Blizzaks that came with the truck when I bought it) and then again on my new E load Wildpeaks. The passenger tires did fine on this road, but with the E load Wildpeaks, the ride was so bouncy that I decided to air down just for comfort. Once aired down, the ride was comfortable again.

So my answer to the question "Are load E tires too stiff" depends on what kind of driving you do. YMMV.

 

You almost certainly need to air down on E range tires. If your not hitting trails where your cutting up your tires go with C rated tires. You will like the ride way better. 6 ply (c Rated ) vs 10 ply (e rated). They will be stiff on our Tacomas. I always air down if I am hitting trails.

 

The trails around here are pretty rocky, so I like the peace of mind. Plus I couldn't find a C load tire that I liked in the size I wanted.

 

YES

 

Your tires may have been over inflated FYI. I wouldn’t put it past some shops to just look at the sidewall and just put it at the max rated pressure, an E rated tire is gonna be like 65 psi or something like that

 

I adjusted pressures to 35f/30r first thing after leaving the shop. But that is a good point for anyone getting new tires.

 

I ran 28 psi on my E's and it was way better.

I have SL coopers right now and they are still 5x better at 35psi than my E's at 28.

I wish I could have 3 sets. 1 winter SL, 1 daily H/T SL tire, 1 rough terrain E rated.

 

Too stiff and too heavy.

I have KM3s which only come in E rated sidewalls. I love these tires but they are heavy and I see it everyday in my MPGs. I'm currently on my stock set up while I rebuild my shocks, and it's a world of difference going from E rated to C rated, It's like i'm on a cloud.

 

When I was tire shopping, the selection seemed pretty narrow for C load. Especially with a 16" wheel. E load is probably overkill compared to C load, but I want something a little tougher than SL tires.

 

I have E rated and they run great. When they eventually need replaced I will be going back with E. I run 34 and 35 on the Tacoma and 34, 37 on the Tundra.

 

Hate to bump this but yes these tires are extremely stiff. As an avid hunter, I find myself on many forest roads which dont require E load rating. I love my wildpeak at3 that are winter rated especially for Colorado but the E load rating is very stiff. I will be going down in load rating on the next set of tires. However, Falken offers the same tire in a C rating for the 275 size which is what I will be going with next.

 

I don't have any issues but I came from an S2k with a KW suspension...

 

The Problem with running C load range tires for most, just simply wanting to replace stock Goodyear tires on our stock wheels is, very few choices like only one or two. So, most go with the E load range even if they dont off road as much as the tire choice warrants.

 

The ride quality is much more affected by air pressure than by load rating. Even on my work F250, I have the E load tires aired down to 36 front / 32 rear and even then it's still a little rough off-road.

 

Has anyone heard of certain E load tires needing more pressure to run better? I’ve got the falken AT4w and they seem bouncy at lower pressure, but I haven’t had enough time to test them.

 

Just like double front Carhartt pants.

 

Where does XL load rating fall? I’ve read/heard it’s between C & E.
The tires I’m looking at are XL rated (Cooper Rugged Trek).

Thoughts?

 

https://www.prioritytire.com/blog/s...NoiWX2dhIaNj8WzRr4VfhM7Dt0qesKvYPT7RLgMlILsKv
https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/t...AAxCkpATpX_cx3Rzfcn8rYDQ1vngqhzc-2MX2l-nkQmdy

 

XL is not between C and E at all, D is between those. XL has a slightly stronger sidewall than SL, but it’s still ultimately an SL construction type of tire. C/D/E are LTs.

XL falls near C in terms of carrying capacity, depending on size, but overall it’s not a stronger tire than a C. C will have tougher tread and sidewalls, generally speaking.

 

Thanks guys! I appreciate the education.