Do "D" or "E" load tires affect ride?

I have E rated. They are great tires. It’s a truck not a Prius.

 

Hello engineer.

 

What? No. Not at all. You can get ELoad tires and live with it. The trade off in tire selection and how much side wall protection is a compromise that's up to owner to decide.

But let's not start spreading lies that they're even close in the ride feel. 10/10 drives will know a c vs e load in a blind test.

Fact.






Suspension determines how fast you can take a corner without drifting to the outside due to bumps and lack of traction. Or to control slow body roll when negotiating difficult terrain that you can't afford to slide around on. Or to save you (a little) when you hit that collapsed drain pipe at 70.

It does not negate the stiffness in tire. My suspension doesn't even start to butter up until I'm past 45mph.


OP, no need for anything more than a C unless it's a specific tire you want (which I'd say get a different one) or you need the extra protection. In which case I'd still talk to others to see if you really need it.

 

I'd also tell the OP to check out the sidewall protection on C Load Duratracs. Especially around the rim, it's got great protection.

 

Yup. They had a reputation to shred. And whether it was an old bad wrap or they did something to change it, certainly not the case now.


I've got 3 years of rolling around on trails at 17psi no problem. They do get squishy at 15 around the bead. I've got a few thousand miles at 25psi ripping backcountry with zero issues.

Point being, tires rip, but mine haven't yet and I've thrown everything at them. My local trails are rock gardens. Didn't need E load and I have way more comfort driving. I won't go back to E unless it's a dedicated trail rig.

 

Yes. E rated are heavy ply on sidewall, thus helping with the wieght loads usually associated with it. Stiffer sidewall, will effect how much it can flex, thus effecting ride.

 

That's my experience. I went from BFG KO2 in load range E to Wildpeak A/T3W also in load range E and thought they had mistakenly installed SL since they were noticeably softer. I never tried the SL to know if they actually ride the same, though. BFG uses 3-ply sidewalls and are pretty tough while my Falkens use a 2-ply sidewalls. So construction must factor in.

If you look at inflation charts, such as Toyo's, you usually need to increase tire pressure going from P-metric to LT for a given load and they specifically say due to this the ride may be harsh. But whether the ride is actually harsher at the same pressure for two tires, again, I dunno. I think it's just the individual tire design and construction more than anything that can be said generally about load ranges.

https://www.toyotires.com/media/2125/application_of_load_inflation_tables_20170203.pdf

 

The people that say it does not effect ride are the ones that slow down to a crawl over train tracks and take turns as 0mph.

 

aah yes - rotational mass vs unsprung mass!

I wouldn’t know how to quantify the effect, but I suppose the added unsprung weight would put marginally more stress on suspension components, theoretically reducing their performance in addition to the reduced acceleration via increased rotational mass.

Yet another reason to stay away from load E unless necessary.

 

Unsprung weight; you can work around with suspension.
Rotational mass; not so much.

 

Except there is no workaround for loss of efficiency lol.

 

Huge difference in my opinion, but our roads are also shit here. I ran E rated General Grabber and had my teeth rattled out, now back on P rated Falkens.

 

I don’t think the load rating is indicative of a thicker sidewall. https://www.discounttire.com/learn/load-range-load-index
It may be stronger, but that is for load carrying capacity.

 

well im thinking on Toyo AT2 SL (standard load) since the AT3 are not available yet. BFG K02 E Load have 50,000 but look aggressive. Since i only do city, highway driving leaning on Toyo's.

 

Of course it does. They are substantially less pliable, resulting in a harsher ride. Don’t be fooled.

 

Yes

 

stiffer sidewalls makes for a much more stable ride (and are so much better for towing/hauling significant weight). They don't feel much rougher over smooth graded bumps. However the thicker/stronger/heavier layers below the tread make you feel little cracks and breaks and lines in the road much more sharply.

I run P rated Michelins in summer and get a smoother ride, and a flat from a road screw every couple years. I run E rated Michelins in winter and never get flats, but feel sharper, more jarring feedback from the tires over rough ground.

If you run LT rated tires, you should be running more that the stock recommended PSI.

LT rated tires come with more tread depth do they will last longer on your truck.

You're brakes won't work quite as well, and you will pay a little more at the pump. If you start hard and stop hard you will notice more difference. Once you're going, I don't think there's much difference. Rolling resistance from tread pattern and PSI would have more of an impact on MPG.


Also.... the TRD Sport and Off-Road have different suspensions. (or at least they used to). The Sport is stiffer (corners better). Off-Road is softer (flexes better to keep rubber on the ground when articulated)

 

And you should think about some 255/75r17 tires in a load C. It's a Jeep size. It works really well on a Taco. Taller than stock, but a little narrower to track better on the road and trail and it also shaves off some weight to offset the kick from the LT weight

 

Sure e's ride rougher. Just kinda depends on what your used to as to if its tolerable or not. If your used to driving a 1 ton with training wheels, e's on a Tacoma may seem just fine to you.