Tire Load Range C or SL?

I’m in the middle of buying tires and I have narrowed it down to Cooper Discoverer AT3’s but I can’t decide on LT C rated tires or 4S SL rated tires. They would be 265 75 R16 either way. They would see about 1200 on road miles a month mostly highway and 1-2 off roading trips a month. If the noise, wear, MPG that different between them? Looks like the SL is 41 pounds and the C is 47 pounds. How much of a difference does 6 pounds make? I can’t imagine much but people seem to worry over a few pounds? They are going on a 2001 V6 Xtracab. Thanks in advance!

 

Or if someone thinks there is a better option for how I would use them please lmk.

 

I would consider 1 or 2 off road trips a month pretty often. Certainly more than I can manage right now.

Between the two you posted, I'd opt for the heavier tires any day of the week.

I'm a fan of E rated tires. The durability, low pressure performance, and flat resistance are far superior, and the hit to MPGs is minor. Been running E rated BFGs for 125k+ (longer if you consider previous trucks I've owned) miles and never gotten a flat, on or off road. Especially for highway miles, you're not likely to notice much difference in MPGs. I've gotten 18+ mpgs towing a smallish popup trailer with my E rated tires on an 1800 mile road trip. It's the start/stop that you notice the difference the most with heavier tires.

IMO, you also shouldn't see (okay, hear) any difference in noise between same tires of different weight ratings (C, D, E, LT, LMNOP, whatever). It's the tread pattern and rubber compound (and psi) that effects the noise.

 

6lbs isnt too big of a deal. But do you plan on loading down with lots of gear or towing? That would make me want a higher rated tire.

What kind of off roading? I'd imagine less stiff tire would do better aired down in the rocks. I have BFG km3, I air down to 8-10psi in the snow and around 12 in the rocks.

 

Pretty sure with all of my discussions with Discount Tire about SL vs C Rated I think these two tires have the same amount of plys in the sidewall. I was also told that the difference between SL and C rated is minimal if you look at the load indexes.

Just passing on what I was told. You might want to confirm with someone else.

 

My winters are sl, my summers are E. Now personally I BARELY noticed the mpg difference. I would go for the heavier tire just for the piece of mind off road.

 

I usually don’t have that much weight in the truck, maybe a few hundred pounds but not much. I do tow a trailer for dirt bikes every once in a while. I’d imagine it weights 2500-3000 pounds fully loaded.

My off roading is mostly dirt and sand with a few rocks but not many. I don’t see mud very often at all.

 

Yeah I will probably go with the C rating. I was looking at E rated tires and people just kept saying how rough they were on the road. I have a 40 minute commute so I’m trying to find a good balance. Did you notice a different in the ride when you first went to BFG’s?

 

Honestly, it's all I've ever really had. I bought my Tacoma when it was a year old, and it already had E range KO's. My previous 4x4, an 86 4Runner had E mud terrains.

My 2017 4Runner has Dunlop AT20's (I think they are a C) that came on it from the lot, but when those wear out I'm sure I'll throw a set of E loads on it. But not sure still. It doesn't see any off road (except "that one time", lol), and it's a daily driver and tow vehicle for the camper trailer. Maybe D's are a good compromise for me...

The Taco is now a dedicated trail truck, though it had the E's it's whole life, even when it was my daily.

I guess I just write off whatever "rough" ride it has as "it's a pickup truck, not a Lexus sedan."

My 4Runner most definitely has a softer/better(?) ride, but I don't think it's a fair comparison between the two.

 

Yeah I’m probably being overly cautious I just don’t want to buy the wrong thing. Right now I’m running some 40lb steel wheels and I’m gonna switch to some alloy wheels that are 22 pounds at the same time as the new tires so that will probably make the most difference. I also need rear leafs soon anyways so it definitely “rides like a truck” . Thanks for the help though that helps me figure out more of what I want

 

I personally own the discover LT c in that exact tire 265 75 16 and it's fantastic. I air down when on the trails and there is virtually no road noise. Havent had a chance to truely give it a snow run. But they are stellar for washington wether and I've completed the naches trail on them no problem.

 

The tire weight is what you are going to 'feel' the most, not really the wheel weight. The farther out from the center you go, the more rotational inertia you have, which is what kills MPGs. So saving a bunch of weight in the center won't do as much for driveability/MPGs, that sort of thing. Not to discourage you from lighter wheels, but I just wouldn't expect it to counteract the losses from heavier tires.

Take my perspective with a grain of salt. I don't happen to care that much about MPGs, so by default I end up as a E rated fanboi, lol.

 

E-range FTW.

 

Tru dat , I have Cooper 265/75/16 E rated, (cuz the price was right) when I went to pick one up and toss it in the truck I was shocked by how much they weighed, takes a hlf lb in weight to balance them. My little 2.7 hasn’t spoken to me since. I will be replacing them with Michelin or Firestone when my money tree begins to produce

 

Aren't Firestones the ones that gave the Ford Exploder its namesake?

 

Best thing that could happen to a Ford Explorer.... I will take my chances... lol