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Yet Another Tire Thread (Related to Load Ratings)

6K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  bazross 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello People,

You would think every possible subject related to FJ's and tires would have been explored by now but since I have been very ill for the last three weeks I have had very little to do but explore this forum front to back to try to find the right answer.

Believe me I have worn out the "search" function.

I want to replace the stock Dunlops with BFG KO2's in either 265/70/17 or 275/70/17 sizes so I am not worried about rubbing. I have already paid for five of the 265s but Discount Tire seems to be very easygoing about changing tires out that have yet to be mounted.

I am worried about the tires' load rating and their resistance to damage. The 265 comes in a C rating. The 275 only comes in an E rating. I do like the idea of having the slightly larger tires with what I imagine is their lower susceptibility to damage.

I am planning on putting Bilstein 5100s on it to level it within the next month or two but I do not plan on lifting it.

I would prefer to not lose more than 2 mpg at the pump and the concrete roads where I live are worse than a few trails I have been on with an abrupt, ultra sharp 3"-4" change in elevation in certain places when changing lanes when going 40 mph.

They are so bad that I have seen them blow out the sidewalls on more than a few peoples' cars when changing lanes including a front tire on my old BMW which also ruined a $550 wheel (low profile tires).

The kicker for me is that I have a damaged right hand and find it very difficult to change a tire even on the side of the road.

My question is therefore whether anyone who cares to respond to another tire related thread would recommend a C load rated tire over an E rated tire in my circumstances?

As I have suggested in another thread I prefer keeping my FJ as close to stock as possible at least until the warranty runs out.

85/15 onroad/offroad in Texas in the summer and in Northern Colorado, Wyoming and Montana in the winter. More offroad in winter where the road pretty much disappears where I go and you have more to worry about with rocks because you can't see them.

What can I say, I like snow!

Thank you in advance if anyone should choose to respond.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
G'day LHB,
Whenever you change from OE spec, its a compromise...
But in most cases its an improvement, if done correctly.

Toyota use a 265 C rated AT tyre for the simple reason to create a sticker tag, that shows the highest possible MPG.
It sells more vehicles !!!!

That said.
275 E rated tyre is an improvement in the real world, driving in the real world, etc.....

I am running a 275 E rated Cooper tyre, on a reasonably modified J, i.e. lifted/ armour/ sliders / winch / dual gas tanks / dual batteries / loads of lights / etc .... and on road as a DD I still achieve 20+ mpg.

For peace of mind, i think you would be better off with a 275 E, over a 265 C.

You may suffer a slight drop in milage ...you might not .... all depends on your driving style / speed ..etc.....if mpg is your primary focus ... can i say ...change your focus ..:lol:
The FJ is a truck...mpg is not the most important function ... and thats part of the compromise...

Cheers
Baz
:blueblob:
 
#4 ·
Hello Baz,

Thanks for the excellent advice and for explaining your reasoning behind it. I really appreciate it since I am kind of in a time sensitive situation right now.

Cheers,
LHB
 
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#6 · (Edited)
Thanks for the good advice my friend!

I used to run my staggered fitment Michelin Pilot Sports (225/40/18s, 255/35/18s) at 50 PSI on my BMW which were very low profile tires so I'm used to feeling like I have no suspension at all!

Michelin did say I got the highest mileage out of my rears that they ever heard of (25K miles plus) so my discomfort paid off to a certain extent. Plus they were some nasty tires. Never lost a street race on them and that was with an AT.

I did see a Mercedes CLK 500 I was running with come very close to completely losing it at about 120 MPH which was not pleasant but the guy should have had better tires and a much stiffer suspension if he was going to run against my BMW ZHP (only available in the USA).
 
#8 ·
LHB, I went through the same decision process a few years ago when looking to upgrade my tires. I'm by no means an expert. There were so many trade-offs and things to consider that it got a bit overwhelming (I was probably over analyzing). I decided to list my top three priorities to focus me on the best choice for my individual circumstances. I ultimately decided that I wanted something beefier than than a stock p-load tire and decided upon a LT, C-load. Key considerations for me were MPG, tire weight (I rotate my own tires and have a bad back), fitting in my garage, and not deviating too far from stock. The largest tire I could find in a C-load at the time was the Cooper Discoverer AT3 -- it was a 275/70/17. I went with that tire and have been very happy with my moderate off-roading (mostly sand and usually not very technically challenging, some limestone and coral "rocks"). There are lots of great tire choices, so I'm not trying to endorse a particular brand - just sharing my methodology if it will help.
 
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#12 ·
Hello mudslinger,

Thanks for the advice. I wish I would have waited a little longer before putting money down because your Coopers sound pretty close to ideal for my situation as well as yours, and for almost exactly the same reasons.

To paraphrase those Shakespeare quotes above the big problem is "To C or not to C":smile

Thanks again for your input.

Sincerely,
LHB
 
#13 ·
LHB,
My wife's 2016 4Runner TRD PRO came with 265/70/17 Load Rated "C" Nitto Trail Grapplers. They do just fine off road and they drive good on the road.... They are only 1 month old though.... I have run Toyo M/T's with an "E" load rating on my FJ and 2- Tacoma's and have been very happy with them. The E rated tires are hands down beefier and if you go to extremely remote areas, my personal preference would be the E rated tires. If you want a better ride on the road with adequate, not great off road toughness.... I would go with the C rated tires. They used to make a "D" rated BFG A/T, I don't remember what size, but you may want to take a look at those. The D rating is in between the C & E in toughness. If you spend a lot of time in the snow, the C rated tires will be more compliant to changes on the road surface than the E rated tires. You can get compliance from the E rated tires, but you will have to air them down a bit. If you need to air the C rated tires down lower than 15 psi, in my personal experience, they seem to loose the bead sooner than the Es. In severe snow conditions, I run my E rated tires down to 9-10 psi on factory rims all the time.... (This is crawling and breaking a trail).... When I am in desert sand, it is 15-30 psi, depending on the vehicle and circumstances.... In a previous post, you stated that you could afford a "High dollar Hooker". A set of tires will cost about the same as the high dollar Hooker, so get the one that appeals to you the most, run them until you get tired of them and try something else...
Have fun and I wish you the best of Luck!!
Hello 10851,

I guess you caught me in a bit of exaggeration about the "high dollar hooker.":wink:

I think I meant to say a "medium dollar hooker.":smile

Be careful what you say on the internet! When you say something stupid it will come back to haunt you!:surprise

Not to mention that when you say you can afford something you are implicitly talking about the things you won't be able to afford as a result.

In any case, at my age when it comes to prioritizing there is no doubt that I would rather have the good tires!

Just like with the "hooker" remark I think my fantasies of where I will end up outdoors are more likely than not to outstrip the reality.

I imagine myself being in some extremely remote place where a flat could mean the difference between life and death when the reality of the situation is that I will be going to the grocery store about 1,000 times more often than that fantastical remote place.

BTW I lost the bead on two of my tires one time hitting a curve coming down Poudre Canyon in Northern Colorado, spun out and wound up slamming into about a 3 inch high block of dirt on the other side of which was about a 100 foot drop.

I was driving way too fast given how many people were in the car. We were teetering on the brink for a second and I doubt any of us would have lived if the car could have gone over. I guess it was my lucky day because the car teetered back onto the road.

But there were two seconds there when both my left wheels were well of the ground as the car wanted to roll over that sheer drop.

So popping beads is not a fun thought for me.

Man I wish they made those BFG K02's in a D Rating in the 275 size!

Thank you for recounting your experience and your interpretation of it, and for the effort you put into your thoughtful response. I assure you it really helps!

Sincerely,
LHB
 
#10 ·
If you are going to lift/level the front, you should be able to use 285s without a bmc. You will have more rating choices. Plus it will fill out the wheel wells nicely.
 
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#14 ·
Hello Senor Buckwheat,

If that's the case wouldn't I have to put the leveling kit on before the tires?

Discount Tire is extremely liberal about changing out tires that have not been mounted, but I admit I haven't driven 4x4's extensively since back in the old days where (at least in Colorado) if you didn't drive your 4x4 pretty much straight stock you were part of a "tribe" to which I did not belong.

Hell, back then it was all we could do to afford beer and cigarettes!

Since I have been sick for so long I worry that I have exhausted the patience of all of the dealerships and tire sellers that I have called asking for advice. I am afraid I may have exhausted your's as well.

If you have the time however I would appreciate any advice you could give me on the timing of a change like you suggest.

As I think I said I am pretty much sold on the BFG KO2's but if I could stuff a set of 285's into those wheel wells without messing with the body that would change the whole game as you suggested.

I hear that they run slightly smaller than some other tires that are "officially" sized the same.

Thank you for the helpful advice! I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,
LHB
 
#15 ·
I switched from a C rated BFG to an E rated duratrac and went up a size to the 285's at the same time.

My ride quality improved noticeably... likely because it went up a size.

If you do switch to an E rated tire don't look at the max tire pressure on the sidewall and think that you will run that pressure (it's 80 on mine FYI). Run a tire pressure that suits your road conditions and the weight of your FJ. I used to run a max pressure of 38 and now with my steel bumper on the back and a bit more weight all around I'm running 40. (steel bumpers front and back, 2 deep cycle batteries, fridge, etc. etc.)

For what it's worth.... I have never had a flat tire with these. They are almost at the time to be replaced now too.
I've ran through sharp-rocked quarries, shale, muddy trails with dangers galore in the mud holes that I didn't know about, and so on....
Just be sure to air down when you go on these trails and the tire will flex rather than puncture.
 
#16 ·
I've heard that as far as PSI goes. Discount recommends running them at 38PSI max with a stock FJ.

But you switched from the BJG KO2's to Goodyear Duratracs. I can still get whatever tire I want as long as I don't wait to long. Do y'all recommend the Duratracs over the K02's seriously?

I think I've pretty much ruled out the C rated K02 but I have had a few recommendations that the 285 K02's will fit with just a leveling kit.
 
#17 ·
While I've heard they changed the compound of the new KO2's to a better compound for winter... I still haven't heard any first hand testimonials from people that deal with the bitter cold like I do.

For MY needs... the duratracs do very well and I will likely buy them again.

And for clarification... my previous tires were BFG AT/KO's.... not the KO2's
 
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#18 ·
Hello Winterpeg,

Thank you for the information. The coldest temperature I have ever driven in was -38F (without taking wind into account) which sounds a little warm for you based on your signature.:smile:

I used to do "extreme running" and that was the only day I had to just turn around and go back home. I swear the wind was blowing 30mph right off the polar ice cap and I starting to fear for my toes at the very least after 1 mile. I have to admit I wasn't dressed for the occasion because back then I thought I was such a hardass. I wasn't.

I think I will have to look into the Duratracs more seriously,

So I've gone from virtual certainty about the brand and uncertainty about the load range to the reverse. I have also heard good things about the Coopers and they are a little less expensive.

Since 40k miles will get me through the next 4 years at the very least the decision becomes tougher and tougher.

I really appreciate your help and information and hope I can pay back the favor one of these days.

I wish you drove a BMW which I know much more about! Maybe I could give you a little worthwhile advice!

Thank You,
LHB
 
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#21 ·
G'day LHB,
:rofl::rofl:
Thanks mate.

The challenge with life Down Under in the sunburnt country....is that's its too darn good to leave....
so its totally understandable .... smiling...

Its a big island with plenty of space for good people .... the bad need not apply ... I could digress into a political manifesto ... :rofl::rofl:

The key to building or not building your J, is research ..research ..research ..
Take your time, the journey is so worth it .....
Once you figure out what you want, what suits you ... what you need ... only then are you armed n ready to build .... do not rush in .... as the fool once said... :lol:
Its not a race .... and the end result is your chicken dinner ... just how you like it ...

good luck,

cheers
Baz
:blueblob:
 
#22 ·
G'Day Baz,

You are the best of internet friends.

Believe me, I have been researching!

I love the way you describe the attraction of Australia to "good people." I really appreciate your way of putting it especially in these horrible days of political correctness over here where one dares not make such distinctions for fear of "offending" somebody else.

My students are as good as they come. Any country in its right mind would be proud to have them as citizens.

I teach at one of the few universities in the US that has a student body which believes in the supreme importance of Human Dignity, Truth, Honor, Virtue, Strength and Honesty just as much as I do.

On to more important stuff:smile

I really want the E rated BFG K02's in 275/70/17.

I've already paid for them but this week is going to be the first time I can get out of the house to get them mounted.

I will combine your opinion with mine because I have to make a decision within the next day or two.

Should I go up to the 285's in a lighter rating or stick to the 275's in a heavier rating assuming I do NOTHING else to the vehicle ever except maintain it to within an inch of its life?

I guess it boils down to perhaps the most frequently asked question here: will the 285's fit without a lift, level or body modifications?

I trust your opinion implicitly and would very much like to know what YOU would do.

Sincerely,
LHB
 
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