Need Tire Help

jdewolfe · November 17, 2010

Hey everyone- I'm looking at getting new tires before the snow falls here in WI. I am trying to decide between two tires, Cooper Discoverer ATR and Goodyear Wrangler AT/S. I'm leaning more towards the Goodyears based on all of the reviews I have read on the Internet so far. Anyone have any advice on that?

Also, the main reason I'm writing is because I'm not sure what to do...every time I use an internet search on say Sears or Sams Club, I always get a P-Metric tire back, not an LT tire like I expected. Will I be ok running a P-Metric? I don't know a whole lot about tires, so I figured you guys here would know.

Thanks for any help on this!

Jeff

rodram · November 17, 2010

tire selection, with respect to P-metric or LT tires, is a personal preference ...

.. for me I own a truck and I expect to be able to use it as a truck.. even if only pulling the 5th wheel trailer a few times a year, or loading it with crap from the lumber yard a few times a year, or less ... so I have a set of all terrain LT Load Range D tires on mine .. (which were the original tire spec for my truck..) I like them because they are very stable when pulling the trailer and are stable on gravel roads, etc.... I let the air pressure down a little when just doing the daily driving ...

.. many people have different expectations for use of their truck and may think (.. rightly so..) that LT tires provide a harsher ride for everyday driving without any load in the truck

.. basic rule though would be to not downgrade from whatever the original equipment tire spec is for your truck... see the sticker on the driver's door post for that information...

.. but... if these are for your '06 in the signature photo... I don't know if you can get an LT tire in a 22" 40-series profile...????? the TOYOs that I am familiar are available in a 50-series for 22 inch ...

wages999 · November 17, 2010

I have Goodyear Wrangler AT/S' on steel rims for winter. They are 265/70/17 P-rated tires that came stock on the rims from the factory. My summer rims have Goodyear Wrangler Pro-Grade's that are 275/70/17 load range C. The AT/S' have a much softer side wall when towing or hauling heavy loads, but they are a much lighter tire. I just switched for the winter last weekend and was shocked by how much "lighter" the truck felt with the P-series tires.

I like the traction that the AT/S' have. I you don't tow or haul anything extremely heavy, they are a good tire. My brother has them on his F-150 and he has close to 50,000 miles on them and they still have a lot of tread left.

jdewolfe · November 17, 2010

That's perfect guys. Thanks for the replies. The 22's are for summer. I'm replacing the rubber on my stock rims now. I need to do it before snow falls though since I can barely get traction in rain with these. I did take a look at the door post and it says P265/70 17. I think I'll end up going with the P size. I also rarely ever haul or tow, so I think I'll be fine.

Thanks again!

Jeff

Matt_ · November 18, 2010

Your truck is a 1500 series... so even if you were to tow or haul anything, a properly inflated P-metric tire will work just fine. If you use the truck primarily for towing, then it's nice to have an LT tire where you can bump up the PSI to help reduce sway.

2500 series trucks need an LT rated tire for their increased payloads.

If given the opportunity, i would prefer a P rated tire over an LT... unfortunately most manufacturers only carry LT rated tires for their + sizes.

Also, some tires look much better in the LT rating. The Toyo AT's are a good example of this... the P-rated tread has a more rounded edge whereas the LT-rated tread in the same size is more squared and looks more aggressive.

rogerf · November 18, 2010

Should get a lot of responses for Wrangler AT/S as they are the OEM 265/70/17 on many of these trucks. Mine were great in deep, dry snow. Plowed, icy, and slushy conditions I wasn't that impressed. Never realized how badly they performed on rain & dry pavement and how quiet this truck could be until replaced with something more suited for my needs. Can't vouch for the Cooper Discoverer ATR but their CTS is doing wonders for my truck.