C vs E for towing

Roscopcoletrain · April 23, 2018

Its tire time. Ran E 10ply my last 3 sets of tires. I know C is usually 6. As long as its a LT tire, would you say thats fine? Don't get off road much, but I do want a strong tire for towing a good sized TT

swathdiver · April 23, 2018

Probably best to stick with E. Maximum tire pressure for C is 50 psi.

grandpalarry777 · April 24, 2018

Definitely get the E rated tires. It isn't worth risking running the lower rated tires.

sdeeter19555 · April 24, 2018

I'd look at load capacity...lately the truck-sized p-series have been really close to the equivalent LT. I was surprised...first saw this on an F150, it's p-series was within a couple hundred pounds of my LR E LTs...

2012 2500hd 6.0l CCSB 4wd

swathdiver · April 24, 2018

P-Metric Michelin Defenders are Load Range B tires with a load capacity of 2679 lbs @ 44 psi. It takes 58 psi for any Load Range C or E tire to equal that load capacity. LT tires use more air than P-Metrics. Stock Goodyear Wrangler HPs have a load capacity of 2535 lbs @ 35 psi. My door sticker says to run them at 30 psi.

The main advantage of running an E is durability, a thicker tread and sidewall to defend against road hazards and of course the all-terrain and off-road tread designs. For towing on the highway, P-Metrics are fine save for getting a more durable tire in the Cs, Ds and Es.

Kubs · April 25, 2018

As mentioned you should be looking at the load rating of the tire. a P-metric tire will be able to support max payload/axle weight of any half ton. If you require more tire you should be using a 3/4 ton or bigger for your task.

Also, the ply ratings are from back when Bias Ply tires were made. Most radial tires have just 1 or 2 plies. If you look at the sidewall of your E rated tires they will probably say "2P+2S+1N" or something similar. 2 polyester plies in the sidewall/body, 2 steel stabilizer plies, and 1 or more nylon cap ply. Chances are the physical construction of the C and E rated tires are very similar, just marked different.

Big Whiskey · April 28, 2018

I ran 2 sets of C-range LT tires on my last 1500, and I was pleased with them. You'll get the benefits of deeper tread and tougher sidewalls from the LT carcass, but save a few pounds over the E-range tires. I've also ran E-range tires on previous 1500 trucks, but they're really overkill for a half ton truck, because you'll run out of payload and GVWR on a 1500 well before you start approaching the limits of E-range tire. Even the max tow 1500's come with a P-rated tire.