Tire Swap Question - E for C

[parshal]

I traded my '09 Sierra 1500 in for a 2018.  I had brand new (<1k miles) Hankook Dynapro load range E tires on the '09 and had them swap them to the new truck (17").  They drove great on the '09 and I got over 60k miles on the first set so I went ahead and bought the same tire.  The new truck is definitely a harsher ride even after swapping out all four Ranchos to Bilstein 5100's set at stock height in the front.  I'm sure that's due to the higher tow rating on the newer truck and heavier all around suspension.  I'm running the E's at 38 or 40 and don't think I can go much lower without the tires wearing.

 

I went with the E tire for rocks.  Between me and buddy's we've had four tires fail on the some of the rougher rocky roads where we bird hunt.  I never had an issue with the Hankook E's.

 

I'm thinking about buying some C1 rated tires in an effort to soften the ride.  They don't make D's in my size and I really don't want to change tire size.  Have any of you done the swap from E to C?  How much of a change is it?

 

Also, for anyone with C rated tires, how much better are they for rocks than P rated?

Edited September 17, 2018 by parshal

[bartonjude]

Good luck finding a 6 ply!

[parshal]

I found a Cooper AT/3 LT 265/70-17 in a C1 ply.  In case anyone refers to this thread in the future here's my take on it.

 

For reference, the Hankooks were at 35 PSI (unbeknownst to me) and I have the Coopers at 40 front and 38 rear.  On road they feel very similar with maybe a little more squish on moderate speed turns.  On rough roads and light wash board the Coopers are noticeably softer.  It's not dramatic but noticeable.

[2018GMC]

I have BFG K02 Load Range E on my 97 and 2018. The weight difference isn’t much per tire at least with BFG. It was less than 10 lbs per tire difference.

 

I would rather have a heavier built tire. When I tow my 3500lb trailer with 400 lb tongue weight and 300lb of gear in truck bed. With load range P or C, I would get bounce in the tires. When upgrading to Load range E, no bounce except for suspension.

 

If I run pressures at 50psi, yes they are stiff, If i drop down to 40 then rides similar to stock.