Tires For 2007 Max?

seamonster · February 12, 2009

I want to replace my stock Goodyears, they are not anywhere near wore out. They only have 6500

on them but when I tow my travel trailer they squat ALLOT!

Is it okay to go with heavier tires that hold 80psi?

Could I have problems with my stock aluminum rims?

svensk · February 12, 2009

You could get E range tires, but I firmly think that is unnecessary for your truck. You probably would like a nice road tire like a Michelin LTX M/S range C. You can run them 50lbs. and they don't squat much. They are also indestructible.

Matt_ · February 12, 2009

You "could" run E-rated tires.... but that's not the right thing to do.

What are the trailer specs? I'm assuming since you tow a travel trailer then you had the proper pressure in your tires so thats probably not the issue. But your tires should not squat a lot unless you are greatly exceeding the tongue weight rating of your truck.

If you are exceeding the max tongue weight, E-Rated tires will squat less but that won't fix the problem.... Remember, you have a 1/2-ton truck still; 1/2-ton suspension and frame.

seamonster · February 13, 2009

You "could" run E-rated tires.... but that's not the right thing to do.

What are the trailer specs? I'm assuming since you tow a travel trailer then you had the proper pressure in your tires so thats probably not the issue. But your tires should not squat a lot unless you are greatly exceeding the tongue weight rating of your truck.

If you are exceeding the max tongue weight, E-Rated tires will squat less but that won't fix the problem.... Remember, you have a 1/2-ton truck still; 1/2-ton suspension and frame.

tongue weight is about 850-900 lbs. Not over the rating of the hitch or truck, I think it is because

they are P rated tires. Will LT tires with the same weight rating squat less?

jimbello · February 13, 2009

I want to replace my stock Goodyears, they are not anywhere near wore out. They only have 6500
on them but when I tow my travel trailer they squat ALLOT!

Is it okay to go with heavier tires that hold 80psi?

Could I have problems with my stock aluminum rims?

I have been looking into doing the same thing. I realize that the OEM tires are middle of the road crap but the Wrangler ATS tires that GM specs are the pits. I just ordered 4 Wrangler Silent Armor "C" load tires for mine. Seems the C load tires are close in wieght rating as the P tires but they are 4 ply instead of the 2 ply and ya can crank up to 50lbs in them. I was debating on getting the E load but that would just be a waste of the tire. The tires would hold more payload weight than the darn truck could.

Matt_ · February 13, 2009

I think it is because
they are P rated tires. Will LT tires with the same weight rating squat less?

Im kind of surprised that LT tires arent' included in the V-Max trailering package... lol damn GM

Seems the C load tires are close in wieght rating as the P tires but they are 4 ply instead of the 2 ply and ya can crank up to 50lbs in them. I was debating on getting the E load but that would just be a waste of the tire. The tires would hold more payload weight than the darn truck could.

^^ Well said. Bumping up to a C load rated tire will give you more than enough payload capability. Doubling the plys in the sidewall will help with the squat and also help with sway prevention.

99silveradoz71 · February 13, 2009

I put Revo C's on my 99 ext cab Z71 and loved them compared to the stock Wilderness At's that were p-rated

jake1530 · February 22, 2009

I'm just asking, I saw in a different post info on the letter rating of tires, and now I can't find it. Could somebody post something on what the letters designations are? Thanks in advance, Jake.

c4cruiser · February 22, 2009

You "could" run E-rated tires.... but that's not the right thing to do.

What are the trailer specs? I'm assuming since you tow a travel trailer then you had the proper pressure in your tires so thats probably not the issue. But your tires should not squat a lot unless you are greatly exceeding the tongue weight rating of your truck.

If you are exceeding the max tongue weight, E-Rated tires will squat less but that won't fix the problem.... Remember, you have a 1/2-ton truck still; 1/2-ton suspension and frame.

tongue weight is about 850-900 lbs. Not over the rating of the hitch or truck, I think it is because

they are P rated tires. Will LT tires with the same weight rating squat less?

Half-ton trucks come with a Class III hitch. That rating provides for a 5000 lb trailer weight and a 500 lb tongue weight. Are you using a load equalizer hitch for the trailer? If so, the hitch rating will be close to double, but the tires are still carrying the heavier weight.

What is the total weight of the trailer? What is the rated towing weight of your specific truck (the ratings change with the various packages, engine size and wheelbase/cab configurations)? It sounds like you are towing at or very close to the load limits of the truck. P-metric tires that come stock on the 1/2 tons are not really the tire to have for towing heavy weights over long distances.

Another thing that has to be considered is the weight of the cargo that goes into the truck. Add the weight of luggage, the wife and/or girlfriend, the kids, the dog and whatever else; then that has to be added to the tongue weight of the trailer to get the weight that will be placed on the tires. Go to the limit of the tire's weight carrying capacity, add the heat generated from driving, and it can be a recipe for disaster.

Going to a D or E rated LT tire will help the tire issue, but the truck will still only handle so much weight. You may want to look at overload springs or airbags, stiffer shocks, and some sort of HD brake pads.

Spurshot · February 22, 2009

Personally, I'm a fan of E rated tires for towing something as heavy as a car trailer or horse trailer. Yeah, thousands tow with lessor tires all the time. I've also seen some pretty tragic results from a blown tire while towing.

A friend that uses a dealer for all his fleet maintenance and personal vehicle maintenance, told them to "put some new tires on the Suburban" (3/4 ton originally with E rated tires) and they put D rated tires on it. We were towing a 7500 lb horse trailer that weekend and it felt like the tires were nearly flat (tires at max press). It wallowed and felt unstable. I drove it half that trip. He took it back and had them put E rated tires on it. Big difference when towing. That convinced me.

I just looked at my Vmax tires and they are standard "P" rated (17") tires as well .

I also like E rated tires because of their sidewall and tread puncture resistance while off-road.

E tires are going on my 1/2 ton as soon as these are wornout or my 3/4 ton truck goes away. My hunting friends also change their tires to E rated tires on their 1/2 ton trucks of various makes for the puncture resistance.

Matt_ · February 22, 2009

One reason i dont like to condone the use of E rated tires on 1/2 ton trucks is because of the mis-conception that people tend to think "oh my truck can handle this, i have E-rated tires". If a good C rated tire can't handle it... you're probably towing too heavy of a load and have to be concerned about the hitch/frame/brakes/and drivetrain.

Granted, most good tires come in D and E load ranges so if you're upgrading you'll likely end up with one of those... but be mindful of the other aspects that make your truck a 1500 series, its not just the tires.

BuckFeverZ · February 22, 2009

When I bought my Helo's and Nitto's last year at a swap meet, they messed up and mounted E rated tires on there so they knocked $200 off the price for their mistake.

seamonster · February 23, 2009

You "could" run E-rated tires.... but that's not the right thing to do.

What are the trailer specs? I'm assuming since you tow a travel trailer then you had the proper pressure in your tires so thats probably not the issue. But your tires should not squat a lot unless you are greatly exceeding the tongue weight rating of your truck.

If you are exceeding the max tongue weight, E-Rated tires will squat less but that won't fix the problem.... Remember, you have a 1/2-ton truck still; 1/2-ton suspension and frame.

tongue weight is about 850-900 lbs. Not over the rating of the hitch or truck, I think it is because

they are P rated tires. Will LT tires with the same weight rating squat less?

Half-ton trucks come with a Class III hitch. That rating provides for a 5000 lb trailer weight and a 500 lb tongue weight. Are you using a load equalizer hitch for the trailer? If so, the hitch rating will be close to double, but the tires are still carrying the heavier weight.

What is the total weight of the trailer? What is the rated towing weight of your specific truck (the ratings change with the various packages, engine size and wheelbase/cab configurations)? It sounds like you are towing at or very close to the load limits of the truck. P-metric tires that come stock on the 1/2 tons are not really the tire to have for towing heavy weights over long distances.

Another thing that has to be considered is the weight of the cargo that goes into the truck. Add the weight of luggage, the wife and/or girlfriend, the kids, the dog and whatever else; then that has to be added to the tongue weight of the trailer to get the weight that will be placed on the tires. Go to the limit of the tire's weight carrying capacity, add the heat generated from driving, and it can be a recipe for disaster.

Going to a D or E rated LT tire will help the tire issue, but the truck will still only handle so much weight. You may want to look at overload springs or airbags, stiffer shocks, and some sort of HD brake pads.

Yes I am using an "equilizer" hitch, I cant imagine pulling this without it!! The E Quilizer has

the sway control built into the hitch it was not cheap but works great!!!

Total weight of the trailer loaded is about 8250 lbs, my tow rating is 10500 so I am fine there,

Yes I did take it to the scale and weigh it, I am not over on anything except being real close to

the GVW of the truck but not over it!

The truck pulls and handles the trailer fine its just me not liking the tire squat, I havent had any

sway problems or anything I just think the LT will be a better "fit" for what I do with this truck.

I have purchases a set of Cooper Discoverer ATR's!!

I will post how they do!

jonnyboy · February 24, 2009

I'm just asking, I saw in a different post info on the letter rating of tires, and now I can't find it. Could somebody post something on what the letters designations are? Thanks in advance, Jake.

fyi-

P rated tires are 4 ply

Load range C tires are 6 ply usually rated at 50 psi

Load Range D tires are 8 ply usually rated at 60-65 psi depending on brand

Load Range E tires are 10 ply usually rated at 80 psi.

I have always ran 10 ply's on all my vehicles...weight has never really been an issue for me...if my truck with 300 horse has a problem turning a tire that weights 15-20 pounds more than i better get a better truck lol.