I'm looking to buy a new set of tires but can't decide between load range C & E. My truck is mainly street driven and goes offroad about once a month. The price difference between the two is about $50 for the Duratracs and I'm ok with that but not sure if I'm willing to sacrifice my gas mileage. There is a weight difference of 6lbs. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
*edit: I don't do any heavy hauling just a cooler full of beer and my fishing gear. The main reason for the thicker sidewalk would be for protection against some sharp lava rocks.
I've had great luck for years on various light duty trucks and SUV (Ramcharger) using Load C. I prefer C, and as you see in my sig., I also have E winter tire. Firestones were only available in E - are about same weight as the Toyos and are only slightly rougher riding. I had to pay attention to tell difference in ride. Much depends on individual tire.
What he said. The BFG's I bought only come in E but they ride pretty good. If I bought a tire that offered a choice I'd get a C, but there is a huge difference in road behavior from tire to tire, regardless of load range.
My last tires were Toyo Open Country AT II's in 265/75/16 and C load rated. My current tires are the same model in 295/75/16 and E rated. I lost a significant amount in my MPGs when I made the switch, though I also went to considerably larger tires which played a role too. The new ones are definitely stiffer than the old ones which results in a bit harsher ride. One thing I did not think about when I bought the previous tires was resale value. C rated tires have too low of a load rating for full sized trucks which meant when I sold them, I had to turn down 8 people that offered me my asking price but wanted to install them on full size trucks. Sure I could have sold them anyways considering I posted the load rating when I put them up for sale, but I only sell honestly and did not want it on my conscience if someone got hurt because I let them put them on their full size. I ended up selling them for $100 less to a guy with an Xterra.
the local Goodyear dealer told me that they mainly bring in the Load E in the Duratracs but could bring in the C if I wanted. It would take 2 weeks to get here. Im planning on sticking with the same size that I have now just not sure if the extra 6lbs per tire would make a significant drop in my MPG's. I may also consider the Kelly Safari TSR's.
Honestly, I don't think you'll see that much of a difference with only adding 6lbs per tire. I went up 19lbs per tire and lost between 1-3 mpgs depending on the speed I want to go.
Oh my god get the C! They ride soooooo much better than E I just switched and it's insane how much better it is. E is for one tons leave them for those trucks
Oh my god get the C! They ride soooooo much better than E I just switched and it's insane how much better it is. E is for one tons leave them for those trucks
I guess I'll just have to wait till my local dealer gets more in then. They said it'll take two weeks for the tires to arrive and no one else in town carries the Duratracs.
If I remember correctly (you might want to double check) the C duratracs are outlined white letters and the E are blackwall (At least in the 265 size I think).
Not sure if that makes a difference in your decision, just thought I'd mention it.
Thanks again everyone for your opinions and advise. Only reason to consider the E for me is the added sidewall protection. It is not my intent to harm my daily driver but I fish at some remote locations where you have to travel over some sharp lava rock. I haven't had any problems with my current Load C tires yet but was cinside ring it since it seemed to be a popular choice here. Anyways, I have two weeks to make my decision.
Yes my current tires have the white letters. I just have them mounted eithe the white inward.
Unless you off road with the intention to harm your vehicle, trying to go where it shouldn't just to see if you can, just get these if you're really concerned with the sidewalls. Wrangler MT/R With KEVLAR Tires | Goodyear Tires
Vehicles driven off road in areas with sharp rocks are at a greater risk of sidewall punctures than purely street driven vehicles.
To me, the extra peace of mind with the load range E's would be enough to justify them, and I think wheeling once a month is plenty often enough to factor off road use into the decision.
That may not be the OP's decision but an alternative perspective never hurts.
MT/R's were not a good option for me because I need a tire that will perform well on snow. I imagine they have worse street manners too (unimportant to me, maybe of greater importance to the OP).
I phrased that more literally than I meant. If I'd had the choice, I still think E's would have been the right call for me. I imagine lava rock is at least as hard on tires as Sierra granite.
tough choice considering you have to worry about lava....... For road comfort and STILL overkill for the trucks hauling needs, a load range C would be a good choice. As others have said tho, the duratracs are supposed to have a weak sidewall and a load range E may be worth it to you, just experiment with onroad tire PSI to get the most comfy ride you can from a load range E.
That said, I was stuck on a cliffside and dug my way out via locker and a ton of brute force..........I gouged up my rim face pretty bad (to the point were I bought a replacement rim), yet my load range C (goodyear wrangler Authority) tire looked just fine on the sidewall, yet was gouged up on the treadface.
I've got the E load range 285 Duratracs on my truck and I honestly think it rides plenty soft. Not as soft as the P rated OEM tires, but I wouldn't consider it a rough ride. My old Ford Ranger rode stiffer with C load range 31's than my Fronty does.
In my search for tires, I found the E load range duratracs were almost always lighter than some of the C and D load range tires of different brands / models.
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