My rig is bone stock right now and i have icon 2.0 rears, bilstein fronts and fj coils all around waiting to be put on. Then some Uniball UCA's are in the future. Question is: Do i need E load tires? I'm looking at the General Grabber AT2 in 275/65/18s. Any thoughts on that combo and thoughts on that tire in general. I don't do too much wheeling because i don't have any lift but it wouldnt be a ton of wheeling anyway. Just want a beefy looking tire that rides nice and can hit the trails if needed. Thanks for any input
E load Tires needed?
- Thread starter dmalis12
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
NJshadow93
New member
I don't think any 4Runner needs an E rated tire unless they're towing 7000 pounds regularly. A C rated tire should be good enough, I run C rated and never had a problem. I don't tow but I wheel periodically. IMO, a 4Runner isn't big enough to warrant an E rated tire and the extra weight and loss of ride quality isn't worth it. But plenty of members around here run them.
Last edited:
03_4x4Runner
Senior Member
I agree with Njshadow. An E rated tire is not needed. I off road a lot in the desert over many rocky trails with my C rated BFG all terrains and never had a problem. E rated tires are generally heavier than C rated tires and can hurt your miles per gallon along with the ride.
NJshadow93
New member
Thanks! I love the Duratracs. They have performed flawlessly through just about every condition I put them through (wet and dry pavement, deep and shallow snow, mud, rocks, water crossings) never got stuck once. You can see in this video how THICK this mud is, and I basically went right through the middle of it.
As for gas mileage, I did the tires at the same time as the lift and I lost roughly 1-3 depending on the conditions. Can't really complain. Very quiet too considering how aggressive they are.
CrimsonCountry
New member
In short...NO...I can't think of any reason why our trucks would "need" e-rated tires. Granted, there are some who feel they need them due to their extra toughness and plys. With that said, I run 33" E-rated tires on my DD and don't have any problems with them. I don't find the ride to be overly harsh. The main downside, as others have said, is the increase in weight for e-rated tires. Basically, don't look for E but if you find a tire you love in E, don't let that stop you. YMMV
machinegear
New member
Based on these two reasons: 1.) "I don't do too much wheeling" and 2.) "Just want a beefy looking tire that rides nice", I think your tire selection is appropriate for your needs. A load E tire would probably be overkill based on your described use and you would be spending more money per tire to boot.
I have had a couple sets of General Grabber AT2's. Both P rated tires. The first set was on my 1998 4Runner. They lasted over 65k miles and performed great in light/moderate off-roading. The second set came on my 2006 4Runner. They worked just as well as the first set, though I recently swapped them out for some LT load C tires. (I just wanted a change.)
The Generals are good tires, especially for the price.
I have had a couple sets of General Grabber AT2's. Both P rated tires. The first set was on my 1998 4Runner. They lasted over 65k miles and performed great in light/moderate off-roading. The second set came on my 2006 4Runner. They worked just as well as the first set, though I recently swapped them out for some LT load C tires. (I just wanted a change.)
The Generals are good tires, especially for the price.
machinegear
New member
Here is the ol'1998 4Runner with P rated Generals:
machinegear
New member
Here is the "road" they traveled over:
Reviving this thread since I'm interested hearing some more input on this same topic as it applies to my situation.
I have a 2007 4Runner that I selected with towing as one of its main responsibilities. I have a big bulky 5000 lb travel trailer that I plan to take on some long trips. Family of 4 + dog. Don't have exact numbers as far as loaded weight for trips, but the 5k lb trailer estimation is accounting for being loaded up. I don't plan on too crazy of offroad adventures, but would like to be able to mild offroad trails on our travels, so a mild all terrain seems perfect for this.
I plan on lifting the 4Runner 2-3" and running 275/70/17 Cooper Discoverer A/T3 on 2014 FJ wheels.
Question is, do I go with the C rated or E rated for my usage?
I don't put many miles on the vehicle with regular daily driving, I'm guessing > 50% of the mileage will be from towing the trailer, where I already get horrible fuel economy.
I don't mind sacrificing some ride quality and/or fuel economy if there is some benefit to the E load rating tire.
I have a 2007 4Runner that I selected with towing as one of its main responsibilities. I have a big bulky 5000 lb travel trailer that I plan to take on some long trips. Family of 4 + dog. Don't have exact numbers as far as loaded weight for trips, but the 5k lb trailer estimation is accounting for being loaded up. I don't plan on too crazy of offroad adventures, but would like to be able to mild offroad trails on our travels, so a mild all terrain seems perfect for this.
I plan on lifting the 4Runner 2-3" and running 275/70/17 Cooper Discoverer A/T3 on 2014 FJ wheels.
Question is, do I go with the C rated or E rated for my usage?
I don't put many miles on the vehicle with regular daily driving, I'm guessing > 50% of the mileage will be from towing the trailer, where I already get horrible fuel economy.
I don't mind sacrificing some ride quality and/or fuel economy if there is some benefit to the E load rating tire.
85straight
New member
I would say absolutely get an e rated tire for your intended use. The differnece between a c and e load range is that the E has more ply's in the tire. The C would have 6, whereas the E would have 10. So that just means the tire is thicker, stronger, and heavier, hence saffricifing some ride quality and mpg's.
85straight
New member
As far as the specific tire for mild offroad use and towing, there is a lot of competion. Do you have a price range, or you just want the absolute best tire you can get. The general at2 , as mentioned above is a great all around tire, id say just as good as its older brother the bfg at ko( tread pattern loom similar?) , in all areas but snow and mud, but for mild offroad use the at 2 does just fine. Then consider the cooper at3, i believe they offer that tire in a E rated. Id say for your money those are the best tires for your use.
Thanks for the input. After reading reviews, I'm nearly set on the Cooper Discoverer A/T3. I've read of many complaints of the BFG AT KO in adverse onroad conditions. Haven't read much about the General AT2.
Last edited:
MarkinWMich
New member
My 2 cents worth, since I've run P, C, and E load tires on mine.
Keep in mind Michigan literally ranks dead last in the 50 states as far as the condition of our roads. Bent rims and blown out side walls are a common, so much so, that I flat out refuse to own a car, especially with the low profile tires.
So, for me, I replaced the OEM P-rated tire when I did a 2 inch lift, with a set of C-rated 255/70R17 BFG Mud Terrains. With a lift, a taller side wall, and pot holes, the C-rated tire offered some improved stability due to significantly less side wall flex. The ride was only slightly harsher and the fuel economy dropped from 23mpg (overall) down to around 18mpg...partially because of the lift, as well.
My current tires are E-rated, 265/70R17 BFG All-Terrains. It is a heavier tire. Fuel economy dropped to 16.5 overall. Did I need the E-rated tires? NO. It was simply that these happen to be available at the time, and not the C-rated ones. The ride is actually better with the heavier tires, however, I did put on new Bilstein 5100 shocks, FJ Cruiser springs, and Spydertrax wheel spacers...so, a few variables.
Keep in mind Michigan literally ranks dead last in the 50 states as far as the condition of our roads. Bent rims and blown out side walls are a common, so much so, that I flat out refuse to own a car, especially with the low profile tires.
So, for me, I replaced the OEM P-rated tire when I did a 2 inch lift, with a set of C-rated 255/70R17 BFG Mud Terrains. With a lift, a taller side wall, and pot holes, the C-rated tire offered some improved stability due to significantly less side wall flex. The ride was only slightly harsher and the fuel economy dropped from 23mpg (overall) down to around 18mpg...partially because of the lift, as well.
My current tires are E-rated, 265/70R17 BFG All-Terrains. It is a heavier tire. Fuel economy dropped to 16.5 overall. Did I need the E-rated tires? NO. It was simply that these happen to be available at the time, and not the C-rated ones. The ride is actually better with the heavier tires, however, I did put on new Bilstein 5100 shocks, FJ Cruiser springs, and Spydertrax wheel spacers...so, a few variables.