LT tire questions

P

palooka23

New member
Asking for help with LT Load E tires.

My 4runner is 2012 SR5. Living and driving in south FL.

Against the recommendation of my installer, just bought Michelin MS LTX MS2 Load E tires. I selected this because the only other MS 2 is rated at 113 (not sure if this is C, D). I wanted to avoid a P tire (which is what my installer insisted), so my choices were limited (with Michelin). I also selected this tire because of the stellar reputation and because I wanted a stiffer sidewall for cornering, and help with the dreaded nose dive (I know its shock/springs as well).
I use my 4R for mostly a highway commute daily. Periodically, I may take it on fire/gravel roads rpossibly a little rougher roads in GA. Don't tow any huge loads.

When I got the truck back from the tire installer, I immediately drove 300 (an emergency) and noticed very stiff and floating steering. When I arrived at my destination, I check cold pressure next day and noticed the tires were filled to 60psi (sidewall says 80psi max). This was say too hard for me. I lowered pressure to 47. While still a little jarring, I like this ride better.

Here are my questions:
Is this too much tire for a daily driver?
What is the best AND SAFEST pressure to run them? I understand that running them underload may be dangerous. We do ALOT of highway commuting, so I want my family safe.
Should I exchange for LTX MS2 P rated?
Was I nuts to go with the LT version?

I have seen the load charts on the forum, but E is so far up there, I cant make the connection.

Thanks in advance for your help
 
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Man, why did you go with "E" when you don't go hard offroad nor haul anything heavy??? The extra you paid for the tires would have bought you some decent shocks.
 
"p" rated tire is spot on for your driving. If you were hauling VERY heavy loads consistently, off roading in areas with sharp objects then a 10 ply tire might be in order.

I made suspension changes and no longer have the front end dip, I run "p" rated tires.
 
We'll, based on the few responses it's apparent that I may have made a huge mistake regarding tire selection.

I paid the same price (in many cases) for the tires as the P version.

Before I go and start trying to deal with the tire dealer about getting the P version, one fundamental question; am I risking safety?

And if I can indeed return/exchange the tires, anyone have any idea how much dealers usually charge for this? Is it really worth the hassle?

I thought I was making the best choice to go LT....bummer
 
I went with a C load LT against the recommendation of the place I went, but it was the right decision for me. You probably would have been happy with a C load, but E is going to be really rough, that pressure is quite high, but I don't know what proper is for that tire. May be worth eating some crow and going back to them to swap out.

A miserable ride for 50k plus miles seems like your big downside, but that could be years of misery when it likely will just cost a little bit now to be happy, add some new shocks with a better driving tire could mean many happy years with your truck!

Goodyear sometimes has a 30day satisfaction guarantee, not sure if Michelin does that ever.
 
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yeah, not to pile on further, but there doesn't appear to be any reason for you to be running an LT tire, let alone an E range LT. In your circumstance, with the kind of driving you say you do, more plys doesn't necessarily equate to more safety. More plys does however always equate to more weight, and more gas required to turn them.
at address another one of your questions, LT tires can be inflated to higher pressures than can a P rated tire. Your inflation pressure should be varied depending on how much load you're carrying, but I have seen recommended inflation pressures (as per the sidewall marking) up to 75 psi. Best bet is to actually read the rating for your specific tire.
 
go back and get P-rated tires! Even if it cost you a couple hundred bucks, you will get all your money back and then some with the improved gas mileage you receive with much lighter tires.
 
I apologize for not being clear.

I am not asking about the safety of the P tires. I am asking if driving the Load E tires at lower psi (say, 45) would be a safety issue. The tires indicate 80psi. I am concerned over under inflated tires and the amount of highway driving we do. I think of the days with Ford Explorer/Firestone issues and proper air pressure.

I honestly did believe I was doing the right thing by going with these tires.
I didn't care for the mushy ride with the stock Bridgestones and felt much more apparent nose dive and sidewall flex when taking hard corners. When I read that the load E were stiffer sidewalls (albeit, heavier), I thought I would get a firmer ride and better handling.
With this particular tires there were only 2 choices the P or load E...so I made the best call I could.
After about 600 miles I can say that gas mileage is about the same...maybe a slight tick lower. Ride at 45psi is not too bad.

Regarding nose dive, my initial thought was to do what most have done and get Bilsteins, adjust to .85 to level and get a good set of tires. Unfortunately, due to son in college and some family emergencies, had to put this on hold but still wanted to mitigate the nose dive issue a bit.

Sounds like going to the P tires is the right thing to do. However, I dont think I am down with losing several hundred dollars....especially if the only reasons are slightly lower gas mileage and a little stiffer ride. As long as it is SAFE (at ~45psi), I may stick with the load E tires.

Michelin does have a 30 comfort guarantee, but fine details about how it works are not available (calling this morning). I have already contacted the tire dealer (Tires Plus) to inquire the impact to my wallet...of course they indicated it wont be free - thats just how businesses operate here in south FL.

In the end, this may just be one very expensive lesson.
 
palooka23 said:
I apologize for not being clear.

I am not asking about the safety of the P tires. I am asking if driving the Load E tires at lower psi (say, 45) would be a safety issue. The tires indicate 80psi. I am concerned over under inflated tires and the amount of highway driving we do. I think of the days with Ford Explorer/Firestone issues and proper air pressure.

I honestly did believe I was doing the right thing by going with these tires.
I didn't care for the mushy ride with the stock Bridgestones and felt much more apparent nose dive and sidewall flex when taking hard corners. When I read that the load E were stiffer sidewalls (albeit, heavier), I thought I would get a firmer ride and better handling.
With this particular tires there were only 2 choices the P or load E...so I made the best call I could.
After about 600 miles I can say that gas mileage is about the same...maybe a slight tick lower. Ride at 45psi is not too bad.

Regarding nose dive, my initial thought was to do what most have done and get Bilsteins, adjust to .85 to level and get a good set of tires. Unfortunately, due to son in college and some family emergencies, had to put this on hold but still wanted to mitigate the nose dive issue a bit.

Sounds like going to the P tires is the right thing to do. However, I dont think I am down with losing several hundred dollars....especially if the only reasons are slightly lower gas mileage and a little stiffer ride. As long as it is SAFE (at ~45psi), I may stick with the load E tires.

Michelin does have a 30 comfort guarantee, but fine details about how it works are not available (calling this morning). I have already contacted the tire dealer (Tires Plus) to inquire the impact to my wallet...of course they indicated it wont be free - thats just how businesses operate here in south FL.

In the end, this may just be one very expensive lesson.
Click to expand...
the 80 psi indicated is MAX pressure. you need to map the TRA load table to the equivalent load capacity when moving from a P to an E, which has been done and discussed thousands of times here and—in short—basically amounts to running your E-load tires at 44psi. so, no, not a safety issue at all. in fact it's exactly the right thing to do.

please read this for a more thorough explanation: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/engin...s/110299-lt-tires-need-more-air-pressure.html

and the load table for reference:
 

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Can anyone provide any feedback about an AT tire? Should I consider these over the LTX tire I have or am going to?

I didn't initially go that route because the tread pattern is more for off roading type of applications.
 
If you stay on the road then Michelin is the way to go. A few miles on fire roads in the summer should be no reason to buy different.
 
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Well....spoke to Michelin this morning.

They indeed offer a comfort guarantee..
So, it would seem that I am in a good position to make the exchange with little to no financial impact.

From you experts out there....is it absolutely the best course of action? Is there any good reason to stick with the tire selection I currently have?

Thanks again....
 
palooka23 said:
Well....spoke to Michelin this morning.

They indeed offer a comfort guarantee..
So, it would seem that I am in a good position to make the exchange with little to no financial impact.

From you experts out there....is it absolutely the best course of action? Is there any good reason to stick with the tire selection I currently have?

Thanks again....
Click to expand...

If you don't like the way it rides now, as they wear, you'll like them less. Trade them out and be happy. LT tires are for a specific use. They aren't a bling item.
 
palooka23 said:
Well....spoke to Michelin this morning.

They indeed offer a comfort guarantee..
So, it would seem that I am in a good position to make the exchange with little to no financial impact.

From you experts out there....is it absolutely the best course of action? Is there any good reason to stick with the tire selection I currently have?

Thanks again....
Click to expand...

There are no experts here. What we have though is experience. Unless you NEED a LT tire (load, sharp rocks, thorns, etc) you don't run a LT tire.
 
ChrisKimmelshue said:
You're going to want to stay in the 39 to 42 psi range with an LT tire.
Click to expand...


If he was running a "C" loadrange LT tire (6 ply), then you would be correct. But he is running an "E" loadrange LT tire (10 ply) and with a maximum pressure of 80 lbs cold, I believe that he will have to run quite a bit more than 42 lbs. I would think that 50 lbs would be minimum.
 
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