"P" vs"LT" rated tires?

[iaonbb]

Hey all, pretty much decided on the size of my new tires, but have another, arguably more important question......Right now I have a P26075r16. Isn't this a pasenger car tire? It seems logical that it should have a light truck tire? What's the biggest difference between the two? I know a LT tire has stiffer sidewalls, reinforced, etc. But how is the ride? I'm most concerned with getting a nice quiet, smooth ride. I don't do any offroading or it would bea no-brainer. I'm leaning towards the Michelin LTX M+S sice I had those on my last truck and was very happy with them overall..Aren't they a LT tire, hence the LTx? The"P" tire I have now seems to cause a lot of body roll, bouncy, drifts on the highway, etc...Really need some good advice on which direction to go...thanks!
MDB
"bound to cover just a little more ground"

 

[JB.]

I'm most concerned with getting a nice quiet, smooth ride. I don't do any offroading or it would bea no-brainer.

Yes, the P designates passenger tire. Based on your quote above, you should definitely go with P rated tires.

 

[Kramer420]

p=passenger
LT=Light truck/van LT are usally "e" load range meaning that they hold more weight and can inflate bigger. most LT tires are put on work vans and work trucks because they can take more of a beating/hold more weight/air. in your situation i would get the "p" passenger tire.

 

[peter78]

Recreational or commercial use tires tend to be very heavy duty...usually, in LT-ratings (Load Range C (6 plies), D (8 plies), and E (10 plies)), which tend to have more plies than P-ratings (4-plies). Because they are stronger, they are also heavier (thus, increase unsprung weight & braking distance, and decrease fuel economy).

Most off-roaders prefer LT-rated tires for the trails (less chance of punture wounds). For reasons above, non-off-roaders should get P-rated tires.

Thai posted this in my thread about needing tires. Costco was pushing LT tires when I stopped by. LT tires would be good for off-roading.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?threadid=438&highlight=costco

 

[iaonbb]

In the process of doing more research and found the Michelin LT/X M+S available in "P" as well as "LT" is this possible? Is this common for the same tire to be availabl eeither way? I guess I would go with the P2657516 Michenlin then....Am I missing something? If not, It looks like it's a done deal, unless........Can anyone recommend a tire that has very similar characteristics as the Michelins. e.g. smooth, quiet ride, long tread life, appearance/tread design, etc.... that isn't so pricey? My local guy is quoting me $800 roughly for the Michelins/ with all the extras (mount, balance, road hazard, etc) thanks again!

 

[Kramer420]

you also get more of a "rough ride " of out LT's compared to a P because there made with more plys

 

[Thai]

Yes, a tire model can be available in both P and LT ratings. If you notice, most tires in the 265/70/16 size are P. Most tires in the 265/75/16 are LT rated. Why?? Taller tires tends to be LT rated for commercial and recreational use. Most HD trucks use 245/75/16 (common trucks with 4 rear tires) or 265/75/16 tires.

LT tires have more TREAD PLIES based on load ranges. P-rated tires usually have 4-tread plies only.

Sidewall stiffness may be stronger on LT tire, but most of the time, it is NOT. Most LT and P-rated tires have 2 polyester plies sidewall. This means that no matter which you pick, sidewall strength are similar. If you want more strength in your sidewall, then you have to pick a tire with 3 polyester plies in the sidewall. This is where Mud-Terrain tires and BFG AT KO have the advantage.

There is another tire you should definitely consider...Goodyear Fortera with SilentArmor. It is smooth as LTX, if not smoother. It is mainly for highway ride. Yet, it has a stronger tread (thanks to Kevlar layer) along with a stronger sidewall (thanks to Durawall technology). Here is the link:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8881

Hope this helps.

 

[iaonbb]

Thanks for the input Thai! I was actually looking at that tire on the side...Interested because it looks as killer as the Revo's (if not better) but is also listed as an "all season highway" instead of an "off-road" tire on tirerack's site. I'm intrigured by the claims of zero road noise, 70k waranty and the special "absorbing layer"...Are you running these tires? Only problem is they are pricey! Gota decide if I want to spend $600 (see my other post about the Uniroyals - whaddya' think about those BTW?) or $900 for Michelins, Revos or Forteras....I think I'm going to stop by my local Bridgestone and Goodyear dealer and do a more detailed comparision, talk to the sales guys, get quote, etc... and decide based on that....thanks again!

 

[Thai]

No, i don't have the Goodyear. I have the BFG AT KO.

 

[Kramer420]

i work at a goodyear up by my house and i HIGHLY suggest the new Silent armor Foteras i have them on my other truck and there one of the best truck tires i ever bought...but then again they kinda pay me to say that

 

[Bluto]

Thanks for the input Thai! I was actually looking at that tire on the side...Interested because it looks as killer as the Revo's (if not better) but is also listed as an "all season highway" instead of an "off-road" tire on tirerack's site.

There are two SilentArmor truck tires:

Highway...
Fortera

All-terrain...
Wrangler


Go for the Wranglers if you drive in snow or anything off-road.

 

[iaonbb]

Bluto, I didn't realize there were two...the "highway" version looks much sweeter than the "all-terrain" what's up with that?

Kramer - we still trust 'ya....I'm heading to my Bridgestone and Goodyear dealers today to do a little comparision shopping....nothing elst to do on a rainy Monday :-( mud season here in CO....