interputed
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So, after much research I decided a few months back to install a set of 265/70r17 Goodyear Duratracs to replace the crappy Big O tires that came on my truck.
I read many threads here that mentioned the tires needing higher pressures to ride normally and not get excessive road noise. So, like most others here, I jacked my pressure up to 44psi which seemed harsh, then worked my way down to about 38psi.
Months later, I pulled into a dusty shop and noticed, the entire outside knobs on my tires were clean. Upon further inspection I noticed there were no visible signs of wear at all on the corner knobs, what the hell? So, back to the internet. I discovered They make 3 different Duratracs in the 265/70R17 size, two light-truck tires which are labelled LT265/70R17 and a standard rating tire which doesn't have the LT designation.
I then worried I bought the wrong tires, since everyone else is using the LT designated model. However, I was informed by multiple mechanics that while the T4R is technically a truck, it's not. It's a nearly impossible scenario to put enough weight in the carpeted rear of a SUV to justify having a rigid truck tire. Many people think they need truck tires because of campers and large boats, but that doesn't affect the 4runner more than a few hundred to a max of 700lbs of tongue weight. All the rest of the weight depends on your trailers tires. So, since it's not a truck with a large rugged bed that you're going to fill with engine blocks, bricks, gravel, etc, there's very few reasons you would exceed the load limits of SUV tires which carry a SL rating.
People with the LT rated Duratracs are using a tire that most of them will never need, but that costs more, and rides rougher than the proper SL rated tires for our truck. Some may need the 10,000+lb load rating, but 99% of us do not, as physically managing to put that much weight in camping/wheeling/travelling equipment in our small carpeted cargo area, and roof rack is almost impossible.
With all that being said, I decided to figure out the optimal tire pressure for the SL Duratracs, since I cannot follow the guidelines of people with hardcore truck tires. I started at 36psi and let out 1psi at a time until my tread was sitting flat in the front, touching the floor edge to edge, and in the back all but about 1cm was, which I read was fine as it will all touch with a decent sized load.
What pressure did I arrive at? 32psi front and back. Exactly what it says in the damn door sticker. Hours wasted investigating common knowledge, because of reading too much into forum advice. Not only that, but the truck rides MUCH better. The bounciness I felt at 38psi was the result of the tire flexing and bouncing between flat and rounded, now that it's always flat across with the full tread touching, there is no more mild bounciness, the truck is planted to the road. There is better steering feel, and a clear center point on the wheel where the truck just tracks straight without drifting one way or the other.
A mechanic also told me that the profile is so rounded like that so it rides flat, but then the part of the tread that isn't touching the road flexes back to round, suddenly opening the grooves and shedding accumulated snow, which is why it's a severe snow rated tire.
Your Duratracs are SUPPOSE to make mild road noise, as the side knobs make noise at highway speeds. Your Duratracs are suppose to sit flat on the road, not ride on the center treads all day or it will wear extremely unevenly, and lose snow shedding ability.
SO, here is the TL;DR:
For most people there's zero reason to buy LT tires on a 4Runner, even if you are pulling a large load and piling stuff on the roof rack, that's still not much weight.
If you do use LT tires, you need to run an average of 12 PSI more air or the opposite problem occurs and you'll wear out the edges first.
If you have the correct SL rated Goodyear Duratrac tires in 265/70R17 or 265/65R17, 32 PSI is the recommended pressure, just as it says in the door. They are suppose to flex a little bit on the bottom to sit flat, and round everywhere else to open the grooves up.
Hope this helps someone so they don't have to screw with their tires as much as I have.
So, after much research I decided a few months back to install a set of 265/70r17 Goodyear Duratracs to replace the crappy Big O tires that came on my truck.
I read many threads here that mentioned the tires needing higher pressures to ride normally and not get excessive road noise. So, like most others here, I jacked my pressure up to 44psi which seemed harsh, then worked my way down to about 38psi.
Months later, I pulled into a dusty shop and noticed, the entire outside knobs on my tires were clean. Upon further inspection I noticed there were no visible signs of wear at all on the corner knobs, what the hell? So, back to the internet. I discovered They make 3 different Duratracs in the 265/70R17 size, two light-truck tires which are labelled LT265/70R17 and a standard rating tire which doesn't have the LT designation.
I then worried I bought the wrong tires, since everyone else is using the LT designated model. However, I was informed by multiple mechanics that while the T4R is technically a truck, it's not. It's a nearly impossible scenario to put enough weight in the carpeted rear of a SUV to justify having a rigid truck tire. Many people think they need truck tires because of campers and large boats, but that doesn't affect the 4runner more than a few hundred to a max of 700lbs of tongue weight. All the rest of the weight depends on your trailers tires. So, since it's not a truck with a large rugged bed that you're going to fill with engine blocks, bricks, gravel, etc, there's very few reasons you would exceed the load limits of SUV tires which carry a SL rating.
People with the LT rated Duratracs are using a tire that most of them will never need, but that costs more, and rides rougher than the proper SL rated tires for our truck. Some may need the 10,000+lb load rating, but 99% of us do not, as physically managing to put that much weight in camping/wheeling/travelling equipment in our small carpeted cargo area, and roof rack is almost impossible.
With all that being said, I decided to figure out the optimal tire pressure for the SL Duratracs, since I cannot follow the guidelines of people with hardcore truck tires. I started at 36psi and let out 1psi at a time until my tread was sitting flat in the front, touching the floor edge to edge, and in the back all but about 1cm was, which I read was fine as it will all touch with a decent sized load.
What pressure did I arrive at? 32psi front and back. Exactly what it says in the damn door sticker. Hours wasted investigating common knowledge, because of reading too much into forum advice. Not only that, but the truck rides MUCH better. The bounciness I felt at 38psi was the result of the tire flexing and bouncing between flat and rounded, now that it's always flat across with the full tread touching, there is no more mild bounciness, the truck is planted to the road. There is better steering feel, and a clear center point on the wheel where the truck just tracks straight without drifting one way or the other.
A mechanic also told me that the profile is so rounded like that so it rides flat, but then the part of the tread that isn't touching the road flexes back to round, suddenly opening the grooves and shedding accumulated snow, which is why it's a severe snow rated tire.
Your Duratracs are SUPPOSE to make mild road noise, as the side knobs make noise at highway speeds. Your Duratracs are suppose to sit flat on the road, not ride on the center treads all day or it will wear extremely unevenly, and lose snow shedding ability.
SO, here is the TL;DR:
For most people there's zero reason to buy LT tires on a 4Runner, even if you are pulling a large load and piling stuff on the roof rack, that's still not much weight.
If you do use LT tires, you need to run an average of 12 PSI more air or the opposite problem occurs and you'll wear out the edges first.
If you have the correct SL rated Goodyear Duratrac tires in 265/70R17 or 265/65R17, 32 PSI is the recommended pressure, just as it says in the door. They are suppose to flex a little bit on the bottom to sit flat, and round everywhere else to open the grooves up.
Hope this helps someone so they don't have to screw with their tires as much as I have.
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