275/60r20 Load D vs 275/70r18 Load E

Bbuster · May 3

My 2023 1500 LTZ has the factory 275/60r20 P rated tires. Im conflicted between staying with the same size for my next tire or going to 275/70r18. I would be getting BFG KO2 or KO3 in either size as I want to go to a more aggressive AT tire. They are nearly the same tire size but the big difference being the wheel size. My big question is would the 18s in load range E ride better than the 20s in load range D?

The Raven · May 3

DO NOT BUY E-RANGE TIRES!!!

Load range E is designed for 3/4 and 1-ton trucks that tow regularly. They are not for 1/2-tons. If you tow a lot, go ahead and go D if you want, but C is more than sufficient.

All you get from E-range tires on a half-ton truck is a rough ride and loss of fuel mileage.

Bbuster · May 4

So even with the added sidewall of the 18” E tire it would still be a rougher ride than the 20” D tire when both inflated around 40lbs?

03blackz71 · May 5

With you looking at the BFG KO tires, I would say both will ride about the same. I had the 275/60/20 D on our Yukon and had 275/65/18 E on my other Silverado. They both rode the same but air pressure is the factor. I put around 40 psi in both. I would also compare the weight to help your MPG.

Now with my current Trailboss I went fron the Goodyear Duratrac lt275/65/18 C rated tires to 35x12.5x18 BFG KO2 E rated tires and say the BFG's ride much better and quieter.

CamGTP · May 5

Toyo Open Countys have the offroad look in a P rated tire.

AJMBLAZER · May 7

You'll be fine. A bit more sidewall with the higher load range.

I still wonder if people saying the E range tires will ride terrible are running them at 80psi or something? I have mine at 35psi and even with the Bilsteins the truck rides firm but not hard. It's not like 12" lift leaf springs or anything.

Vincej138 · May 7

47 minutes ago, AJMBLAZER said:

You'll be fine. A bit more sidewall with the higher load range.

I still wonder if people saying the E range tires will ride terrible are running them at 80psi or something? I have mine at 35psi and even with the Bilsteins the truck rides firm but not hard. It's not like 12" lift leaf springs or anything.

This ^^^^

Im 35-38 psi on my E's and its fine. And its nice to be able to drop lower if getting into some snow or sand or get em up if towing. Ill take E's and sidewall over any other setup every time. 35x17's for the win though! Ha

The Raven · May 8

8 hours ago, Vincej138 said:

This ^^^^

Im 35-38 psi on my E's and its fine. And its nice to be able to drop lower if getting into some snow or sand or get em up if towing. Ill take E's and sidewall over any other setup every time. 35x17's for the win though! Ha

What E-range tires are you running at 35 psi? Unless theres something new out there that i'm unaware of that can be run at that low pressure, you are going to be looking at severely torn up tires by the 20k mark.

Barring some new tire that I don't know about, pretty much all E-range tires are designed to be run at 40-45psi. That's part of what makes the ride harsh, but most of it is the heavyweight sidewall and lack of vehicle weight (E's are designed for trucks that weight 7-9k lbs). And what constitutes a "harsh ride" is highly subjective. There are lots of guys here using Bilstein 5100s on their 1/2-tons and saying "oh they're fine".

AJMBLAZER · May 8

Cooper A/T3’s. Wearing great with over 40,000 on them.

Like to see proof that they have to be run at such high pressure. Please elaborate.

Vincej138 · May 8

Nitto Terra Grappler G2's currently, 4K on em an perfect wear. Never seen over 40psi since tire rack dropped em of at 80psi (insane).

Dam near every truck that left the shop I worked at that came in for lift/wheels/tires left the door 35-40psi on E's unless they were towing, and then, we usually did on board air.

E's can and always have been able to run in the 30's. Every set of Nitto's or Toyo's I've ever had have been 35-40 and gotten 40K+ out of them w/o any issues.. they actually held up better. E's don't have to be run at high pressure, they CAN be for towing. Their sidewall's just help. Half the crawlers and desert guys running 35s+ are on E's and aired down even lower. Yes in the 20's your likely gonna get some sidewall deflection and issues driving them on road, but 35-40 is smooth sailing and good ride

The Raven · May 8

17 hours ago, AJMBLAZER said:

Cooper A/T3’s. Wearing great with over 40,000 on them.

Like to see proof that they have to be run at such high pressure. Please elaborate.

The proof is in the resulting condition of the tire, and I find it extremely hard to believe that you have run those low pressures for 40k miles and the tires are "wearing great". I've never been able to run a Load-E tire below 42psi without getting excessive edge wear. 42psi isn't "high pressure" for a load-E tire that maxes out at 80psi. 42psi is low.

Yet another example of the long list of things that i've only ever heard about on the internet. I've never heard anyone in person make a claim like you have.

AJMBLAZER · May 8

Sure bud. So more accusations and claims without proof. Got it.

Current pressures on warm tires.

If you look closely you can see the tire is a bit over inflated and the full tread width isn’t hitting the ground.

Want me to go dig out my sales receipt from spring 2022?

Boy, you’d have a conniption about the Load Range G Michelin XL 11.00R16’s I ran on my ‘86 K30 15 years ago. Only had those at about 25 pounds.

Vincej138 · May 8

1 hour ago, The Raven said:

The proof is in the resulting condition of the tire, and I find it extremely hard to believe that you have run those low pressures for 40k miles and the tires are "wearing great". I've never been able to run a Load-E tire below 42psi without getting excessive edge wear. 42psi isn't "high pressure" for a load-E tire that maxes out at 80psi. 42psi is low.

Yet another example of the long list of things that i've only ever heard about on the internet. I've never heard anyone in person make a claim like you have.

Literally call any aftermarket lift or off-road shop on the west coast and ask them what PSI they send trucks out the door at with 35's or above on 17 or 18" rim. Your gonna get constant 35-40psi answers. We would reprogram countless F250s for the tire light to not come on until 32/33 PSI so they could run 38ish when not towing.

I usually go to discount after a trip up north to have them reset them at 37psi and they never question it. its Maybe its an east coast thing, but out west its super common.

Edited May 8 by Vincej138

The Raven · May 9

3 hours ago, Vincej138 said:

Literally call any aftermarket lift or off-road shop on the west coast and ask them what PSI they send trucks out the door at with 35's or above on 17 or 18" rim. Your gonna get constant 35-40psi answers. We would reprogram countless F250s for the tire light to not come on until 32/33 PSI so they could run 38ish when not towing.

I usually go to discount after a trip up north to have them reset them at 37psi and they never question it. its Maybe its an east coast thing, but out west its super common.

Every shop I ever left with load-E tires had them at 45-50psi.

The Raven · May 9

16 hours ago, AJMBLAZER said:

Sure bud. So more accusations and claims without proof. Got it.

Current pressures on warm tires.

If you look closely you can see the tire is a bit over inflated and the full tread width isn’t hitting the ground.

Want me to go dig out my sales receipt from spring 2022?

Boy, you’d have a conniption about the Load Range G Michelin XL 11.00R16’s I ran on my ‘86 K30 15 years ago. Only had those at about 25 pounds.

I never asked you for "proof" for something that's not provable on the internet. Your pictures are pointless, I have no way of knowing that those pics of tires that certainly don't look like 40k mile tires are even yours. So you're doing the very thing you accuse me of - accusations and claims without proof.

Oh and I guess you failed to notice the scalloping on your inner tread?

That entire tread is indeed making contact, and the inside in particular is getting hammered. You need more pressure and probably new shocks...but again, that's assuming those are even your tires.

We can drop this argument, "bud", cause although I know you'll come back with more posturing and tough talk, neither of us can make any objective progress in this debate. To everyone else in this thread we're just two guys on the internet who might or might not know what we're talking about.