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D vs E load rating tires as daily drive

26K views 35 replies 25 participants last post by  RubiconSS 
#1 ·
I'll be changing my tires in the very near future. I currently have the standard K02 265/70R 17, C load rating. When upgrading, I'll go with a 33 or 34 size tire.

Is there a big difference between the D & E load ratings for a daily drive?

Since my tires are currently running a C load rating, I expect a change but was wonder how much of a change if I went to the E load.
 
#2 ·
Some people say it is a horrible difference, others say they cannot tell. I have had C, D, and E rated tires on my Jeeps. The nicest riding tires I had were the D rated but not much of a difference. My preference goes to C and D rated due to tire weight. As for ride C, D, and E are fine in my opinion.
 
#3 ·
The E rated tire has a stiffer sidewall. People always whining about the stiffer ride that comes with an E rated tire. Personally I've had D and E rated tires and can't tell the difference. I buy the tire I want at the price I want and don't worry about the ratings, unless, they're going on my Tow rig or trailer.

I run Mickey Thompson MTZ in an E rating on my rig. The compound flexes so well both on & off road that could be why I don't notice a difference. Tire compound plays a huge role in flex, durability and longevity.
 
#4 ·
C are softer sidewalls and supposedly give a better ride on Jeeps or trucks/cars that are not as heavy.
My Sahara came with P-rated tires which I assume are C-rated or lower. Now I have E-Rated TOYO R/T tires and I feel very little difference in the ride. This is a Light Truck tire and the stock Bridgestone was a Light Truck/SUV tire.
 
#6 ·
D , E it all comes down to PSI

I've had E rated 275/70/18 kO2 @ a tire weight of 57lbs, and now D rated 34X10.5 KO2 @ a tire weight of 55lbs. There really isn't anything in it between the two as far as comfort on road they are both fine...just adjust the tire pressure according to taste..I ran the E rated @ 30 to 33 PSI on road and it was fine for my tastes....and now I run my D rated @ 35 PSI on road and that is fine. I would have went for the 34X10.5/17's if they were E rated,I wanted to go to 17" wheels and wheels with the proper back spacing and O offset, lighter than stock, aftermarket wheels,and slightly lighter tires,and lose the wheel spacers.....again a bit more weight lost, and less added strain on wheel bearings and ball joints etc.
 
#12 ·
A few pounds on each corner will have a very small effect on performance. Size (diameter) will have the largest affect. Tire width, tread design, tire composition, tire pressure also will affect performance , but still rolling circumference will have the largest affect on performance.


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#15 ·
True. I really want Michelin Defender LTX All Highway tires in 285s. Had them on my Toyota and a stellar performer on and off the road. But they only come in the heavier E ratings. In 255s, they come in both. Now, my second choice Firestone destinations A/T come in both weights also.
 
#14 ·
^the point though is weight will still affect it. If you can drop 10 pounds off of each tire/wheel combination, you are doing yourself a favor performance wise. So the question, with a heavier E rated tire, heavier wheels, etc. is what are you giving up vs what are you gaining? If you are doing serious rock crawling, then maybe that E rated heavy m/t tire is what you need. But, if not, then a all season/highway or A/T tire is a better choice. Or maybe some just do not care, and set it up for aesthetics/looks only...damn the gear ratio, weight, performance. I think the benefits for me, for what I am looking for, is to determine the size of tire I want, for the gears I want/have, and go with the lightest weight tires/wheel combination that will meet the needs for the environment I drive in. If that lighter weight tire though is going to not be able to take the abuse one is throwing at it then maybe a E tire is rated.
 
#16 ·
I have run P, C, D and E rated tires on jeep wranglers. My favs so far are Toyo R/T's in E rated.
 
#19 ·
It all adds up....

Added weight,rolling diameter,and tread-tire width all add up and make a difference in how your suspension responds and how your steering feels,fuel economy,and ultimately how the vehicle handles. Unsprung weight,which is what we are talking about has an effect of 4 to 1, or, 1 pound of unsprung weight is equivalent in effect to 4lbs of sprung weight. And this is not mouse nuts when combined with the above mentioned rolling diameter and greater width of the tires....it adds up,and is felt in handling, acceleration,and fuel economy...and an overall more sluggish feel to the vehicle,than with lighter narrower and smaller diameter tires,and lighter wheels.
 
#20 ·
Document your 4:1 source, please. Your axles are unsprung weight, so adding a locker and truss should make a noticable difference in steering, fuel economy, etc. Except, they don't.

Again, all else equal, a few pounds difference in tire weight is barely a mouse nut.

Mark

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#23 ·
I am contrary to the vast majority here... Every time I get on E's I immediately notice that they are a much firmer ride than C's... Even going to C's on my daughters JK from P's was a big difference.

I'm on E's now and will likely go back to C's when I can. Then I will just have to hope they can handle the nasty ass rocks I was in all day yesterday...
 
#24 ·
It depends a little on the tire itself. I find DuraTracs E to be softer and nicer riding than other Es. We find Toyo and Nitto Es to be too harsh for us. You can mitigate this a little by running low PSI. I found the Nitto MTs in D to be okay but still not as nice as my MTR Cs. I run the MTRs at 28 ideally. D/E tires are also too heavy for me since I feel Wranglers are a bit under-powered. So I stick with Cs, which also conform better at 10-12 PSI offroad. If I had seriously sharp rocks on my trails, I'd consider Ds.

That said, my JKU is purposely kept light. I don't use heavy armor or heavy bumpers etc. The only heavy things are prob the rock rails. If I had another 500+ lbs of armor hanging off, Ds may be feel better. I doubt Es would ever feel good but my Jeep would never add 500-700 lbs of stuff so I'll never try to find out.
 
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#26 ·
Yes, the tire itself is a big factor. You mentioned Duratrac's... I was at Discount and I had the guy pull out the 285 Duratrac he had in stock to compare to my daughters Nitto RG. The Duratrac in D had a MUCH softer and more plyable sidewall than the Nitto in a C. It was quite a difference... But I also think that contributes to the occasional puncture we see in Duratracs on the trail. I'm going to try to make the same comparison to KO2's when I get a chance.
 
#27 ·
All this talk about sidewall punctures in sharp rocks....a very viable concern for many.

Perhaps the reason that I went with Goodrich KM2's....three plies in the sidewalls vs the normal two.

We could all split hairs all day about tires. Still though.....three sidewall plies vs two sidewall plies. I'm sure this will rouse vigorous debate....
 
#28 ·
Thinner sidewalls can puncture easier on really jagged trails. No debate there. However, most do not run into really jagged trails. I have run my P rated DTs on rocky trails with no issues. Matter of luck I guess, unless you are often on trails with sharp jagged rocks. I liked the OEM KMs but the MTRs are grippier. I do run DuraTracs on my 4Runner....no issues and they are grippy tires. Moving to the KO2s here in a couple of weeks though.
 
#30 ·
Yeah, the MTRs start out stiff with their Kevlar-reinforced sidewalls. Rock Krawler guys told me to air them down to 10 PSI and go play in the rocks a few times. I did, and they felt good after that...similar on both sets. I tried the D-rated Nitto Trail Grapplers..had halfway-worn MTR Kevlars right before and new MTR Kevlars right after. I used the Nittos for a few hundred miles. The MTRs rode better since they were lighter, I guess..could definitely feel the weight difference. The Nittos were also louder but kind of a higher-pitched sound that bugged me after 50-60 mph. Some like the Nittos and Toyos here too. I'm really curious bout the KM3s, but BFG is really being incompetent and slow with that ones release.
 
#31 ·
I have E's on my wife's jeep and it's very noticeable when inflated per the door sticker. After doing the chalk test and landing between 26/27 PSI it rides like factory P rated tires.
 
#32 ·
I prefer C rated. D and E rated tires should be run at a higher pressure for better performance. Unless you're towing heavy loads, C is perfect for a small truck/SUV that doesn't tow much. D is good if you're using your Jeep to tow light trailers. E is a bit much.
 
#33 ·
A Thing to watch with Higher Load range tires is - a Concave contact patch.

Because the sidewalls are stiff..... "IF" you air down while driving to achieve ride comfort, you can end up with the center of the contact patch being concave rather than flat side to side.
Something to pay attention to.
 
#35 ·
I consider this to be a trivial problem. Due to cornering forces and the oval shape of a standard contact patch, a concave one would "break in" to equilibrium much quicker than a convex contact patch.
 
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