SL Rated (P tires) vs. LT Load C

[ChrisNLA]

Good morning Jeeple,

When I bought my Gladiator, I grabbed a second hand set of Rubicon wheels and tires for it (Falken AT3/W in LT285/70R17, Load C). Between the previous owner of the set and myself not managing the tires perfectly, the shoulders have gotten a bit choppy and so at 32K miles they have gotten relatively noisy and rougher as a result. Compound this with how deplorable the road conditions are around here (no gravel, just a lot of OLD asphalt), and it makes for and overall unpleasant ride at times. Full disclosure, these tires are now 6 years old according to the date codes - so age may be a factor in roughness, too.

I am going to grab a new set of tires for the truck (285/70), and I am debating stepping down to non LT (SL, or Standard Load tires), to help soften up the ride. Tires of this selection that I am considering include:

Falken AT4/W, Terra Grappler G3, Vredstein Pinza AT (each have excellent reviews on Tire Rack). Maybe some others - but this isn't exactly a tire model debate (yet).

Will I see a noticeable difference in ride quality going from LT Load C to SL? I have seen numerous accounts on going from Load E to SL and it seems to be almost dramatic, but not as much information Load C to SL (and they are very close in load rating to each other).

I have seen that there is a dramatic difference in the weight of my existing tires to the weight of the tires I an considering (tires only, no wheel). My current AT3/W's weight 63 pounds each - in comparison the G3's are 48 lbs and the Pinza AT is about 45 lbs. Obviously this must equate to less rubber, less reinforcement, potentially softer ride.

Many folks point out durability of tires (sidewall, tread) and note that SL's aren't as good for wheeling. Well - I don't wheel. This truck has seen one gravel road in two years. I do pull my small utility trailer frequently (2,000 lbs or less with cargo), and I will be moving my tractor around 2-3 times a year (5,500 lbs combined with trailer) within a 45 minute radius. Half ton trucks are routinely equipped with non LT tires from the factory, so I am hardly worried about the reliability for my uses.

So, thoughts on the SL vs LT Load C ride quality?

If tires don't get me back to where I want, I'll probably swap my Bilstein 5100's back out for something more OEM. I'm 9 years into owning solid axle Jeeps so less than perfect ride quality isn't new to me - but I do have a limit on what is gonna be good for a daily, lol.

Sponsored

 

[Thunderspud]

You may get dozens of answers on here....all subjective, and all valid in their own ways. My take, after running tires with various load ratings on vehicles of all types is that the ride quality debate between load ratings is a bit overblown. Sure, the laws of physics are gonna make tires with stiffer sidewalls and higher PSI ride differently than what came on the truck from the factory. But it's not like you are gonna start rattling teeth or breaking ball joints because of them.

On my current Gladiator, one of the only viable options for the skinny tires I wanted.... in the size I wanted, were MT Baja Boss LT255/85r17's in Load Range E. My decision was essentially made for me. The perceived ride quality between these tires and the 33" Falken MT's Load Range C tires that were on there previously is indiscernible to me.

Just saying that, in my humble opinion, there are plenty of other things that affect ride quality if that's your only concern.

 

[JTdiRtyD]

The Falkens ride on the rough side even from new, add in age and they'll be worse. They are also on the heavier side when compared to same size of other makes. On top of that, the Bilstein 5100s are also contributing. I can't compare to the OEM sport shocks, but the 5100s are a little stiffer than the OEM Rubi Fox shocks.

As long as your load ratings are sufficient you can run an SL, but honestly, I don't think you'll see enough of a difference to warrant stressing over it.

 

[D_JT]

Seeing how its a truck, I personally would never run a passenger car tire on it. Load C are already soft. Just lower the tire pressure a little. I run 33-35 psi in the stock rubicon tires on my JT. Very comfy. My JL has load D 35"s and they ride just as nice as the stock 33"s. I plan on putting a set of load D 35"s on my JT as well.

 

[Sigz]

I ran Falken At3w's (SL 285/70/17) here in WI with zero issues. They did great, even with one tire that needed a patch from a nail I picked up.

I now run Toyo 35s and currently have no issues or complaints.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Seeing how its a truck, I personally would never run a passenger car tire on it. Load C are already soft. Just lower the tire pressure a little. I run 33-35 psi in the stock rubicon tires on my JT. Very comfy. My JL has load D 35"s and they ride just as nice as the stock 33"s. I plan on putting a set of load D 35"s on my JT as well.

I keep these in the 33-35 PSI area and I would not describe it as comfortable

Maybe I am just getting old and Jeeps are annoying me

Sponsored