View Full Version : Max Load For Winter Tires
I just bought some winter tires, with a max load of 2601 pounds at 32 psi. Is the load range of this tire ok for the DMAX. The heaviest load I will have in the winter is probably 1500 pounds. The dealer said they would be fine, but they look awful soft.
What size and type of tires did you get? I hope they inflated them to the proper pressure, 32 lbs. isn't right. Check the tire pressure with what it reccomends on the inside of your drivers door.
They are 265x75x16 and the sidewall says max pressure is 32psi. They are the new winter tires with the mountain & snowflake symbol
CanadaKev
11-22-2002, 20:58
Zap,
I agree with hickcox. 32 lbs psi sounds ridiculous for a truck tire. Your OEM's are load range E (10ply) @ 80 lbs psi. Load range D are also OK, (8 ply) @ 65 lbs psi. Anything less then that IMHO is dangerous.
Kev
I keep 50 lbs/psi in my front tires and 60 lbs/psi in the rears. I just purchased Michelin M/S 245x75x16 which is the standard E rated tire for my truck.
If I ran 32 lbs/psi in my front tires it would look like I'm riding on flats, and I would be afraid of popping the bead and breaking my alloy rims.
That's just my opinion.
Yikes :eek:
It's scary they make these light ply tires in a 16" as a do-it-yourselfer can get into a lot of trouble with these. 8PR (Load range D) MINIMUM, but I wouldn't go less than 10pr (E) personally.
Bridgestone Blizzak 965's need I say more?
Again these are not load range E, that
Sorry to say this, but you need to get some REAL tires. You really need an LT designation and again 8 ply minimum. I'd look for a different tire dealer as well. Sounds like you have car/sport ute tires. There is really little/nothing that compares to the Blizzak rubber compound...
IndigoDually
11-23-2002, 13:36
Are they P265's? If so then they are passenger tires. You need LT265's for Light Truck.
John
Both Cooper and Bridgestone make Load Range E "winter" tires with the RMA Severe Snow rating (The snowflake and Mountain). The Bridgestone Blizzak W965 is only available in the 245-75-16 size. The Cooper Discoverer M+S is available in both 245 and 265 sizes. I just put the Coopers on my K2500 Suburban in the 265 range and they are working very well. We have been using them at work also and they are very good winter tires, and can be studded if that is your thing. By putting the P-rated tires on your truck, you have severely limited your load capacity.
FirstDiesel
11-23-2002, 14:15
You need to get a real truck tire, not a car tire. Look at something like the Michelin LTX in the M/S or the A/T versions in load range E.
You also need to find a new tire guy because whoever sold you those tires for your truck surely doesn't know a thing about tires.
With those tires you are likely to end up on the news at 11.
Seattle Steve
11-23-2002, 14:28
ZAP- Answers to your questions:
No, do not inflate your tires beyond the rating on the sidewall. The higher pressures mentioned here were for tires rated to handle it.
Yes, add the tire ratings together, but do it PER AXLE. So you have 5210#/axle rating which means they are insufficent for these trucks.
My $0.02: You may be able to get by if you don't carry a load, but consider the results of all the SUV tire blowouts (many accidents and some deaths). Insufficient tires are more likely to fail and if you are not concerned about yourself, consider what may happen if you lose control and plow your truck into one of those cool little cars that weighs 1/3 of yours - damage will be MUCH greater than you'll sustain. These are risks I don't want to take for the few dollars saved on tires and yes, get a new tire dealer as suggested above because all this should have been explained to you prior to purchase.
Good luck.
Thank you all, I took them back and had my old tires put back on. I'm a little POed with the dealer because I'm leaving for Canada(hunting)before I can get the Blizzak or Cooper winter tires in, but I'll wait. Thanks again to all of you who replied!
hdmax(mike)
11-23-2002, 16:51
Do not take the advice of going by what is printed on the door jamb. That information is ONLY for original tires.
The tires you have are fine for hauling 1500# and by all means stick with air pressure recommendations on the side of the tire not the door jamb.
It would have been better for you to have gottin heavy duty 10 ply tires, But you will be fine as long as you stay within the tires load limits.
I run 235/85/16E Blizzaks in winter. Narrow ries slice through snow/slush better, AND yield more psi ground pressure.
FirstDiesel
11-23-2002, 17:25
Mike
I seriously disagree with your advice. The tires he bought were not truck tires. They might be fine on a car or a small SUV but they are not fine for a truck as big and heavy as our trucks are. It would be looking for trouble to use them.
Diesel Dad
11-24-2002, 07:06
After a long search, I put Cooper Discoverer A/T on my 2001 3500 in LT215/85R16 LRE 10-ply. Have driven them through snow, ice, slush and rain already this winter and they are great. Easily as good as the Blizzak W965 I had on my 2500HD.
Also towed my fifth wheel with them on the weekend. Fine on the highway. Very close in handling to my Michelin XPS Rib summer tires.
The bonus is that they are an A/T that I could run all year aroung if I had to.
hdmax(mike)
11-25-2002, 18:06
FirstDiesel;
How do you figure they are unsafe?
The load rating is just 400# less then the tires that came on my truck. Mine are 3042# at 80psi.his is 2600+ at 32psi.
I am to believe that with that differents my truck can carry 2000# more, tow 4-6 thousand pounds more and are safer to drive while empty?
I whole heartly disagree!
FirstDiesel
11-25-2002, 18:43
Those are not truck tires. 32 PSI in those tires is not enough to handle the weight and ride of a truck like this.
Tell you what. YOU put them on your truck for the winter and we'll see if we see a picture of you on the news at 11. I'm not going near tires like that and would never suggest anyone else would either. In my opinion it was improper for the dealer to sell him passenger car tires for his truck.
The load capacity isn't the complete story here. It's not a truck tire and not built to take the strain
I made the mistake of trying 6 ply tires on my old '76 Chev 3/4 ton. Talk about waddle, you could wiggle the truck sideways like nothing...
CanadaKev
11-25-2002, 20:06
JK,
IIRC, a 6 ply tire will take 50 psi.
Zap's snowy's were only 32 psi. (4ply????) Under a 7000lb TRUCK???
Now that is REAL SCARY!!!
:eek: :eek:
Kev
hdmax(mike)
11-26-2002, 18:34
"Those are not truck tires. 32 PSI in those tires is not enough to handle the weight and ride of a truck like this.
Tell you what. YOU put them on your truck for the winter and we'll see if we see a picture of you on the news at 11. I'm not going near tires like that and would never suggest anyone else would either. In my opinion it was improper for the dealer to sell him passenger car tires for his truck.
The load capacity isn't the complete story here. It's not a truck tire and not built to take the strain"
Wake up! The tires are not 4 ply and they are not car tires with a load rating of 2600#.
I have drivin well over 1,000,000 miles and most of those miles were with 6 ply tires with a load rating of 24-2600#
You make it sound like your driving a MACK truck not a pickup. (In the real world our trucks are not classified as a truck) our Truck weighs about 6800# four tires will carry (safely) 10400# So if he stays under the 1500# (as stated before) The truck will be well within the tires limits.
The tires are 265`s so they are not overly tall, So you won`t have the wobble problem.
FirstDiesel
11-26-2002, 18:48
I give up, I guess you know more than anyone else.
Seems your the only one here that would run a non-truck like ours on tires like those. That's fine.
Not for me and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone else. I've seen some of the pictures of those SUV crashes with tires that had proper load ratings but were under inflated. They aren't pretty. I'm not taking a chance on incorrect tires for my vehicles.
[ 11-26-2002: Message edited by: FirstDiesel ]</p>
50 psi in a 6pr tire still doesn't get you much, and that was on a 5,000# truck.
I rotated the tires on my 02 and ended up with 50 psi front (10 ply) and man I did NOT like that! 60 psi front is as low as I'll go. 50 in the rear isn't as bad unless loaded.
Y'know the tires on Elaine's 2wd S-10 accept 35psi by sidewall markings...
Why Take Chances!
In this sue happy world of ours, I opt for staying with the manufacturers recommended load range rating. Should you ever get into an accident casued by a blow out, etc, you would be a sitting duck in court if you were found to have tires outside the manufacturers recommendation. Remember, "a jury of your peers" not a jury of automotive and tire engineers! Of course tire size would be included in this which most of us are guilty of already. Damn GM, at least go to 265's on 16x7 rims from the factory!!!!! Just my two pennies worth....
FirstDiesel
11-26-2002, 20:21
JK
For that matter the tires on my 2200 pound sportscars take 40 psi. And are rated at a whole 1100 lbs per tires. That means I have twice the load capacity of the vehicle. that's a hellva lot better than what we are taking about with Zap's tires.
03DMAX
I totally agree. But more importantly than being found guilty of something. I'd be more concerned about not being around to even be found guilty.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.