Best size tire for 2021 lt trail boss

[The Raven]

I checked falkins, toyos, bfgs, and goodyears in 285/70r18 and 295/70r18 and they are all between 65 and 72lbs Toyo MTs were the heaviest but their RTs and ATs were only a pound or two less.

Yes, in E-range. But E-range tires are a waste for a 1/2-ton pickup. C-range is more than sufficient for anything you can do on a 1/2-ton. If you sleep better at night with unnecessarily heavy tires, go with D-range.

 

[mrcolieman]

But you can't make use of that 4080lb rating since you're limited to 3800lbs per axle. The vast majority of C-rated tires are already rated for well beyond what the axle can hold. Second, yes most E-range tires are frikin heavy...but even the C-range Wildpeak is over 60lbs as I noted. Third, load rating and sidewall strength are not related. Many of the newer C-rated tires have much tougher sidewalls than D or E-rated tires.

If you managed to maintain MPGs with larger, E-rated tires that'd be pretty amazing, because Wildpeaks cost me 2mpg when I tried them on a 1/2-ton. A lot of Jeep guys run them and it's not unheard to see a loss of 4-5mpg on a Wrangler (much lighter vehicle). I imagine if you are comparing MPGs while towing with the stockers and now while towing with the Wildpeaks, I could believe you wouldn't see much of a difference because you were already dealing with terrible fuel efficiency.

I meant you no offense Raven, hope my comment wasn't taken as such and I'm not trying to start an argument over the interwebs... I am just speaking from my humble experience and what has worked for me over the years... I don't tow with my truck and as it currently sits I can get 20MPG on the highway at 65 MPH(same as the Goodyears), although with a heavy foot it drops down quickly. 16ish MPG around town. I like E rated tires not for the max load capacity but the way they perform when I air them down to 15-20PSI for off road use. They, in my experience, maintain a better feel for what I like to do. Maybe I'm showing my age... lol, and granted tire construction has significantly improved over the years so please forgive my old school E rated equals 10 ply strength mentality. Happy 4th!

 

[The Raven]

I meant you no offense Raven, hope my comment wasn't taken as such and I'm not trying to start an argument over the interwebs... I am just speaking from my humble experience and what has worked for me over the years... I don't tow with my truck and as it currently sits I can get 20MPG on the highway at 65 MPH(same as the Goodyears), although with a heavy foot it drops down quickly. 16ish MPG around town. I like E rated tires not for the max load capacity but the way they perform when I air them down to 15-20PSI for off road use. They, in my experience, maintain a better feel for what I like to do. Maybe I'm showing my age... lol, and granted tire construction has significantly improved over the years so please forgive my old school E rated equals 10 ply strength mentality. Happy 4th!

No prob, same for me...its difficult sometimes to get a point across without looking like a d1ck, I have that problem often. My point is simply that E-range tires are so extremely overkill for a 1/2-ton truck, that every attempt should be made to avoid them. Even if it requires going to a different size. It's one of the reasons I went with 17's - there are so many more choices and you aren't stuck with D and E-range. There is a lot of the "heavier tire equals tougher sidewall" mentality around, and that's a big reason why I speak up. It's one of the biggest lessons i've pulled from being a Jeep owner - you don't need a heavy tire to have a tough sidewall, and having a heavy tire does not guarantee you a tough sidewall - E-range Duratracs have some of the weakest sidewalls in the off-road tire class for instance.

16mpg around town sounds right for a TB with heavy tires, as you should have been in the 18-19 range in stock form...at least I was. With C-range 35's, 200lbs of steel add-ons and a winch, and all aero deleted, i'm averaging 17mpg in mixed driving and seeing 19-20 highway. All of that loss came from the extra weight and aero delete...the 35's didn't change my fuel mileage at all.

 

[Amateurhour]

I wish there were more C-range tires available. Often a manufacturer only offers one load rating in a given size and often that’s an E in the truck sizes. Like you say we don’t need a 4k+ rating each if our max payload is only 2600lbs.

A lot of times we have the options of tire tread, size, and rating but we can usually only get two of the three.

 

[The Raven]

I wish there were more C-range tires available. Often a manufacturer only offers one load rating in a given size and often that’s an E in the truck sizes. Like you say we don’t need a 4k+ rating each if our max payload is only 2600lbs.

A lot of times we have the options of tire tread, size, and rating but we can usually only get two of the three.

It's getting better - the first time I bought an "off-road AT", E was literally the only thing available. Keep in mind, the market for 33"+ tires is still primarily commercial 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. But now pretty much all the new models are releasing with C-range options, and newer tech is allowing for lighter tires even within the existing rating criteria - for example, my Territory MT 35's are 50lbs. That's lighter than pretty much any previous generation 33. Nitto's new Recon Grappler and BFG's KO3 both offer a lightweight 33 and 35s are coming...the KO3 even has a lightweight E-range option. Toyo's new Open Country R/T Trail is another tire that should have more lightweight options soon. There's demand for this now so there will be options.