Load range C vs D vs E

[Gorilla57]

Load range has NOTHING to do with how puncture resistant a tire is. The TSL stickies on my buggy are load range D and have a 4ply sidewall, making the bead 1" thick. Probably one of the strongest, most puncture resistant off-road tires out there. Some of the factory load range C tires are only a 2ply sidewall, making them easy to puncture. There's load range E tires that also only have a 2ply sidewall, making them just as easy to puncture.

Sponsored

 

[Ratbert]

do you mean the feeling when you're driving?

i'm not surprised, because the KM3s i'm running now feel nowhere near as nice the the Mickey M/Ts i was running before. Mickey seems to have a ride i prefer.

Yes, the feeling while driving with my new Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/Ts when compared to my old KO2s. The BBATs turn noticeably easier at low speed. Very much "in your face" easier.

It doesn't make sense since they're heavier and are the rubber feels much softer to the touch.

Note that the KO2s drove slightly better on road, but that's fine with me when the BBATs seem to be better in every other characteristic. They also look vastly better / more aggressive than the KO2s, but that's a highly subjective characterization.

 

[Ratbert]

They are a pure marketing tire.

Ahhh, what they really meant by MT .

 

[Ratbert]

E rated, E rated or E rated... There is a reason you don't buy C rated factory take offs tires from BFG or Goodyear if you wheel. Plugging and changing tires is the most common trail repair when doing group runs with factory vehicles. The worst 33-35" tire you can buy for wheeling is the Goodyear Wrangler MT! Fantastic traction, great road manners! Offroad they throw rocks, hold rocks and make holes in themselves from holding rocks. Constant flat tires....

I buy the cheapest E rated, true to size and decent tread pattern tire for wheeling. Run them 2-3 years and get something else. For the road vehicles they get expensive E rated nice riding ATs that last 60-80K miles.

Ok, so you don't care that you're running tires explicitly designed for HD trucks to carry massive loads. That is, you don't care how jarring the ride is on you, your passengers, and your Jeep. You don't care that they don't air down worth a damn. And what's really important is that they eject rocks quickly and that they're so damn hard (they lack the traction that a softer compound could provide) that they last an extremely long time.

That's definitely one way to choose tires, but not one that I would follow. Everyone has different priorities.

 

[c20040215]

Load range has NOTHING to do with how puncture resistant a tire is. The TSL stickies on my buggy are load range D and have a 4ply sidewall, making the bead 1" thick. Probably one of the strongest, most puncture resistant off-road tires out there. Some of the factory load range C tires are only a 2ply sidewall, making them easy to puncture. There's load range E tires that also only have a 2ply sidewall, making them just as easy to puncture.

Thank you!

 

[Snacktime]

Ok, so you don't care that you're running tires explicitly designed for HD trucks to carry massive loads. That is, you don't care how jarring the ride is on you, your passengers, and your Jeep. You don't care that they don't air down worth a damn. And what's really important is that they eject rocks quickly and that they're so damn hard (they lack the traction that a softer compound could provide) that they last an extremely long time.

That's definitely one way to choose tires, but not one that I would follow. Everyone has different priorities.

I will take the E rated tires, not sure why anyone would ever ever ever recommend C rated BFGs. The actual tire wall stiffness is such a small part now with the massive side biters you get. Going on 25+ years of buying E rated M/T and A/T for wheeling. Secret to wheeling is tire pressure and running the correct wheels.

This is driving me nuts. I’m going back and forth between 35’s or 37’s. If I do 37’s I’ll be going with the BFG KO2 AT’s because they run on the smaller side. Their load range is a C making the tire roughly 63 lbs and more suitable for the weight of my JLU.

However….I keep looking for 35’s with a load C or D rating and it seems next to impossible. If I do go with 35’s it seems like all the tires are E rated and weigh around 70lbs.

I think (please feel free to educate me) a C rated tire will ride a bit smoother and deform better aired down with the weight of my Jeep. I want this. I currently have 315 falkin wildpeaks atw3 and they are E rated. If I air down to 20psi you can barely tell…I have to be closer to 15 to get deformation.

Also would really like some RT tires if I go 35. And my very short list is the radar renegades but again these are an E rated tire.

So I guess kind of a rant and question…what 35’s are good off-road and are C/D rated?

Am I putting too much stock in load rating?

Thanks!

The history lesson on tires, Kevlar MTR came out and was an instant love/hate item. You had to buy the E rated tire to get the strength (see link). Lot of debate since certain sizes where good tires since they had the extra belting other crap. This is also the same time the Procomp (Pro crap tire) came out with some budget tires that had similar issues. What evolved was you wanted the 17" wheels size tires since those where the higher load rating and more plys. These better tires lasted longer, had less sidewall issues and great road qualities at a time when Bias Ply was the dominate tire when you went past 35s. Goodyear sold these 37s and 40s at competitive prices compared to expensive bias plys.

Reference
https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/131-0907-goodyear-wrangler-mtr-tires

The truth is you shouldn't be scared of a E rated tire, they air down and work. Not like your jeep weighs less than a 90s 3/4 ton truck.

 

[James Westfall]

The truth is you shouldn't be scared of a E rated tire, they air down and work. Not like your jeep weighs less than a 90s 3/4 ton truck.

No the truth is that this is old information. It's not 2015...there are much better off-road tires that are also lightweight and compliant. They will handily outperform overweight E-rated tires on and off-road.

 

[gato]

Offroad they throw rocks, hold rocks and make holes in themselves from holding rocks.

You do know that picking and holding on to rocks (or snow) is a sign of good traction, right? That means the rubber compound is conforming to and grabbing onto the terrain.

Even the performance summer tires on my BMW M2 which have no sipes or groves pick up a ton of rocks/pebbles, because they have tremendous traction.

 

[Ratbert]

You do know that picking and holding on to rocks (or snow) is a sign of good traction, right? That means the rubber compound is conforming to and grabbing onto the terrain.

It depends. That's the opposite of what you want to happen in mud, where the goal is to eject everything ASAP.

Yeah, I hate wheeling in mud, but I'm in the PNW now...

 

[gato]

I wheel but I only buy C or D rated tires. Never had any tire related issues. I guess I have been extremely lucky. I guess if you really want strong sidewall, F load should be the one to get, why stop at E?

And currently (at least for another few more months) the 37x12.5R17 KO3 are only available in load range F. And believe it or not they are about the same weight as this Wildpeak 35.

Some youtuber - Ben Hardy put those Load F KO3 on his 392. He hasn't said anything bad about them, but he is not very data driven, he is more into just fluff info.

 

[Aonarch]

And currently (at least for another few more months) the 37x12.5R17 KO3 are only available in load range F. And believe it or not they are about the same weight as this Wildpeak 35.

Some youtuber - Ben Hardy put those Load F KO3 on his 392. He hasn't said anything bad about them, but he is not very data driven, he is more into just fluff info.

I can't remember if it was here or some where else, but a guy bought those and HATED THEM. Horrific ride, which is to be expected with load range F.

 

[_olllllllo_]

I just had 37x12.50R17 C rated KO2s installed to replace my E rated 315/70R17 KO2s that I got 77,000 miles on them. I was waffling between KO2s C and D ratings and the new KO3s F rating. There are less than 300 37x12.50R17 D rated KO2s in the country. The F rated KO3s and the C rated KO2s both have 3 ply sidewalls. Based on that I went with the C rated 37x12.50R17 KO2s. They are certainly smoother riding than the E rated 35s I just had taken off. My reasoning for going with the KO2s with C rating was that the C rated KO3 becomes available in May 2026 in case there are any issues.

 

[Sportacus]

KO2s are nice but ive seen a few (including my own) pop a sidewall while mildly offroading.

ive been abusing Patagonias for six years now. Theyre a mt/at hybrid. They are pretty light at around 73lbs. Ive yet to pop one. Theyre load D

 

[Ratbert]

I can't remember if it was here or some where else, but a guy bought those and HATED THEM. Horrific ride, which is to be expected with load range F.

Yep, it was here. He told the shop what he wanted without realizing that the KO3s in that size were only available in an F. And, as expected, they rode like they were designed for a Heavy Duty truck carrying massive loads.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...-not-appropriate-for-a-lightweight-jl.154612/

 

[Snacktime]

KO2s are nice but ive seen a few (including my own) pop a sidewall while mildly offroading.

ive been abusing Patagonias for six years now. Theyre a mt/at hybrid. They are pretty light at around 73lbs. Ive yet to pop one. Theyre load D

I have been looking at Patagucci Mt2 for a while, they seem to be one of the best snow wheeling tires you can get. I feel like they are paddle steamers in the snow, the side bites and the center floats! I keep circling around to their XT but can't find a reviewer I trust.

Sponsored