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Real World- Moving from SL to E load tires

Discussion in 'Wheels & Tires' started by frichco228, Jul 2, 2020.

  1. Jul 2, 2020 at 6:53 AM
    #1
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    I wanted to help others considering the switch to E load tires on a Tundra.

    Background- I have owned plenty of 4WD vehicles and in every instance lifted or at least installed "upgrade" tires in a larger size. These vehicles were Jeeps, Rams, Trooper, 4Runner. In every instance I had lots of choices in XL, C, E load tires and I always chose C load tires for the extra strength, good road manners. I think a C load tire would be perfect for a Tundra.

    Unfortunately, moving up a tire size or two on our Tundras usually requires moving from the stock standard load tires to much heavier E load tires. E load tires are really meant for heavy duty applications. Installing them on lighter duty vehicles reveal some considerations.

    I wanted to install a larger tire on my stock 2016 SR5, TRD Off Road Tundra. 275/70-18 fit without issue on a stock truck, so I started my research on which to purchase. I am not going to discuss the pros/cons of the different tires out there- for my needs I needed something with stock like road manners, great wet and snow traction and more aggressive AT looks. I chose Cooper AT3 XLT.

    Upon switching out the stock tires I noticed some vibration between 50-65 MPH and at interstate speeds the truck felt a little jittery and almost seemed to have some bump steer. A week or so later I had a day off and had the front tires re-balanced. They were in fact- not balanced. Perhaps my installer rushed the original installation.

    Vibration gone, still felt less stable at speed than the stock tires. Had front end alignment completed- was indeed off and feel and tracking improved.

    So now that the truck was right I could really observe differences in how the truck performed and felt. Installed had pressure set low- a pound or two above stock pressure. I increased to 37 front and 40 rear and the truck felt better, especially in turns.

    The stock tires were very smooth, little to no vibration ever. In turns, they would roll a bit and feel soft. E load tires are of course firmer. They feel much better in turns and have felt better overall when towing. The Cooper XLTs are very close if not as quiet as the stock Michelins. Unloaded- They are very smooth, on smooth pavement. E load tires however do transmit more road feel and potential vibration over broken pavement, holes, etc. They are also heavier which means potentially taking a hit on performance and MPG.

    I have not really noticed much difference in power. The truck still moves out well. MPG has decreased 1.5-2 MPG mixed driving. I have not yet driven on a highway trip so unsure of how high speed MPG will look.

    Visually- 275/70 is what a Tundra should have come with stock. Installed it is actually much larger than the stock tires visually....looks really good. I do understand why the factory stuck with SL load 32 inchers.....smoother feel, slightly better MPG and fit most folks needs.

    In summary- I do like the E load tires, but would have chosen C load if any were available in the AT designs I wanted. E load tires are just part of the deal if you want a more aggressive look or larger tire on a Tundra. They look outstanding, fit a stock truck just fine. There are considerations- you will see a dip in MPG. They do not perform quite as well at highway speeds vs stock size and load. They do perform better in towing applications. They perform similar to stock at 50MPH and below...I can really tell no difference. At typical interstate speeds- 65-70, there is more road feel. They are still smooth and quiet, but you can feel road imperfections. At high speed- 80 MPH, they also feel similar to stock.

    So hopefully this post will help others considering an increase in tire size and load. There are in fact some minor trade offs. I plan to play with air pressure some and do a chalk test when I am able and will see how that may impact the driving feel.
    tundra tire 2.jpg
    tundra tire.jpg
     
  2. Jul 3, 2020 at 11:45 AM
    #2
    Redcon41318

    Redcon41318 New Member

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    I had this false bravado when I bought my new Tundra, I switched to E rated tires. After couple of months; I did not like the extra weight/ rotating mass, acceleration felt negatively affected, steering was a little slow.

    I Also factored in E rated tires really did not add capacity to a 1/2 ton truck and the above reasons i switched
    Back to SL tires.

    i guess coming from owning a 2500 yukon big block and driving commercial trucks I thought i was making my Tundra tough by getting E rated tires. Ultimately it was a no-go for me.

    i suppose if you did alot of recreational towing C or D rated tires would be better.
     
    Hbjeff likes this.
  3. Jul 4, 2020 at 4:47 PM
    #3
    LJOHNS

    LJOHNS New Member

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    I had those same Coopers and same size on my last Tundra. I agree that the ride is stiffer and you feel more of the road imperfections. I had a balance issue also. At the first tire rotation there was a terrible vibration. I took it back to my tire shop. They ended up replacing 3 of the 4 tires because they could not get them to balance. Even tried to road force balance them. Loved the look but not the ride. Not sure if I am going to upgrade in size on my new Tundra...
     
  4. Jul 4, 2020 at 7:17 PM
    #4
    Redcon41318

    Redcon41318 New Member

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    I had same coopers, i ended up trading them from goodyears.
     
  5. Jul 4, 2020 at 7:47 PM
    #5
    Rngr188

    Rngr188 Ranked the best new member of all time

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    I went with E load because around here you need them on our gravel roads. On my 17 I got a flat on my factories at around 18k on gravel and switched to 275/70 Ridge Grapplers and with 30k on those I traded the truck. My new truck got Trail Grapplers in the same size at 6k miles BUT the TG is quite a bit heavier so I lost about 3-4 mpg. We put stock size Toyo AT3 and Method NV wheels on our 20 4runner TRD Off Road Premium in E load and love them, notice no difference in ride and lost .5-1 mpg on those. At 5k miles on them they haven't come near to the wear bar so I expect they'll go 50k on the 4runner.
     
  6. Jul 5, 2020 at 8:12 AM
    #6
    LJOHNS

    LJOHNS New Member

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    Can anyone recommend a C rated tire in 275/70/18? I would like to find a middle ground between stock and E...
     
  7. Jul 5, 2020 at 9:51 AM
    #7
    Hbjeff

    Hbjeff New Member

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    I don’t think such a thing exists. That size is mostly used on 3/4 ton trucks from factory.

    i run oe size tires in E rating, im beginning to think e rating could be overkill the more I research. They do handle corners well though
     
  8. Jul 7, 2020 at 7:16 AM
    #8
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    That is the problem with tire sized our Tundras use. Stock size you have some options in SL, C, XL and E but in larger than stock size you are pretty much stuck with E load.
     
  9. Jul 7, 2020 at 7:16 AM
    #9
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    Update- front end alignment and the correct balance on the fronts greatly improve ride and handling.
     
  10. Jul 7, 2020 at 7:25 AM
    #10
    ezdog

    ezdog New Member

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    I went from OEM style tires on my 07 DC to Bridgestone Revo E range when I needed new rubber on that one just because they had them in the size I was looking at near stock and they were stiffer riding and noisier without a doubt which bugged me some at first but I quickly forgot about this while using the truck.

    I have had and LOVED the Revo on my 01 Tundra for a few sets worth so it was a no brainer to try them on the 07 too and I have no regerts overall,the positives far outweighed the negatives for me.
     
  11. Jul 8, 2020 at 3:52 AM
    #11
    StoneyWV

    StoneyWV New Member

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    I"m in the middle of the turmoil now. I replaced the stock 20 inch wheels on my TRD Sport with 18" aftermarket wheels and E Rated Falken Rubitrek tires in 275/70/18 and they have been balanced four times and still wheel shake at 60-70mph. I spent last night putting the stock wheels back on the front to confirm the truck alignment is good. Then I moved the aftermarkets wheels one at a time to the front to determine which ones are bad. I have found two wheel/tire combinations that are good and two that are bad.

    This is super frustrating that shops can't find this on the road force machines. The tires balance out perfect but are darn sure making the truck wheel shake. If my truck had comes stock with 18 in wheels I would have just switched them back to factory, but was looking for more sidewall to make the truck ride a little better with the stiffer tires.

    I do notice the hit in performance and handling with the E rated tires, but that is acceptable to me in order to have the protection in off road situation. The fact that half the tires you receive that are A/T E rated won't balance or drive correctly is just ridiculous.

    For me this is a shop issue as wheel, I'm not sure why they have force balancing technics for the Hunter Roadforce machines when shops refuse to do it unless the tires are out of "specification" during standard balancing. Why would you not just give an option to charge $200 up front when you mount and balance tires and do the force matching to minimize required weight and maintain better balance throughout the life of the tire as it wears. Grrrrrrrrr.

    Now back to the shop again to have something else done to finalize if the tires or rims are the culprit. This will literally be a $500 process when all is completed just to get a set of tires and rims mounted and balanced effectively.
     
  12. Jul 14, 2020 at 7:39 AM
    #12
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    I wanted to provide an update after some time and miles driving on these Coopers. I did increase front PSI to 40, rear to 41, for unloaded driving. The tire have gotten better and better, especially since the front end alignment.

    They are super quiet and easy to live with. Excellent traction. Seem to be holding balance well. So far they are performing well and looking great!
     
  13. Jul 14, 2020 at 7:43 AM
    #13
    Hbjeff

    Hbjeff New Member

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    Thanks good to hear! KO2’s ride like bricks, maybe these coopers deserve a try!
     
  14. Mar 30, 2021 at 6:46 AM
    #14
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    UPDATE

    I have driven on the Cooper XLTs just over 9k miles. They have worn extremely well, look new. However, I have had some issues. One tire was replaced under warranty because of a sidewall crack. I have had to have the tires balanced 4-5 times in 9000 miles due to steering wheel shake between 60-70MPH. Nothing crazy, but I should not have any any of that. I think I must have gotten some bad tires, defected. Disappointing, as I liked the tires and they performed well in snow and wet, but the shimmy on the highway made them feel off and just not confident.

    Last straw was seeing how much weight they added to the fronts to try and make them balance. My bad- I never looked before, but the amount of weight looks excessive. I will post some pics of the front tires. So they have to go.

    DT said Cooper would not do a defect replacement with 9000 miles on the tires. However, DT did give me full credit for the price of the tires so I have ordered Wildpeaks in the same 275/70-18 size. They are 6 lbs heavier than the Coopers, but as long as they drive and balance well, and they are not too loud I should be happy. I will update this thread once I get them installed to let everyone know how they feel.

    Here are pics of my front wheels, one has a six inch row of weights, the other is at least that long, but double stacked with weights.
    wheel weight.jpg wheel weight2.jpg
     
  15. Jul 2, 2021 at 12:19 AM
    #15
    1lowlife

    1lowlife Toxic prick and pavement princess..

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    How did things turn out?
    I need tires and can't decide to go with the E rated Cooper AT3 XLT or a Goodyear WRANGLER ULTRATERRAIN AT SL rated tire.

    As mentioned earlier in this thread, my D1 rated KO2s ride like bricks...

    My gut says go with the Coopers.
    But I don't tow or offroad, I just need the AT look..
     
    ColoradoTJ likes this.
  16. Jul 2, 2021 at 1:18 AM
    #16
    ColoradoTJ

    ColoradoTJ Certified tow LEO Staff Member

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    I would go with Toyo or a comparable P-Metric tire.

    https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...TR8OCAT3&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

    Toyo makes a LT load range C for the Tundra. The difference between a LR C and P-metric Toyo is 9 lbs per tire...food for thought.
     
    1lowlife[QUOTED] and farm&forest like this.
  17. Jul 2, 2021 at 3:19 AM
    #17
    astro-jason

    astro-jason New Member

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    FWIW I have the Bridgestone REVO 3 e rated on my truck, not noisy, balance out nice, and a world of difference pulling the camper.

    -Jason
     
    1lowlife and farm&forest like this.
  18. Jul 2, 2021 at 7:09 AM
    #18
    frichco228

    frichco228 [OP] Valued Member

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    My shop gave me full credit for the Coopers and took them back. I replaced them with same size, 275/70-18 E load Wildpeaks. The Wildpeaks have been great. Again the Coopers I had were clearly defective so my experience is probably unusual as many folks run and love them.

    If ride is very important to you, the best ride will come from standard load SL tires. If you move to D or E load it will be harsher. You can minimize the harshness with air pressure adjustment but an E load tire will not ride as smooth and cushy as SL tire on a half ton pickup.

    In my experience with E load on a tundra, the truck, handling, ride is very sensitive to air pressure. Small changes, like going up or down a pound or two on the pressure can make a very noticeable difference. For example, last week I went camping- hauled a rack and kayaks in the bed, was loaded for a 3 day trip and towing a 3000lb camper. I moved my tire pressure up to about 41lbs. Truck drove and rode well with the load. Back from the trip and went to work the next day, no adjustment to air pressure and the truck felt super hard on dips and bumps, bit darty on the highway. I dropped air pressure back to 38lbs and it feels like a different truck, much more planted, less harsh, etc. So experiment a little with air pressure. I run anywhere from 36 to 42 lbs, depending on load and conditions and what I need out of the truck and often just a pound or two of difference in pressure can increase comfort or handling by a surprising amount.
     
  19. Jul 2, 2021 at 9:34 AM
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    1lowlife

    1lowlife Toxic prick and pavement princess..

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    Thank you for the input.
     
  20. Jul 2, 2021 at 9:56 AM
    #20
    Greybeard

    Greybeard Retiree in training

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    I just went from P275/60R20 to LT285/55R20 and I actually like the ride better with the LTs. I have no idea what PSI the shop set them to, but they are smooth as butter. Just a slight bit of road whine.
     
  21. Aug 4, 2023 at 6:13 PM
    #21
    therealjonwick

    therealjonwick New Member

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  22. Aug 4, 2023 at 6:37 PM
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    Tundra234

    Tundra234 New Member

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    Alot of them
    2 yr old thread.
     
  23. Aug 4, 2023 at 6:56 PM
    #23
    therealjonwick

    therealjonwick New Member

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    Yea I suppose that’ll do it.
     
  24. Aug 4, 2023 at 7:15 PM
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    ColoradoTJ

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    Probably not a mistake.
     

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