P or E rated for Falken wildpeaks on 1st gen? (first time AT tire buyer)

hey yall..

i know this stuff has been talked about a lot... and ive done considerable research and read many many posts. As usual, opinions and testimonies vary so im going to be specific and see if i can get some guidance as im a bit stuck and want to pull the trigger on some tires right away. this being my first truck and first set of AT tires, i have nothing to compare to.

i have a 2005 dbl cab (quad-cab) currently with no lift but will be installing bilstein 5100's to level out the stance.

I have decided on falken wildpeak at3w's. I wanted to go 275 70 17 c rated but theyre hard to find and waaay more expensive than 265 70 17 so think im just gonna stick with the 265's and get more power to the wheels and save some bux even though i think the 275's would look a bit better for my taste.

I live in the mountains of british columbia canada. The truck is my daily driver. Ill be driving mostly on paved roads but do intend on doing some offroad adventuring with the family. Nothing ridiculous but way more than traversing the odd dirt or gravel road. Lots of rock, fallen lumber and debris on these old logging roads.. I want to be able to tackle them with confidence and security. ie. dont wanna be dealing with blowouts in the bush.. that being said if its going to make the 95% of the time im using my truck to commute kinda suck then thats a strong consideration.

As for ride quality, from what ive read, generally i see and understand that the p rated tires are a smoother "lighter" ride, yet it appears as though some actually prefer the stiffer feel of the e rated when cornering / handling. i Assume these are drivers who enjoy a more aggressive driving style.. ive calmed down over the years but appreciate cornering performance and responsive handling, so maybe i wont mind the stiffer side wall as much as others? however, im not stoked on rough "bangy, jarring" feels when cruising over stuff either.

the E rated tires will cost me about 250 dollars more for the set. im ok with that IF the benefits justify it.

Im looking for advice from drivers who can speak directly from experience and ideally have comparative experience with both types of tires and similar use with for their trucks... but of course all advice is appreciated.

so whats the scoop? On a first gen tundra, whats the best way to go for a weekend warrior like myself? are the E rated overkill and the P rated more than enough, saving money and facilitating "better" ride quality and fuel efficiency? Or are the E rated just worth it? Due to the far superior durability and tread depth? (e rated wildpeaks have 18mm depth instead of the p rated 14mm correct? DO people exaggerate the reduced ride quality of the E rated? Does this apply to the wildpeaks specifically?

Ooooorrr, should i spend the extra money on C rated 275's if i can find them which are 6 ply and maybe the happy medium? (This is more of a long shot availability wise so even if this is your recommendation, would still appreciate advice on the P vs E rating because thats probably the choice i have to make).

in advance, thanks very kindly.

 

I would go with E rated if you arent going to be on pavement all the time. I live in Maine and our dirt roads and trails will eat most tires. I do most of my driving on the pavement but in the summer I like to take to the woods and hit some trails and for that reason I put E rated tires on my trucks. Ive seen seen many guys with flats out there because they have P rated 4 plys on.
I never noticed that much difference in ride from when I had the original P rated tires. Spend the extra $$ imho

 

ride difference, to me, from P to E is substantial. Is significantly firmer, you can feel road imperfections more, handling is tighter however. They are heavier, so there is a hit on general performance and MPG.

C load would be ideal on a Tundra. I run E on my 2016, but only because that was all that is available in the tire and size I wanted to run. Would run C every time if they were available.

 

My Goodyear SL-rated tires ride so much smoother than D-rated KO2s I had.
The also still look like an AT tire should.

My tire in the size you are looking at 265 70 17
Goodyear Wrangler UltraTerrain AT | Discount Tire

 

My advice is, depending on the tire brand and size, you might be limited to one load range.

I have a 2004 double cab -- the tires and the size I run are only available in E-Rated. I'm used to E-rated tires so they don't bug me. Most of my driving is off-pavement and aired down... but my E-rated tires on pavement aired to 40 PSI don't feel that bad.

 

Find a size in C rating that fits. E's are a very rough ride like what you would get on a F350. P's will ride like a camry and are too light for a full size truck IMO.

Every f'tard on here will chime in about how their E rated tires ride great but that is a subjective and biased opinion. The facts are that E rated tires are stiffer, this is how they get a 10 ply rating, and thus they are rougher riding and offer less grip when it counts. They do have higher puncture resistance which is not worth the trade off IMO.

 

Thanks very much for all the insightful and descriptive replies. This honestly helps. I'm going to see if the C rated are available, and if not, then probably go with the e rated.. I've been able to talk with some friends in person today, and they all said e over p for bushwacking in this area as they've all seen punctures happen with p rated. Will let you know which way I go when the decision is made. Thank you.

 

Wait, 265/70/17? I just realized this is a 1st gen.

I have the exact AT3Ws in 265/70/17 (32x10.5) on my GX470 in "SL" rating. There is no "P" on the tire, but "SL" is technically a P rating. I would go that route. I love those tires. The load index is 115T which is actually a bit more than your stock Tundra's 111 if the internet is right. At 50 PSI they ride better than my old E rated KO2s at 30 PSI same truck same size. The SLs are waaaaayy more compliant and comfy and frankly better off road because they actually flex.

Realistically unless you are overloading the truck regularly, the standard tire is fine.

I have E rated 285/75/18 on my Tundra only because I pull a loaded four wheel camper and 1000 lbs of extra steel armor/bumpers etc. It's routinely overloaded by about 1,000 lbs over GVWR. They ride like shit.

 

Man, still torn over here!

So the there are C's available in 275 70 17 but they are another $180 more than the 265 E's and actually heavier than the 265's as well. My budget is already being pushed and this am concerned about the fitment.

i had decided to go with the E's if the C's wouldnt work.. but of course kept on researching and talking to people. Now im not sure.. I even called Falken and they recommended i go with P or SL rated for a 1st gen tundra. The guy selling me the tires however is strongly recommneding the E rated says he wouldnt drive a truck eithout them. Checked out many threads on tacoma and 4runner boards where theres many poeple running SL falkens and theyre stoked.. ive been checking out what poeple are running around here where i live and interestingly the majority of truck drivers who run AT's are running LT / E tires.. i truly wonder how many people have made their choice having cultivated informed preference based on lived experience with both types of tires..

sounds like the e rated will maybe last a little longer cause of the deeper tread depth but it also sounds like the rubber compounds in LT tires stiffen more with age and lose grip..

remembered ive done a decent amount of off roading with total shit non AT tires in the past when i was more reckless and had less money and never had a blowout!

i was also thinking if the main reason for getting LT tires was puncture resistance and i went with SL instead because of other benefits like ride quality, fuel consumption and better on road performance, in the case of a blowout, i could replace a blown tire for about 60 dollars more than going with the LT /E tires which is pretty much even or less when you consuider better mpgs over life of the tire.

man, decisions decisions.. ugh lol

 

My two cents is don't fixate too much on how hard the E-Rated tires might ride, and don't focus as much on how someone here is going to tell you how bad they ride... E-Rated tires might not feel as good as a C, but if comfort is truly all you care about buy a car instead. It's a truck and going to ride like one. It's really not the end of the world if you have E-rated tires like some here try and act.

Tire inflation matters too. I've driven both a Tundra and a GMC 2500 with E-Rated KO2s. I set my Tundra to around 35-40 PSI on the pavement and the GMC to about 60 PSI. The GMC is a heavier truck, yes, but it rides rougher than my Tundra with the same tires, just an inch or two smaller in diameter.

I haven't had to do a single plug on the tread of my KO2s. I've punctured the sidewalls a few times due to rocks/ brush. Iunno, I don't regret my choice of E-Rated on my 1st gen.

E-rated KO2 tires still flex when they're aired down.

 

Good advice. At this point honest though id probably just get the C's if they had them in my size but they dont. Otherwise under "normal" circumstances, and with all things considered ie. mileage, ride, cost, less rolling resistance etc, id probably just go with the SL for my first gen.. especially considering this is Falkens recommendation.. However, to be honest, something thats sticking for me if im being honest is the current state of the world.. i mean things have been pretty crazy.. and even thought hings have relaxed on the surface, im expecting much more turbulence on the global stage in the not too distant future.. so ya, if these are my apocolypse, ride or die, mad max tires, well then shit.. im gonna want the LT's lol! know what im sayin?

as for what people say about the ride, i think youre right in that its very subjective, i wish i could actually try both first.

 

I'm with you on this, everything is a tradeoff. Performance, durability, lifespan, comfort. You can prioritize one and go from there.