Load-Range E tires

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ChevyVan

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I have a 2005 Chevrolet Express 3500 extended body cargo van. It has an FI, V8, 6L, gasoline engine.

It has LT245/75R-16 load-range E tires.

I don’t use the van for work and it is never loaded down with heavy stuff.

Do I have to replace the tires with load range E tires or not?
 
I wanted lesser tires when I put tires on my truck since I don't load it very heavy either. No tire stores would sell me tires with a lower rating than it had when new. I understand their liability but i hated spending $400 more for tires that can support 6000 lbs each when the total weight of my truck will never weigh over 7000lbs. So I ended up with tires I hate.
 
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The official answer is you should use tires that support the rated capacity of the vehicle...in this case, load range E tires. If the van is normally empty, you can run 50-60 psi in the tires rather than 80. In the event that you need to haul something heavy, bump the inflation pressure back up.
 
Originally Posted By: ChevyVan
I have a 2005 Chevrolet Express 3500 extended body cargo van. It has an FI, V8, 6L, gasoline engine.

It has LT245/75R-16 load-range E tires.

I don’t use the van for work and it is never loaded down with heavy stuff.

Do I have to replace the tires with load range E tires or not?


The only way not to is to do it yourself.

No tire store will sell you anything but OEM or better.

Note that if your vehicle is equipped with non-spec rubber and you are involved in an accident a sharp attorney will eat you for lunch!!!
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: ChevyVan
I have a 2005 Chevrolet Express 3500 extended body cargo van. It has an FI, V8, 6L, gasoline engine.

It has LT245/75R-16 load-range E tires.

I don’t use the van for work and it is never loaded down with heavy stuff.

Do I have to replace the tires with load range E tires or not?


The only way not to is to do it yourself.

No tire store will sell you anything but OEM or better.

Note that if your vehicle is equipped with non-spec rubber and you are involved in an accident a sharp attorney will eat you for lunch!!!


Yup. If you're going down the highway in the van at 70 and it's empty and you run over a bolt and have a blowout and a wreck, the lawyers are going to say it's your fault for running load range D truck tires on it. And don't expect your insurance company to do anything ... they'll just walk away.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88


Yup. If you're going down the highway in the van at 70 and it's empty and you run over a bolt and have a blowout and a wreck, the lawyers are going to say it's your fault for running load range D truck tires on it. And don't expect your insurance company to do anything ... they'll just walk away.


You don't really believe this do you?
 
I run a fleet and have actually been in court with a competitor over this EXACT issue. He was taken all the way out to his policy limits!!! Another dollar and it would have come out of his hide.

BTW, it applies to anything on a public road. If it has any part that is not OE or equivalent and it gets into a problem the attorneys will getcha.
 
NO.

you do not need to use E rated tires IF the van in used for light duty work,heck our plow trucks carrying a 1000lb western around don't have E tires and the truck goes down the road just the same not one blow out. but to get the full GVAW that the truck is rated for you would need E rated tires of course.

so would this mean you also need to run the same size tires? not..
 
Why do you even have it? Was it a gift? Makes little sense to own and drive a large van for other than its intended purpose.
 
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Originally Posted By: Rob_Roy
The official answer is you should use tires that support the rated capacity of the vehicle...in this case, load range E tires. If the van is normally empty, you can run 50-60 psi in the tires rather than 80. In the event that you need to haul something heavy, bump the inflation pressure back up.

+1 on this.
 
Originally Posted By: daman
NO.

you do not need to use E rated tires IF the van in used for light duty work,heck our plow trucks carrying a 1000lb western around don't have E tires and the truck goes down the road just the same not one blow out. but to get the full GVAW that the truck is rated for you would need E rated tires of course.

so would this mean you also need to run the same size tires? not..


You can run anything you want. But you must get that the courts will look at the choices you made and compare them to the situation. If you are found wanting you may have significant liability well beyond any insurance coverage most folks carry.

I sure hope you guys aren't in business!
 
If you go to a Pep Boys they will put any tire on it you want-BUT-there are inexpensive, decent 10 ply/E rated tires available-then just run them at 45-50 PSI if you're going to run empty. I've had 2 sets of the OEM Hankooks that came on the Ford E vans, if you keep them rotated they are surprisingly good, and CHEAP!
 
Originally Posted By: volk06
I would, with that heavy of a van other lighter tires wont last that long.
If you put the van on a scale, empty, and weighed the rear axle only-I bet it's not that heavy. The GMC and Chevy cargo vans we had from the early 2000s had sheetmetal like aluminum foil!
 
Our 3500 Savanas weigh about 5600-5800 pounds before anything is put into them.

And ALL vans no matter the make have sheet metal like aluminum foil!!!
 
I run load range C on my 3/4 ton Van. But there is only one load range D available in a 15 inch rim, and no E options.

Load range E tires might increase MPG slightly.

Here in California, if one wanted to mount underrated tires, they would need to bring in the rims, not on the vehicle, and lie about what type of vehicle they were going on.
 
Your van must be a LD 2500 with 5-lug wheels...which means it is, for all practical purposes, a heavy-half.

LT245/75R16E tire for $100 each...I use them on my truck and they are superb. Drop the pressures empty, though I wouldn't run any less than 45 or so.
 
Originally Posted By: Stewart Fan
Originally Posted By: Miller88


Yup. If you're going down the highway in the van at 70 and it's empty and you run over a bolt and have a blowout and a wreck, the lawyers are going to say it's your fault for running load range D truck tires on it. And don't expect your insurance company to do anything ... they'll just walk away.


You don't really believe this do you?


An insurance company's job is to take your money and deny your claims.
 
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