P & LT Tires - SL & XL

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Nick1994

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I was under the impression LT tires carried more load than P tires.

My brother just bought a 1997 Chevy C1500 Silverado 5.7L. He wants to pull a travel trailer with it and it'll need tires somewhat soon. Below I'll list a few tires (not necessarily ones he is considering, just some I grabbed off TireRack.)

Kumho Road Venture LT235/75R15 - Max Load 1,985 lbs @ 50 psi

BFGoodrich Rugged Trail P235/75R15 - XL - Max Load 2,183 lbs @ 50 psi

Goodyear Wrangler SR-A P235/75R15 - SL - Max Load 2,028 lbs @ 44 psi
 
I Don't know what weight trailer he will be pulling but i went through this decision a year ago. I stayed with the oem p series.

General Grabber HTS is what i have on my avalanche, i'm very happy with them. I do run the air up a bit to say 38f/ 40r when i tow.

I will say if he has not chosen a hitch, i'd recommend the Equalizer brand hitch. No sway at all, takes a bit of time to initially setup ( dealer should do that for you). But its the best hitch i've run.
 
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What load rating are the LT tires? C, D or E? Also, it is critical to remember that P-metric tires need to be down rated by 10% in SUV/truck applications, so your 2183lb rating would become 1964lbs.

Another thing to consider is whether his truck physically can need any more load capacity than a P-metric offers. What is his GVWR and his RAWR? If his rear axle limit is less than the combined load rating of two p-metric tires, then his tires aren't a limiting factor!
 
First, your brother needs to find the vehicle tire placard. On a Chevy truck, it is very likely on the driver's doorframe - and if Tire Guides is correct, it will say the vehicle needs P235/75R15 XL's inflated to 32 psi front / 41 psi rear.

That means the last tire on your list (P235/75R15 SL) does not have have enough load carrying capacity for the vehicle and should not be used. Likely, the tire dealer would have picked this up.

As has been pointed out, a P type tire needs to be derated by a factor of 1.1 when used in a light truck application.

- SO -

The first 2 tires have the same load carrying capacity - and it's not that your idea that LT tires carry more load than P type tires is wrong - it's that this area is where the transition takes place. Use a higher load range and you see more load carrying capacity.
 
My LT265 70 17 E tires are rated for 3,195 lbs. @ 80psi.
 
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totegoat; according to the hall monitors, you can't put E-rated tires on a 1500.
But I must say, the 265/70/18s and 265/60/20s, take-offs from 2500 and 3500s, almost free on Craig's list, have found new homes.
 
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