LT 235/75/15 C rated tires vs P235/75/15 XL

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I have some old LT 'C' rated tires on My 3/4 ton Van that need to be replaced. They are rated for 1984 LBs each. While Online shopping I see that they offer passenger tires in the Xtra load format which can handle 2183 lbs each.

My Gvrw is 6400 lbs, and I'm about 1100 lbs under this.

I really just want the tire which can resist punctures the best, and not have a squishy sidewall. I've got rear airbags, brand new, stiffer front coil springs and KYB Gas A Just shocks on each corner. The Cadilliac ride is gone, and good riddance.

What should I go for, LT tires or passenger tires with xtra load?
I'm considering the Yokohama Geolanders AT-S or Michelin LTX A/T 2. My current LT Michelins(xcx-apt) are 8 years old and have withstood some incredible abuse with lowered tire pressures while high speed driving on heavily washboarded dirt roads, and the foolish application of dollar store tire shine products. The sidewalls are heavily cracked now.
Thanks
 
I drive a one ton dodge van b3500, I only put the size that the van calls for located on the door panel. No respected tire store will put passenger car tires on a Lt rated vehicle. Passenger car tires are not rated for a van like mine as they cannot handle the load and they are not 10 ply. I would stay with LT tires, safety is ur first concern, u could run into trouble if u had an accident and they found out u had the wrong tires on ur car.
 
The above tire size is the stock size rated for my Van. I cannot get e rated tires in a 15 inch rim. I don't think I can get D rated tires in a 15 inch rim.

The sticker on my door says P 235 75 r 15 XL

The passenger XL tires are rated for ~300 lbs more each than the LT 'C' rated tires I have been using and abusing for the last 65k miles

The Yoko tires the LT and the XL tires weigh the same despite the LT having 3/32" more tread depth. Both are rated upto 50 psi
 
thats slightly incorrect you have to discount p-metric tires when used on a truck or van vs on a car i forget the formula(its on tirerack)

also I wouldnt get a car tire it will be very squishy vs any truck tire

load range C and D tires are available.

also you can go flotation size

something like a 30x9.5r15 might fit
 
Okay, Tire Rack says P rated tires in a truck application must be derated 9%. So the P XL tires formerly rated at 2205 lbs are now down to 2006 lbs, which is still higher than the C rated LT tires at 1984 lbs.

My current C rated tires have certainly been more than adequate.

I guess my question is more along the lines of will the LT tires have stiffer sidewalls and be more resistant to puncture even if they are rated to carry less weight?

The 30 x 9.5 r 15's would just fit on my 6.5 inch rims but it reduced the brand/ model options.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Okay, Tire Rack says P rated tires in a truck application must be derated 9%........


Not quite: P metric tires have to be derated 10% - that is divided by 1.1! If you do that, you get 1984# - same as the LT tires.

- BUT -

The P metric tires do that at 41 psi, while the LT metric tires do that at 50 psi. The difference in pressure is going to mean that the P metric will have softer sidewalls at the proper pressure and be less prone to punctures (more flexible)
 
The commercial (C-rated) tires are designed with stiffer sidewalls compared to regular tires. What is the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle?
 
The door placard says 35 psi front 41psi rear
15 x 6.5 inch rims,
p235 75 r 15 XL.

35 PSI is too low with my current LT tires. I run about 42psi front and rear
 
I don't think any tire will make a significant difference in terms of ride quality or logevity in your case. The max usable pressure for an XL tire is 51 PSI (markings on the side wall probably show 55-60 PSI max) .
 
Both the XL and the LT tires I was looking at have the same max 50 PSI rating.

I'm now looking more at the 30 x 9.5's because they are slightly taller, and my speedo reads fast right now.

Cannot afford new tires just yet anyway but these replies have helped, Thanks.
 
Sometimes i get a set of 4 for 200 bucks( LT245 75r16) used tires. If u shop around some emergency vehicles change tires when they r 50 pct worn, its a good deal.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Both the XL and the LT tires I was looking at have the same max 50 PSI rating.

I'm now looking more at the 30 x 9.5's because they are slightly taller, and my speedo reads fast right now.

Cannot afford new tires just yet anyway but these replies have helped, Thanks.


A couple of thoughts:

The way the maximum sidewall pressure is done is different for P metric tires compared to LT metric tires. In your case, the LT metric will say 50 psi max, while the P metric, might say 41 psi or 50 psi.

- BUT -

When it comes to load carrying capacity, the P metric maxes out at 41 psi, while the LT metric maxes out at 50 psi - even though they max out at the same load. I know, it's peculiar, but that is the way it is.
 
Thanks for the input. I guess the P/XL tires are meant for a cushier ride than the LT's? I'm not concerned about that. I want longevity and confidence on high speed washboard with the best traction I can get without going to mud terrains.

When I can afford them I'm gonna get some 30 x 9.5 LT's.
Michelin LTX at-s
Yoko AT-s
or Firestone Destination AT-s.

I might even get just 2 at a time as I can afford them. My 8 year old Michelin LT sidewalls are very cracked, and I do not trust them for any extended highway driving.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Thanks for the input........I want longevity and confidence on high speed washboard with the best traction I can get without going to mud terrains.......


Vehicles respond better to lower pressure on washboard roads, so the lower pressure P metric would be better at that.

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
...... When I can afford them I'm gonna get some 30 x 9.5 LT's........


Those have the same pressure problem that the LT metrics have. They generate the same load carrying capacity at 50 psi.
 
Light duty 3/4 ton vans often come with P rated XL/non-LT 15 inch tires, along with a semi-float rear axle (no axle hub/plate thru the rear wheels)-I would stick with the XLs, they are probably rated higher than the ones your van came with. Shame you're not around here-I have a basically brand-new set of P235/75R15XL Dayton Quadra SEs off my old scrapped diesel Suburban with less than 1000 miles on them, shipping to CA would be pricy, though.
 
I do have a Chrysler 9.25 axle semi floating axle that has about 7 k miles since the all bearings were replaced. The original 8 3/8(8.25) lasted 194 k miles. Got some M1 75w 90 in there now. It is quiet.

My door placard says P235/75/15 XL's. According to the mile markers on the highway, and the radar guns which tell you your speed, my speed at 60 reads fast(actual 58.2). Not really important, but I would enjoy a slightly larger tire. The 30 x 9.5s are slightly taller, slightly wider. The next size up that is available is the 265/70 15's.

I once had a no name brand p 265/70/15 XL. On one, the tread separated on the first dirt road it saw in Baja. Later on the same trip, the other one's sidewall blew out every 2.5 inches along the sidewalls both sides, 360 degrees while floating across some washboard at 50 mph. Good thing I was in the middle of the road, cause I barely kept it on the road when it let go. Good thing I was also carrying two spares. That trip I went through 5 tires. I brought 2 spares because the XL Michelin's up front had very little tread left. They were the only ones that made it back, and then to NJ and onto Florida where I replaced them with The Michelin's LT's I have now.

So I'm really looking for an affordable tire least likely to blow out on those rare instances when I'm floating across some washboard, and I'm really looking for a well known brand. The off brand names might be fine on Highway use, but I've seen too many people inconvenienced by no name brand tires when south of the border.

Are the LTs stronger than the P XL's or visa versa? Or is it tire brand dependent? So far my e-mails to Michelin and Yokohama have gone unanswered and would probably be answered by some marketer or secretary who doesn't know anyway.
 
Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
........I once had a no name brand p 265/70/15 XL. On one, the tread separated on the first dirt road it saw in Baja........


That was more likely due to it being a no name brand than anything else.

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
......Are the LTs stronger than the P XL's or visa versa?......


In the case you are talking about - washboard roads - strength isn't the issue. It's the ability to absorb the bumps - and pressure becomes important.

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
....... Or is it tire brand dependent?.......


Obviously, lesser brands are more prone to problems then well known brands - not that problem are not unknown in well known brands.
 
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Just to be clear, a Yokohama Geolander P- tire is NOT a passenger car tire, no more than a Goodyear Wranger or Michelin LTX P- tire is a passenger car tire.

I don't know how these designations got stuck on the lighter truck tires years ago, but they are certainly stuck now. Too bad they don't change the designation to LT Load Range B (or B-XL) or something.

Here's the specs for the Yokohama Geolander HT/S-G051 tires
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?...romCompare1=yes
 
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