Newbie question about tires - Tundra/Hawk

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2thdr

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Hello all. Heading up to Bellingham this weekend to pick up a new to me 2011 Hawk, (excited!). OEM tires on new Tundra have load rating of 2600 lbs. Rear axle weighed in today at 2550 lbs. Seems to me if my camper is about 1500 lbs loaded up, then GAW would be 4050 lbs divided by two = 2025 lbs per tire. Is 600 lbs under load limit per tire safe for paved roads and groomed dirt/gravel FS roads? Thanks for reading. Steve.

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Ours is '05 Tundra / '16 Hawk....we have "C" load rated Toyo ATIIs....they meet the load requirements, but when it is time to replace them I will go with "E" rated tires, not due to increase in load rating but due to increase in sidewall strength for protection against cutting the sidewalls off road....

We outfit the combo based on what is needed off road....after Southern Utah trip and crawling/banging over, around and up stream beds full of sharp rocks, the "C"s worked great but for peace of mind...next time "E"s.

Phil

Ps....OEMs unless "C"s don't cut it for off road and marginal for highway speeds...
 
I have a 2010 Tundra with a 2014 Hawk. Ran P series tires for about 18 months after getting my Hawk. Replaced them with E series this past summer. E series tires feel much more stable on all surfaces & I have fewer concerns about sidewall cuts/punctures off paved surfaces.

We skipped driving to Racetrack in DVNP with the P series tires because the road had just been graded exposing new sharp rocks. 30 plus miles on that road where a tire service call is $2000 or so after waiting for someone to drive by who is willing to pass the information to a tire repair facility didn't seem like a good use of vacation time.

The ride is firmer but more confidence-inspiring than wallowing on the P series. On looking at the specs, the P series have more weight handling capacity than the rear axle rating so the E series isn't needed for that. I will not go back to P series while I have the camper.

As usual, YMMV.
Paul
 
Wallowa nailed it. E series for the extra sidewall strength/durability. Mine is a heavier load but I went from C to E and am very happy I did. Just getting ready to start shopping for the next set of tires as these (Cooper A/T3's) are getting close to 50,000 miles on them.
 
As others have stated, get some "E" rated tires when the budget allows.

Besides the off-road benefits, "E" have more ply (number of ply depends on size) in the sidewalls to not only increase load rating, but, stability as well. There is a huge difference carrying a heavy load (camper) when traveling at 65-70 mph in mountainous, curvy interstate highway. That is where you really FEEL the benefit (stiffness) of "E" rated tires.

However, be aware that when traveling off-tarmac, you will want to air down "E" rated tires. Even on groomed Forest Service roads you will jar the fillings out of your teeth with stiff sidewall "E" tires. So besides buying "E" tires, get a good deflator tool and traveling compressor as well. J. Hansen's article here on benefits of airing down. Airing down (deflator) tools.

I used to run "D" tires on my F-250 SD instead of "E" because 98% of my driving was on tarmac. The "D" tires had the near identical weight spec as "E' but without the additional ply in the sidewalls. This allowed for a much more compliant ride while still carrying a load. I eventually went to the E for the beefed up sidewall when I started spending more time off-tarmac.
 
Wow, thanks for all the input and experience guys. Really appreciate it.

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My understanding is to carry a tire's maximum load rating then the tire must be inflated to the tire's maximum cold tire pressure. The door tire pressure rating is good up to the trucks posted GVWR and axle ratings.
 
Cayuse said:
Wallowa nailed it. E series for the extra sidewall strength/durability. Mine is a heavier load but I went from C to E and am very happy I did. Just getting ready to start shopping for the next set of tires as these (Cooper A/T3's) are getting close to 50,000 miles on them.
Click to expand...

Hey,

Please let us hear what tires you buy. Another set of Cooper tires? They have a great reputation for off-road..

Thanks,

Phil
 
Wallowa said:
Hey,

Please let us hear what tires you buy. Another set of Cooper tires? They have a great reputation for off-road..

Thanks,

Phil
Click to expand...
Will do. The Cooper's have been great for me, also looking at the Kumho Venture AT51. Not sure how soon I'll pull the trigger, have a White Rim Trail and possible Tuweep trip coming up in the spring so might be nice to have them before that.

Now back to the regularly scheduled thread... </end_hijack>
 
I have coilovers, air bags, sway bar and load range E which were installed different times. The biggest difference in terms of handling is upgrading to load range E tires.
 
2012 Tundra Rock Warrior, '02 Hawk, Firestone airbags, Hellwig rear sway bar, E rated BFGoodrich TA KO2's. Very happy with this set up.
 
'05 Tundra and ATC Ocelot. We run Michelin AT's with E rating. They helped, but adding a Hellwig sway bar sealed the deal for stability. Even my wife driving this fall mentioned how the truck stuck to the road much better.
 
It looks like you also have a brand new truck - when I bought my 2016 Tacoma, the first thing I did was switch to load range E 235/85R16 BFG AT's in preparation for our Fleet. I sold the OEM tires with 20 miles on them for 75% of what I paid for the new tires, so in the end the upgrade was less than $200, which was well worth it.
 
Firm believer in the load range 'E' tires, gives peace of mind when off road. I run the B.F.Goodrich 255/85/16 KM2 Mud Terrains on my Tacoma carrying an Eagle. Ron
 
2015 Tundra with 2014 Hawk. Swapped P rated for E rated Michelin AT immediately. Added Toyota sway bar, Firestone Ride Rites and had Deaver arch springs and add new leaf. What camper? Oh yeah, it's on there. Let's go!
 
Had the Cooper C rated AT3 for 4 years then changed to 245 75 17 E rated Cooper AT3 on new truck. They are terrific.
 
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