proper tire pressure changes from tire to tire, E rated tires are supposed to be between 65-85psi during normal operation.. but that includes a 7k lbs truck..

 

Damn that looks good! How do you like them on the highway? And how is the tread wear?
I think I have a new favorite.
Also, wouldnt an E rated tire be more useful when say towing a trailer or loading the 4runner down with camping gear for a week? Or will the stiffness of the E tire be more pronounced under load?

 

Well I'm going to have to correct myself... I never did find the actual "load range" rating but looking it up on google search it's actually a load range C as it's a 6 ply. To answer your question Deceptiwave: I like them traction-wise but highway and just normal driving the noise is quite loud for an AT tire but I find the radio is enough to quieten them down I guess this makes my argument for them not riding as rough invalid. What size are you looking for? Mine are 265-70-15

 

265/75/16. I think I can run them at a lower PSI to help with the stiffness.
I have been over-thinking this too much it seems. Its like splitting hairs at some point and thats where I am . So, Grabber AT2 will go on tomorrow morning and I will see how it goes. I get the impression that an E rated tires will give a better tread life, and I say that only because of reviews I have read, opinions from several forums, and my buddy that runs a BFG AT on his Landrover Disco which is an E rated tire. His have 45K on them and look almost new.

 

5 miles down and awesome!

 

They do have longer tread life, but only if you have high air pressure. If you go lower than 45-50 psi, you will wear the tread down a lot faster, but running at 45 keeps the ride harsh so it's a trade off.

 

OK , good to know. These are at 50psi now, if I run them up to 60ish that will help tread life wise? Or do I need to rail these at the full 80psi?

 

you do not need 80 psi, that is for its max load capacity. you are no wear near it.

 

Yeah, you're fine with 50 psi. 80 would be good for a full size F-250 or something. If you were to run them at 30 psi though, then you will start to eat up tread faster.

 

Hey everyone. Figure I'll chime in with my penny...

I have a '98 4Runner. When I first put on the BFG All-Terrain T/A LT E rated tires, Discount didn't have the correct tire pressure in their computer, so they set it to a "standard" 45 psi. It round as rought as steel and you felt everything. Every crack. Every bump. Every rock.

Once I got home, I dropped them all down to the standard pressures of 32 psi, which I run now. They ran smooth and comfortable. Since then, I have upgraded to the Goodyear Silent Wrangler LTs, which are also rated E. They are riding very quiet and unbelievably smooth.

I've never looked into it or tested the theory, but I prefer the ten ply (Es) because if you hit something on the road, it's a little less likely to puncture the side wall. It's also allowed me to hobble home a lot easier with a flat tire. The extra strength on the sidewall keeps them closer to their natural position.

 

Yeah I think 50 will be about right for now. Shoot, they only have 5 miles on them so its hard to get a good feel for them. Summer time camping trips and driving on the beach will give me some more to consider.
Demos - Interesting observation. I hope I dont have to limp home on a flat.

 

I try to run 38psi in the Nittos and they feel fine.

Those General Grabbers look good with white side out or black side out. Thanks for updating us on your purchase decision deceptiwave. The lift looks good also.

 

Thanks man. For what I do and plan to do with this rig, it works for me. This site has been wonderful as far as the wealth of information here. But also, it has cost me alot of money! LOL!
I thought I was done with customizing when I gave up my mini truck... Or my 1969 Mach 1... Or my last truck.
Anyway, Alot of high way driving this weekend so I will update with anything I find about the E rated tires being mounted.
Thanks gang!

 

I'm running 285/75R16 BFG KM2's in load range E. I keep them at 35 psi for street and they ride great. I have about 25k miles on them now and they are half worn. I don't feel that they are too stiff at all.

BTW, I have the General AT2's on my old Cherokee and they were great!

 

I'm not sure this is entirely true, if you constantly run your E rated tires at a higher pressure, say 60 - 80 psi, on a lighter vehicle such as the 3rd gens, you will eventually wear the center of the tire's tread out prematurely do to the crowning of the tread as it hits the road. Alternatively, if they are underinflated, the outer edges will wear out sooner as well. The trick to get a long life out of your tires is to find the right pressure which will create an even contact patch across the face of the tread as well as proper tire rotation. Also, tires have different tread compounds from manuacturer to manufacturer which also plays a big part in tread life.

 

I dialed them in at 45psi and it is a little bouncy, but hey - its a lifted truck.
I agree with Swede, there cannot be a end all be all this is the correct pressure for X amount of tread life. But like all things, you never know till you try.
So far in all this damn extra rainy weather we have been having here in Portland these things are awesome! I was hittin standing water on the free way at 60 and didnt even twitch the steering wheel.
So far I am very happy.

 

I agree. <45 psi will wear the outsides of the tires too fast. And >60 psi will wear the middles down too fast on a light weight truck like a 3rd gen. That was exactly my train of thought when I said 50 psi would be good (45 is close enough). I think that's the sweet spot as far as optimal tread wear for E rated tires on a 4runner, but mine rode stiff as hell like that, so it's not for me. I'll stick to 30-35 psi in my Ds.

 

If you want a TRUE wear indicator then you can do the chalk test, which I did for mine. Just draw a line with chalk across several areas of your tires then drive for a few blocks. Come back and re-evaluate. If more chalk is missing on the outside then you are under inflated, if missing in the middle then over inflated. I've gotten mine a bit more scientific with an actual tread gauge. My front tires are at 36 while my rear tires do better at 30 psi.

 

Good info guys. I will give the chalk test a try.
So far, 150 miles in heavy/light/constant rain. I cant get them to spin out no matter how bad I want them to.
Most of those miles are high way and these are quieter than my old blading tires at 60+ mph.
At 45psi, they are rough in the construction zones but smooth everywhere else. I will try maybe alittle more air ~50psi over the next week. So far, I dont see a down sie to an E rated tire on this truck.

And side note - I am now looking at some generals for my wife's V70XC!

 

I also have E rated BFG KM2 255/85 16... just got them a month ago to replace 265/75/16 Bridgestone Revos. For sure the new BFG's are a little stiffer, but not overly so. My truck sees 80% dirt roads and only 20% pavement.

I used to run 28psi on my Bridgestones offroad... now I run the BFG's at 20psi to get the same feel of a ride. (I'm sure if I had the BFG's at 28psi they;d feel more of the ruts offroad.)

Overall I'm happy with the tradeoff... little stiffer ride but a MUCH better offroad tire.