general grabber atx... which load rating?

my local tire shop quoted me:

General Grabber A/Tx (4ply): $266 per tire

General Grabber A/Tx (10ply): $276 per tire

costs are both for the 275/70R18 installed. i asked for quotes for the 125/122R E, and the 116S.

im assuming 4 ply is the 116s and the 10 ply is the 125?

do you see any reason why id want to go with the heavier load rating tire? i do tow semi often, but its typically just a trailer hauling an atv with 2000lb gross weight, plus a bed full of random gear. i also haul a ton of pellets a few times a winter in the bed(i have airbags)... but its literally 2 miles from my house and i drive slow with 4 ways on. if i really wanted to, i could put them on the trailer instead.

the $10 difference is not a concern in the slightest... the bigger concern i have is the weight of the 10ply... id rather not take a huge power/mpg hit.

 

The 4 ply is the S load. Other is E load. S load will ride like the stock tires. E load is considerably stiffer.

I run 275/70s too in E load, only because that is the only load available in the size/brand I want to run. It is overkill on a Tundra, that size coming stock on many HD pickups. Wish I could get them in standard or C load. I am happy with them overall but they are much stiffer. Good for towing/hauling, handling however and they are tuff tires.

Bottom line on choice for you is ride. Cost is similar. S load will likely be lighter, so less impact on performance and MPG. Expect to drop 1-2MPG moving from stock SL, 32inch tires to a 275/70-18 E load. Either tire is plenty for a Tundra and will handle its hauling and towing loads, etc. If you prefer a softer ride go for the 4ply, if you are ok with a firmer ride and want the extra toughness, E load will work fine. Most of us are running E load and that is because larger tires for a Tundra in 18/20inch sizes are E load, very very few larger tires in lower load ratings in 275/285/295 sizes that work well on our trucks.

 

thanks for the detailed explanation. sounds like the 4 ply is right for me. dont need toughness for offroading, and dont need extra weight capacity over stock. thanks!

 

What it came down to for me over the years was punctures. I would go off road to my families cabin a few times a year. And twice, I punctured a tire on 4/6 ply tires. The tires were probably half way through with their life, but not done by any means. My brother and father both suggested getting 10 ply tires to prevent punctures in the future. It's been probably 6 years using 10-ply tires and no punctures. Also, great for any type of towing or hauling. Just adjust the PSI when going between regular and tow/haul modes.

I'm a little biased, but I will always advocate for 10-ply tires. And when it comes to MPG...I doubt you'll notice much difference at all if you keep the stock size. It's really only when you go up in size you start to notice problems and lower MPG. This is also because the computer isn't calibrated properly, but it's also because of weight.

 

thanks for your response!

yeah, i dont do any real offroading with this thing. its a stuff hauler. the main "offroad" use it sees, and the reason im going a touch taller on the tires, is for snow clearance gettin up our gravel/dirt driveway at my cabin. well... that and the looks.