Ply rating and flat tires

Hello from Idaho!

I ordered a 2021 Calvary Blue Tundra TRD Sport a couple months ago and have been spending the whole time researching everything here on the forum. Thanks for all the info btw. Am about three weeks away the trucks anticipated arrival and I have joined today to ask a question I haven’t found an answer to yet.

I will start by saying I have 99% committed(in my head) to immediately switching wheels to 18’s and tires to an All Terrain C load rated tire. That is based on my belief that they will have better ride quality on road than the E rated tires. This will be our “family vehicle” so will be the vehicle for long trips.

The truck will also be taken off road frequently, will be used immediately for towing a small trailer with 2 ATV’s and at some point years down the road possibly a toy hauler.

From my research, it appears that a C rated tire would have more towing capacity that the truck would allow so I do not have a worry there.

My worry is getting stranded due to a flat tire and choosing the wrong ply tire. So my question is, has anyone encountered flat tires off roading due to what they believe is not having the right ply rating?

Any information on the subject would be helpful. Thank you!

 

Yes, I have. If you drive a lot of rocky roads, load range E is worth it in my opinion. However, just as important is being mindful of your tire pressure and your speed.

 

That was another concern of mine. Do you drop your E plies down each time you go off road or do you have a PSI you keep it at for both?

 

For mid to heavy offroad, assuming you're not doing primarily rock crawling, a C load range tire is plenty. I run C load range on my 4runner and it is used 95% off road, from forest roads to paces I have no business being.

Get a full size spare, even if you go with a E tire.

 

Mine are set at 35 psi right now. I could potentially bump it up a bit. I'm saving up for a compressor so I can drop the psi off road. I've seen a lot of guys with 40-50 pounds of air in their tires put a rock through the tire because there is no give.

My work vehicle (1500 Silverado) sees a lot of on/off road miles daily and I keep them at 37. I see our newest fleet vehicles are coming with load range C Duratracs. Too soon to see how they hold up.

 

Not all rocks are created equal. Sharp volcanic basalt or scoria is far different than sandstone.

 

The problem you are going to have is that there are very few tires- C load tires that are in sizes that fit on the Tundra.

Plenty of selection of Standard load in stock sizes, but move up to a larger size like 275/70-18, which fit on a stock truck and you are pretty much stuck with E load. I recall one tire in C or D load in that size, do not remember which manufacture however.

In stock size, 275/65-18, there are like 3 choice in C load. Toyo offers a couple AT tires and Wrangler has a MT.

But I agree with you, a C load tire would be perfect on a Tundra. I am running E load as that is what was available in the size and particular tire I wanted to run.

 

The gains provided against punctures when moving from a C to an E are negligible. Unless you are literally crawling over volcanic rock on a daily basis, an E tire is probably not required. An E tire isn't going to provide additional protection against nails, screws, or anything else either. A C load range tire will provide more flex, more ability to air down properly, and a better ride on and off road. The idea that an E load range tire is better for most types of offroading is myth. It's better for towing and loads, but a C tire is rated for more than the Tundra can hold/pull anyway.

As someone else mentioned, the real challenge is going to be finding a good C load range tire in a size you want.

 

A couple of years on our fleet trucks should give a good assessment of durability. I do spend a lot time in the basalt rocks. I agree an E rated tire doesn't provide any additional protection against nails, etc. Maybe it's old school mentality (very well could be), but until I see for myself the C rated tires hold up in the rocks, I'll be using E. I'm not asserting any of this as fact, merely my anecdotal experience. The worst series of flat experiences I had was on a set of C rated tires.

 

This has been my biggest struggle so far but I have found some Wildpeaks and Toyo AT3’s in the C load range at 275/65/r18 and I believe both of those to be great options. If my thinking holds up I will likely just be buying the cheaper of two in a couple weeks.