Won't E rated tire ride be significantly rougher & drop MPGs a bit?

Tired of the black TSS rims on my 21 tundra. Trying to decide between 17,18,20’s for wheels. Plan for now is to just level the front and go with a tire that's just slightly larger than stock. Stock is 275/55r20. Plan was to get 18’s but all i can find are E rated tires. The 275/70r18 looks like a size id like to go with but nothing available less than E rated. Won't the E rated tire ride be significantly rougher & drop mpg’s a bit? I can get some 17’s size 285/70r17 that are 4 ply rated or there are a couple options with the 20’s but i prefer the look of 17-18’s.

 

275/60/20 is another option if you go with 20's again. non E rated tires, and a very popular size. I'm an 18 guy, but just trying to help. 275/70/18 and up are hard to find that aren't E rated. I think general grabber has that size without E rating, but I don't know much about them. tiresizechart.com is helpful. It's not about the E rated tire that hurts fuel, its that the tires are heavier. I have 295/70/18 michelin defenders on my truck...amazing tires, and it's a non aggressive tire, but I took a decent hit on fuel mileage

 

The new Nitto Recon Grappler has some 17 and 18's that are not E rated.

 

Im not sure what these stock 20’s weigh but ill see if i can find out. Id like 18’s but only a couple tire options that arent E rated and i dont need an E rated tire.

 

Thanks for the info i like the look of those

 

Unfortunately, installing larger tires on a Tundra most often means moving to E load tires. Tundra does not need E load, the SL rating provides enough capacity for anything the tundra can do including hauling/towing.

There are + and - to E load. Tuff for sure, do handle hauling and towing better, better off road durability but they are stiffer and ride firmer, also heavier as discussed above.

Just a few tires available in SL load in sizes that are bigger and work well with Tundras, 18/20 wheels, some more load choices if moving to 17s but there are also considerations with wheels that small- some work, some dont and your installer need to be careful about wheel weight placement.

Research! Tirerack, discount tire have good sites where you can easily browse tires, filter by size, load, cost, etc. SL tires are out there just not many in larger than stock sizes.

275/70-18 is a great size on a Tundra. May be a tire or two in SL load, most will be E. This size works on stock trucks with no issues and they are large enough where they still look good with a couple inches of lift. I run that size, ran it stock and now lifted, E load. Expect MPG to drop about 1 MPG with them vs the stock tires in SL load. Even moving to a stock size AT, SL load you will drop MPG a bit due to the more aggressive tread. MPG drop is part of the deal when installing more aggressive tires on a vehicle.

 

Yes 285/70r17 has over a dozen SL tire options or load D as well and is 32.75” about. There is also 285/75r17 with some SL options at 33.75”. With aftermarket 25mm offset 17” this would be a lightweight setup with minimal if any rubbing issues for both sizes. Ride with SL on 17” would be close to stock as well.

 

I run load f on my tundra. No issues. This truck isn’t a Cadillac to begin with.

This is the only way the tires I wanted were offered. Personally I wouldn’t limit my choice of tire based on load rating.

 

E range are a plus if you're towing. The ride difference is very minimal to me, but I'm a truck guy. If I wanted a Cadillac ride I would buy a Cadillac.

 

Don't underestimate a Tundra,

 

I have E rated 285/60 R20 Defenders and they corner way better than stock. No rub with Limited wheels either. Just do it man! I tow but don’t really need them. I wanted them.

 

I didn't love the ride of my D range BFGs. Went to Michelins thinking it was a BFG thing.

I had vibration problems with load E Michelins 275/70r18

Ended up going back to a P rated 275/60r20

Between the P rated tires and new rack bushings, vibration seems pretty much solved.

The ride quality itself did not bother me with the E rated tires. The truck rode well, except for the steering shake that started promptly at 60mph.

 

Yes.