Tire ratings

[phearless]

Anybody out there know anything about tires?
I aquired a '95 Dodge Cummins this spring and it has " P " rated tires.
They are 16" 245R16P or something like that.
The sidewalls seem very soft.
I am thinking these are passenger tires?
They seem O.K. when the truck is empty, inadequate with a load.
Oh ya 35psi cold hmmmmmm that should be a tip off I guess.

[professori]

"P" is a passenger car rating. You should have "LT" or light truck on that Dodge at the very least.

[phearless]

So that is what I was thinking.
I have a set of TA Trail Radials for the summer.
These are a good winter tread.
I never thought to look at the rating.
They were brand new when I bought it.
Crap.

[professori]

So that is what I was thinking.
I have a set of TA Trail Radials for the summer.
These are a good winter tread.
I never thought to look at the rating.
They were brand new when I bought it.
Crap.

They should be OK for your trip down here. You aren't carrying the camper are you? That would be my only concern.

[Rick Baerg]

They are probably winter tires!! I think the only "P" rated tire made in that size would be a winter tire. Those tires would only be rated for a max pressure of 35LBS!! Great for the winter!!

[Ian C]

This is a good site for tire info. http://www.tirerack.com/index_w.jsp

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=46

P = When a tire size begins with a "P," it signifies the tire is a "P-metric" size that was designed to be fitted on vehicles that are primarily used as passenger vehicles. This includes cars, minivans, sport utility vehicles and light duty pickup trucks (typically 1/4- and 1/2-ton load capacity). The use of P-metric sizes began in the late 1970s and they are the most frequently used type of tire size today.


LT = If a tire size begins with "LT," it signifies the tire is a "Light Truck-metric" size that was designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo or towing large trailers. This includes medium and heavy-duty (typically 3/4- and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles and full-size vans. Tires branded with the "LT" designation are the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.



LT = If a tire ends with "LT," it signifies the tire is either an earlier "Numeric", "Wide Base" or "Flotation" Light Truck size designed to be used on vehicles that are capable of carrying heavy cargo and towing trailers (Numeric sizes), use 16.5-inch diameter rims (Wide Base sizes) or are wider, oversized tires designed to help the vehicle drive on top of loose dirt or sandy surfaces (Flotation sizes). This includes light, medium and heavy-duty (typically 1/2-, 3/4 and 1-ton load capacity) pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles. Tires branded with the "LT" at the end of their size designation are also the "little brothers" of 18-wheel tractor-trailer tires and are designed to provide substantial reserve capacity to accept the additional stresses of carrying heavy cargo.

[eimaj]

The other thing to watch is load rating. Most diesels chould have at least a 'D' rating but better an 'E' rating on them. It really just comes down to knowing your load and truck.