What's everyone's opinion on either or if your not going to be hauling anything heavy?

Ride quality vs toughness?? and especially puncture resistance.

Just to qualify, I don't do much off roading and 90% of it is when i'm hunting so it certainly is nothing extreme. I'm just trying to justify if the harsher ride but extra protection is worth it or if P rating will suit most situations that I will encounter.

 

i would say a p rated tire will be fine

and if you drive smart while in the woods you should be fine

 

I love my P rated, best handling and ride tire I have had. Toyo Proxes ST ll

 

There is no hard dividing line between tires in the P series and the LT series. They are just two different rating systems. Also, a good off-road tire that is rated in the P series will have better sidewall puncture resistance than a poor off-road tire in the LT rating system. Not all tires in the LT rating system are designed to be driven off-road.

Figure out what your maximum load will be and buy tires accordingly. If you will be at maximum load less than 20% of the time then you can choose a tire that has a maximum load rating closer to your maximum load. If you are often at the maximum load then choose a tire that exceeds your maximum load by a higher percentage.

If you need more sidewall puncture resistance then buy a tire that has an armored sidewall, not one that is designed for far higher loads because traction and ride quality will suffer uneccessarily. Use the right tire for the job. There are plenty of tires in the P series that should perform admirably for the uses stated.

 

anything more then a load range C on a halfton is overkill, although many sizes you are stuck with a D or E.

 

I don't agree. The stock load C factory tires have some lower load ratings than other 4 ply. When I'm hauling a heavy trailer I want 8 or 10 ply. for sidewall stiffness. (less sway)

However back to original question, 4 is perfect for your usage.

 

most LT tires are 3 ply sidewall regardless of load range, so your theory doesnt really make sence to me. Sidewall stiffness varies more brand to brand then load range.

 

Sounds like you only need the LTs if you're going to be hauling heavy loads, so not.

I have no experience with LT tires myself. Is the ride always much higher? Also higher inflation pressure?

 

Thanks for the replies.

I think a P rated tire does seem to make more sense as I don't haul anything and most of my off road adventures would be driving on trails or fields. Besides when it comes to 18 inch tires their aren't alot of options (P rated or E rated) in the tires that I'm interested in. I had a 6 ply C rated tire on my '05 which had 17" wheels, but with 18" you are much more limited at this time.