I've done alot of reading, along with talking to several different tire dealers and have what I believe is the right answer for me, but wanted to get the thoughts of other F-150 drivers. I am replacing the P rated 255 70 16's on my 1999 XLT SC 4x2, they came on the truck when I got it. The door sticker calls for a P rated tire, but this thing weighs 6000 lbs. I primarily drive highway miles, but also haul a boat, and often loads of 1000-1500 lbs. The squirley feeling you get going into a turn with a full load on a soft sidewall passenger tire designed for a comfortable ride can be a little unsettling. I like the idea of a C or D range LT that ups the load capcity by 500 lbs or so per tire along with the stiffer sidewall, and allows me to run 45 to 50 psi in the tires for perhaps a touch better gas mileage. The D range tire has a max PSI of 65 cold. I'm aware that the ride will suffer a bit, but its a TRUCK for gawd sakes, not a Town Car. The B. F. Goodrich Radial Long Trail TA I'm looking at comes in both P and LT tires and I'm really leaning toward a set of D range LT's. Price mounted balanced, stainless stems, lifetime rotations, etc... out the door is $560. TalK me out of them?

 

1 vote for LT. LT stands for light truck....f150's are light trucks. do the math

 

I just ordered the BFG Long Trail T/A Touring for the SUV. We use it mostly as a car. Very light hauling and limited towing. The size is 245/70R16.
I paid $514 'Out The Door' at Costco. I am sure it is a P rated tire, not an LT.
I got everything you did except for the Stainless stems.
I did a lot of research. I think these are great tires for the $. You paid a little more for a bigger size and LT rated. Still very reasonable.
I will have ours mounted in a week or 2. I think we will be very happy with the BFG's.
Great choice!

 

x2

 

As you tow and carry heavy loads, get an LT tire. LR C or D. E is overkill, but not uncommon to use. With the LT tire you will find that the vehicle corners better and handles loads better. You will find a slightly harsher ride.
One thing to remember is that the tire pressure will need to be raised higher for LT tires. The door tag pressure will no longer be valid.
As an example, your door sticker states 35 psi for the P series (probably max for the tire), if you run an LT LR C with a max of 50, you should run 40 psi. A LR D or E would be higher. Even LR D and E tires may be different amongst them depending upon max pressure (D = Max 50 or 65, E = max 65 or 80).

 

All good responses and apperciated. I'm heading down to have the LT "D" range tires installed this morning. As I recall the max on these was 65 psi. I'll probably try 42 front 45 rear and see how they feel when running empty. Certainly will go up when hauling or carrying a load. I just can't believe that our trucks come with "P" rated tires, but the tire dealers I spoke with, including one Ford service director said it comes down to a comfy ride sells more trucks. They also indicated that for the past 10 or more years most trucks have been used like cars anyway. All that being said, I'm glad I looked into this issue a little more, and didn't just blindly replace what was on the truck. Pays to ask questions!

 

I would not run them at 2 different pressures. Remember when empty, the front always has more weight on it. Except for when accelerating when some weight shifts to the rear. 45 all the way around should be plenty, even for most loads. May want to increase a little if carrying really heavy loads, but you will probably never need more than 50.

 

45 all the way around is what I'll request. Why does the door sticker suggest two different pressures? P rated tire call for 29 front/32 rear?

 

29 and 32! My truck came with P rated and the recommended all around was 35, the max. Those tires must have a high load rating for a P series, although what is on the sidewall is not the correct value when used on a light truck. It is about 10% less than the value shown.