I recently got a set of michelin's LT-225/75 R-16 brand new super cheap. I have 2001 F-150 scab with Goodyear 235/70 R-16 less than 7000 miles on the truck and the tires are like new. My original plan was to sell the michelins and make a nice profit, but I was looking on the side wall of the Michelins and see that they are rated higher psi and load than the factory tires so now I'm thinking of putting them on my truck. I don't really know what the numbers mean 225 vs 235; 75 vs 70. Would this be a good move or would I be happier with a wider tire? I plan on doing a little towing not any hauling to speak of. I have a rear sway bar, how would the Lt ride compared to the original tires?TIA
J.J.

 

The LT tires will be a little taller the number are width in millimeters (235/225), sidewall aspect ratio to the width (70/75) and the wheel size (16). LT (Light Truck) tires will be a little "stiffer" and will make the ride a little harsher than the stock tires which on most of our trucks are really just a form of Passenger tires to make the trucks ride a lot smoother for the comfort corner of the market. Some people do not like to drive trucks that feel like trucks.

The LT tires will have a higher load rating, thus the higher Max. PSI which should be used when you are hauling or towing heavier loads or prefer a "stiffer" ride. Note that if you use the LT tires the door tire PSI ratings will no longer apply; but you may want to use the PSI ratio (around 70% I think) for ride comfort.

With the new tires you have they are approximately 1% larger and will throw your speedo off just a little (it should be registering a little slower than you are actually going by about 1% - very minimal)... Just FYI

Hope that helps.

 

fwiw - most OEM speedos read 2-5% fast. Their lawyers make them do it - imagine the number of lawsuits arising from speedos reading 10% slow! The odometers, OTOH, are usually very accurate. If the tires are 2% larger then you are probably correcting the speedo and making the odometer read a little slow. Not a bad way of keeping mileage off your truck.

 

I'm considering a move to Michelin LT245/75R16 tires to replace my Goodyear AP P255/70R16 on stock aluminum 16 x 7J rims. I tow a 30ft travel trailer at approximatley 5000 lbs, so the extra sidewall stability is a plus to me and not a detractor to the everyday ride. I went to a local tire shop this weekend and he stated my rims could not handle the high pressure tire. He said the valve stems would blow out. Although he was the general manager of the shop, I will visit another Michelin dealer because he also said he tows an 8000 lb trailer behind his F-150 with P metric tires. I don't think that's too smart considering the gross tow rating for most F-150s is approximately 7000 lbs. Has anyone had problems going to LT tires with stock Ford rims? Does anyone run LT tires with less than the sidewall pressure?

Wish I could find Michelins "Super Cheap"!!!!


'98 F-150 XLT SuperCab 4.6Litre
Optional Tow Package
K&N filter, ARE bed cap

 

I have Michelin LTX AT LT265/75R16's on stock 16x7" rims. That is a C load rated, 50psi max tire. At 35psi they have a real good ride, but they would squeal once in a while on hard turns. At 40 psi everything is firmed up, no squeal on hard turns. The front tires still looked like they had alittle squish in them, mostly due to engine weight, so I pump the front up to 44psi now. The rear I pump up to 50psi only when fully loaded. Never had any stem or leakage problems.

The LT245/75R16 is a E load rated, 80psi max tire. Wouldn't think it would be a problem on stock rims.

 

Good advice Sagittarius. Did you increase your tire diameter when you went to these tires and how did you adjust for that? My stock tires are 30". The E rated LT245/75R16 do seem a little overkill for me, but at 30.7" they are closer to my stock tire diameter.

 

Tire diameter increased to 31.9" On my 99 I had to have the dealer reprogram the computer as if I had an ORP with 265/70R17's to correct the speedometer. On your 98 you could just replace the speedo gear if you wanted to, about $10. NOt sure what size you would use, but it's on this site somewhere. Do a search.

 

Say Friends,
For all that want to know how the different sizes affect all this stuff. Go to a good search engine -- (I highly suggest Google (google.com) ) Type in "tire size calculator" -- you will get several to pick from. I found a great one at (hate to say this) at a dodge dakota site -- lets you calculate from what was on the truck -- and compare it the size you are going to. -- Good luck!