Weigh Stations and tires

[DieselFiend]

This is something I've always wanted to know. Soon I'll be dropping some cash on some tires. I occasionally tow a 7K travel trailer during the summer with about 730LBS on the tongue. I'm considering D rated tires because they come in the size that I'd like and I have no idea how much my axle weighs with the trailer on it to make sure I'll be within the limits of the D rated tire. How would I find out my axle weight? Can I just roll through the weigh station on the freeway to find out?

 

[TRLRTRSH]

some I've seen on the west (left) coast say NO PICK-UPS, Although if the station is closed some I've seen leave the scales on so if you scale your truck you can walk back and see the weigth through a window!!

Better yet find a CAT SCALE near you. They do not cost that much, maybe $8, it's been a while and you will have a record for your truck.



Bill

 

[B.G. Smith]

Best bet is to go to a truck stop where they have scales, they can weigh you and give you weight of each. Unless you know someone at one of the weight stations on the highway, I wouldn't go there. bg

 

[Crunch]

Better yet find a CAT SCALE near you. They do not cost that much, maybe $8, it's been a while and you will have a record for your truck.

I agree. I use Cat Scales all the time ($8. 50 in Texas). Plus, they advertise that if you get a ticket because the weight's wrong they'll pay the fine. I doubt they would pay for a pickup, though because the load probably doesn't have a seal on it.

Why are you set on the D range tire size? If you're towing or hauling a lot of weight the benefits of E range tires outweigh any downside. I also got 60,000 miles on mine, and never had a flat or other tire problem. I've never had performance like that from any other tire in my life.

 

[Grizzly]

Why are you set on the D range tire size? If you're towing or hauling a lot of weight the benefits of E range tires outweigh any downside. I also got 60,000 miles on mine, and never had a flat or other tire problem. I've never had performance like that from any other tire in my life.

Do you have ST or LT range E tires? What brand?

 

[Crunch]

Do you have ST or LT range E tires? What brand?

I have the Michelin LTX A/S E range. Those were the tires that were on the truck when I bought it new, and I replaced them with the same because they performed so well. Incredibly smooth-riding road tire. I also attribute my good fuel economy to them, in part. The only thing I don't like about them is they really suck on wet grass and mud with the truck being so heavy. If you park in the grass and it rains later, good luck getting out without rocking back and forth. 95% of my driving is on-road, and most of that is highway driving. Off-road on dry terrain they work fine. I wouldn't use them if my truck were a farm truck. Not sure how they compare in price to other tires, but a new set of 4 was about $700, out the door.

 

[tomg]

I agree with CRUNCH, why fool around with "D" rated tires,go with "E" rated and be safer with no worries. I'll get probably 80,000 on my orginals,58,000 now.

 

[Grizzly]

I have the Michelin LTX A/S E range. Those were the tires that were on the truck when I bought it new, and I replaced them with the same because they performed so well. Incredibly smooth-riding road tire. I also attribute my good fuel economy to them, in part. The only thing I don't like about them is they really suck on wet grass and mud with the truck being so heavy. If you park in the grass and it rains later, good luck getting out without rocking back and forth. 95% of my driving is on-road, and most of that is highway driving. Off-road on dry terrain they work fine. I wouldn't use them if my truck were a farm truck. Not sure how they compare in price to other tires, but a new set of 4 was about $700, out the door.

Your talking about tires on your truck, I thought the topic was trailer tires.

 

[BHolm]

I understood that he was talking about the truck tires. I think the concern was if he went to a larger than stock size, many of which are D not E rated, would he be over the tires rated capacity.



This is a VERY slippery slope, we have been down it a bunch of times.



I have run 285/70-17 D rated BFG's and now Goodyears on my trucks for years. I have experience with three sets, on three different trucks. I used one of the trucks to haul commercially, and two mostly for personal use. I have pulled big loads back and forth cross country and through the rockies regularly.



MY OPINION on the subject is that a 285 D tire will carry pretty much the same wieght (within 100lbs a tire) as a stock sized 265 E tire. This is going by the ratings stamped on the tires sidewall. That is what will matter if you are ever stopped by the DOT. They do not care what the letter designation is, just that the tires are rated to carry the load. I completely agree with that method. I hear all kinds of stories about how an E tire is so much more stable. That simply has not been my experience. I have been over 22k gross through the rockies many times on D tires and never felt an instability, just my experiences.



Now if they made the tires I want, either the BFG AT or the new Wrangler AT ProGrade in a 285 E I would buy them. They don't, I don't care for the other choices out there as I also want a winter rated (snowflake on the mountain sidewall symbol) tire for my climate. Those two tires fit the bill for me, so that is what I run.



Now brace yourself for the tirade against D rated tires#@$%! Fact is, the ONLY thing that matters is the tires wieght rating matching the load you want to carry. I also reccomend a truck stop scale, never, never pull into a state scale unless you are asked to do so. Those guys are absolute pros at finding SOMETHING wrong with a truck. They love to write tickets that generate revenue and justify their existence. It would almost certainly be a bad experience.

 

[Crunch]

Now brace yourself for the tirade against D rated tires#@$%! Fact is, the ONLY thing that matters is the tires wieght rating matching the load you want to carry.

No tirade from me. Until this truck all my tires have been D rated. But I do disagree with you that the "only thing that matters is the tire's weight rating matching the load. " You have to go with what works for you, and to me durability and longevity are just as important. Higher tire pressures mean greaster resistance to punctures, and the E rating means longer life under the same conditions. I keep my tires at between 80-85psi and have never had a flat or tire related problem. The ride is still comfortable. If people have a specific need for a tire, such as a winter-rated tire then by all means they should go with what they need.

 

[msperos]

Higher tire pressures mean greaster resistance to punctures, and the E rating means longer life under the same conditions.

Sounds great whats a GREASTER

 

[Crunch]

Sounds great whats a GREASTER

A greaster is the reservoir used to lubricate the air in the tires. It's as essential as muffler bearings and blinker fluid, but most people never check it until they have a problem, and by then it's a very expensive repair. :-laf

 

[msperos]

A greaster is the reservoir used to lubricate the air in the tires. It's as essential as muffler bearings and blinker fluid, but most people never check it until they have a problem, and by then it's a very expensive repair. :-laf

Very niceOo. Oo.

 

[SNoyes]

I also disagree that the "only thing that matters is the tire's weight rating matching the load. " Why would they bother to make different load range tires then if they were only concerned with the weight they could handle? But for purposes of the DOT they will look at your load rating. And it is not a function of your total weight, but what weight you have on each axle. I have seen pickups that were well within their weight capabilites but had an axle over the weight rating. Some states, if not most, will impound the vehicle if caught.

 

[HGreen]

A couple of other places to get weighed - local landfill if they scale loads and the local gravel quarry. I've had both do it for free and will weigh by individual axle if you ask nicely. Pull the front axle up on the scale, then pull up until the next axle is added, great to find out how balanced your load is. You can also drop the trailer and weigh the empty truck.

 

[DieselFiend]

Thanks for all the input. From what I understand, E rated tires have more plies in the sidewall. 10 as opposed to 8 with a D rated tire. Take some of my brief research as an example. BF Goodrich makes an A/T in a 305/65/R17 which is an E rated tire. It's rated at 3195lbs per tire at 65PSI. The D rated 315/70/R17 is rated at 3195 at 50PSI. They are both rated for the same weight just at different PSI. I would most certainly get better life and milage out of the E rated 305 tire because it offers less rolling resistance at a higher PSI.

 

[nickleinonen]

I would most certainly get better life and milage out of the E rated 305 tire because it offers less rolling resistance at a higher PSI.

not necessarily. . if you run full pressures that the sidewall rating shows, you may not get great tire wear. . 305/65 on an 8" wheel is going to crown the tire quite a bit. . will wear the tire down the middle of the tread much quicker than the outer edges. i can see that on my 315's and i am running 42psi front/38psi rear. . i need to drop the pressures more to get more even tire wear

 

[BHolm]

They DO NOT have more plies in the sidewall or anywhere else. That is a carry over from the days of bias ply tires when they actually did have more or less plys in the tire to alter carrying capacity. Most of the street tread tires have a 2 ply sidewall, some of the heavier duty AT or MT tires will go with a three ply for added puncture resistence off road.



The post about running higher pressures to avoid punctures..... interesting, no real baisis to that claim but interesting. Have you ever tried to puncture a half filled balloon? They give, and are tougher to puncture than a balloon filled up until it is hard. How many off roaders do you know that run 80-85 psi off road to avoid punctures? I'll help, none, because you drop the pressure, down to 10-15 lbs at times so the tires will wrap themselves around sharp objects without puncturing.



Better gas milage and longer tread life may be benefits, but I think that is more specific to the tire than the load rating

 

[Crunch]

The post about running higher pressures to avoid punctures..... interesting, no real baisis to that claim but interesting. Have you ever tried to puncture a half filled balloon? They give, and are tougher to puncture than a balloon filled up until it is hard. How many off roaders do you know that run 80-85 psi off road to avoid punctures? I'll help, none, because you drop the pressure, down to 10-15 lbs at times so the tires will wrap themselves around sharp objects without puncturing.

I first heard of running higher pressures years ago when I was noticing a lot of flats on my bicycle. I think the off road tires are designed for lower pressure because they are generally run at lower speeds than on road tire. The sharp objects are usually larger off road, such as rocks while debris on the roads tends to be things like nails. The higher pressures help deflect the nail or other object for the fraction of a second that it is contact with the rubber. Higher pressures also help you keep from rolling the bead when turning at higher speeds.

 

[tgordon]

Depending upon where you are you could also try a local grain elevator. they make no claims about paying tickets, but are inspected and verified by the Department of Agriculture quite often. Dads local elevator leaves his scales on all night and they have a 3" outdoor display, I have gone down there to weight my truck at night and for the regulars they would likely do it fro free.



Off-raod tires are designed for lower pressures and they are easy to roll off the bead at that pressure(Never done it myself, but seen plenty off showoffs do it). I wounder it the problem you were having with the bike tires was air leaks on the sidewall where higher pressures would push out for a tighter fit. In high school I took a consumer auto class and we had to make a hole in a tire and then plug it and that is much easier to do with a well inflated tire than a lower inflation tire.



IMHO if you are worried look into a 19. 5 and jump into a F+ rated tire, then you only have to worry about overloading the truck and getting cought.



Troy