Loads-Speeds?

Can someone give me a quick lesson on Load Range and Speed Rating? I am shopping for tires and this keeps coming up. One load is more expensive than another...blah blah blah, but I don't know the difference anyway.

Scott, the April issue of Four Wheeler magazine has a pretty decent write up on most AT, MT, etc, etc and reviews them based on the type of use. Might give you an idea on what you may want to try.

The speed rating of a tire is how fast a tire is rated for

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35

The load rating is how much weight a tire is designed to carry:

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=55

The stock FJ tires are usually a C rated tire with a speed of S or R.

Most Mud Terrain tires are usually offered in a D or E load range and are more of a heavy duty tire. The speed range is usually Q. What type of tires are you looking for and what do you need out of your tires? Due you use your FJ for towing and how much weight do you tow? These are things to take in to account when buying new tires. What size are you looking at and what type of tire do you need?

The other thing to keep in mind is that a higher load range tire (D + E) will have a much higher max pressure they can run. Many make the mistake of running 60 or 70 psi in their E range tire just because it's rated for 80psi max. The only time it should be running anything close to that is if it's hauling a maxed out load on the heavier trucks that can run them. Otherwise they take the same pressure the stock tires would take (give or take).

For example - the Goodyear Duratrac 285/75/16 only comes in Load range E. Each tire is rated to carry 3,750 lbs. That means all 4 can carry a load of 15000 lbs at 80 psi. Since our rigs are not that heavy, we wouldn't need anywhere near that 80 psi. I run mine at 35/33 - weighing about 4600 lbs.