Choosing The Right Tire for Your Light Truck
Given the many types and sizes on the market, it’s only natural to wonder what the best choice is when looking for replacement tires.
Most importantly, in order to retain the original driving and safety characteristics of your truck, it’s best to stick with manufacturer-recommended tire sizes. These are normally spelled out in a label attached to the driver’s door frame, or in the owner's manual that came with the vehicle. Tire height should stay the same, in order to avoid contact with the bodywork when the suspension is compressed and to ensure that the speedometer continues to provide accurate readings, since it’s calibrated for the original tires. Note also that a lower sidewall will give a firmer ride.
Tire sizes beginning with the letter P denote equipment for use on passenger vehicles, whereas sizes beginning with the letters LT (for “light truck”) indicate a more robust product for commercial use. Light-truck tires in a size such as LT265/70R17, for example, differ from passenger-vehicle tires – say P265/70R17 – in their stronger construction, higher inflation pressure ratings and greater load capacity. On the other hand, truck tires will obviously generate more road noise than passenger-vehicle tires.
So can you choose P-rated tires for your light truck? Yes, you can, as long as it is very rarely loaded to maximum capacity. In other words, if you use it mainly as a passenger vehicle. On the other hand, if you routinely use your pickup to carry heavy loads or tow a trailer, LT-rated tires are recommended.
Many different tires are of course available in all-season or winter versions, with both P and LT ratings.
