[Black Sheep 151]

Hello!

I am a first time Diesel owner and want to put some new tires on my truck. It is a 99" F-350 with the 7.3 and I want to slip some BFG Mud Terrains under it. The size is a 315/75/16 on the stock wheel. Am I ok to run a Load Range "D" tire if i do very little hauling other than my pontoon boat on the weekends? I have already replaced the front springs with some new heavy duty leaf springs and will be adding 2 inches to the front with shackles so i am sure to clear the tire but i am not sure about the load range etc....

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Greg03PSD]

Will you have any problems running empty or lightly loaded? Most likely no. The manufacturer recommended tires are chosen so that the tires are safe when the truck is loaded all the way to its weight rating. If you are empty, you will obviously be several thousand pounds lighter than the truck's rating. You are also looking at a tire that is wider than stock, which means there is more rubber in contact with the ground than the original equipment tires - more rubber on the ground means the load on the tires is spread over a larger area on the ground, but the tire is still carrying the same weight, so you aren't really gaining anything there other than you won't sink in as deep on soft ground. I have a sports car that originally came with Z-rated tires, but it doesn't have Z-rated tires on it now. There's no need for me to spend to extra money for the speed rating when I will never drive that fast. I never drive at the speeds that would require a Z-rated tire, so I know I am safe with what I have. I also would never drive for sustained periods at speeds above the rating of the current tires. My guess is that load range is similar, and as long as you are staying within the tire manufacturers ratings, you will be fine. You can always ask the tire manufacturer or dealer what their recommendation is (which will probably be an E rated tire so that they are covered form a liability standpoint).

The only problem that you could face is overloading the tires, having a tire fail, hit someone or something, and then end up with a lawsuit on your hands if the victim wanted to pursue it - not to mention the damage or loss of your vehicle and injury to yourself.