Tire question

[BassCan]

Okay preparing our 2007 Surburban 1500 LS for the long tow home with our 2014 EB 27.
We have changed transmission fluid,replaced serpent belt, replaced spark plugs and spark plug wires and are now looking to purchase a set of tires for our tow vehicle. Do we need to up grade to a seven or eight ply tires? More load on the car would need stronger tires??

[Jammer]

What tires do you have now? Have you weighed your rig? How much weight on the rear axle?

[r carl]

I think 6ply rated minimum.

[SteveH]

An "XL" load range tire will usually carry more weight than a "C" (6 ply) rated tire.

[BassCan]

Trailer weighs about 6900 , hitch about 885 plus propride3. I know that the Surburban is marginal as a tow vehicle for our Eddie Bauer 27. But it will have to do for now till I can swing for a 2500 truck with tow package. Just trying to optimize everything prior to getting our EB.

[BassCan]

We have a four ply on the Surburban at this time. Looking at tires today. Michelin has a 10 ply, E rated. 70,000 miles warranty. Is this overkill?

[waltb]

I'd go with the Michelins, I don't think they are overkill, tires on the TV very important too. I have Michelin 10 ply on my Tundra and they are great for towing.

[Jackstincan]

I put a set of Michelin LTX AT2 e on my 2002 suburban z71 25k miles ago. It made a big improvement to the stability when towing. The tires have been very impressive in rain , snow , hwy driving etc. Big improvement over the oem tires .

The trade off is a slightly rougher ride on bumps but well worth it


I probably will try the LTX m/s next time to improve the Mpgs but it looks like I have a lot a miles before I will need new tires.

[jcanavera]

Your Suburban curb weight is 5,607 lbs. Its rated to carry 7,200 max. So figure your passenger load, fuel weight and the hitch weight (note if you use a properly adjusted weight distributing hitch you will be adding about 450 lbs to the Suburban which will be distributed over two axles), you will see if your tow vehicle stays within the 7,200 gross of the Suburban. Technically replacing your tires with the same rated tires that came on your Suburban new should be ample.

Quite honestly it's more a feel good issue and if you will rest better, you can probably go to an E rated LT tire. If you are thinking about trading in the near future, I'd replace with a tire rated the same as your existing tires.

Jack

[willapus]

When I changed to an "e" rated tire on my 2002 sequoia it made a big difference in regards to minimizing sway, however the every day ride was harsh even with the tires deflated to 50 psi. It felt like I had wagon wheels on it. I think that the minimum psi for the e rated tires are much higher than that of the regular p rated tire. I have since switched to a 2005 sequoia that has a wider stance and my sway concerns are gone even with the standard smooth riding standard p rated tires. My tire size also changed from 245/75 r16 to 265/65 r17, which is a lower profile tire and less prone to sidewall deflection. So I would think that your stock size tire would be ok if it has a ratio of 65 or less, but I would air them up to max psi. I tow at 45psi.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Your Suburban curb weight is 5,607 lbs. Its rated to carry 7,200 max. So figure your passenger load, fuel weight and the hitch weight (note if you use a properly adjusted weight distributing hitch you will be adding about 450 lbs to the Suburban which will be distributed over two axles), you will see if your tow vehicle stays within the 7,200 gross of the Suburban. Technically replacing your tires with the same rated tires that came on your Suburban new should be ample.

Quite honestly it's more a feel good issue and if you will rest better, you can probably go to an E rated LT tire. If you are thinking about trading in the near future, I'd replace with a tire rated the same as your existing tires.

Jack

Hi, I thought that I would be alone on this, but my Lincoln, with factory tow package, was rated with the "P" tires that came on it. It has worked fine for me for nine years and many thousands of miles while towing. My Lincoln has a GVWR of 7,000 lbs, a tow rating of 8,900 lbs, GCWR of 15,000 lbs, and my trailer has a GVWR of 6,300 lbs.

[CapriRacer]

Originally Posted by BassCan

Okay preparing our 2007 Surburban 1500 LS for the long tow home with our 2014 EB 27.
We have changed transmission fluid,replaced serpent belt, replaced spark plugs and spark plug wires and are now looking to purchase a set of tires for our tow vehicle. Do we need to up grade to a seven or eight ply tires? More load on the car would need stronger tires??

First, you need to check your vehicle for the vehicle tire placard - and if I remember correctly, Chevy applies theirs on the driver's doorpost. That will list the original tire size and the proper inflation pressure for that size - and so long as you are towing within the limitations given by the vehicle manufacturer, that combination (size and pressure) is adequate.

Second, the number of plies is NOT an indication of strength. For example, over the road truck tires use a single body ply. It is made of steel and these tires are inflated to over 100 psi and carry thousands of pounds.

Besides, the standard construction for both passenger car tires and light truck tires is 2 body plies of polyester and 2 steel belts. There are variations of this where some tire manufacturers use a nylon cap ply or 2 - and, tires with cap plies are generally better (but strength isn't what those cap plies are about.) If given the choice, get a tire with cap plies.

According Tire Guides, your vehicle came with either P265/70R17's inflated to 30 psi, or P275/55R20's inflated to 32 psi, or P265/65R18's inflated to 30 psi (Off Road Package).

Those are all P metric tires (all Standard Load). I would not recommend using an LT tires (that only come in Load Ranges - C, D, etc) because they would require higher inflation pressures to carry the same load.

And lastly, many folks get confused about the term "ply". There was an old term, "Ply Rating", that was replaced by the term "Load Range" because of the confusion. Some folks can't seem to get their head around both the fact that things have changed and that the number of plies is not longer relevant.

[pappy19]

I would never tow with P rated tires, it's a gamble that I won't take. LT tires in a minimum of D rated (8 ply) but E rated are the best IMHO. Maybe if you are a "minimalist" and tow with a Chrysler 300, a P rated tire will do fine, but in a 1/2 ton + truck, LT tires should be first on your list. I personally prefer Michelins, but there are some good LT tires out there as well from other manufacturers.

[r carl]

Originally Posted by pappy19

I would never tow with P rated tires, it's a gamble that I won't take. LT tires in a minimum of D rated (8 ply) but E rated are the best IMHO. Maybe if you are a "minimalist" and tow with a Chrysler 300, a P rated tire will do fine, but in a 1/2 ton + truck, LT tires should be first on your list. I personally prefer Michelins, but there are some good LT tires out there as well from other manufacturers.

Right, P rated tires don't belong on a work truck.