Pickups, full-size vans and bigger SUVs carry more weight, and a lot of them tow. Their tires come in two broad kinds. Passenger-type tires (P-metric or Euro-metric) are built like car tires and ride quietly. LT tires have stiffer construction, run at higher pressures and carry more weight, and their sidewalls stand up better to cuts and impacts.
Most half-ton pickups and crossovers come on passenger-type tires. Three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks, and plenty of work vans, need LT tires in the right load range. We read your placard and order a tire that carries at least what the original did.
Tread patterns run from quiet highway tires to all-terrains and mud-terrains. A more aggressive tread usually means more noise and shorter tread life on pavement, so pick for how you drive most weeks, not for the one trip a year up north.
What they do well
Load range
LT tires are rated C, D, E and up. A higher load range means a stronger casing that runs at higher pressure and carries more weight. E is common on three-quarter-ton and one-ton trucks.
Tougher sidewalls
Heavier construction in the sidewall resists cuts and bruises from gravel, curbs and job sites.
Tread choice
Highway tread for quiet and mileage, all-terrain for mixed use, mud-terrain for real off-road. Some all-terrains carry the three-peak mountain snowflake; many don't.
Best for
- Half-ton, three-quarter-ton and one-ton pickups
- Work vans and trucks that carry tools or materials every day
- Towing trailers, boats and campers
- SUVs that see gravel and dirt roads on the way to the cottage
- Contractors and small fleets running heavy loads around the city
Trade-offs
- LT tires ride firmer than passenger tires and can cost you some fuel economy.
- Aggressive all-terrain and mud-terrain treads are louder on the highway and wear faster on pavement.
- An all-terrain with the snowflake symbol is decent in snow, but it isn't a winter tire on ice.
- Going taller than stock can throw the speedometer off and may not clear at full lock.
Load range and road salt
Two things wear out truck tires early around here. One is the wrong load range: a work truck loaded every day on passenger-type tires, or LT tires run at car pressures. Heavy-duty trucks often list different front and rear pressures on the placard, so check both. The other is salt. Toronto's road salt corrodes wheels, lug studs and TPMS sensors, and corrosion where the tire seals against the rim is a common cause of slow leaks in winter. Cleaning and resealing the bead usually fixes it.
