Tires - tow vehicle

[calindor]

Lots of talk about tires, but I didn't see anything about tires for your tow vehicle.

At the last eggNOG I attended, someone mentioned that tires with a stiffer sidewall on our tow vehicle would help with sway control. I know this is true for the trailer itself, but as anyone experienced this on the tug itself?

FYI, we are pulling with a Ford Ranger and will get getting new tires soon. LT's, of course, but I wonder if there is something specific or special we should be considering.

Thanks!
Clayton & Gina

[Jared J]

Absolutely. I went from p's (I think any manufacturer that puts p-rated tires on a pickup should be beaten), to load range E LT's. HUGE difference. I always run the highest load range available.

As long as you aren't worried about ride (personally I don't think it changed that much), I would do the same. You should be able to get into a load range D for a ranger, I would think.

[calindor]

Ok.... "LT" and "Load Range D" for the rear tires...

Any experience mixing load range front to back?
Do you think the front tires need to match the load range or would softer work for a more comfortable ride up front?

[Mike Magee]

Tire places generally recommend buying the same tires all the way around whenever possible, for proper handling.

Besides stiffer sidewalls, another helpful factor would be lower sidewalls. Going to a lower profile tire gives the tire less ability to 'squirm' side to side, too. I've read of some people who went to larger rims with same-diameter tires to get the shorter sidewalls.

[Jared J]

Yep, run the same tires all around, if for no other reason than rotating them.

[honda03842]

Our Honda came with Bridgestone radials before we started towing and we have stuck with them. Honda recommends 26 psi all around, we tow with 36 psi on the fronts and 40 psi on the rears with the intent of stiffening the side walls.

We have tried no other tires on our tow vehicle because they seem to work, never a failure other than a couple of nails over 9 years of ownership.

For the record we have used two sets of Goodyear Marathons on our various trailers. We keep them for about three years and replace them, about the same interval as the tow vehicle. Normally the tow vehicle's tires are pretty worn down after there years, tread gone. The trailer tires typically have plenty of tread after 3 years.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by calindor

Ok.... "LT" and "Load Range D" for the rear tires...

Any experience mixing load range front to back?
Do you think the front tires need to match the load range or would softer work for a more comfortable ride up front?

Tow vehicle as yet unidentified....that makes a difference as to type, etc. What's the tug, and what tires did the manufacturer put on it?

Francesca

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Tow vehicle as yet unidentified....that makes a difference as to type, etc. What's the tug, and what tires did the manufacturer put on it?

Francesca

It's a ranger. They can definitely get lt's, and at least load range c, probably d, although likely harder to find.

[calindor]

Originally Posted by calindor

FYI, we are pulling with a Ford Ranger and will get getting new tires soon. LT's, of course, but I wonder if there is something specific or special we should be considering.

Thanks!
Clayton & Gina

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

Tow vehicle as yet unidentified....that makes a difference as to type, etc. What's the tug, and what tires did the manufacturer put on it?

Francesca

Ford Ranger, Francesca. Not sure what the mfg had on it as it was my wife's before we met... a few sets of tires ago. ...but as I have found, and other people have shared, the mfg often does not provide the vehicle with the best tires anyways. As long as we go with what suites our purpose now, we should be good! Which is why I am spending the time to research this online, talk to a couple tire places, and talk to people here to see what their experiences have been.

Jared makes a really good point about keeping them the same just for the purposes of rotating, not to mention other handling characteristics.

[Jared J]

My pickup is rated to 9600 lbs towing, and came with p245/75/17 Bridgestone deulers that were like plastic. They were dangerous in the rain, and downright scary on ice. I had cruise control on and set it sideways in light rain a few weeks after I got it. I got stuck at level intersections. I don't have much faith in the oem putting proper tires on a vehicle, they get what's cheap for the class of most vehicles on here. I put 30k miles on those tires with almost zero wear. I got scared again, had them taken off and made them drill holes in the sidewall so they couldn't be sold to anybody else.

I switched to lt 265/70/17 load range e nitto dura grapplers. 30,000 miles, easily half tread yet, fair traction for a highway tire, and 100x better towing or with a load.

[Francesca Knowles]

What year is the Ranger?

I ask because (among others) we have a 1978, and at that time the Ranger was still available as a "heavy-half"- sort of a cross between a half and a three-quarter ton. That truck's set up for considerable weight bearing, but in more recent years it's been downsized some.

Francesca

[Brian B-P]

In addition to the year, it would help to know what version of the Ranger this is - at least 2WD or 4WD, and ideally what version (engine, "Sport", etc.). The Ranger has been in production for a long time with few major changes but lots of equipment variations, so there are lots of tire - and even wheel - choices, but any choice needs to be appropriate for the specific vehicle.

Part of that choice is ensuring adequate load capacity. Many stock tire sizes for 4WD light trucks and SUVs are so large that they have more than enough capacity at low pressure, and a higher load range has little practical purpose.

Although sidewall stiffness is a side effect of the reinforcement required for a higher load range, that's not how tire manufacturers make tires have more lateral stiffness. As already mentioned, lower sidewalls is the primary method, but there are also construction details, which may not be available in a high-load-range tire.

[Jared J]

Lower side walls = new wheels and likely not lt's Yeah, I know that's slightly general.

[Francesca Knowles]

As a beginning point, I'd be happy just to know if we're talking about an original Ford Ranger, as applied to the fullsized pickups, or one of the smaller Rangers that Ford brought out as a replacement for the Courier, beginning in 1983.


Pre 1983 F 150 Ford Ranger

Post 1983 Ford Ranger:

If it's the latter, transmission info would be great too, since the manual tranny units' tow capacity is in many cases about half of those with auto transmissions.



Francesca

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

As a beginning point, I'd be happy just to know if we're talking about an original Ford Ranger, as applied to the fullsized pickups, or one of the smaller Rangers that Ford brought out as a replacement for the Courier, beginning in 1983.

Good catch, Francesca. I assumed the compact Ranger, but of course your 1978 '"heavy half" would be the Ranger trim of the F-series, not the compact, and it matters which one needs tires.

[841K9]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

If it's the latter, transmission info would be great too, since the manual tranny units' tow capacity is in many cases about half of those with auto transmissions.



Francesca

The lowered rating is Ford's attempt to prevent stupid and expensive warranty clutch repairs from dumb owners who can't drive a standard transmission.

[Jared J]

I don't get all the questions. They wanted to know if a stiffer sidewall will help stop sway, and the answer is yes. 99% of the time, a higher load range will have stiffer sidewalls.

It doesn't matter what the transmission is. Changing tire height means changing wheels, or gearing, or calibrating the speedometer, which is $$$ either way.

Simple answer = get the highest possible load range LT you can.

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by 841K9

The lowered rating is Ford's attempt to prevent stupid and expensive warranty clutch repairs from dumb owners who can't drive a standard transmission.

*high five*

My jaw hits the ground when everybody tells me they don't like manuals (my car and one pickup is), because the clutches go out every 40k miles...

With the exception of our 88 ranger (which broke every rule, and every part possible, miserable p.o.s.), we have NEVER replaced a clutch before an engine. Oh, and I downshift 100% of the time.

We had 240-380k mile datsuns, all on original clutches. The one in my '89 nissan with 200k on it looked like new when I pulled the engine (dropped a rock down a cylinder changing plugs, scored the cylinder).

[841K9]

Originally Posted by Jared J

*high five*

My jaw hits the ground when everybody tells me they don't like manuals (my car and one pickup is), because the clutches go out every 40k miles...

With the exception of our 88 ranger (which broke every rule, and every part possible, miserable p.o.s.), we have NEVER replaced a clutch before an engine. Oh, and I downshift 100% of the time.

Did it have a 2.9 v6?
The 2.3 4 cylinder gas was a great engine and the 2.2 Perkins turbo diesel was awesome.

[Jared J]

Originally Posted by 841K9

Did it have a 2.9 v6?
The 2.3 4 cylinder gas was a great engine and the 2.2 Perkins turbo diesel was awesome.

Indeed it did. We bought it at 140k miles, had it until 180-90k. 3 engines, 2 clutches, maf sensor, 2 or 3 right front axle beams, all springs, twisted frame, transmission would jam between 4 and 5 (usually due to the jerking from the bad maf sensor). You had to coast off the road, pull the top off, and use a screwdriver to get the forks lined up.

The clutch burned out because you had to put it in 4 lo (hubs unlocked) and slip the clutch in order to get it going in soft field dirt.

My nissan with 200k on it did twice as much work from new, and never needed a thing.

I maintained a fleet of newer rangers for napa, never had an issue with those.

Sorry for the thread hijack.