truck tires?

[Christi V.]

I have been contimplating to change the tires on my Ford XLT.. The tires that are on it now are those TOYO A/T..
they arent only noisy, but am I better off getting regular tires instead of the a/t's and hoping for better milage towing? I think i probably get about 12-14?? I sure as heck not gonna go 4 wheeling!!

[Byron Kinnaman]

I have been contimplating to change the tires on my Ford XLT.. The tires that are on it now are those TOYO A/T..
they arent only noisy, but am I better off getting regular tires instead of the a/t's and hoping for better milage towing? I think i probably get about 12-14?? I sure as heck not gonna go 4 wheeling!!

One consideration is Washington and Oregon chain laws in the winter. When the signs say chains required you're exempt as long as you have Mud and Snow rated tires and are in 4 wheel drive. If you have regular street tires you'll have to put chains. I'm sure there's other considerations, but that's one.

[Pete Dumbleton]

Previous owner of my truck took off noisy lugged tires and put on a compromise that's quieter but still has lugs. Don't know if he changed mileage and there's plenty of tread on them, so I won't be finding out soon either.

I'm skeptical about the M+S rating because the relatively smooth tires on my previous truck had that rating but they were not ground-grabbers. I really noticed the difference when I put in limited slip differential.

Christi, if your current tires do not have an R in the number (indicating radial), then putting radials on might improve your mileage slightly, but probably not enough to justify new tires. OTOH, if you were going to put new tires on anyway, consult with Les as to what they recommend.

Usually, one wants the stiffest tires for towing, but in your case you have a small 5W so sway is a very minor issue IMHO.

[james kent]

If your running All Terraine tires on the road it may decrease your mileage a bit. Soft tires will add to that as well. I would suggest you check your air pressure and make sure it's up to snuff and you're tires are not under inflated. Some tires seem to go softer in the winter temperatures and a check this time of year can be worthwhile.