Moving to 18's from 20's (2023 P400). Tire choices.
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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I am not interested in losing highway handling by putting much heavier tires on than needed. I've spoken to the folks at Tuffant (where I got my Kimberleys) and was advised that as long as the load rating is equal or greater than that of the stock GY Wrangler Adventures, I am good. I won't be towing, and not hauling anything heavy, nor will I be doing any rock crawling or anything 'hardcore' with it. The AT3W's in the sizes I am considering have SL's w/ load index of 116 (2756 lbs) for the 265-70R18 or 275-65R18's. Best I can tell, the stock OEM wheels come with GY Wrangler Adventures that have load index of 114 (2601 lbs).
TReK
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,564
Likes: 3,631
From: Kirkland WA
I am not interested in losing highway handling by putting much heavier tires on than needed. I've spoken to the folks at Tuffant (where I got my Kimberleys) and was advised that as long as the load rating is equal or greater than that of the stock GY Wrangler Adventures, I am good. I won't be towing, and not hauling anything heavy, nor will I be doing any rock crawling or anything 'hardcore' with it. The AT3W's in the sizes I am considering have SL's w/ load index of 116 (2756 lbs) for the 265-70R18 or 275-65R18's. Best I can tell, the stock OEM wheels come with GY Wrangler Adventures that have load index of 114 (2601 lbs).
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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From Discount Tires website:
Load index is a more precise method of measurement than load range which focuses mostly on construction.
The load index number indicates a tire’s carrying capacity when inflated to maximum load sustaining pressure. It further explains the tire load range measurement by adding more specifics to the rating.
Source: https://www.discounttire.com/learn/l...20the%20rating.The load index number indicates a tire’s carrying capacity when inflated to maximum load sustaining pressure. It further explains the tire load range measurement by adding more specifics to the rating.
From another site:
What is the Load Range?
Load range is the older measurement standard of "PLY Rating." This refers to the construct of the tire, which is made out of rubber and cord layers referred to as “plies.” Historically, more plies meant a tire had a larger load carrying capacity, so manufacturers would count a tire’s plies and use this number to denote carrying capacity. However, the modern construction of tires uses fewer piles without sacrificing the carrying capacity. Therefore load range simply tells how tough the tire is and the allowable PSI. For example, an “E” load range indicates that a tire is equivalent to a 10-ply construction tire. In realitly, this tire is not built with 10 plies, but rather one or two plies of equivalent strength.
Source: https://www.treadwright.com/blogs/tr...-vs-load-rangeSaw lots of other sites that were also mentioning that the 'load range' metric was a less precise, older way of rating tires.
But... I'll have definitive answer when Falken gets back to me. Jake @ Tuffant also mentioned that SL tire was fine, as long as the load rating (in lbs) was at least as high as the OEM's...
TReK
Joined: May 2021
Posts: 2,564
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From: Kirkland WA
There sure is a lot of info to digest when you get into the weeds on tire specs.
I'd not consider anything less than XL for this heavy brick of a vehicle. Probably more a reflection on my ignorance than anything else I guess. It just seems to be a needless compromise when plenty of good options exist in XL or more.
I know others have fitted SL tires on their Defenders.
I'd not consider anything less than XL for this heavy brick of a vehicle. Probably more a reflection on my ignorance than anything else I guess. It just seems to be a needless compromise when plenty of good options exist in XL or more.
I know others have fitted SL tires on their Defenders.
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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Here is the response I got from Falken, for anyone who's interested:
The short answer is yes, the 275/65R18 116T SL AT3W will meet the maximum carrying capacity of your vehicle as long as you run the fronts at 41 PSI and the rears at 44 PSI. The long answer is that your OE XL tires call for 47 PSI in the front and 50 PSI in the rear, but the industry XL load inflation chart caps out at 42 PSI at 2,755 lbs. per tire. So it looks like Land Rover adds extra PSI for their own purposes which most likely have to do with handling characteristics. The SL 116 caps out at 36 PSI with the same load capacity at 2,755 lbs. per tire so I added the additional PSI to better match Land Rover’s specs (front 41 PSI and rear 44 PSI).
I typically run my OE Wrangler Adventures at 'light load' which is 34 front and 37 rears (this is off top of my head, but it might be within a lb or two of this), because I like the slightly nicer ride quality.
So, I am down to either going with the E rated (LT) or the SL's, which are 13 lbs lighter per tire. I have one more round of questions in with Falken on these and will then make a decision.
Thx to everyone who helped.
The short answer is yes, the 275/65R18 116T SL AT3W will meet the maximum carrying capacity of your vehicle as long as you run the fronts at 41 PSI and the rears at 44 PSI. The long answer is that your OE XL tires call for 47 PSI in the front and 50 PSI in the rear, but the industry XL load inflation chart caps out at 42 PSI at 2,755 lbs. per tire. So it looks like Land Rover adds extra PSI for their own purposes which most likely have to do with handling characteristics. The SL 116 caps out at 36 PSI with the same load capacity at 2,755 lbs. per tire so I added the additional PSI to better match Land Rover’s specs (front 41 PSI and rear 44 PSI).
I typically run my OE Wrangler Adventures at 'light load' which is 34 front and 37 rears (this is off top of my head, but it might be within a lb or two of this), because I like the slightly nicer ride quality.
So, I am down to either going with the E rated (LT) or the SL's, which are 13 lbs lighter per tire. I have one more round of questions in with Falken on these and will then make a decision.
Thx to everyone who helped.
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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Falken response
I received further info from Falken on the AT3W's after I advised about the 'light load' setting I typically use for tire pressures when driving around...
It is good that Land Rover provides a light load setting for normal everyday driving. With our AT3W in the 116 SL that would equate to 30 PSI in the front and 32 PSI in the rear for the light load setting.
As for your question regarding SL versus LT, we do not often recommend going into an LT size if your vehicle’s OE specs call for a SL or XL tire as the SL will be closer than the LT’s to your factory ride comfort level. It is true that the LT has a more robust casing that is designed to carry heavier loads for longer periods of time and that stiffer casing also provides better handling. Also, the starting tread depth of LT tires is higher which means that, though not puncture proof, it will be more resilient against punctures/cuts from rocks (as long as you monitor stone retention and remove any rocks you see trapped in between the tread blocks). To answer your most recent questions, yes, the E load will hold up better off-road.
With all that being said there is a very real diminishment in ride comfort when switching to the LT’s. You will have a far harsher and stiffer ride as compared to your OE specs, and with that higher tread depth it may result in a “squirm” feeling, at least until the tires wear down a bit. In my opinion, though the E load edges out the SL in terms of off road performance, it will be overkill for your vehicle and you would be sacrificing too much in order to gain a small amount of off road performance. If you do end up going with the LT size then let me know as the recommended inflation would be different than the SL.
So, I think the takeaway (for me) is that the AT3W SL's are most comparable to the OE tires, when aired down a bit (not max PSI), and offer more comfort, and potentially better handling (at least when new) than the LT's...
Last edited by ChrisVH; Apr 11, 2023 at 01:58 PM.
Rock Crawling
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 384
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From: Northern Virginia
Everyone has a preference as to the tire they've invested a grand into. For me, it's the Vredestein Pinza AT 265/70R18 primarily for wet and dry traction, and noise. Check out the AT comparison videos at TireRack. FYI, these have been "field tested" towing my Airstream in the mountains of West Virginia and doing monthly off-road trail trips.
Last edited by POPTOPP; Apr 12, 2023 at 11:58 AM.
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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Everyone has a preference as to the tire they've invested a grand into. For me, it's the Vredestein Pinza AT 265/70R18 primarily for wet and dry traction, and noise. Check out the AT comparison videos at TireRack. FYI, these have been "field tested" towing my Airstream in the mountains of West Virginia and doing monthly off-road trail trips.
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Overlanding
Joined: Sep 2022
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