TOW TIRES TESTED
We evaluate five different tires for your ride.
How can you get better stability and heavy-load traction at the ramp on your rear-wheel-drive truck? Add all-terrain tires to it, based on our experience. Here is a comparison of five tire options.
Our test vehicle is a 2015 Ford F-150 XLT Super Crew Cab. We upgraded it from 18inch factory wheels to 20-inch Wheel Pro wheels and went for larger, more aggressive tires. Seems like that offers both some stability benefits and a firmer ride under load. And the new wheels looked really cool.
In addition to getting some ride, towing and handling impressions, we wanted to see how the aggressive tread impacted cabin noise. We were pleasantly surprised that, while the aggressive tires exhibited an expected hum, it wasn’t disturbing.
TESTING FUEL ECONOMY EVERYDAY DRIVING
We ran at least two tanks of gas through the vehicle, noting average mileage without towing on the vehicle’s computer. You can expect a mileage decrease from a more aggressive tread, and we experienced that. However, the bulk of that decrease can be attributed to upsizing to larger, much heavier tires and wheels. We considered the trade-off worthwhile for our heavy load and for sandy and slick ramps.
TOWING
We pulled the boat through multiple routes of 75 to 175 miles, noting fuel economy on the vehicle’s computer. Our routes were a mix of interstate, toll road, and stop-and-go city driving. Surprisingly, one tire showed an improved fuel economy not noted on the other tires.
THE MEANING OF SPECS
The first number in a tire size is the width of the tread in millimeters.
The second number is the ratio of tire wall height to tread width.
R means radial tire.
The last two-digit number represents the wheel diameter in inches.
The load ID letter refers to the tire’s load-carrying capability. At one time, it reflected the number of actual plies, or layers, of material in a tire. As tire construction techniques and materials improved, comparable durability was achieved with fewer plies. So, a D-rated, eight-ply tire may have only three or four actual plies.