Increasing Tire Load Rating

[ramblinboy]

My Michelin Tires have an F load rating. Any good reason not to go up a rating, say to a G?

Thanks. Rb

[garykd]

Hi ramblinboy,

Why are you considering doing this?

[wolfe10]

Hi ramblinboy,

Why are you considering doing this?

Gary,

Could be a very good reason-- he may be at or very near the load capacity of his present tires and desires some safety reserve.

But, we would need to know the specifics of his weights and tires to know that.

Brett

[garykd]

Hi Brett,

That is why I asked the question. Sometimes one can be surprised at the answer. Maybe we can stop what might be an unsafe situation.

[RJEJ]

We had a blowout and the only replacement tire was G rated. We now have 1 G rated on the drivers, inside rear and all others are F rated. I no longer trust the other 5 tires and plan on replacing them with the same G rated tire we bought when we had the blow out. We have weighed twice and are within weight limits. What is the downside to going with a G rated tire? Tires are 19.5 on class A 32ft.

Thanks,

RJ

[garykd]

Hi dbik86i,

Welcome to the FMCA forum. All other things being equal, there is no down side. Consider going to the tire manufacturer's web site and get the specs of the "F" rated tires you now have. Compare them to the "G" rated tires you want to purchase. If the clearance on the steer axle and between the rear duals remains okay, you should be good to go. Notice the RPMs per mile, if different, it may affect the speedometer reading accuracy.

[Guest BillAdams]

Remember that increasing the tire load rating does not change the axle load rating so going to a higher rated tire does not necessarily mean that you can carry more weight. Be sure you know the axle rating to ensure that there is enough capacity there as well.

[wolfe10]

Remember that increasing the tire load rating does not change the axle load rating so going to a higher rated tire does not necessarily mean that you can carry more weight. Be sure you know the axle rating to ensure that there is enough capacity there as well.

Absolutely true-- increasing tire load rating may not increase your load rating-- weakest link dictates. And that weakest link may be the tires, brakes, transmission ,etc, etc.

But, eliminating the tires as the "weak link" is often a good idea from a safety standpoint if the chassis maker skimped on them.

Brett

[tireman9]

dbik86i

Before you can increase the load capacity you will need to increase the inflation. Your wheels may not be rated for the higher inflation. They should be marked with a statement of max load and max inflation.

It also sounds like you are assuming your tire failure was due to overload and not some other cause such as impact or puncture. Did you have the failed tire inspected by a Company Store, not an independent tire dealer? Did you ask for an adjustment from the Manufacturer? Manufacturers will only accept or turn down an adjustment AFTER an experienced engineer does a complete inspection. Note I said Engineer and not just a tire tech.

I also wonder if the new G rated tire is a good match based on actual size of it's companion dual. If you had much more than 5,000 miles then there is a chance the worn F rated tire is smaller so you are asking the G rated tire to carry more load but probably don't have increased inflation for the increased load. If you have to I would suggest you move the fronts to the rear dual positions and put the mixed load tires F & G on the front to avoid the potential dual lading issue.

[rossboyer]

My local tire dealer that I have used fro 12 years states that compaing GoodYear and Michelins that if you want mIchelins to go two letters higher. IE: If F is recommended go to H because the side walls are softer on the Michelins. By the way the dealer handles both brands and some others. But he did state that he would use GoodYears.

[RJEJ]

Tireman,

Most likely the tire failure was due to a nail which caused a slow leak while we were sitting for a week at the RV park. We've weighed twice and know we are not overloaded. We run 90 in the front and 87 in the rear which is below max inflation. Since the replacement tire was a G rated tire it seems best to go ahead and replace the other 5 with G rated tires. Went tire shopping yesterday and the shop I trust sells Bridgestones. The tread of the Bridgestone R250 looks, to me, the same as the GYs. The replacement GY only has 450 miles on it and will be on the rear with the new Bridgestones. I understand that the best case is to have all the same mfg tires on the same axle but is it really going to make a difference if the tires are the same size and close to the same tread if not the same?

One other question. I've been doing my homework and have read post of "rivering" problems on GY tires. I have no idea what rivering is.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.

Thanks,

RJ

[tireman9]

RJ

I do not recommend mixing brands in a dual application even if the size is listed as the same there will be different deflection characteristics that result in one carrying more than it's mate.

Since you have a GY and the rest are BS I strongly suggest you run the GY on a Front position or if you have a Tag axle with just single tires on each side that would be OK also.

RE Riverwear.

Can't comment on one brand tendency or not to develop this condition or not. It is a form of localized wear that goes around the tire but not side to side.

Kind of meanders a bit. Lets see if this link works.