Bakari Howard : Hello everyone! Welcome to this special episode of Falken Tire Tech. Drew Howlett, Falken’s Product manager for light trucks and SUV tires, is here with me today. Today we will be discussing a very important topic. Drew, today we will be discussing why Load Range F matters so much. Let’s get down to the basics. What is Load Range F?

What Are Load Range F Tires?

Drew Howlett : Let’s first talk about what a load-range is. It’s basically a range of load that the tire can carry at a given tire pressure. On a light truck tire, you will typically see Load Range C, Load Range D, or Load Range E along the sidewall. Each letter corresponds to the load range that the tire can carry and the pressure at which it can be used. Load Range C is a typical example. It can carry loads from 35 to 50 PSI. Load Range C, up to 65 PSI. Load Range D, up to 65 PSI.

Tire Ply-Ratings
Bakari If a Load Range E has 10 ply, can a Load Range F have 12 ply?

Drew It’s possible to say that in a certain sense. In the past, tires were rated by their ply ratings. So, we’d typically say that a tire has a Load Range of C, D, or E. A Load Range F corresponds to a 12-ply rating.

Bakari – Is it really 12 plies, or 10 plies when the tire is made?

Drew This is a great question. It doesn’t mean that the tire has 12 layers or plies. This is just a way for the manufacturer to classify the tire, and to make sure that it meets the 12-ply rating and/or the Load Range F requirements. You can expect more stringent safety testing as you go up the load ranges.

What’s a Load Index?
Bakari – Are load range tires also equipped with a load index? It reads 125 on this tire, which is technically a load index.

Drew: That’s correct. Every tire, no matter if it’s a passenger or light truck tire, will have a load index. The load index refers to a comparable load carrying capacity or capacity in kilograms or pounds. Each load index number is associated with a weight carrying capacity.

Bakari: Gotcha. With light truck-specific tires, there are basically two designations. The load range is followed by the three-digit number. This is usually more index.

Drew: Correct. That index will indicate the tire’s maximum load-carrying capacity.

Why Load Range F?
Bakari Why is this necessary? Why is that necessary?

Drew Two overarching trends have led to the need for Load Range F today’s market. The first trend can be seen if you look at 3/4 ton and 1 ton pickups from the past 20 years. I am referring to Ford F-250 or RAM 2500. These vehicles have become significantly heavier over time.

Bakari: This makes sense. People want more from new technologies.

Drew: Right, exactly. You get more power, larger diesel engines, greater carrying capacity, and more towing capacity.

Bakari: …Touch screens.

Drew : That’s a good question. A typical GVWR (Gross vehicle weight rating) for a RAM 2500 or F-250 would be approximately 10,000 lbs. This means that you can load everything in your pickup bed, as well as everything inside the pickup. All of your children are also loaded in the back. This is the maximum legal amount you can transport in your vehicle.

Bakari Where would I find this information if I had a truck?

Drew Inside driver’s door. You will usually find a sticker on your driver’s door, which we call a “door placard”. It contains both the GVWR and the information about the tires.

Bakari Drew, thanks for all the information. But you also mentioned two reasons Load Range F exists. What’s the second reason it exists?

Upsizing Your Tires

Drew – Bakari, we have the answer. Aftermarket larger tires are the current trend.

Bakari: 35×12.50×20

Drew: Exactly. A lot of modern trucks can accommodate a 35×12.50×20 inch tire with a simple leveling tool.

Bakari It looks so good.

Credit: SoCal Super Trucks Instagram

Drew We understand this trend. However, the manufacturer should ensure that these larger aftermarket tires have the correct load index to match or exceed the original equipment tire’s load.

Match Your Tires’ Load Index
Drew So, for instance, we discussed this tire having a load Index of 125. This tire must have a load index that is equal or higher than the OE tire. On a RAM 2500, a typical size would have an LT275/70R18, with a load Index of 125, and a Load Range of E. We would then be able match that with a Load Range F 35×12.50×20 with a load index also of 125.

Bakari – Drew, if my car came from the manufacturer with tires with a load Index of 125, then I will need to replace them with tires with a load Index of 125. If I want to increase in size and get new wheels,

Drew Technically, it’s not. This is the best rule of thumb. Your aftermarket tire’s load index is equal or greater than your OE tire’s. This will ensure your safety. However, there are always exceptions. If the OE tire has a load index at 125 and the OE pressure is 50 psi, you might be able to use an aftermarket tire with a lower loadindex, but you will likely need to increase the tire’s pressure.

Each tire can carry a particular load at a given pressure. It is important to be familiar with load inflation tables so that you can match the OE tire’s load carrying capability at the OE pressure with the aftermarket tire’s load carrying ability at its aftermarket pressure. It is possible.

Or Check the Load Inflation Chart

Bakari – Load inflation chart? Where can one find this information?

Drew A load inflation chart, typically can be found on our website. This is a great resource as you can see each tire’s load-carrying capability for a given load index and pressure.

Bakari I don’t think I have seen one of these before. It is possible to match the PSI with the tire’s weight and calculate the tire’s maximum load at that pressure.

Drew: Exactly. This allows you to match your OE tire’s load carrying capacity with your aftermarket tires. Bakari, this is something we need to discuss because it’s so important. Each vehicle is designed by the OEM (the manufacturer of the vehicle) with a specific tire with a safety margin. We have already discussed GVWR and how a vehicle may weigh more than 10,000 pounds. You’ll notice that the vehicle’s four tires can support more than 10,000 lbs. This is by design.

This is why it is so important. Because there is an inherent safety margin in the four original tires, we don’t want to reduce the load carrying capacity of our aftermarket tires.

Bakari But, what about the exception we talked about?

Drew The same goes for the exception. Even if the inflation pressure is slightly increased, you still have to maintain that load carrying capacity. This is important again. It is important to match the load carrying capacity of all four tires with that of the OE tires. This is because there is a safety feature that was added to the vehicle to ensure that the occupants as well as the payload are safe.

Bakari: The most important thing is to be equal or greater than our OE tires’ load carrying capacity, regardless of how you get there. Either a replacement tire has the same load rating or we can use lower load index tires to get there.

Drew: That’s correct. It’s easy to see that the aftermarket load index is the same as the original equipment tire’s.

More Questions?
Bakari We covered a lot today. We can help you with any questions regarding the topics that we have covered.

Drew Our website contains tons of technical information. All of our technical specifications for each product line can be found on our website. This includes the load index, load bearing capacity, max pressure and load index. You can also find the load inflation tables and all our contact information on our website.

Bakari, Drew, thank you for being here today. I believe our viewers have learned a lot.

Drew Thank you, Bakari.

Bakari That’s all for now. Until next time.