Why do I need a high speed tire?

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Been tire shopping. 2 places said I needed to spend extra $$$ because my truck ( 1987 f250 with a non turbo diesel) requires 112mph tires.

REALLY? 1. I dont drive that fast. A ticket at that speed and I'd go to jail. No thanks. 2. it's a non turbo 6.9 Diesel! It may hit 85 mph down hill against the 3800 rpm governor. I dont know of any older truck be it a Ford,Dodge or GM that would go that fast anyway.

I just hang out around 67mph in the slow lane anyhoo.

It does also require "E" rated tires. I am ok with that.
 
S isnt a high speed rating.
What tire do you want that isn't S rated?

Some snow tires are Q or R rated

An example of requiring a high speed rating would be V rated tires on a econobox toyota.
 
I'm not sure what they were. The girl quoted me a low price on a set then said I cant put them on my truck because they were not "S" rated. Then she quoted me another price or "S" rated tires that were nearly 2x the cost.

I'm wondering if she was trying to pull a switcheroo on me for some tires they had in stock?
 
I smell something fishy. Buy the cheap tires out of spite. Are we talking retreads or something?
 
Tires with higher speed ratings are generally better built and better balanced, AFAIK.

I always get the highest speed rating possible, all else equal.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Tires with higher speed ratings are generally better built and better balanced, AFAIK.

I always get the highest speed rating possible, all else equal.
Ya but we are talking $98 a tire vs $180ea.x4!
 
The speed rating is an indicator of how well the tire handles heat. If you are doing a lot of heavy-duty stuff, the tires will get hotter.
 
I looked at tirerack.com and it shows some R range (106mph) for 1987 F250. LT215/85R16's. Dunno what is up, maybe the official database that these shops use is off.

What does the owners manual say? Should be some way to find the official rating required (doorjamb maybe).

If it matters, find another set of rims, order tires online and pay to have them mounted/balanced off the truck.
 
Originally Posted By: oldhp
Take your wheel/tire off your truck, then go buy what you want. If they ask......It's off my ratrod. Problem solved.
That is what the guy working at Walmart told me to do.
 
Originally Posted By: Rand
S isnt a high speed rating.
What tire do you want that isn't S rated?

Some snow tires are Q or R rated

An example of requiring a high speed rating would be V rated tires on a econobox toyota.


Many load range E truck tires are Q (99MPH) rated.
 
It isn't illegal to install a tire with a lower speed rating than originally equipped, but most shops won't do it out of fear of getting sued.

What trim level is your truck (Custom/XL/XLT/Lariat)? What tire size? GVWR 6300 or 7300?

Are your tires LT235/85-16?

I looked up every combination for your F250 on Walmart's tire finder, and none of them seem to require the S speed rating. (Walmart WILL NOT install tires with a lower speed rating, so if it's on their site, then you're good to go)

Walmart has S-rated Kumho tires for $131 each.
 
Originally Posted By: slacktide_bitog
It isn't illegal to install a tire with a lower speed rating than originally equipped, but most shops won't do it out of fear of getting sued.

What trim level is your truck (Custom/XL/XLT/Lariat)? What tire size? GVWR 6300 or 7300?

Are your tires LT235/85-16?

I looked up every combination for your F250 on Walmart's tire finder, and none of them seem to require the S speed rating. (Walmart WILL NOT install tires with a lower speed rating, so if it's on their site, then you're good to go)

Walmart has S-rated Kumho tires for $131 each.
lariat.was originally 235/85/16.i put 285/75/16 on it last time.looking at a 265 now hoping for a little better hill pulling power since it only has 3.55 gearing.gvr 8800 lbs
 
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Biggest thing is the E rating-in my experience, high speed rated load range E/10 ply tires are difficult to find, they're usually Q or R. Does your F250 have a C6 that 3.55 rear axle? Can't believe it would make it above 90 MPH, my F-Super Duty, even with 5 speed manual & 3.73 rear axle, won't go that fast (maybe off a cliff?).
 
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Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Tires with higher speed ratings are generally better built and better balanced, AFAIK.

I always get the highest speed rating possible, all else equal.


I would rather stay away from the H V and Z rated tires. Those are typically a lot more and they don't last as long as regular tires. Years ago I got some H rated tires, great in the corners and all that, but they were worn out after 30k, they had a 50k warranty. I went back to regular tires and got 50k+ out of them.

As for the speed rating, they usually don't put tires on that are rated lower than what the car manufacturer specs because even if you don't go that fast, the car has some specific handling characteristics that require that speed rating or higher.
 
I wouldn't go below an S speed rating; that's not even remotely close to a "high speed" tire.
 
I've heard that some places will do a one speed rating reduction but no more than that.

I run Q rated tired on my truck.

I get handling being a concern with balloon tires in some cases, but here where load range is key (also defines stiffness I suppose), and it's a minor difference, I'm not getting it.

Does the sticker on your truck define S speed rating as correct?
 
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