It definitely affects ride comfort. An E load tire is also heavier which affects fuel mileage. I went with a standard load on my wife's because the only time she will be off road is driving on the beach. 275/70r18 Nitto Terra grappler. Had zero issues with rubbing and they drive great. Just added leveling spacers.
Speaking from experience, E load feels like wagon wheels on these trucks. I had a set of ko2 in 285/70/17 Load E on my 5th gen for 70k miles. Great tires. Great offroad. Super long tread life. Not a single flat in the 7ish years I ran them including in Moab on some rocky terrain. But they made the ride quality really harsh and took a good 2mpg off the average because of weight. On that truck I now have the same size ko3 but in a load C, and it is a MUCH more comfortable ride. Haven't tested them offroad yet but short of a sidewall puncture, I suspect they will perform similarly.
Definitely does. E's are better off on a 2500 series vehicle or someone towing heavy or aggressive offroad. I feel like a C load is a perfect mix of lighter but still durable enough for offroad. I'd be more hesitant offroading too much with an SL tire. But if you're just everyday driving and some gravel roads SL would be great.
Boba: Based on everything I've seen, I'll bet (and am hoping) that on the +55 offset wheels these 285's worked fine - but its been a few weeks: is my bet correct?
Mike, they fit with no problem. I removed the crash braces. Probably wouldn't need to even but it was pretty close, too close for my comfort. I added inch and a half wheel spacers next. For this, I had to tuck the front felt liner forward. I also had to trim a little tab where the air dam used to connect as it rubbed on that slightly at full lock in reverse. I was ok with that since I never intend on putting that thing back on lol.
That's great you went with the 285's K03's. I'm getting my new 2025 ORP next week and asked the dealership to swap the tires on factory rims for the 275/70/R18 K03's. The 4runner will have no modifications so I hope there will be no rubbing, especially if I'm full lock going into reverse and such. Since your 285's seem to fit no problem I'm guessing I have nothing to worry about.
