Either you drive an SUV or you are planning to drive a light truck tyre, picking the right set of tyres can create all the difference. Whether you are driving an SUV full of people or driving a light truck full of equipment, your tyres are what keeps you always safe and makes your journey relaxing. If you are planning to travel somewhere and unable to decide either you should go for a passenger tyre or a light truck tyre, this quick guide to choosing between the two is for you.
Below you can read the comparison between light truck tyres and passenger tyres, their use, how they function, advantages and disadvantages and which tyre is best for you.
Let’s get started.
Light Truck Tyres
Light truck tyres, also called LT metric tyres are used for heavy vehicles mostly to carry heavy loads and equipment. They have deep treads with rigid side walls making them high quality for hauling weighty loads and navigating through tough roadways.
Because of their advanced features, these tyres perform excellent for intense off-roading and mostly works well in situations where the vehicle has to tow heavy supplies while covering long distances. All these features of light truck tyres make them unique and demanding for hard-working trucks and SUVs.
Other than this, light truck tyres propose great strength and puncture resistance as compared to other truck tyres.
Passenger Tyres
Mainly, there are 3 types of passenger tyres.
- Low Rolling Resistance means technological advances making it ideal for tyres to go far than most common passenger tyres which can not go so far away even after using the same amount of fuel and energy.
- Touring tyres, as the name suggests work wonders for people travelling for pleasure. These tyres offer high-speed ratings and mileage warranties. Their amazing features provide a traveller with a comfortable, noise-free journey. The tread life of these tyres is good and they don’t wear too soon.
- Performance tyres becoming extremely popular with time provides high levels of responsiveness, increased traction and a bolder, tough appearance. It is sometimes used by the manufacturers to model them for their sports vehicles.
Difference Between Both
Major differences between light truck tyres and passenger tyres are,
- LT tyres are designed to work hard and work in tough situations while P tyres (Passenger tyres) are built for comfort and ideal speed.
- LT tyres are built to carry stronger loads unlike P tyres
- The tread pattern of LT tyres are designed in a distinctive way, the materials used in their construction are much stronger and durable than P tyres
- LT tyres are designed in a way that they can easily function at higher inflation pressures than P tyres.
- LT tyres give a rougher and noisier ride than P tyres.
- P tyres are mostly cheaper than light truck tyres
Can I Use Passenger tyres on my Truck?
This is a very common thought contemplated by so many drivers because passenger tyres are cheaper and drivers often find ease in affording passenger tyres and are generally smoother and easy to carry than light truck tyres.
It all depends on a few things, the type of light truck you are travelling with, whether your light truck is going to carry loads or not. For example, if you are to drive a 1-ton light truck that is offering a professional load-carrying facility, you would need light truck tyres. For instance, Falken Linam Van01 is designed to lift heavyweight and to deliver optimal performance. Passenger tyres don’t offer the capability to carry heavy loads and if used for this purpose, you could be in danger.
Can I Use LT tyres on my SUV?
Some people ask the opposite question, whether they can use light truck tyres on passenger cars or not. It is not recommended to use LT tyres on passenger vehicles because they are designed for heavy loads and can give you a harsh ride not suitable for your SUV.
Another reason to not use LT tyres on your SUV is that LT tyres require high tire pressure and can throw off your SUV’s TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) and this way your travel journey is not going to be so pleasant.