I bought this truck for hauling dirt and rock and the like to landscape my yard ... the back 2 tires have dry rot and need to be replaced ... the tires currently on the truck are P225/75R15 and the door sticker says P195/75R15 ... tire rack says OEM is P225/70R15, which is a different size altogether. 195's appear to be impossible to find and the only 75R15's I can find come in 205, 215, 225, and 235 ... which size would you recommend? I'm not an experienced truck guy, so please feel free to talk down to me. Thanks

 

i run 235/75r15 on my 81. i don't think it make too much of a difference. i think the 235 is width the 75 is height of the sidewall and the r15mean 15" rims. when i first got my truck i think there was 255/55r15's in the rear. the main thing is that you get something that will fit a 15"rim and have a good load rating for your needs

 

225 70x15 was never standard in the 80's on a 1/2 ton Dodge. The 195 was standard on the base truck. Many came with 205 and the heavier duty ones with 225 or 235.

 

Since you are hauling get an LT load range D or E tire (E more heavy duty and dirt is very heavy).

 

Hey Bill, go with the LT235/75R15. That is probably the most popular size tire for a stock 15" rim. GereHead is right about the LT rating especially for a work truck. As far as the 235 sizing goes, anything smaller will look just too darn small and make you wish you had gone bigger. You didn't mention it but assuming you have the factory rims which are usually 6" but sometimes 7" wide. If you have 7" wide rims, you may want to consider 30.5 LT. Definately talk to the tire dealer about load ratings which are posted on every tire and required by DOT and shop around. Once you learn how to read the tire ratings it is real easy to shop around for things like load rating, heat rating, mud & snow rating M+S, treadwear etc. Don't know if they have them where you live but Pep Boys and Discount tire are a couple of good places that carry a variety of in house brands with good ratings. I bought a set of Fisk tires some time back that were rated well and drove well that saved me a bundle with Discount Tire. Don't be afraid to ask them to put a tire on to see what it looks like and for fit. A good shop that wants your business will do it. You figure on spending at least 4 bills then get what you really want the first time.

 

I run B.F. Goodrich 31x10.5Rx15LTs on stock rims with an M&S rating. They are quiet and look good with no clearance problems and stand up to loads I am not always happy with but need to carry. I got them at Sams discount wear house and they have a road hazard warranty that I like due to the rough roads they have to contend with.

 

Hey guys, did you notice he has the slant 6? Personally I would go with the smaller (205 or 215) if you can get the heavier load rating since they are smaller in diameter and that can make a slight difference with the lower horsepower of the 6 cylinder engine.

 

i don't think it would make that much of a difference. that 205, 235 or 195 is just the width. slant 6 engines have turn bigger tires.

 

I'd go with the 225/75/15, or 235/75/15. They are a dime a dozen, and come in a load range D and E. 195/75/15 would just be puny.

Play around with this website http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to see exactly what the size difference would be.

 

Anytime I've got new tires I always run 235/75/R15's on all my trucks. The last was a 6cyl 92 Ford that turned them with no problems. They're a relatively inexpensive tire and almost every place that sells tires will likely have a set in stock. (Also I think they look better than the OE rubber bands that most older trucks came with.)

Wolfie is right, the first numbers are the tread width (in mms), the second set the sidewall height (in mms) and the last is the rim size (in inches).
The load rating is a separate letter or letters somewhere on the sidewall. The location varies with the manufacturer so you may have to look for it.
Hope this info helps a little.