My own personal tire problem....

[BubbaWilkins]

I liked them as well, but it looks like unless I turn the truck into a strictly off-road affair, I won't be able to use them as they are DOT stamped for NHS (non-highway service). Loaded they are only rated at 35mph. So its now down to the Denmans or having the outer shells replaced with 17" ones.

[2ndA]

We've discussed the DOT ratings here before. They mean just about squat and no cop is ever going to notice(or care). We've run non-DOT tires on farm trucks, well, since before I was born and back when tires were a few plies of bias and never had any problems. DOT approval is just a process for the government to make a few more bucks and exercise a bit more control.

[brute4c]

I know people, yes even members, who have been stopped when they had loud tires, like boggers, and the cop made them clean the sidewalls after a day of mudding so he could see the DOT numbers...not to say it happens often, but it happens.

[BubbaWilkins]

I'm not nearly as concerned about the lack of a DOT rating so much as the manufacturers of all of these OTR tires are saying they are limited to 35mph. With the overdrive and the V8, the truck is actually at a pretty comfortable engine speed at 65-70mph and I'm not sure how those heavier constructed tires would behave at speed. This is likely going to be one of those things I flip flop back and forth on until the moment I decide one way or the other and order something.

[DNL]

The other thing to remember is load rating. The big Michelin XLs that everyone here loves so much have a speed rating of 55 or so, but that speed rating is figured at the tires MAX load rating. It is all about heat buildup. A off road tire carrying a light load will not get hot nearly as fast as a on-road, overloaded tire.

Dave