Tires: P to LT Tire Pressure Help


Question
I just put the BFG All Terrain T/A KO2 tires on my 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser and the one that fits my vehicle is Product Number 76397 - LT265/70R17/E 121S.  My vehicle tire placard lists the tire size as P265/70R17 and says the cold tire pressure should be 32 PSI.  Since the tires I bought are a LT E load range size and the tire pressure specified by Toyota is for a Passenger tire, what cold pressure should I inflate the LT E load range tires to?  I'm just looking for the optimal tire pressure that will keep the tires wearing evenly and handling/performing the way they are supposed to.  Thanks in advance.

Answer
Dean

I am not a fan of substituting LT type tires for P type tires - and the reason will be obvious in a moment.

In order to carry the same load, LT tires of the same dimension need to use 15 psi more than P type tires.  Needless to say, this changes the spring rate of the tire and has an affect on how the suspension reacts to input from irregularities in the road surface - and inparticular, in a way not intended by the vehicle manufacturer which tuned the suspension for lower pressures.