Run them at whatever the chalk test dictates

 

Completely dependant on where you live and the quality (or lack of) of the roads. Not exactly "not true" regardless of rotating every 5k and keeping at 26 psi. Been there, done that a few times.

 

i had a set of E's one they rode like i had rocks for wheels

 

You said to expect cupping and steering wheel vibration because a JK is too light to run e-rated tires. Yeah different roads can take a toll on tires, but that's any tire, not just e-rated tires. I drive on bad roads all the time, and mine still run smooth with no cupping...

 

Probably because you had way too much air in them

 

Spoke with a tech at AEV because I had questions about setting my Procal TPMS setting for my Duratracs.

He is a self proclaimed tire freak and asked me about 15 different questions about my JKU. He said I should be running 27-28 psi on the street to get the best wear and ride.

Set them to 28 vs the 34 I was riding at. What a difference!

 

Load range is a very antiquated way of looking at tires. Load range E casts a broad net in terms of rigidity and sidewall strength. The 10 ply portion of the rating also dates back to the bias ply days when the same strength is found in 3 plies with modern tires.

Look at Service Descriptions and as long as you're below 125 and above 114 you'll be fine with a modestly modified JK. Service descriptions above 125 is pretty much reserved for seriously heavy rigs with armor bumpers and a load of other accessories.

 

it always cracks me up to see people whining about how heavy load range e tires are. unless you're somekind of school girl, they really aren't that much heavier and really, having more UNSPRUNG weight is a good thing as it'll help keep all four on the floor. as far as ride quality goes, try running the correct and appropriate amount of air in them instead of what you think they should be (30 psi or higher) and you'll find that your ride is a lot better.

 

Some load range E tires are stiff enough that for proper wear on a lighter JK you need to inflate them to less than 25psi. At this point it can cause deflection of the contact patch on some tires which can result in inappropriate wear for on road use. The caveat is that all load range e tires are not the same in their sidewall rigidity and the service description is really the best way to see what your getting into. In round numbers, subtract 115 from the service description and that's an approximate of how many psi below 35psi you need to run your tires on a vanilla JK for on road driving. If that number is leading you below 25psi, there is potential for wear issues.

For me, I didn't have a problem at all running e-rated tires and had much bigger issues with low service description C-rated tires. If I was ready for some new meats, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to buy e-rated tires while making sure the service description was in the mid 120s or lower.