Winter Tire Speed Rating

[turtle019]

For my new winter tire setup I'm going to downsize to 18" wheels to get some more sidewall. Blizzak DM-V2 seems like a popular choice for winter tire, but in 275/65R18 they're only R rated as opposed to the factory recommended T rating.
Is there any concern with a downgraded speed rating for winter tires?
Anybody running Blizzaks have any feedback? Did you go with a narrower width or keep 275?

 

[2020FordRaptor]

For my new winter tire setup I'm going to downsize to 18" wheels to get some more sidewall. Blizzak DM-V2 seems like a popular choice for winter tire, but in 275/65R18 they're only R rated as opposed to the factory recommended T rating.
Is there any concern with a downgraded speed rating for winter tires?
Anybody running Blizzaks have any feedback? Did you go with a narrower width or keep 275?

The R tires are rated up to 106 MPH will the T are rates up to 118. Your speed governor isn't that much higher than the R rated tires are rated for. You'll have zero problems. Id keep width to 275. Haven't had experience with Blizzaks but all the research I have done shows they're rhe best.

 

[B-McD]

Turtle - I have not put Blizzaks on my Expy but used to run them on my MB GL550. Stock wheels were 21's and I went to a 19" wheel set with the Blizzaks. Game changer for sure. I know the cost of an extra set of wheels and tires seems like a lot but you get a lot more mileage out of both sets that way. Plus it gives your truck a different look for 4-5 months of the year!

 

[JohnSC]

Check the weight carrying rating of the tire - that is the biggest concern with going to narrower tires. You could be limiting your cargo capacity by doing that.

 

[turtle019]

I got the DM-V2s installed on my truck today, keeping the 275 width.
The first shop wouldn't install them because of load rating. The placard load rating on my truck with OEM 20s is 113 so I thought I'd be fine with 114 tires, but apparently with 18s the OEM recommended load rating is 116. What is particularly confusing is it looks like up until 2014 114 was recommended for 18s. I'm not sure why starting with 2015 it would be higher and only for one tire size.
Rims are takeoffs from a 2012 F150. This style center cap fit over the axle shafts fine without modification

 

[GlennSullivan]

That looks really nice with the Ford OEM wheel