The "LT" designation has always been Light Truck as opposed to the split rim
types that were prevalant at the time.  Small truck at the time of the
designation was aimed more at vehicles with gross weights like our vanagons
are.  Many of the small mini pickups of that time were nothing but pax cars
with a truck body on the suspension.
A light truck was usually 1/3 ton net load and a heavy duty body.  Many 1/4
ton were not considered light truck unless built on a commercial frame.
However the LT is being dropped off of a lot of tires. It is not a mandatory
item.  What is mandatory is the little numbers.  The little ford trucks we
have at work do not have the LT but the sidewalls show a service of 100.  A
service level of 100 is 1764lbs.  Max cargo on the vehicle is 1400lbs and a
recommended max of 1200lbs.

Load range designations of C/D/E etc are dissappearing just like their
predecessors the 4/6/8 ply ratings.  They are being replaced with the
service level designation.  A service level of 100 is 1764lbs.
Sometimes you will find all three ratings on a tire.
jimt
On 10/8/05 6:16 AM, "Andrew Grebneff" <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
wrote:

>> "LT"...: light truck.  do they require special "LT" tires?
>
>
> I very much doubt that stands for Light Truck... more likely a German
> acronym, or just an off-the-head "name". The LT goes back at least
> into the early 80s, when it used the first-generation Audi 100 engine
> ( the second-gen 100 was sold in USA as 5000).
>
> These are probably too heavy for any car tire. They are sold in USA
> as Mercedes Sprinter and Freightliner. I wonder who actually designed
> them... VW or MB?
> --
> Andrew Grebneff
> Dunedin
> New Zealand
> Fossil preparator
> <andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
> Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
>
> HUMANITY: THE ULTIMATE VON NEUMANN MACHINE
>
> DEMOCRACY: RULE BY THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR
>
>