New tires soon - 285 vs. 265

Hey guys, I know this topic has been discussed at length but I just wanted to get the final word before getting new wheels and tires.

Wheels - I am fairly set on Procomp 7089 16 x 8 - still not sure which wheel lugs will work though

Tires - Mostly convinced to get BFG AT's - still debating on the size...

I've read that a 32 inch tire is the way to go for off roading - does this mean I should stick with 265/75/16?

I was hoping to upgrade to a 285/75/16 but I don't necessarily want to do the body mount chop - will this decrease any off roading ability? Are the rubbing issues that serious and can any damage be done?

Let me know what you think...

 

good question

Sub'd

 

well are you going to complain about mpg? because the 265's wont be a big deal, 285's will be.

I don't believe the 265's will hinder your offroad performance in any way. I just got my second set of 265's because they work great!

 

I went with the 265/75/r16. I don't off road seriously enough to warrant getting 285s. plus i didnt want my truck to lose power and decrease my gas mileage. the look of the 285s would have been nice but it wasn't worth it to me.

But if you off-road enough, or don't care about the money, then go for it.

 

I think the 285/75/16 will be closer to a 32" tire. The 265/70/16 would be about a 30" I believe. And yes, you'll have some rubbing on the larger diameter and will need to do some trimming... or lifting.. or both.

I've got BFG KOs 265/75-R16 tires and they fit fine with no rubbing and are about 1/2 way between the two diameters you're considering. I believe it's about the largest tire you'll be able to fit without trimming. I did a lot of research into this at the time I bought mine.

My final comment would be that any of these sizes will serve you equally well off-road. The tread pattern, sidewall construction (which is easily damaged on BFG's by the way) are the things to look for. In terms of ground clearance we're only talking about 1" difference between the two you're considering.

 

are u lifted?

 

I regret getting the smaller size. I was worried about trimming, gas mileage, and off-roading too but now I wish I would have sucked it up and get the bigger tire.

Just my .02.

Good luck! And don't forget to post photos!

 

anyways id go 265/75 if not lifted - its the perfect size. Any larger will rub

 

Sidewall of bfg's is easily damaged? i disagree completely. I put my first set through their paces and then some, and never had a single issue with them.

 

x2 - Have you checked out the Goodyear Territory from Canadian Tire? I just put on my 2nd set of 265/75R16 and love them!

 

depends like these guys said, it depends upon what your truck is gonna be used for most, if you drive alot and care about mpg and stuff i suggest 265s cuz i have 285 and i lost ALOT of mpg and power, i just recently regeared and now i have sooo much power but before that it sucked and so did the mileage but 285s would look sweet! if ur not lifted and want 285s i suggest the pro comp rubber anodized spacer(i think thats wut its called) its just a 2.5" spacer for the front and its rubbery material doesnt ruin ur ride and i can clear 285s

 

Oops - left out some pretty key information in the first post. YES - I am running the Toytec Ultimate kit around 2.75" with LR UCAs

Are you sure about the tire sizes? I thought the 265/75/16 was a 31.5" tire and the 285/75/16 was closer to a 33" tire.

If the BFG's aren't the way to go, let me know. I've also heard good things about the General Grabber AT or the Mickey Thompson ATZ

 

I just went from 265/70-16s to 285/75-16s. I think they look cool, but if I was doing much wheeling I would def have to do the cab mount chop and pinch weld mod. I am lifted 3". For my use I had to remove the front mudflaps and trim the black plastic inner fender liner down in front of the tire. I also trimmed 1.5" off the lowest edge of the painted fender flare in front of and behind the tire...i wasnt rubbing but wanted to make sure i never do. I havent seen a big difference in mpg, but I drive 95% highway at 55-60mph. Oh and I think the BFG ATs are the best tire ever made. They last forever. The set I took off had 50k on them and proly had a good 15k worth of tread left. I got $100 for the used set.

 

I'm sure you can get them in black. I ordered my 7089s a 4wheelparts and just bought the whole package with lugs, caps, etc. The ones that came with that are chrome. I wish I hadn't done that, I just assumed they were black, since they were black wheels, but oh well. So if you order those 7089s and want black lugs, don't get the package, because they will be chrome; at 4wheel parts anyway. I like the 285s and wish I had them. I bought this truck used and it just had a new set of 265/75's on it. So I didn't want to waste these perfectly fine, new tires. But I do want 285s bad now that I have the lift and know I can fit a larger tire. If you are still considering the 265s, look at my build or pics. They don't look as small or as bad as I thought they would with the 3'' lift. As long as it's light off-roading, and you don't mind cutting some plastic, you're good. You may not even have to cut the plastic and probably don't even need to worry about the mount.

 

i have 5100's at 1.75" in the front and am about to get the TSB done. can i fit 285/75/16's? i have stock ucas btw

 

I currently have the nitto trail grapplers in a 265/70-17 and they are great. They do rub if I am backinh up and turning tight. I agree that with a bigger tire you will have many issues including loss of power.

 

I got the BFG A/T's in the 265/75R/16 size. The fit is perfect with a 2" lift imo. The speedo isn't off as bad as it would have been with 285's, haven't noticed a loss of power, the gas mileage hasn't suffered much, and no trimming was required. If I ever decided to remove the lift the tires would still fit.

 

I went from BFG At 265 to BFG AT 285 - and I regret it. The only positive thing it did for me was make the truck look cooler. The 265 was just as capable off road, had better mileage, and no rubbing issues. I will be going back down to the 265 when it comes time for new tires.


edit -- and I want my uphill power back!

 

Go with your gut from the beginning. If you think you are going to want bigger tires go with it from the start. I wasted so much money upgrading my tires' size ever 6k miles.