MPGs & Ride - 265/70/16 vs. 265/75/16

I know everyone hates tire questions, but I have searched the threads for days and don't have a specific answer to my question. Because of having $500 in gift cards to Sears, I am buying my tires there. I have it narrowed down to the Firestone Destination A/T's (Unless someone convinces me i should go for the General Grabber AT2's). I'd prefer to go with the 265/75/16's because of the look & supposedly correcting the speedo being off (2-3 mph slow now).

Truck: 2005 DoubleCab Prerunner OR TRD

Current Tires: Stock 265/70/16 Rugged Trails

My questions are:

1. I do 95% pavement driving...is it a mistake to get the AT's? Will I see a drop in MPG from the stock Rugged Trails?

2. I know the 265/75/16 will fit without rubbing, but do I need to re-gear at all, or will the tranny be unaffected?

3. Am i going to see a drop in MPG with the 265/75 versus the 265/70?

Anything else I should be thinking of?

 

265 75 is the perfect size for our trucks, I noticed no drop in power or mpg, no need to regear, and this size also looks great with a mild lift.

Hell, I ran 33's on a 98 4cyl and I didnt regear, 5th gear was useless.
You will be fine on pavement with at's just check air pressure and rotate on a regular basis.

 

Do you drive your truck slow & careful or fast & like a sports car?

I drive mine like a sports car & run performance tires. My truck came with BFGoodrich Gforce tires. I ran a 2nd set of the same. But when it came time for my 3rd set I switched to the Nitto NT420's. The tire was rated to last longer than the BFG's & half the price. The ride comfort is much better. I do run a big tire 265/50/20. When I pass the speed sensors the police put up on the side of the road. My speedo is set to what the sign says.

If you are doing mostly road driving & not 4x4 driving, I would go with a performance tire.

 

1. Not a mistake with the Destinations. I have them and I rarely go offroad. They're quiet, good handling, good traction in the rain, and are decent offroad.

2. No need to regear, trans unaffected.

3. I saw no drop in mpg going from 245/75/16 to that size.

 

Thanks for all the advice guys...I will probably end up with the 265/75/16 Destination A/T's. I think is seems like the smart choice.

 

The Grapplers are awesome looking!

 

Is there a noticeable size difference between the 70 and the 75?

 

I went with Michelin LTX AT2 in a 265/75/16 Load Range E over the factory tires. I did not experience really any difference in MPG. The speedometer is now reading correctly. It was about 4-5 MPH off @ 65-70. I do think that I lost just a little power going to the larger tire, but not enough to discourage me from reaffirming the decision. This may be due to the heavier weight of the 10 ply tire over the factory OEM tires. I mainly went to the larger size due to the fact that Michelin does not offer the 10 ply AT2 in the OEM factory size.

 

Thanks for everyone's input!

 

Here's another question...this time regarding the spare tire.

Those of you that upgraded from the 265/70/16 to the 265/75/16 tire, did you change out your spare as well? (The 265/75/16 is a taller tire.)

Here is my concern. If i get a flat in the future and have to use a spare temporarily, is it going to be dangerous using the 265/70/16 (spare) with the 3 other 265/75/16's?

 

Not dangerous. Those donuts many cars have aren't the correct diameter either. You just want to make sure you get your tire fixed/replaced ASAP because obviously your alignment will be off.

 

Agreed....not necessarily dangerous, but at the same time not a good idea. The two tires will not be turning the same rpm on the same axle. Probably not that big of deal if you use it just to get out of a jam, but you definitely do not want to go on about your business as if you never changed the flat one out. Most tire shops I've dealt with in the past typically have a huge stack of tires that have been removed when someone gets a new set. If you are buying a new set of tires from them, I would think they would let you just have one in the correct size. All it has to do for you is hold air and be safe for a spare until you get the normal one fixed.