265/65-17 vs 265/70-17

I see a lot of people running 265/70-17's instead of the stock 265/65-17's. I realize the diameter difference but is there any specific reason that people are doing this?
Any problems with clearance or running tire cables or chains?

Thanks

 

Bigger tires. Looks cooler. Adds clearance. Better off-road. Sometimes cheaper. Usually clears just fine. Not sure about cables/chains.

 

The 70's will rub a little on the WT mud guards, but I live with it. I may go to 65's when it's time to replace them.

G.

 

my kind of question, OP. i run 265/65-17 Cooper ST Maxx E load tires and i will again, forever on this truck.

when i got it new i immediately put on Toyo Open Country AT2's 265/70-17 load C on the same wheels. drove it for something like 400 miles, sold them to a good man here on TW, and went for the Coopers.

i found the 265/70 C's to be too soft, too bouncy, and they drive like bubblegum to me. i'm on a mostly Pro suspension and don't need more soft on top of soft. so i went for harder tires in a tighter size to bring it all together. i also have some UCA's and a a/m rear sway bar to run a custom alignment, because i'm a driving nut and must tweak my vehicles to get them to drive how i like.

E's are a bit much for our truck's weight but they are do-able. i run them low pressure cus i ride light (30psi F 28psi R cold) and they are incredible. my truck drives amazing, it's as much fun and as fulfilling to drive as any vehicle i've owned, and that's saying something. honestly, changing from 265/70 C to 265/65 E was the magic that made it all happen. and the cherry on top is i'm riding on armor and have that sense of security (my last vehicle totaled cus it was so far from bulletproof).

added bonus which i don't care about too much is that i personally think a stock lift Pro on 265/65 looks way better than the same on 265/70. not a big fan of the sidewall-all-day look.

 

With everything else being the equal (make, model, etc.) and the 70-series profile tire would weigh more than the 65-series profile since more rubber - resulting in less mpg and slower acceleration, not sure how much or how little though.

 

This is all great reasoning to get your truck how you want it to feel. Nice write up.

I went the other direction with size because I have a sport suspension and wanted the ride to be a little softer, so I went down to 16" rims and 265/75 ko2's and got a couple more inches of sidewall. This helped offset the E rated rubber as well. Psi is 32 cold all around. It also gives me a little more sidewall and rubber when airing down off road.

Just another perspective for you op to consider in choosing your tire/wheel set up.

 

awesome, same method, different trajectory. it's all about the balance.

 

I mostly went with the taller tires for aesthetics. I also wanted something a little more aggressive than stock.

 

not to hijack this thread but is anybody running 275/65r17 on their stock sport wheels? Any rubbing? Just thought having wider tires would be better to grip the road.

 

You'd probably rub the frame at full lock. I doubt you'd see much of a difference from stock either.

 

Any info on how chains work with these sizes?

 

Thanks. I guess its factory size for me then.

 

Thanks for the replies.

 

I was looking for 275/65/17 but could only find in E ratings. Much more expensive than 265/70/17 as well. Particularly in KO2's. I think that size is better than 265/70/17.

 

As in do they fit on the truck, or just how chain sizing works? Chains usually fit multiple sizes, so just check on the box if your tire size is listed. They're usually for a range of sizes, so one's that fit 265/65r17 would probably fit 265/70r17 as well, unless the 65 series is the max out for that chain.

 

I guess I meant if you put 265/70/17 tires on a stock suspension, will adding chains cause issues. The wheel diameter basically grows another 1/2"....

 

Same boat as you.. I'm all about functionality over looks.. I think I may stay stock and get a AT 265 65 17.. Only because I don't want to rub and 265 70 17 don't do much other than get you a tiny bit higher and "look cool".. At the cost of a heavier tire. I wonder what the mpg loss is for the people that moved up to a 265 70 17. I commute 100 miles a day so mpg is important to me!

 

Running my 265/70/17 KO2's and always get between 18-21MPG. I use a lot of ECT and S-mode in the back roads of Western NC. If your 100 miles is on the highway, I can't see why you wouldn't do at least as well.

G.

 

To the OP, the reason that I went with 17s was because I couldn't find aftermarket 16's narrow enough to fit 235/85R16s.
Now I have Cooper S/T Maxx size 265/70R17 on 17x8 inch KMC XD131 wheels.