33s or bumper upgrade?

This guy gets it!

 

What’s your lift? I’m only sitting 2.5” above other OEM trims, so I’m apprehensive to go for a true 33” if it’ll require substantial trimming.

 

I think, but cannot support with any science, that wide tires are mostly about fashion. Most race trucks, military vehicles, and farm equipment have relatively tall and narrow tires. My conclusion is that ground clearance and the greeter ability to drive over obstacles out weighs the mostly unproved advantages of width.

 

I’m at about 2” with extended length king shocks. I would not recommend going above that, especially without extended length shocks, long travel, or SAS. Lift and allowable tire size are not always directly related.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l1tTelhdEiM

 

Neither if it’s your daily driver, 33’s will kill your gas mileage unless you regear and the bumper is added weight with little value IMO.

 

Neither is also an option! Good point. I will say that I’m a hybrid worker, only going in 2ish days a week, with a 8 mile rt commute.

 

My wife just walked in on me watching this when I said I'd be working...I of course said, "At least it wasn't porn!" She didn't think any of it was funny. In her defense, we have a toddler. Looking forward to finishing it - thanks for the link!

 

I would use the cash to buy a new ass, mine's cracked...

 

If you pick a 33 that’s C load or SL around 51lbs or 53lbs it’s barely any change from a 265 75 16 for mpg

 

This has been validated by several TW members, especially with MT.

 

I’m definitely not wanting to do anything that aggressive to it until the warranty expires! Bumpers have more to offer than just a place to mount a winch, especially in deer country.

 

?

 

A couple things:
1. A large portion of gas mileage hits with bigger tires is the larger circumference, meaning for each turn of the wheel the tire actually travels your truck further than the odometer registers, which will reduce what your computer tells you your gas mileage is, but not as much as the tire actually affects it. This means a 255 and a 285 will likely have the same affect on MPGs, sure the 255 may have a slightly smaller affect since contact patch is smaller, but it will be marginal.
2. Tire options for 255 are pretty limited especially for 16" wheels. And they look...stupid, in my opinion.
3. A slimline bumper with out a winch accomplishes exactly jack and shit
4. Get 285s

 

I'll tell ya right now 1 is not true, gas mileage is most correlated to the mass of a tire. The more mass you have to accelerate the worse efficiency you will have for around town driving. 285's have an extra 10 lbs per tire when comparing wildpeaks in the same load range and that weight is in the worst place possible, rotational unsprung mass. Highway driving may not be as much of a difference hard to tell due to too many factors.

 

A common thing in racing is saying 1 lb of tire/wheel weight is equal to 10 lbs of vehicle weight. Who wants the feeling of an extra 400lbs in their truck?

 

What's the lightest 255? 51lbs for A/T3W? Which is only available in 17" wheel. In 16" wheels you have to go with an M/T tire and the lightest I could find was 59 lbs.

285 Duratrac (for 16" or 17" wheels) weighs 54 lbs. If you have 17" wheels and can go with an A/T3W, that's only saving 3 lbs per tire or the equivalent of 120 pounds of additional unsprung weight.

My wife weighs 120, I can feel no difference when she's in my truck.

Again, I said the majority of gas mileage hits (meaning what your computer/odo tells you it is) is the increase in tire circumference. You are literally traveling further on bigger tires than your odo registers which automatically reduces your computer output gas mileage.

I'm not arguing that heavier tires don't affect gas mileage, I'm just saying the difference between 255s and 285s is going to be marginal at best.

And 255s look stupid, well stupider than 285s. And the selection of tires (especially in 16") is very limited.

 

You are completely right about tire choice, kinda sucks but is what it is. I would disagree the difference is marginal, physics would also disagree.

My point is just everyone do research for yourself and make your own choice.

@anthemAnathema How are the elkas? Havent seen much about those.

 

I've been pretty happy with them! They came with 650 lbs springs up front which ride a little harsher than I'd like but that'll probably go away if I ever get a bumper.

I'd wanted ADS or Fox but wait times were insane this time last year and Headstrong had Elkas

 

Are you in a place where they salt the roads? I want something rebuildable that will last up here in New Hampshire.

I'm between the Dobinsons MRR, those elkas, or BP-51's.