Truck Tires Help please

[beretta]

Well I think its finally time to get the wallet out. I have been putting it off and putting it off for a while now. My truck tires have finally gotten to the point where I need to replace them. I got stuck in 4 inches of snow the other day... the tires are that bad.

So my question is: which ones should I get?

I have a '97 chev 1/2 ton. Right now I have dueler AT 265's.

Can I go up to 285's or will they rub? I would like to go bigger but not if I am going to have problems.

What brand should I get? I spend a quite a bit of time on the lakes and in the fields so something agressive would be nice. I also want something that I wont have to replace in 30,000 miles (if its possible).

As a college student, price is also worth considering.... Thanks for any suggestions guys I really appreciate it.

[jigging-matt]

I can help with one of your questions. The 285's will fit, you might have to trim you mudflaps if you have them but I had a 99 chevy and went from 265 to 285. looked sharp. Check your local FF and see what they have in stock, I got their off brand for my 2004 chevy and got all four tires mounted and balanced, disposal and road hazard for about $489. they were 50,000 tires.

[VMS]

I'm not sure if the 285's will fit without any rubbing. Even though you are only talking 2cm wider and a little taller, it makes a bunch of difference.

What I can tell you, though, is if you want something aggressive that will last a while, take a look at the BF Goodrich Radial All Terrain TA. I have had mine now for about 30,000 and they still have a bunch of tread left. They are somewhat aggressive, but not overly...a little louder on the road, but it's a truck isn't it?

I ordered mine through Sam's Club. (Used to work there so I know they have the best road hazzard warranty out there for the price and do not charge a lift fee, shop supplies, etc that others do)

If you can find them, the Michilin LTX is a good tire that will last a long time too. It's a little harder rubber compound, so they will last longer, but the tread will not be as wide..doesn't have the "shoulders" that the BF Goodrich do, but I really liked them.

Steve

[Grant]

my two cents- I wont buy anything but Yokohamas now- Ive run thru 2 sets of Geolandar AT+2's and got 67K out of the first set- have 55K on the second, still lots of life. never any traction issues even in clay mud.

Can't speak to the size question.

[Powerstroke]

Just because the tires fit your 99 doesn't mean anything, he has a 97 which was a different body style.

That being said, the 285's should fit just fine if they are on the stock rims. You may need to trim the front air dam for turning clearance. By trimming I mean you take a utility knife and take a few strips off the plastic off until your tires clear, usually less than 1/4 inch. Its because Chevy's have such "square-shaped" wheel wells.

There are lots of tire choices out there. You might get a bit pricey because of the size and where you are located (outstate). Don't limit yourself to local places as you may find a better deal from the large retailers in the cities.

I use Discount Tire for everything. They have a website for price surfing. Tirerack might also be good cause they can ship to a shop up north for you. I've used them too.

BFG AT's were $185.

Goodyear AT's about $170

Yokohamas were in the $140 range

Dominator AT's are $116. For the cheapest I've heard they are very good tires, just an off brand. I will probably be getting these for my own truck next.

Cooper's are also very good tires, but they are only avaiable through cooper dealers. If you have one near you check them out cause they are good.

That only counts price per tire so figure $15-25 per tire for mount,balance and disposal of old tires.

Another good way to go is to watch craigslist. I've picked up a set of brand new tires for my winter beater for under $200 and only 1 tire had been used. Its easy to find good deals.

[jigging-matt]

Powerstroke, in 99 they made both bodystyles of the silverado, both the classic (Like the 97), and the new like the 2000. I wouldn't have given the response if I didn't know. Next time don't jump on someone when you don't know.

[Whoaru99]

I've heard that bigger/wider tires are worse on snow and ice, but I've never personally experimented.

I have Michelin LTX A/T on my 94 Chev 1/2 ton. These tires last FOREVER. Well, not quite, but they last a really long time. I've lost track of the miles, but I'm thinking it's around 60-70K miles now and still about 1/4-1/3 tread left.

They are not "mudders" but seem to be a decent all around tire. I have size 265/75R16.

Lots of reviews and ratings at tirerack(dot)com.

[ice_it_06]

Pre "99" was (old body style).

"99" - "2006" were classified the classic.

And now you have the 2007 model change.

Im not aware of any post "98" GM that carries the old body style. The trucks turned over in 99 to my knowledge ?

[John Mickish]

My favorite truck tire is BF Goodrich Radial Long Trail tires. I'm on my third set and get over 50000 miles per set. Michilin LTX's are a better tire but for the price my vote is the long trails.

[jwhjr]

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Pre "99" was (old body style).

"99" - "2006" were classified the classic.

And now you have the 2007 model change.

Im not aware of any post "98" GM that carries the old body style. The trucks turned over in 99 to my knowledge ?

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jigging-matt is correct, 99 had both Classic and new just like the 2007s...

[PierBridge]

Hanson has 285's BF's on his '99 Sierra without any modifications to his truck.

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[Valv]

Look 2 threads above, I had a '94 Suburban 3/4 ton and the 285 were rubbing. The older body style has smaller fender and wheel wells.

[Big-Al]

I'll add my vote for the Long Trails. I've got a set on my F-150 with 60K and they look like they will run 20 or 30 more without any trouble and not so much as a flat. (I've jinxed myself for sure now!)

I bought at Sam's and saved about $80 for the set compared to the next closest price I found.

[Powerstroke]

Not jumpin on anybody jigginmatt, just making sure it was out there. The reason....PierBridge's comment. Although Hanson has a nice truck it is not the same body style.

About the use of bigger tires in the winter, I've never had any problems with this. I have had 35x12.5" Mud tires on my last 3 trucks and I have 32x10.5" MT/R's on my Xterra right now.

Usually the best plan is narrow tires that will "cut" through and drive on the surface underneith. With a wide tire you aim to float on top. I find this to work just fine.

Kinda doesn't matter though cause the 285 is a 33x11 which is a narrower tire by comparison to a 265 anyway.

[Macgyver55]

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Kinda doesn't matter though cause the 285 is a 33x11 which is a narrower tire by comparison to a 265 anyway.

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No, the 285 is a wider tire, it is 11.22 inches wide and requires a 7.5 to 9 inch wide wheel. The 265 is only 10.43 inches wide and only requires a 7 to 8 inch rim. The 285 is also 8 tenths of an inch taller.

A taller, narrow tire will give you the best traction and stability in snow or on wet roads. A wide tire will tend to pull you around on snow covered roads and hydroplane easier than a narrower one.

On another note what ever you do, if you decide to go with a bigger tire make sure to recalibrate the computer for the tire size or the speedometer will be wrong. In a worst case situation you may also have a bit more trouble staying in overdrive when heavily loaded because the taller tire will effectively change the final drive ratio.

[Lang]

my brother has a 1999 chevy 1500 its the old style yet. i heard that all old style 1999's were extended cab short box but im not sure. he does have 285's and they dont rub. you can also go under and crank up your torsion bars if they do rub that will lift the front of your truck a bit. a lot of my friends did that and a body lift to get 33x12.5 tires on. i used to have a 1986 chevy k10 that had no lift and 33x12.5 mud terrains on it. all i had do to was pound a little bit with a hammer on the front fender because they would just nick the fender when i turned haha

[cabin boy]

I am on my second set of Michelin LTX"S, first set gave me 75,000 miles-my best deal seems to have come from Sam's, although Discount Tire is a close second if that's closer to ya. Hope this helps!

[Gus]

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my two cents- I wont buy anything but Yokohamas now- Ive run thru 2 sets of Geolandar AT+2's and got 67K out of the first set- have 55K on the second, still lots of life. never any traction issues even in clay mud.

Can't speak to the size question.

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I've got to go with Grant on this one. I have 50,000 miles on my Yokohomas and love the tire. Plenty of life left as well. Great traction and tire life. Got mine online and they were having a free shipping thing. $424 to my door for the set. I had them installed for another $50 at the local shop. Best tire I've run in a long time and the price is right.

[Powerstroke]

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Kinda doesn't matter though cause the 285 is a 33x11 which is a narrower tire by comparison to a 265 anyway.

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No, the 285 is a wider tire, it is 11.22 inches wide and requires a 7.5 to 9 inch wide wheel. The 265 is only 10.43 inches wide and only requires a 7 to 8 inch rim. The 285 is also 8 tenths of an inch taller.

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Seriously. I knew that sentence would get someone riled up. WHat I meant was percentage wise the 265 is a wider tire. A 265 ends up being a 31.5-32" tire tall and 10.5" wide. You get a 285 and you have a 33" tire but it only gets a 1/2" wider. Get it.

[Macgyver55]

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Seriously. I knew that sentence would get someone riled up. WHat I meant was percentage wise the 265 is a wider tire. A 265 ends up being a 31.5-32" tire tall and 10.5" wide. You get a 285 and you have a 33" tire but it only gets a 1/2" wider. Get it.

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I'm not riled up at all! Just throwing out what I know. Whether its percentage wise or otherwise the 285 is still a wider tire. Since its taller too there is more surface area touching the ground. Flotation is great for off road use, its not a good thing for highway use. The 285 is 3.63% taller than the 265 so it will cause speedometer error of 2 to 3 mph. Also manufacturers recommend not using tires more than 3% oversize because of its effects on braking.

In my younger days I had a set of 38s on my 3/4 ton Ford. Turned it into a real hog mileage wise, brake wise, handling wise and every other wise... but it sure looked neat!

[FL SNIPER]

I have the same truck and have 265 BFG All Terrain T/A tires on it. I drive on the lakes and in the field all the time. I have close to 70,000 miles on this set and will be getting a new set before next fall. I have been very pleased with them...performance, durability, and looks (IMO they look good). I have friends who are also very pleased with these tires. I'd strongly suggest getting them. As far as getting the 285s over the 265 you'll have to talk to someone else about that. Good luck...enjoy your new tires.

[beretta]

Wow! Thanks for all the replies guys. I deffinatly have some options to consider. I am thinking about just replacing two of the tires (front with back and buying new back tires). To save some money. Obviously I would then stay with the 265's. I am calling around to see what kind of a deal I can find on different brands. Thanks again for the replies and I will let you know what I decide to go with. Any other suggestions would be awesome too....not that I dont have enough to decide from the way it is!

[hanson]

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Hanson has 285's BF's on his '99 Sierra without any modifications to his truck.

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LOL! My truck looked like that again yesterday! Drove into an old snowdrift on URL with that 10+" of new fresh and hung up on the frame! DOH! After I shoveled it out, tires were up in the air spinning! Not Good!

Thankfully, Iffwalleyes was there to give me a yank and we were back on track!

In regards to tires again, I LOVE, absolutely LOVE my BFG All-Terrains! I wish I could get a kick back from BFG for saying that but they are awesome tires, and I will recommend them every chance I get. I'm currently running over 80,000 miles on the set on my truck and I have decent enough tread left to get me around a snow covered lake.

I do have 285s on my truck, but it is obviously the "newer" body style for 1999. The fit is tight but I've never had them rub, ever, in typical hunting/fishing situations. If I went rock crawling, I might have a problem.

Good Luck! You pay up front but you don't have to worry about anything for years after. 80,000 miles on this set and never had a flat, not even a puncture flat. The set I had on my Ford Ranger went 80,000 miles too when I sold the truck.

[beretta]

Thanks Hanson. Maybe you just wanna give me your truck? Im sure you could handle a new one right

In all seriousness thanks for the reply. I have always wanted to get a set of BFG's. I didnt get them last time I got new tires because I only bought two and wanted to keep them the same. This time around I dont care if they are the same or not. I have heard good things about BFG's but I have to look into their price yet. THanks again.

[FL SNIPER]

You might pay a little more for the BFGs...but like Hanson said...they're worth it.

[Fish&Fowl]

Cooper Discoverer S/T. Just got a set for my truck last fall, they are good in mud and fields and incredible in snow. Talked to 4 guys that have them and all say that's the tire they will continue to buy. One guy has 50,000 on his and still has about 1/2 the tread left, and one guy had 30,000 and they basically looked like new tires.

Much cheaper than BF's and a better tire in my opinion. Minimal highway noise and aggressive without being TOO meaty.

http://www.coopertires.com/html/products/tires_lighttruck.aspx?page=discoverer_st

[river-rat4]

Fish&Fowl,

I have the same tire, well Cooper Discoverer STT. I have good handling in snow, mud and sand. Every day driving on the highway and I notice sway because of the extra rubber, hauling/weight with a trailer.

This is the STT Discoverer model.

The Cooper wears well.

My other truck-

Runs a 265/60R20. (Not by choice. Most new car lots have the large rims).

I do not prefer the large rims/wheels, but availability in the area is limited. (Everyone on the lot had large rims/wheels).

river-rat4

[hanson]

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Thanks Hanson. Maybe you just wanna give me your truck? Im sure you could handle a new one right

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LOL! I'm sure I could handle a new one but the budget says something different. I've got 164,000 miles on that truck and plan (hope!) to put on another 100,000 before I upgrade.

[Sutty]

I'll throw one more option at you. I currently have a set on from fleet farm. I paid 93 per tire 5 bucks off the normal price. They are a generic brand wide track or something like that. I'll check when I go home. Anyway I have had real good luck with them 40,000 and still going strong. They are not real aggresive treads but a little better than your average all year tire and still quiet on the highway. I got the 265 though not sure of cost on the 285.

[hanson]

Thought I'd post a little update here.

I replaced the BFG All-Terrains on my Sierra yesterday with another new set of 285s. Had a nice little screw in my driver's side rear tire yesterday morning and figured that was the straw to break the camel's back.

Looking back through my paperwork, I ran that set of tires 105,500 miles.

Here's to another 100k on the new set!