truck in question. my tires on there now are 275/65/18s and they have tread on them but are starting to dry rot on me pretty well so the tire time has come.

truck has a 1.5 as level installed, and i use it mainly on the road pulling small boats. would like to have a nice all terrain tire since the truck sees lots of snow/ and sand and occasional mud.

heres my dillema however. i dont want a 35 inch tire, and id like to get a tire thats as light as possible to keep some of my get up and go.

ideally id like a 34 or a 33 inch tire that is a little wider than the stock 275, and no tire can last too long. the longer the tread life the better.

i really like bfg at ko tires. and im trying to work with this shop here in town that i mainly deal with. they are cutting me a little slack i believe because i work for advance auto and have been using their shop to do my work for a while now, and i could probably get them down further if i tried, and if i get the tires through them they will rotate them as often as i want for the life of the tires.

the candidates are:
bfg at 275/70/18 around 1000$ installed
bfg at 285/65/18 1260$ installed
bfg at 305/65/18 1600$ installed

nitto terra grappler 295/70/18 1032$ installed

the terra grappler 295s are a solid price, and a good size but ive read that some people wear them out quickly. i must get 50k out of them atleast. its a requirement. and also i cant find a weight on them so i dont want them to be super heavy.

the 275/70/18s are a good price and they are 33s, but that's no wider than the tire i have on there now, and for some reason that specific size isnt rated for severe snow which is a disadvantage.

the 285/65/18s are a good size, there not quite 33s, but they are a little bit wider, and from looking at pics you can defiantly tell. which is a good thing. 230 more dollars from the terra grapplers might be a good idea for such a well proven tire.

the 305/65/18 bfg ats are a good size, but expensive through my shop. on tire rack they are on sale for 1,220 a set, (then figure 100 for shipping, then <70 bucks probably to get them installed) but then they wont have lifetime rotation with them like the others will.

so go with the terra grapplers, or the 285 bfg ats?

 

The wider you go the less capable it is in snow and will most likely weigh more as well better gas mileage on a narrower tire also if you care about that. Id go with the 275/70/18s and there the best price if your trying to save money. I have terra grapplers on my truck now 295/70/17 good tires haven't had any issues with them work well in all conditions extremely stable tires. I have just over 35k and there about the grip of a stock tire new maybe a little less. No burn outs not alot of highway miles and they seen their fair share of mud.

 

So far I love my Grapplers. I only have about 4,000 miles on them though but there's still some of those knobby's on the tread. They're quiet and made the truck ride a lot nicer. I've read of people getting over 50k out of them and I've read people only getting something ridiculous like 20k out of them. IMO if you take care of them such as rotate them, keep the correct pressure in them, spray some tire shine on to help prevent dry rot and aren't hot rodding them you'll be fine.

 

I have the 275/70/18 BFG's. nice tires worked in the snow last winter. i actually slid more with the chains on then the tires alone

 

I can't speak for my Grapplers in the snow since I haven't had them in the snow. I did have a set of General Grabber AT2 on my old truck which is basically the same tread pattern as the BFG's and they did GREAT in the snow. Hardly ever slid or needed 4 wheel drive with them.

 

Michelin LTX M/S2. Read the ratings/reviews on tire rack. By far the best all season truck tire that includes snowy weather. 70,000 mile warranty, awesome grip even in the snow.

 

I'm in the same boat as you.

Trying to decide on 285/65/18 or 275/70/18 on my "new" 2007.

285 likely will look nicer with bit wider and thicker.

With the crazy gas prices and horrible gas mileage (15-18) on F150's, might go with the 275 route for less friction on road.

Had a 285 on my 2002, lost 1-2 mpg on normal driving. So.... Oh, will likely be on BFG AT KO again, as it lasted me over 60K and had still tread left when I traded it last month.

 

Just put 275/70/18 Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX tires on my new XD Addict 18 X 9" wheels. I think they are the perfect sized tire for our trucks with a level kit. I paid $1040.00 out the door and boy do they look meaty. Very good tires in my opinion... and the size is very good as well.

 

Sounds like the Terra is perfect size for the look you're trying to achieve. I've had my 295/70/17 for nearly a year and been through every kind of weather you can imagine. From 8" of fresh snow, to packed snow with ice, dirt/mud roads, 100*+ days, rain. I was very impressed with how they handled the winter weather, we rarely get that kind of stuff down here so I was eager to test it out.

I picked up 5 tires for $1k cash.

 

^^ I have had the same luck with my BFG's. I got darn near 65k on them. I think you need to go with a 275/70R18 with your truck. That is the tire I have now. I'm getting ready to put on a 1.5" kit my self. I think that it will be just perfect for me.... Untill I talk myself into the Rancho Kit... lol.

 

I have trail grapplers and couldn't be happier.

 

all great advice. i just cant decide between the terras and bfg at's. anyone know the weight of the 295 terra grappler?

 

Take a look at the Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs. They haven't been out for long but they are awesome. I had them installed last winter before we got any major snow. When we got a 2ft storm in February they got me through it with no problem. I was also able to drive my way out of my driveway that was covered with a 4 ft drift.

The tires look like an MT but are an AT. They are also Snow tires already set for studs if you were to ever want to run them.

I only have ~9000 miles on them so far but they still look great. They seem like they will be lasting me quite a while.

 

i was beginning to think about duratrecs too. i like the size 295/65/18 allot, and they arent overly heavy. some people are having them wear out kinda fast. im gonna call and get a price on them monday

 

The BFGs are a bit more expensive but with proper rotation they will last twice as long as the other options you are considering. Excellent in the snow and mud too. Simply the best, hands down. my friend got 60k on a 3/4 ton truck, I've seen them go upwards of 80-100k on half tons. The 285s would look nice on your truck and perform beyond your expectations.