I have been trying to decide on new tire since I bought my truck last June. I have an 2005 STX 4x4 supercab with the 4.6 L. I don't think I can stand to look at those Generals one more day. Anyway, I want the BFG All Terrain T/A KO, but I can't decide on size. I am trying to decide between the 265/70/17 & the 285/70/17. The 265's are obviously cheaper, but I think the 285's might look better. There is only a 1'' difference in the heights. I want a beefier tire, but I do not want zapp what little performance is in the 4.6 L and I'd rather not kill my gas mileage. What should I do?

 

I'd go with the 285's.

 

The one inch difference is not going to make any noticeable difference in the gas milage. The 285's BFG All Terrains are great tires, but they are pricy. I have them on my new body style FX4 and I love them.

Also remeber when the total bill comes out to about $1,250 for the 285's, the all terrain tires are made to last for 50,000 miles if they are rotated every 4-5,000 miles, the alignment is in check, and the tires stay in balance. The amount of miles they last also depends on how hard you drive.

All in all, they are great tires.

 

For appearance reasons only?

 

Thanks man. I am more so worried about turning the truck into a dog. I mean I'm not winning any races right now, but overall I enjoy driving it. With the 285's roughly 2 inches taller than my stock you don't think it will make a difference? Also I got quoted $902 out the door for a set of the 285's. Sound reasonable?

 

sounds like a great price to me. I have the 285/65/18, so that is why it was $300 more for mine.

They are great tires, and I do not think you will have any trouble with worse gas milage. At least nothing drastic (meaning nothing more than .5 miles per gallons worse) in the city.

On the highway I do not think you will notice any change. If you look at the All Terrains closely, you can tell that within the lugs, there are tiny slits. This is part of the reason why these tires can last so long. Those slits help discipate heat at high speeds.

 

Anybody else care to give their 2 cents?

 

If you are concerned about gas mileage, remember that upping the tires affects your speedo and odometer. You'll be driving faster than your speedo says you are, and you wont get as many miles to a tank as you did stock.
What Im saying is you need to remember to adjust your PCM for the new tires.

 

Johngs,

Those 265's look good on your truck and they are the same diameter as the 265's I am debating about. Did you have to adjust your speedo for 265's? This is one of the reasons I was thinking about getting the 265's, along with less rotational weight, cheaper, etc... I just don't know if 1" will make them look too small on my truck. Thanks for the input

 

I had to adjust my speedo when I went from a 255/70/16 to a 265/75/16 tire which was about a 2" change in tire dia. I also noticed a bit of a bog initially off the line, but some of that was partly due to the speedo not being adjusted and the shift patterns off a little bit. I did not notice any decrease in mpg after converting for the speedo difference, and then no change after the speedo change.... Only that I didn't have to adjust for the difference any longer!

What rear end gear ratio do you have? If it's a 3.73, then go for the 285's. If it's a 3.55, you might want to consider what else you want to do with the truck... I've got 3.55's and a 5.4, so it was not so bad, but it was noticable initially. Not so much now that I'm used to it, but there you go....

Mitch

 

Thanks for the response Mitch. I have the 3.55 limited slip which is another reason I think the 285's might kill the truck's performance.

 

What size tire do you have now? Is it a 265/70/17? If so, then that's a 31" tall tire and you are running the same overall tire dia as I am with the 3.55's.

I too had thought about going to some 285's, but decided against it because of what I tow with mine.

If you had 3.73's and 285's, it would be just about the same as a 265 with 3.55's.

Lots of folks are running the 285's and 3.55 gears with no complaints.... Those that have complained, need more gear for the use of their trucks, so that's gonna be the biggest decision for you I'd think....

I know I'm 'just' satisfied with my trucks performance as it is with the 31" tires and 3.55 gears. Anymore tire and I don't think I'd like the hills as much as I do now! It's more a personal preference then anything else....

Mitch

 

I have the 255/70/17 Generals that measure 31.1" Weight- 39 lbs

BFG 265/70/17 - 31.8" Weight- 44lbs
BFG 285/70/17 - 32.8" Weight- 55lbs

 

Well, that's an interesting size..... Going to a 265 probably won't make any difference power or speedo wise. Not sure on looks, but they will technically be 10 mm wider! (less then 1/2").

Interesting that there is an 11lbs difference between the 265 and 285. Must be that much more rubber to make a 285 I guess.

I'd say that you could potentially lose some mpg going to the 285. It'll be over an inch wider then the stock tire and be some 16 lbs heavier per tire as well as being taller, reducing your effective gear ratio, so you will need more gas to get rolling from a stop....

Does the place that you are getting the tires from have a 30 day return policy?? I don't think many places do, but around here, we have a tire chain that does just that... If you get a set of tires and don't like them for whatever reason, they will take them back, no questions asked... I'm sure they have to be in resalable condition and all, but there you go...

I took advantage of that when I got tires for the first time. Stock, it had 235/70/16's on it. I got some 255/70/16's and while they were better then the 235's, I wanted a bit more..... I was able to trade them in for the 265's and only paid the difference between the tires and remounting of course....

Might be something you can ask them at any rate?? If it's mail order, then I'd say you would be SOL....

Good luck!

MItch

 

Try Nitto AT Grapplers.. 295/70/17