I've decided on a tire, now I have to decide to keep the stock size or go up one. Here are my questions:

How much does it affect performance?
Low end, mid range, high end power?
Climbing hills?
Hauling loads?

How does it affect braking?
Longer braking distance?
More wear and tear on brakes?
Likelyhood of damaging brakes?

Average weight difference?

Average height difference in inches?

How well does it fit in the well? (fender, that is)
Rubbing at full turn?
Rubbing as shock compresses on bumpy road?

Will I even notice a difference?

I've decided to get Michelin LTX M/S. It's a work truck. I want to put them on and not think about it again. Thank you for your help.

 

I'll give my opinion on the tire change for you.

If you need a little extra ground clearance and don't haul a lot, or tow much the 285's will look great. If you want to keep the power you have don't change. The SD fender wells could use the 285's. They are huge, but the performance loss will be noticed. Some have said they didn't notice any difference going to the 285's, but I went with 265's on my truck and noticed a change. It's funny though, when empty I hardly notice anything. Load up a trailor, or put some weight in the back and I can tell quick. I have the 4.6 which is noticeably weaker than the 5.4. I like my truck and the 4.6, but the 285's would have to be followed with a gear change pretty quick for my liking. More weight is going to be harder on brakes, too.

Most 265's are around 31.5", while the 285's are closer to 33". Good luck with your decision, Rich.

 

I tried 285s on my F150 with 4.6 and 3.55 gears. I definitely lost too much power. It looked great but just couldn't get me down the road in the manner to which I'm accustomed. I went back to 265s and my performance and gas mileage improved significantly.