2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 265 75's on 1999 6.5" rims

[SGrady]

Has anyone put 265 75's on a 1999 with the stock 6. 5" rims? If so has there been any problems? Would I be better going to a wider rim first? Thanks.

Scott

 

[C.]

When I picked up my 99 new from the dealer, I drove it around the corner and had a set of BFG all terrain TA's put on. 265 75r16 on stock rims. The truck had 8 miles on it then. Today it has about 33k. I have not had a bit of trouble with the tires.



The only bad thing is that these tires throw the stones and chip the paint.



I hope to get a set of Mud terrains on new wheels sometime.



You can't go wrong with BFGoodrich.

 

[SGrady]

What would a set of the BFGs go for mounted and balanced? Ballpark #???

 

[LSMITH]

I am running the BFG 285/75's on the 99 6. 5" rims without a bit of trouble so the 265 is even easier. The 285 needs close attention to pressures but is not hard to keep wearing evenly. I know that the 285's are up to about 165-170 each, 265's should be marginally less. Hope this helps.

 

[juicedcummins]

I'm running BFG's all terrains on the stock 6. 5's in the summer with no prob.

They are plenty good tire for year round use but I'm a little agressive in the winter and like studded grips on all 4 corners.

The only prob is I have 3 out 4 rims bent or out of round right from factory!

This has been confirmed by both a wheel shop and tire shop.

Factory chrome steels SUCK!

 

[Dennis Garrett]

I moved up to 265's on my 97, which has always had 245's. It made a 200 rpm difference on the highway, about the difference between 4:10's & 354's. They are mounted on the stock rims. Had to regear the speedo to get the odometer right. I have 3:54's get a true 75 mph at 2000 RPM now.

 

[KKeen]

You won't have any problems if you happen to have 4 true wheels. Amen on the stock steel wheels suck. I have 305 70 16 Goodyear ATS's on stock steel 6. 5. Balanced 4 times in the first 12k miles. 1 tire replaced for flat spot, they thought. I was sent back to the dealer by tire store to tell them I had 2 rims out of spec. Dealer decided 1 was bad enough to replace. Tire store said 305 was borderline on 6. 5 wheel, which I agreed with. Finally at 12k miles they got them close enough to live with. I never had any rubbing problem at all. I have 43k miles on them with maybe 25% left, so not to bad I guess. Sorry so long but it was pretty aggrivating. Anyway, 265's should be fine.

 

[StephenDelany]

Those BFG's are a great tire for the factory rims... . The only problem is that the factory rims are garbage and are impossible to ballance on account of the fact that they spin like warped potato-chips on a ballance machine!



The tires greatly improve the looks as they do a much better job of filling the wheel wells. They do have a bit more rolling noise than the Michelins and they do feel a little bit more "gravelly" as they roll on a smooth road, but none of these things will bother you as they aren't enough to be annoying.



As I said above the rims are a problem. When I changes over (and yes I watched the ballancing numbers) the truck got a feeling like the tires went "square" at between 37 to 40 MPH. Before and after that speed all is clear.

 

[JEmmons]

tire size

I have 285/75 r16 on mine. No prob, just keep them rotated.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

tire size and speedo

I put on 265/75 on my 99 ram with the same stock rims. I got Cooper Discoverers. For some wierd reason, my speedo ended up being only 3. 3% off. I took a 1700 mile trip and verified it by the interstate mile markers. The tires were definitely oversize from the stock Michelins (which made it 55k and maybe would have gone another 10k). So maybe the speedo calibration was off with stock tires, putting on more miles than I actually drove? Maybe D-C trying to get me out of warranty sooner???#@$%!

 

[dfirlik]

I bought a 98 Club Cab last February with Cooper Discovery 265/75's on it and found the odometer error was just under 4%. I checked it on a 50 miles stretch using the interstate mile markers. The truck has 156K on it so I'm not sure how much tread is worn off.



I've been looking for a load vs inflation chart for these tires without much luck. What is a recomended inflation for running empty? The tires had 65/80 pounds front to back when I bought it and ride was almost intolerable on our rough roads. The back tires had a tendency to jump sideways on the larger bumps/potholes. I've reduced the rear tires to 60 pounds and improved the ride but would like to reduce the pressure further if possible.



Don

 

[MidwestMotorman]

dfirlik



What is the load range on your Coopers? My new "D" range Coopers had a heavier load rating than the factory "E" Michelins. Those "D" Coopers only need to go to 65psi max if I recall right. I run mine about 50psi empty and air them up when hauling heavy. Coopers are a lot truer and ride better than the Goodyears, but those Goodyears are really hard to wear out.



I will look at my new tire paperwork and see if the load/psi chart is there. If so I can scan it and email it to you.

 

[dfirlik]

Hi Nathan,



I believe my tires are load range "D", I'll double check that in the morning.



There are two lines of small type molded into the sidewall that I believe specifies two load ratings and corresponding tire pressures, but the the writing is difficult to read as the rubber has been abraded, probably by snow and ice in the winter.

When I check on the load range tomorrow I'll try doing a rubbing with a soft lead pencil to see if I can retrieve that info.



I'll try 50# all the way around tomorrow and see if that helps.



I've been playing with the tire presures because that's an easy thing to do but I'm not ignoring the possibility the shocks may be part of the issue. They'll be replaced as soon as the IRS sends some of my money back to me!



Don

 

[Un-Hemi]

When I'm running light, which is most of the time, I run 55/45 f/r on my stock 245/75/16 Michelin LTX M&S tires. When I got the truck, it had LTX A/Ts on the back and all four tires were at 80psi. The @#$%^ truck tried to kill me repeatedly on the 65 mile trip home from the dealer. It would not drive in a straight line. Any disturbance on the road would toss it toward the ditch. Lowering the tire pressures helped, but getting rid of the A/Ts helped the most.



I've seen 265's on the 6. 5" wheel, and the owner said that they worked fine, but my money's going toward a set of 8" alloys inside my 265s.



FWIW.



Tom

 

[dfirlik]

Nathan,



It's amazing the amount of info on a tire, if one just takes the time to read it!



My tires are Discoverer H/T M+S and are indeed Load Range "D" and you are correct, the ,max inflation pressure is 65 psi.



I managed to extract the other info which said "Single: 3000 lbs @ 65 psi. Dual: 2755 lbs @ 65 psi". Earlier I had mistaken the 65 psi for 85 psi. Perhaps the previous owner did also, or was using the max inflation from the OEM tires.



I going to try 50 psi all around this afternoon if the rain holds off long enough to let me adjust the pressure without getting wet.



Don

 

[dfirlik]

I checked the pressure in all of the tires and found they were about 58 psi. Reducing the pressure to 50 psi has made a world of difference! The harshness of the ride is all gone now.



Don

 

[PRout]

Originally posted by SGrady

What would a set of the BFGs go for mounted and balanced? Ballpark #???

A friend of mine just got a quote on 265 BFG A/T's for his '99. Was 680 out the door. I think he can probably beat by a little, but he figured his time was worth money so we went for it.



By the way I have over 65k on my 285 bfg's. Never had a prob. They still have meat. Just carrying around a couple nails.

 

[MidwestMotorman]

Don,



We of the TDR aim to please. Nice to know just airing down has helped.



In case anyone wants to know, my 265 Cooper Discoverer ATs were $550. Mounted, balanced, and road hazarded.

 

[jglover]

265s on 99 stocks

I had 265s on my 6. 5" rims. They blew through two sets of tires in 13000 miles per set, and they were Coopers. Everyone tells me Coopers are a long range tire but these were terrible. I finally had a mechanic tell me that I had the wrong size rims. I managed to get a warranty on the first set but then the second time Cooper caught on and said they would buy another set if I got the 265s again but I don't need 265s, I need 245s. Anyway, to make a long story short, don't put 265s on 6. 5s or they'll be gone in no time. Good luck! -Jim

 

[BigMike]

jglover, Is it the rims or the tires that are the problem? I don't know much about Cooper tires. Seems like everyone else who posted has had no problems with 265's on stock rims. This is an important issue to me because I'm about to go up to 265's! I can't afford tires and rims