Tire dilema..please advise

[Ben S]

My OEM tires have lasted 61K and I most drive on the highway with occasional towing to 12K.



I would like a slightly larger tire say 275/70 with the same E load rating to fill the wheel wells a little better and my truck is not lifted. Of course I would like to keep my fuel mileage the same and would love another set of tires to last 60k but I'm ok if they don't go 60 k.



I like the look of an AT tire... ah vanity.



However I can't decide if a set of Toyo AT tires is going to kill my fuel mileage.



Other tires I've looked at General grabber HTS, Michelin LTX, BFGoodrich, etc.





Anyone have any advice that has gone from the factory tire to an AT tire? Should I just stick with a slight larger highway tire and not get an AT tire?



We get some snow but I don't offroad except for hunting occasionally.



Sorry for another tire thread... :-laf

 

[TimothyLong]

I run 285's and have not noticed any difference in fuel economy (at least due to tire size). A big pro about an A/T tire is that you have better all around traction, whether you need it or not. Even though you don't get a lot of snow or do much off-roading, that once or twice you might need the extra traction to get out of trouble as quick as you got into it is worth it to me. Also, A/T tires are generally a tougher tire than an OTR radial and will take more punishment. The down side is that A/T tires are not really designed to last 61K, at least in my experience. You can get that kind of mileage out of them, but you really have to take care of them (rotation/spin balance every 6K-8K miles). Also, an A/T tire will tend to make a little more road noise than the OTR radials. Some more than others, but not necessarily loud like a mud or a swamp tire would be. An A/T tire might also give you a bit stiffer ride (because it's built a lot tougher) than an OTR radial, but nothing to write home about.

These are just some food for thought items, but if the cons aren't a show stopper for you then I'd say go get a set try them out.

 

[jraker]

I just got new tires put on today. They are Hankook 295/70/17 ATS RT-10. These are AT E rated tires with a 50k warantee. They look good but I only have 40 miles on them so I can't tell you much. Discount tire direct has them for $211/tire so they should be cheaper than Toyos. I will tell you they fill the wheel well. I am also at stock height and there is no rub at full lock. Had Discount tire test fit a 315 and there was a little bit of rub on my aftermarket pocket flares.

 

[Ben S]

Cool... thanks!

Didn't know picking out tires would be so difficult.

 

[HHhuntitall]

I don't think you'll go wrong with a good A/T tire. I sell and use a lot of the Toyo A/Ts, in all sizes. I have sold a lot of 235/85R16s, 286/75R16s, and 315/75R16s, 265/70R17, 325/70R17, 315/70R17s... ... . I haven't noticed much difference in the fuel mileage on the 3rd gens, taller tires or stock. With oversized tires, when you calculate the difference, or recalibrate your ABS for large tire size, I've actually found a gain on the trucks I own and drive. They handle well on road and off, and I really like lowering my RPMs on the undergeared 3rd gens. Truth be told, a mild headwind and poor driving habits will affect your fuel mileage more than the A/T tread. Different features affect handling and ride, but I don't think you can go wrong with a good A/T tire. Just be sure to rotate regularly, and you'll be happy.

 

[Ben S]

Well I checked with my local shop and he would have to charge me a premium to get the Toyo ATs shipped to him. As an alternative he suggested the Firestone Destination AT Lt 285/20/17 or Bridgestone Duelers or BFgoodrich A/T TAs.

Not sure if the Toyos are worth the extra coin but from what I've read the Firestone Destinations seem fine.

Appreciate the above advice.

 

[BurlesonR]

I've always like the BFG A/T's. On my 3500 dually I get about 50k out of them (and I tow heavy and run them at max PSI). I don't rotate as much as I should and duals always wear faster than SRW. (So you should be able to do better on your truck. ) They ride quiet and smooth on the road and give great offroad traction. They look pretty good too... .



Hope that helps some.



Rick

 

[AH64ID]

You will not get the mileage out of any decent AT, the OE tires are rock hard, and thus last forever. I got 25K useful miles out of my Toyo AT's, and they went legally bald at 40K miles.

These trucks are just hard on tires, if you want tire life go back with the OEM tires or another hard highway tread.

 

[Turbo_Bob]

My OEM tires have lasted 61K and I most drive on the highway with occasional towing to 12K.

I would like a slightly larger tire say 275/70 with the same E load rating to fill the wheel wells a little better and my truck is not lifted. Of course I would like to keep my fuel mileage the same and would love another set of tires to last 60k but I'm ok if they don't go 60 k.

Other tires I've looked at Michelin LTX

Any change from stock size tires, wheels, load ratings and you will suffer in the MPG numbers.



Michelin LT 265/70 R70 LTX A/S, Dodge did their homework with this tire as the OEM standard.



My first set lasted 127,500 miles, still had 1/16" rubber to the wear bars. My second set was a takeoff from another Dodge truck, when these are done I will buy a brand new set of the same.

 

[TimothyLong]

Well I checked with my local shop and he would have to charge me a premium to get the Toyo ATs shipped to him. As an alternative he suggested the Firestone Destination AT Lt 285/20/17 or Bridgestone Duelers or BFgoodrich A/T TAs.



Not sure if the Toyos are worth the extra coin but from what I've read the Firestone Destinations seem fine.



Appreciate the above advice.

I exclusively ran BFG A/T's for years and I never had any problems with them. They are a well built tire, have good traction, and will last 50K+ as long as you take care of them (otherwise, plan on about 40K - 44K). They ride really well and don't generate a lot of noise. The Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors that I have now are pretty good too. The older Wranglers really sucked, but Goodyear really stepped up with these. I had no problem getting around in the blizzards we had here last winter. They performed just as well as the BFG's and were a bit cheaper (at least they were at the tire shop where I go). Thinking about trying a set of the DuraTracs next. A lot of guys on here are really partial to the Michelins too.

 

[ringneck]

trubo bob has got it wright,they are long wearing tires.

 

[SRadke]

My advice, go find a set of factory take offs.

 

[subodh]

i have cooper at and before i had some other brand but always 315/70/17

i dont really got good mpg but on our other cars a couple of nissan we always had bf at and that was very impressive grip and lasted a long time

 

[Ben S]

Appreciate the above information.



I decided to try the Firestone Destination ATs LT 285/70/17 load range E after doing a search here and on the internet. I'll get them installed next week. My local shop is right around the corner and offers free 5k rotation with the purchase and to me their price seemed reasonable. I expect I'll suffer a little in mileage but I don't drive crazy and keep my tires inflated properly so we'll see how it goes.



Appreciate the info on the original Michelin's. A couple of times I've had to go through some mud and snow (not by choice) and these tires seemed to struggle. I plan to give some feedback after owning these Firestones.

Turbo Bob,



That kind of mileage is pretty amazing for the original set of tires. My current OEM tires have some tread left but are showing signs of dry rot on the sidewalls.



BTW, that VW bug in your signature sounds pretty impressive... lol!

 

[Ben S]

I exclusively ran BFG A/T's for years and I never had any problems with them. They are a well built tire, have good traction, and will last 50K+ as long as you take care of them (otherwise, plan on about 40K - 44K). They ride really well and don't generate a lot of noise. The Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors that I have now are pretty good too. The older Wranglers really sucked, but Goodyear really stepped up with these. I had no problem getting around in the blizzards we had here last winter. They performed just as well as the BFG's and were a bit cheaper (at least they were at the tire shop where I go). Thinking about trying a set of the DuraTracs next. A lot of guys on here are really partial to the Michelins too.

I had a set of the old Goodyear wranglers on my previous Dodge 1/2ton and they were the noisiest tires I have ever had. Got sick of them after a year and gave them to my father. He also said they were noisy but that didn't stop him from wearing them out on his old Ford pickup. After that I decided I wouldn't get another set of Goodyears... lol.

 

[JCockerill]

i have a set of nitto terra graplers on backorder in 285/75 17 e rated. . they are 34in tire and after a lot of research they seemed to be the best bet for me. too bad they are on national backorder right now. hope they come in before the snow does!

 

[Turbo_Bob]

Appreciate the above information.

Appreciate the info on the original Michelin's. A couple of times I've had to go through some mud and snow (not by choice) and these tires seemed to struggle.



That kind of mileage is pretty amazing for the original set of tires.



BTW, that VW bug in your signature sounds pretty impressive... lol!

The LTX A/S tires are great highway tires, not so good off road and snow.

Stick-shift makes a huge difference with tire and brake life. I still have the factory brake pads, 157,000 miles and counting.



Yes, I do all my (need for speed stuff) in the bug, truck is my commuter and towing workhorse. 2000 pound Bug gets 20 mpg, 7000 pound truck gets 24 mpg, LOL.

 

[MickeyMiller]

Just an add to this thread. A/O 9/1/10 we can no longer buy BFG ATs for our trucks! CARB has declared that any tire dealer selling us tires has to inflate them to 70 PSI. The load range D BFG AT has a max pressure of 50 PSI. MY LOCAL BIG 'O' WILL NOT SELL ME AT's (a $1600 sale for 5)!!!



I am looking at Hankook Dynapro MT RT03s, 35X12. 50R 17LT, load range E, because I like the more aggressive tread but I resent CARBs oppression.



BTW, OEM 265/70 17 load range E are rated at 3195# @ 80 PSI. The 315/70 17 BFG ATs that I have been running are rated at 3195# @50 PSI so it's not a load issue.



California's over regulated society will implode... it's close to the edge already!

 

[akshadow]

WHAT
Glad i live in Alaska, Is it then illegal to reduce the air pressure below 70 PSI because you are modifying a CARB requirement?

 

[Regcabguy]

Firestone's having a 15% of sale here on the Bridgestone 695 AT. A 315-70-17 E-rated 3195# load capacity tire is only $202 ea. Smaller tires should be less. Discount will match Firestone on that tire.