I have had the 315/70R17 BFG All Terrains for about 40k miles now and it's almost time for my next set of tires.

I have the 2500 with 3.73 gears and the 6 speed, and there is no way i'll put another set of tires that large on it. It absolutely killed my gearing so my towing performance suffered a bit and I also found that many common speeds felt like I was inbetween gears.

I have been looking at going to the 285/70R17 but I'm not sure how much of my towing performance I'll get back. I may go all the way back to the stock 265/70R17 tires, but they are so small they just look stupid in those huge wheel wells.

Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions about what tire size is the best? Do the 285s run ok with the 3.73 gears?

Thanks,
schu

 

I only have 16's on my 01 but I just made the switch from 315/75/16 to 285/75/16 and it made a world of difference. It steers alot easier and doesnt wonder all over the road and the transmission finally feels right in my truck.I am glad i made the switch and they look just as good if not better than the 315's.

 

Which tires did you go with? I really would like to get a set of revos but they don't make them in the 285s. I might end up with the Cooper Discoverer ATR's or I might stick the the BFGs.

 

might i suggest Nitto Terra Grapplers.
they are available in 295/70/17 with a very good load rating. 3400 lbs (i think)

they are basically a 33 x 11.5 and are cheaper than BFG's. you can get these at tires.com for $175 each with free shipping.

hope this helps

 

Hmmm, well I would have to find them locally since the free shipping isn't offered in AK.

I wonder how they stack up against the others, the BFG and especially Revos have very high ratings in winter conditions, which is mostly what I drive in.

schu

 

I ended up gettig wild country rvt's

 

i just up graded to a set of 285 coopers. so far i am very pleased, and towing performance seems just about the same, of course the box helps. but i agree, the 265's are just to small.

tim

 

I like my Cooper ATRs albeit 265s.

 

i run the 285/70/17's on mine and they look better than the stock, my odometer is barely off, even after dealer reset it, and my pulling power seems to be the same, rpms are down a tad on hwy and milage is about the same, hope it helps

 

Thanks for the replies, that is what I'm looking for I think I'm going to get cooper ATRs 285/70R17. The 315s hurt my milage 1-1.5mpg and I tow a lot though Alaska which is far from flat.

schu

 

I give another vote to BFG AT 285/70/17s. I replaced my stock 265 Rugged Trails because they were to small.

I think the BFG 285's are a great all around compromise between good looks and maintaining performance. They have a much more aggressive tread than the stockers, but they seem to wear well....at least so far. I didn't notice any power loss from these, and that was a concern after talking to some guys with the 315's who had experienced that. IMO the 285's are just about the perfect size for our trucks.

 

I'd vote for the BFG A/T's as well in the 285/70/17 size.....

 

Me too.... I just went from 315s to 285s because I really don't need a tire that large. The 265s look good on these trucks until you throw some bigger ones on them. Then it's just too hard to go back to stock... My truck makes a tighter turn with the 285s too......

 

I am very pleased with my 285s. My speedo is correct(gps verified) with a pinion factor of 234 and I keep them at the max 65psi. The offroad performance on the beach (18psi) is 100% better compared to the stock michelins.

 

I would stay away from the BFG's, and yeah I've had two sets. I now have the Toyo 285/70/17 A/T and they are hard to beat and they don't fall apart on rough terrain like the BFGs.