Buying New Tires

#1
CABVOL

CABVOL

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#1
I apologize if there is a thread already on this, but I was unable to find one.

I have a 2011 Z71. The OEM tires are Bridgestone Dueler A/T. Tire size is P265 65R18.

I am looking for new tires as these have nearly 60K on them. Is it possible to go up to a P275 using the same rims? What would be the pros/cons for such a move? Are there any specific tire brand suggestions?

I mainly drive on paved roads to and from work, but I do occasionally drive the truck out on the farm.

Thanks in advance for all replies and suggestions.
 
#2
#2
CABVOL said:
I apologize if there is a thread already on this, but I was unable to find one.

I have a 2011 Z71. The OEM tires are Bridgestone Dueler A/T. Tire size is P265 65R18.

I am looking for new tires as these have nearly 60K on them. Is it possible to go up to a P275 using the same rims? What would be the pros/cons for such a move? Are there any specific tire brand suggestions?

I mainly drive on paved roads to and from work, but I do occasionally drive the truck out on the farm.

Thanks in advance for all replies and suggestions.
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I can't tell you anything specific for your truck, but I've learned that all companies have great tires, decent tires and just flat out crappy tires. The weird thing is that price isn't always indicative of which tire you're getting. Also, the lower end companies usually have tires that are of equal specs to the Goodyears, Michelin and Bridgestones. Right now I'm on a set of Hankook tires now and they have been fabulous.
 
#3
#3
I dont know of any real positive to simply going from a 265 to a 275. The cons could potentially be rubbing in the wheelwell and a change in gas consumption
 
#4
#4
I find some of the best info on a truck specific forum. The one for mine had a list of what does/doesn't fit and mods you can do if you want bigger tires without a lift. Also has a whole thread on tire reviews with noise, wear, price paid, etc.
 
#5
#5
CABVOL said:
I apologize if there is a thread already on this, but I was unable to find one.

I have a 2011 Z71. The OEM tires are Bridgestone Dueler A/T. Tire size is P265 65R18.

I am looking for new tires as these have nearly 60K on them. Is it possible to go up to a P275 using the same rims? What would be the pros/cons for such a move? Are there any specific tire brand suggestions?

I mainly drive on paved roads to and from work, but I do occasionally drive the truck out on the farm.

Thanks in advance for all replies and suggestions.
Click to expand...

265 to 275 is only 10mm wider, or .400", not even a 1/2", I would go with 285/70's, almost an inch wider, will look much better imo.

Google tire size calculator
 
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#6
#6
Agree with above - try sizes in a tire size calculator to see.

Also, if you go to online tire sites like TireRack (recommended at least to read reviews of tires you are considering), Discount Tire online, etc. they should have an option for your vehicle called "Plus Zero". That is an alternate size that is generally wider but the same rim diameter.

You can probably go a bit taller and wider without a problem. Just remember that as you go taller (or shorter but can't imagine doing this) your speedo will be off. The tire size calculators often include a section that will tell you what if any difference you can expect in the speedo.

As for advantages - plus zero generally improves looks and handling. The down side of a wider tire is a bit more rolling resistance so it may hit the mpgs a bit.
 
#7
#7
Buddy of mine has the exact same truck, he says the Hankook DynaPro tire is the best he's ever had. They're about $140 each.
 
#9
#9
The sidewall ratio would increase with a wider diameter tire, so for instance a 265-70 would be a touch shorter than a 275-70. IMO if you have legitimate need for a larger tire, then I would look into new wheels and going up to at least a few sizes. Going from 265 to 275 would just be needlessly hitting your MPGs and throwing off your speedometer.

As far as tire brands, as was mentioned, they all have tires ranging between fantastic and crappy. Another tip: Tread life ratings only really compare between tires of the same brand. A Goodyear with a tread life rating of 350 might be completely different than a Michelin that is also rated at 350. However, if you're comparing two Goodyear tires, one having a tread life of 400 and another with 300, you can be reasonably well-assured that the one with 400 will have a much better lifespan.
 
#10
#10
milohimself said:
As far as tire brands, as was mentioned, they all have tires ranging between fantastic and crappy. Another tip: Tread life ratings only really compare between tires of the same brand. A Goodyear with a tread life rating of 350 might be completely different than a Michelin that is also rated at 350. However, if you're comparing two Goodyear tires, one having a tread life of 400 and another with 300, you can be reasonably well-assured that the one with 400 will have a much better lifespan.
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This is good info.

From my dealership days, the tires I had the best luck with (warranty claims, wear, few customer complaints) were:

Passenger cars/small SUVs: Sold a lot of good models of Bridgestones, Goodyears, and Yokahamas. The best luck I had was with Kumho (people will rant against this, but I had fantastic luck out of their tires. I sold over 500 sets, had very few claims).

Trucks: Seemed to have the best luck out of Michelin and believe it or not, Cooper. Generally, any decent brand was fine but more aggressive truck tires meant more issues (although most of those were over-compensators whining that their 'mud tars' wore down to quickly).
 
#11
#11
Another reason to look at alternative sizes is price and variety. Your size may be common so it may not be a big deal but if it is not common (or less common) then moving to a plus zero may save you some cash and give you more options.

For example - my Jeep Wrangler came with 255/75/17s but that is not a common size. To go OEM with a different brand was limited and expensive. Moving to 265/70/17 opened up HUGE options since that is a universal SUV/Truck tire size. More options and lower prices.
 
#12
#12
volinbham said:
For example - my Jeep Wrangler came with 255/75/17s but that is not a common size. To go OEM with a different brand was limited and expensive. Moving to 265/70/17 opened up HUGE options since that is a universal SUV/Truck tire size. More options and lower prices.
Click to expand...

I spaced on that. Good point.
 
#16
#16
AirVol said:
Buddy of mine has the exact same truck, he says the Hankook DynaPro tire is the best he's ever had. They're about $140 each.
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I put these on my Suburban and they are great. Good traction off road and no loss in mileage on the highway. A bit more noise than straight highway tires, but not too bad.

I ordered them off one of the online sources and had them delivered to my local mechanic. He installed them for $15 bucks a tire, plus a few dollars for disposal fee of the old tires.

I used Consumer Reports to get an objective rating and these were in the top 2 or 3 but at $50-75 less per tire.
 
#17
#17
YorkVol said:
I put these on my Suburban and they are great. Good traction off road and no loss in mileage on the highway. A bit more noise than straight highway tires, but not too bad.

I ordered them off one of the online sources and had them delivered to my local mechanic. He installed them for $15 bucks a tire, plus a few dollars for disposal fee of the old tires.

I used Consumer Reports to get an objective rating and these were in the top 2 or 3 but at $50-75 less per tire.
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Was going to mention this. Both TireRack and TireBuyer have direct connections to tons of local installers. You buy the tires and they are shipped to the installer and you have a pre-negotiated installation rate.

In Birmingham there's even a mobile guy. You get the tires shipped to your house, make an appointment and he shows up with all the equipment and installs them at your house!
 
#18
#18
Ordered these from tirebuyer, had them balanced twice, lug-centric balanced, come to find out they were out of round bad.
Had to have them trued up on a machine, $160 later.
I saved a lot of money not buying local, but next time I'll pay extra and go local because of this. Tire buyer wouldn't respond to my emails.
 

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#19
#19
I like Michelin. Got some 90ks on my civic. Hugs the road, rides smoooooth.

Discount tire. Lifetime rotate and balance included. Get the insurance.

I'd stick w same size tire as factory, unless you're changing rims, suspension, etc. Can't help you there.

I go OEM on whenever possible for everything from body panels to spark plugs and oil filters. Tires and oil are the exception.

5 qts of Royal Purple 5w 20 runs me $38 a Wally World. I order Honda oil filters from Amazon. NGK V power (OEM) plugs. I pulled the originals out at 172,000. Could have brushed them off and put them back in. Tried some Bosch platinum ... noticeable loss of power.

My point being, I'm a believer in OEM. When it comes to tires and oil though, upgrades are just fine. I wouldn't jack around w sizes/dimensions. Use factory specs. Your speedometer and check engine lights would probably agree. My two cents.
 
#20
#20
Volition 1.0 said:
I like Michelin. Got some 90ks on my civic. Hugs the road, rides smoooooth.

Discount tire. Lifetime rotate and balance included. Get the insurance.

I'd stick w same size tire as factory, unless you're changing rims, suspension, etc. Can't help you there.

I go OEM on whenever possible for everything from body panels to spark plugs and oil filters. Tires and oil are the exception.

5 qts of Royal Purple 5w 20 runs me $38 a Wally World. I order Honda oil filters from Amazon. NGK V power (OEM) plugs. I pulled the originals out at 172,000. Could have brushed them off and put them back in. Tried some Bosch platinum ... noticeable loss of power.

My point being, I'm a believer in OEM. When it comes to tires and oil though, upgrades are just fine. I wouldn't jack around w sizes/dimensions. Use factory specs. Your speedometer and check engine lights would probably agree. My two cents.
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You obviously have never "worked" a truck. Most OEM parts are junk. Where ever they get the cheapest bid to provide that part. My stuff breaks, it gets upgraded to a higher quality product. Do you know why?
I don't want it to break again.

I do like your choices on oil and plugs though.
 
#21
#21
Obsessed said:
You obviously have never "worked" a truck. Most OEM parts are junk. Where ever they get the cheapest bid to provide that part. My stuff breaks, it gets upgraded to a higher quality product. Do you know why?
I don't want it to break again.

I do like your choices on oil and plugs though.
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it's hit or miss. Some things really are reliable, but some are, as you say, total junk. Tires are the worst for this. Stock tires on a new vehicle are almost always cheapest quality, lowest overall mileage.
 
#22
#22
volfanbill said:
it's hit or miss. Some things really are reliable, but some are, as you say, total junk. Tires are the worst for this. Stock tires on a new vehicle are almost always cheapest quality, lowest overall mileage.
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Yep. Mine is sitting on Goodyear tires. As soon as I level it, it's getting toyo's. They are high for a mud grip but are dependable.
 
#23
#23
I'll add this caveat to my advice - I buy tires for performance first, looks second and mileage last.

For all my vehicles I value performance above all else.
 
#25
#25
You guys are giving me so much to think about here.

I always thought my tires on my truck looked smallish for a Z71. I don't want gigantic tires or a jacked up suspension, but I was interested in getting a good tire that looked like it was more of a 'fit' for my truck, if that makes sense?

Decisions, decisions.
 
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