pet05

I am upgrading my tires on my 2006 Ram from the Michelin to the Goodyear Silent Armor. Stock they are 265/70/17. I am considering going to 285/70/17.

Has anyone gone to that size, and if so, what are your comments:

Gas Mileage ?
Ride Quality ?
Snow Traction with 285 vs. 265 ?
Pros or Cons ?

THANKS!

TexasCTD

Pet,

I think the 285's are a great compromise between the to small stockers and the to big 315's.

They don't effect mileage much. They don't rob power. They don't rub, even on a stock truck. Yet, they still fill out the wheel well fairly well.


I think the ride quality and traction is going to be determined more by the brand of tire, not so much the size. Personally, I really like the BFG All-terrain TA KO tires in 285/70/17. They are D-rated but have the same capacity as the 265 BFG Rugged trail stockers. They are wearing very well and handle great too. They also have a much more aggressive tread than the stockers but still handle highway speeds without alot of noise.

There are plenty of other good tires out there too....so im not saying that the BFG AT's are the best. I don't know about the others. But im real happy with mine and highly recommend them. Pics in the gallery.

surfram

I second what TexasCTD said. 285/70/17 BFG AT KOs look alot better than the stockers and really improve offroad performance. I had the pinion factor set to 634 to correct my speedo.

Marine

My next set will be the 285's.

rockhound

went to 285s on my 3500 about a month ago

my pinion factor seems to be closer to accurate so i did not change it

look better than the pizzza cutters it came with

handles and rides better

bfg rugged trail ta, e ratings

Raspy

I agree that the 285 BFGs are great. I had the 265s then went to the 315s and finally went to the 285s. They are the best of the three. Good traction look good, ride and steer well, no mileage problem. Make sure you consider the load rating though. I don't think load range D is a problem on my truck with the loads and the towing I do but others have expressed the need for Load E. Your call. I think these tires are capable of doing anything the original Es did plus they have more traction.

Wetspirit

Abbynormal

I've been running 285 on my 2nd gen and love 'em. Matter of fact I am getting ready to get new BFG AT/ko's and I am going to with the 295's. They are just a hair larger and lots more load capacity. Still should fit just fine.

Badd Dogg Guy19

Best thing I ever did was swap to the 285 BFG KO's!! Made the ride better, made the truck look better, WAAAYYY better wet and snow traction, And also dropped the RPM's at highway speeds just right. I Love 'em!!

HotRodK

Well, I thought I had it all figured out going with the 315 BFGs, but now Im not sure.
What speed are you running at 2000rpms with the 285s? (I have 3.73s w/auto.)

LUV24BY

Ok, How about those CTD's w/ G56 6 spds? I am considering the purchase of a CTD w/ a G56 and I was wondering myself what the best *PLUS* size tire would be to run for better highway RPM's and fuel economy.

285, 305 or 315's?? I would love to have a Mud tire however the $$ for constant replacement after 15k miles would kill me! Living in Phoenix, AZ the summers heat + 170-200 degrees the pavement get up to just eats up the softer compound tires. I had a set of Goodyear Wrangler MT's in a 35x12.50 15 on a 1997 Ram CC w 5.5" Fabtech Lift, and got maybe 13-15k decent miles before they started cupping horribly. I like the BFG AT for all around fun!

John

CTDinMT

I just put BFG A/T 285's on, 2 days ago to be exact, so I can't vouch as to the wear and traction yet, but they look great, don't rub a bit, and handle well. Like said above, although not a LR "E", they have the same load capacity of 3195lbs as the BFG Rugged Trail's. I like 'em. They look perfect in the wheel wells.

VikingDiesel

im going for the 33s or 295/70/17 PRO-COMP ALL-TERRAIN. Perfect size and a good looking tire and from what I hear performs just like a BFG all-terrain (maybe even better??)

TexasCTD

I have had my pinion factor corrected by the dealer. My truck is running about 75mph at 2000 rpms with the 48RE Auto with 3.73 gears.

TexasCTD

These tires are wearing great. I have almost 20,000 on them now and no complaints. Should get 50 to 60k out of them. At least that is my guesstimate on wear. Maybe more.

Beavermike

I just replaced my 285 BFGs at 36,000. Could have put more miles on them, maybe 5k, but I just don't run them till they are bald. Great tires, but I did notice after 30,000 they were not that great in deeper snow. I decided not to go thru another winter with them past 35,000.