I just picked up my new plat this morning and drove home (50) miles. I love everything about this truck but it seems like the ride should be a bit smoother than it was to me. It has 20s on it with the Perelli scorpions. I was thinking about changing them to Michelin MS2s or Nitto Terra Grapplers in the same size to see if that would make the ride any better. It just seemed like I could feel every little bump and seam in the road. Does anyone think going to the Michelins or Nittos would substantially improve the ride over the perellis or is that just the way it will be with that size tire. I am hoping for a substantial improvement if i buy diff tires. I dont really want to affect the speedo / computer by changing sizes. whats the consensus?

 

Well ,I went in differant direction but kept it mild . I had 1 1/2 lel\vel kit put in and went with 275/60/20 Cooper zeon . One reason it was the widest 275 tire I seen ,. Great riding and I love way it rides . If tooaggresive for you it seems like Cooper has some wider 275 tires out there . By going to 60 series got a little more sidewall so truck rides a touch better . Check out my album and see what you think. When I bought mine they were about one of the cheaper 20"tire out there .

 

It is hard to go wrong with Michelins for ride quality. I have used them for years, and I like the ride. One thing to remember is that with those 20s on there, you give up a lot of sidewall, and that is what gives you a better ride. The 20s look cool, but cool comes at a price.
If you were to put on a set of the XLT 17inch rims and tires, you would see a marked difference in ride quality. My truck came with 17 inch wheels and Michelin LTX A/T 2s and they rode great. So much so, that I put them back on again when I wore out the first set.

The Michelins will ride better than the Nittos.

 

Going back to the original question, don't waste money on tires. At best, you'd have a marginal improvement in smoothness, but you'll generally trade-off in cornering stability. Never change the tire size unless you want to spend a few hundred on a programmer to correct the speedometer.

20" is a good compromise on these trucks. The ride is good, as is the cornering stability. You could go to a smaller wheel size to gain more sidewall, but don't forget to have your TPMS (tire pressure monitoring sensors) moved to the new wheels, or you'll get a low tire pressure warning on the gauges that won't go away.

You would do better to simply verify the tire pressure is set as stated on the door sticker. I have no idea what the sticker says because I keep mine at 40 psi, but the manufacturer's recommendation is always on the low side for a softer ride.

Bottom line, there's only marginal gains to be had, and it's not at all worth the money. And there's almost always a trade off. Most of the harshness comes from having a very rigid frame, and a suspension designed to carry a large payload.

 

I'd recommend new tires immediately, because the Perelli Scorpions wear out quickly and suck in wet and snowy conditions. Sell them while you can still get something for them.

I waited too long and now mine are too worn to sell. Now I have to pay full price for some decent tires. I put up with the poor traction last winter, when the tires were brand new, but won't this year. Especially since the tires are nearly bald (@24k miles). Terra Grapplers are already on the way.