Just got a 2007 4x4 5.4L and I'm not too impressed with the stock Hankook 235's. I've seen via the forums that 285/70/17 will fit my truck without a lift, but I'm wondering what effect this will have on mileage and performance. I drive alot of highway miles and wonder if I should sacrifice the look of the larger tire for more economical 265's instead.

Also have heard that skinnier tires are better in slush. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

your tire will be slightly larger though im not sure it will be much heavier.
in your case if you notice a huge amount of drop in performance and milage a simple gear change would help you out although i dont think your drop will be that drastic.
Although you didnt state your OEM size, by using my stock 2wd size it looks like your choice tires should only be 1 to 1.5 inches taller.

I changed to heavier 22s but overall the same size tire, and on the highway im pretty close to my orignal MPG. i lost just one mile per gallon with the heavier wheels.
worst case scenario you should expect to drop that much. although your wheel/tire combo wont be heavier so youll be in better shape then i.

 

It will definatley affect your mileage, but there are so many vaiables involved that it is really tough to say by how much. My personal opinion is that the rotational weight of the wheel and tire set up is the biggest factor in mileage drop. If you go to a bigger tire it will be heavier.

For instance my stock generals 255/70/17 weighed 39 lbs per tire. I wanted a set of BFG A/T KO's 285/70/17 (32.8" tall) but those suckers weigh in at 55lbs per tire! I couldn't see doing that to my truck since I only have the 4.6. So I settled for the BFG A/T KO's 265/70/17 (31.8" tall) which weigh in at 44 lbs/tire. Now with that being said, Bridgestone now makes the Dueler A/T Revo in a 285/70/17 (32.8" tall) that weighs in at 43lbs/tire. If the Revos had been available in that size when I bought my BFG's I more than likely would have went with the Revos.

I bet you could put the 285/70/17 Revos on and the mpg drop would be negligable. This is just my opinion.

 

Width makes a difference in mileage - but upgrading to a 325 I only saw a 1mpg drop. 245 to 265... negligible at best.

 

SERIOUSLY?!?! That is really small for such a large wheel change. I would have expected more. Glad I read this thread. I am going from a 255 to a 265. But maybe I will choose the 285 that I want.

Robb

 

I went from my 275 stockers to a set of 285 bfg at's and my milage suffered a little bit. The bfg's were outrageously heavy and have a little more drag than the stockers did. Over all I'd say maybe 1-2 mpg. not worth crying over.

 

The tire also went up to a 33" from stock. The real key is finding the right air pressure - more pressure = less rolling resistance.

 

:o Thanks for the input guys. Since the 285's are only 1 inch taller I think I'll go with the 265's for now until I get my 2" leveling kit. I'll send some pics when I get the tires on. I'm going with the Nitto Terra Grappler's. I've researched these on consumer reports and they seem to be all around great tires.

I know everybody's into the BFG's, but does anyone else have the Nitto's? Pics maybe?

 

Just food for thought. If you get the 285's now you won't have to switch tires when you get the leveling kit. One inch doesn't seem like alot, but if you plan on leveling the truck it will make all the difference in the world.

 

Mack, the tire to go with on a 4x4 is a 285. They fill up the wheelwells pretty good with usually no rubbing problems. I can't tell the difference from my stock 275's as far as gas mileage goes, but I definitly get about 2 mpg in town better than when I had my 315's on.

 

Yeah, but those 315's looked good. You're right, the 285's don't seem overly huge but should fill the wheel wells nicely. I'm goin' for it. Thanks for the advice!

 

Mack, the Nitto's are made by Toyo. The tread pattern is the same as my Toyo AT's but the Nitto sidewall look's a little better. Both are great tires, and by the way I'm getting up to 18 mpg hwy with them.

 

Back in August I upgraded my 235 Hancoks to 295 Nittos TG. Gas milage stayed about the same. I drive mainly highway miles, so the mass of the tire is not really a problem. So, previously with the 235s I could get about 440 miles per 27 gallon tank (17.6mpg) compared with about 425 miles per tank (17mpg) with the 295s. This is on the open highway and without regearing.

And to answer your second question. In snowy conditions a skinny tire is preferred to a wide tire. Skinny tires can cut through the snow and slush to find traction and dont "float" around on top creating a hydroplaning feel. And its completely opposite in sand.

Ox

 

Here is a pick of my '05 right after I got it. The truck came with the 255/17 Generals, and I put the 285/70/17 BFG AT KO'S. They did fill the wells nicely and there was no rubbing. Didn't notice a drop in power or mpg.

 

How is the sound on your 14" magnaflow? Do you hear it very much inside?
I'm looking for a little sound but the wife doesn't want to hear it inside.