New Tire Selection Help

[newguy07]

It's time to replace my factory tires before winter gets here. I have an 07 NBS silveardo z71 1500. Mine came with the 165/65/18 Bridgetone Dueler AT. I have called around and came up with a few options. I have never bought tires before and don't really know much about them. I drive mostly all paved roads but I do live on a country road that isn't always plowed and have a 700 foot gravel drive that I don't always get to plowing before I need to leave. I live in Central indiana so we get a fair amount of snow sometimes. I don't really go mudding or offroading but I will drive through a field to go hunting/fishing/etc and sometimes it is muddy.

 

So first I have to choose between an all terrain tire and a highway all season tire. The all season tires are quite a bit less expensive but the guys on the phone said I probably wouldn't want them. Sounds like I won't but I don't know. Thoughts based on how/where I have to drive?

 

They also said my size isn't real common so here are my options in AT tires. I didnt bother to get quotes on all season tires but would if you guys think I should.

 

-Bridgetone Dueler AT in 265/65/18 for 725 installed

-Hankook dynapro ATM in 265/65/18 for 752 installed

-Hankook dynapro ATM in 275/65/18 for 695 installed

 

I would prefer to go with the cheaper 275/65/18...the tire dealer said they would be fine but what you guys think of that size? What about my options? Something else I should look for? Money is a concern.

[Chris]

its a little wider, but id stick with the bridgestones

[lfb57]

Have you done a google search for tires? The larger retailers like Discount Tire carry reviews from customers.

[rogerf]

Personally disagree with what the guy on the phone told you...buy the type of tire that suits your driving needs. If it's off paved roads, then A/T's. If it's almost entirely on pavement, the all-season will be a better fit for the application. By now, you have likely found the 18 inch wheels limit your choices.

 

A good place to start is an on-line retailer such as tirerack.com or discount tire.com or treadepot.com. These all have choices from a multitude of manufacturers with customer reviews. I checked all these sources and ended up buying from the local mom & pop auto repair shop because their prices were no different than buying on-line after shipping was tacked on. I have 17 inch wheels so had much more choices. Ended up with Cooper Discover CTS to replace the OEM Goodyear Wrangler AT/S. Never realized just how badl the factory GY's are until replaced with a product that is quiet, smooth, responsive, and tracks straight down the road.

[Garrett Street]

If I were you I'd go with a set of BFG All Terrains. They have sizes available for your truck. I have a buddy who got 90K miles out of his BFG's. They're great on road, capable off-road and have style. They make an average looking truck look much more aggressive.

[newguy07]

So how will all season tires look on this truck? Will they do ok in heavy snow/ice and in the fields when hunting/fishing/cutting wood?

[c4cruiser]

My '08 ECSB Z71 has the same Bridgestone Dueler A/T RH-S in P265/65-18 and I really like them for an OEM tire. Very quiet on pavement and so far I'm getting excellent wear. I fully expect 60K out of these tires. I had a set of Dueler A/T Revo's on my old 99 and they were also excellent tires. The Revo's are probably better suited to what you will encounter than the OEL RH-S version. Here's a link to the Tire Rack page for the Dueler A/T Revo 2 in the size you need.

 

Both versions worked well for me in snow on roads that was packed down or plowed but I had to be careful in the really deep soft stuff even in 4WD. Great grip in the rain. In the dry, they have great grip; I can push my truck hard and they will give me warning before grip goes away.

 

I'm not a fan of the BFG All-Terrains or the GY Wranglers. They have some pretty aggressive tread designs, and on dry pavement they tend to be noisy. But they work great for dirt and mud or deep snow. So if something like only 10% of your driving is not on dry pavement, I would look at something else.

 

Definitely look at Tire Rack for some good deals. They have a good search function where you just plug in your tire size and type of tire you want. Tire Rack also lists their "preferred installers" on their website. These are places that will install customer-supplied tires from Tire Rack at a good price. Some place like Discount Tire will meet or even beat Tire Rack prices if you take them the TR price. You have to go thru the TR order pages to create a priced invoice that includes shipping (you don't have to hit the "Buy Now button!!).

[wicked ace]

I found the Firestone A/T to be an excellent choice on my last two trucks. I have wrangler's this time and will be glad when they are gone. They are worse than the Bridgstones in wet weather and they do break loose in the rear too easily.

[rogerf]

So how will all season tires look on this truck? Will they do ok in heavy snow/ice and in the fields when hunting/fishing/cutting wood?

They look round & black...most all-season products won't have the open-shoulder lugged look of an A/T. On surface conditions, performance on ice & snow and even wet conditions on pavement is entirely different than traction on turf & mud and other off-road stuff.

 

The best wet condition and ice & snow all-season tires have an abundance of very small siping (cuts in the rubber tread face) and put more rubber in contact with the pavement. Take a good look at the Michelin LTX M/S2 or the General Grabber HTS for the way this tread is designed.

 

Off-road use will need the lugged tread of an A/T. These open luggs don't always grip wet pavement well and typically only have a winter traction advantage over an all-season in very deep snow. It's a trade-off with an A/T...give up some wet pavement grip for traction in loose conditions.

 

The way I look at it, my own needs are for wet-snowy expressways in NE Ohio. The chances of getting mud on these tires is slim to none so a finely siped all-season was the best choice. This might not be the same if you intend to use this for hunting/fishing/cutting wood.

 

Another choice in 18 inch is the Firestone Destination LE (especially if on a tight budget). I put a set of these on a Jeep Liberty and was very pleased. Had excellent traction in very deep snow and gripped well on wet and dry pavement. They kick up a little more road noise than I wanted or would have bought them instead of the Coopers.

[Big Whiskey]

If I were you I'd go with a set of BFG All Terrains. They have sizes available for your truck. I have a buddy who got 90K miles out of his BFG's. They're great on road, capable off-road and have style. They make an average looking truck look much more aggressive.

 

^ what he said. if you don't go with BFG's, then I'd go with the 275 Hankooks. They'll be a little wider and a little taller. I'm not a fan of the stock bridgestones. Firestone Destination A/T's or LE's are a decent budget-minded choice...or general grabber AT's.