285/75r16d Bfg At Ko Pressure

[03z71]

I've searched here and all over the web and have found people running anywhere from 35 to 50 psi in these tires on the stock 16x7 rims. At this point, I've aired my rears down to 35 psi and with an empty bed, a chalk test still indicates very uneven wear (mostly in the center). The fronts seem to be ok up to about 40 psi, but even at 35, the rears are not making even contact. I don't really want to go lower than 35. I've seen a lot of posts where people say that rotating these tires is extremely important. Is that because everyone has uneven center wear in the rear with an unloaded bed and getting those tires up front will even it out over the long run? I know there are a lot of people running these tires on the stock rims, but I'm wondering how you've been able to get even wear...

[RyanbabZ71]

I had the BFG ATs (285's) on my old 2000. 1st set I got 44K miles out of them running 52-55 all around. Second set cant tell you much only had a few thousand miles on them before I sold the truck.

[03z71]

I had the BFG ATs (285's) on my old 2000. 1st set I got 44K miles out of them running 52-55 all around. Second set cant tell you much only had a few thousand miles on them before I sold the truck.

Wow - did you do a chalk test or notice that the centers wore out more than the edges? Maybe there's something weird with the particular tires I have that makes the centers balloon up even at lower pressures...

[spankrz]

could be the 285/75's on a stock wheel. do they not flatten out on the pavement?

[03z71]

could be the 285/75's on a stock wheel. do they not flatten out on the pavement?

 

They do appear to flatten out on the pavement. I probably wouldn't have tried to run this size tire on the stock 7" wheel if so many people hadn't been doing it for years. Even the guys at the tire place say they do it all the time.

 

So far the weather's been so lousy I haven't done an actual chalk test, but I have been able to use the weather for a fake - seeing where the salt sticks after driving through a puddle, seeing where the salt isn't after driving on wet (but not puddled) pavement. It definitely looks like the outer inch of the rears is not making good contact. Maybe that's not too bad since that will wear the center more of the rears but the fronts will wear more on the outside and rotations will even it out. I'm just wondering if other people are seeing the same thing - especially since so many people seem to be running higher pressures...

[RyanbabZ71]

I did do a chalk test and and it was not 100% coverage but pretty close. The centers never did wear out on mine. They wore very evenly (also with the first set I only rotated them about 3 times)

[03z71]

I did do a chalk test and and it was not 100% coverage but pretty close. The centers never did wear out on mine. They wore very evenly (also with the first set I only rotated them about 3 times)

 

Wow, I'll have to do a real chalk test when the roads dry out and the salt is washed away (right now you couldn't tell chalk from salt). I think the chalk test will be similar to your results (close but not 100%) with 35 psi in the rears...