advantages of 265/75/16 over 245/75/16 ??

RossT · August 13, 2003

It looks like many truck owners change there tires to one or two sizes larger than what originally came on the truck. I know that the larger tire looks good, but what other advantages does the larger tire size have?? I know that with the larger tire size your MPG may suffer a small amount, and your speedo may be off by about 3%, but do you get any other advantage from the larger tires size on the same OEM rims??

Thanks!

I just changed my 1500HD stock tires to the Bridgstone AT Revo's size 265/75/15 from the stock firestones steeltech atx's They look really good too!

Bish · August 13, 2003

Look better and larger road contact size for better traction. Those are the only 2 I can think of.

Shaners · August 13, 2003

Ups are Better Looks, and higher load capacities and more tire to the ground...

Downs are more unsprung weight, speedo/odo off, loss of power etc...

braveheart98 · August 13, 2003

Not to forget mentioning the added ground clearance. Might not sound like much. Not like you taking running 245 vs 315's. But sometimes every little bit helps. The speedometer issue can easily be fixed with a programmer or custom chip. Plus with them gain more HP's and Torque.

jhm · August 13, 2003

I see no advantage other than they may look a little better. You are talking 1 inch in diameter average for 265's over 245's, only 1/2 inch radially. When I was ready for new tires I wanted to go with 265's, but after checking with a few dealers about reprogramming for speedo,tranny and anti lock brakes, all required, they advised me not to do it. They claimed that everything is calibrated so tightly that sometimes things work correctly and sometimes they act funny. I also saw a TSB for a suspension vibration problem and the TSB told the dealers that if the truck had different size tires than what came stock, the customer had to put the stock tires back on before investigating the problem. The other negative I see is the lower acceleration from a stop. Just my 2 cents!

SilveradoWV · August 13, 2003

I went from 245's to 265's and no big changes other than looks. Steering feels a little different though. As for the speedo it is exactly the same as those roadside speed signs, and I have tested more than one. They probably dont have pinpoint accuracy but at least it shows the same speed my speedo shows.

AZ-Z71 · August 13, 2003

Mine came factor with 265 so I see no problem going from 245 to 265. Currently I have 285's. My main reasons were the extra ground clearance, better traction, and the truck also looks better. With the 265's my speedometer was right on, with the 285's I have about a 2mph difference, no real big deal. Acceleration does suffer a little but I'm not driving a vette here.

jhm · August 13, 2003

AZ-Z71, You are correct about your 1999 coming with 265's, after that they did not offer 265's even as an option. The door jamb sticker shows the 2 sizes on 99's but only shows 245 on later models. Actually my '01 calls for P metric 245's which I replaced with LT245's. I also see people saying better traction with the wider tire, but on snow, the wider tire hurts your traction since the vehicle weight is disperssed over a larger footprint.

lrymal · August 13, 2003

Kinda weird that the '03 1500 Z71s come with the 265 size and the HDs come with the 245 sized tire.

SilveradoWV · August 13, 2003

Kinda weird that the '03 1500 Z71s come with the 265 size and the HDs come with the 245 sized tire.

Well some places recommend a 7 inch wheel for 265's and if I am correct the 2500s and up only have a 6.5 inch wheel. Plus it costs more to get a 10 ply in a 265 than it does in a 245.

Hecktorx · August 13, 2003

I also see people saying better traction with the wider tire, but on snow, the wider tire hurts your traction since the vehicle weight is disperssed over a larger footprint.

That's not always true. On pavement with wet or slushy roads that would be the case. There is more chance of hydro-plaining with a wider tire. But any situation where you want to ride on top of the snow, the wider the better for traction. That's also the reason for airing down the tires for sand and snow. A bigger contact patch for flotation.

265s are still a factory option with the Z71 package.

jhm · August 13, 2003

Hectorx, I think you are combining the properties of snow and sand together. They are different. On sand you lower the air pressure so that the vehicle WILL NOT dig in and start spinning, on snow, you WANT to dig in to maintain traction and steering control. If you have ever tried to drive a sports car with wide tires on snow you will know what I mean. A small car with narrow tires will have much more control in snow than the sports car with wider tires. I have never heard of anyone letting air out of thier tires to drive thru a snow storm and I have been driving in New England winters for more years than I care to remember.

t-bone · August 13, 2003

Don't worry about what the dealer says regarding different size tires. They are simply covering their backsides. Personnaly, I went from 265 to 285 on my '97 1500 2 1/2 yrs ago and couldn't be happier. They fixed my speedo, work great in snow and mud, look great, more carrying capacity, more ground clearance, better ride (more sidewall), better braking, and higher mph downshifts (because the computer thinks the truck is moving slower than it really is). Hydroplaning and snow traction aren't much of an issue because I went with a more aggressive tread (my actual tire surface didn't change that much). I will be upgrading the '01 Yukon from 265/70 to either 265/75 or 285/75 shortly for all of the same reasons as above. The dealer told me the bigger tires would trash my transmission as well but I have 110,000 on the original and it works great. Lack of knowledge is the main reason that the dealer is the last place I turn for advice or repairs.

Hecktorx · August 13, 2003

jhm what I was refering to is situations where the snow is too deep and if you dig you will be high centered before you find traction. Driving in deeper powered snow is very much like driving in sand. If the depth of traction exceeds your ground clearance, you don't want to dig. In most cases you are correct, you want to dig down where there is a hard surface. But there's not always a reachable hard surface.

AZ-Z71 · August 13, 2003

Well weight over area...I look at it this way, have a 100 pound lady stand on your foot with a spiked heel and then with a sneaker. I prefer the sneaker. Weight being displaced over a larger area. Same principle if walking in the snow with boots verses snow shoe. How about a snowmobile with a track or with tires. Get the picture, more area equals less likely of punchig through. Works great with sand, works great with deep snow, not so good in the rain.

Seeing I'm from the desert, sand and steep rocky terrain, it works for me. Hardly any rain so not a problem.