2500 Suburban running 285's

Elwood 2000 · November 14, 2005

I was hoping someone has a picture of a 2500 Suburban running 285's, stock or aftermarket wheels.

I am really having a mental delema and I would like some photos to help me make a decision.

Thanks very much!

Burbman · November 15, 2005

Here's mine with 265's on 16x8 wheels.

Elwood 2000 · November 15, 2005

Thanks for the pics. Burbman. I am contemplating moving from the Z71 to a 2500. The 2500 is what I wanted in the first place, but in the used market, they are kinda rare and hard to find with the options that I want. The Z71 rides fine, really too soft for me and I am not fond of the coil springs in the back. I prefer more of a "truck like" ride than the "car like" ride I have now. The Z71 package is a nice one, but the wheels are tucked in so far, the fender flares look like gull wings from a rear/side view. I like my tires to be close to flush with the outer fender or flare. The combination of the look and the ride is making me want to think about looking for an '04 or '05 2500 Burban.

Thanks for the shots, you have a very sharp ride!

Burbman · November 16, 2005

Elwood, when I got the 8" rims the guy in the truck shop was trying to talk me into 285's because they would fit...I really would have liked the way they look, but didn't want too tall of a tire because bigger tires effectively reduce your rear end gearing. I tow a 9000 lb RV and need all the power I can get.

After kids go to college, will downsize RV and probably go with 285's. If I wasn't towing heavy, the 285's would have been a no-brainer.

Machine · November 16, 2005

285's on a Z seem to fill out the wheel well alot better than 265's.. Here's some side and angled pics of my Z with 285/70/17's. Scroll to the bottom.

Link

Elwood 2000 · November 17, 2005

Thanks for the information, both of you. Machine, I like the look of the 285's on the factory wheels, as they are very sharp, but I wish they sat "out" further. I have never used wheel spacers before, but I am not a fan of the idea. Of course, I have not researched it much, but common sense is telling me wheels with a different offset would be a better route than spacers.

Did the LT tires firm up the ride a bit over the P rated factory tires? My Z has a very "squishy" and "floaty" ride. The wife likes it, but I want it to feel a bit more like a truck, not a HUGE car. I think it is a combination of the P rated tires and the soft stock shocks. I have considered Bilsteins to remedy this, but I hate to spend money on new tires and shocks to still be unhappy with the ride.

Burbman, how is your milage? I am seriously considering the 8.1 over the 6.0 if I do go to a 2500 Suburban. I suspect the milage is only 1-2 mpg less than the 6.0 and would be worth the increase in power. I don't tow much, or very often, but I do like to have the ability to tow a lot when it is needed and I have always had big blocks (except the past few years) and I love them. I do feel though that by making a Suburban my daily driver instead of sitting in the garage most of the time, towing will increase. There are some things I do with my truck that a Suburban just can't do.

In the end, I am trying to go from 2 rigs to just one. We love the Suburban for the family and after having one, it would be hard to go without, but I am not happy enough with my stock Z71 for it to be acceptable the way it is. It does need a Westers tune as the 5.3 is just not enough in my opinion. Of course, I am used to a Westers in my Silverado, so the stock Burban is a bit of a let down.

I am just looking for the best of all worlds. Good performance, a ride I like and good looks. I want my cake and eat it too, I just don't want to spend $1000 on my Z71 and in the end, not be happy.

Thanks so much for your help.

Burbman · November 17, 2005

Elwood, I love the 8.1! Power whenever and wherever you want it. Have found that mileage is about 1.5-2.0 mpg worse that the 6.0 (assuming same rear) when driving empty. Towing, the 8.1 actually gets the same or better mileage than the 6.0 with more power to boot.

Whether or not you need the 8.1 vs the 6.0 for towing depends on where you tow, ie. mountains, etc., and how heavy you tow. Also RVs are harder to tow pound-for-pound because of the wind resistance you get from the frontal area. Like towing a big box, vs something like a boat or utility trailer that doesn't have so much surface area.

A good forum for towing is the boards over at RV.net. Lots of good info from guys that tow all shapes and sizes of RVs with all kinds of trucks and SUVs.

The good/bad news about getting the 8.1 in the Suburban is that GM makes you get AutoRide. Good news is that the ride is excellent, not soft, but very well controlled for such a heavy truck. bad news is the cost of the shocks, see this thread.

Don

Elwood 2000 · November 17, 2005

Thanks for the info. I have been watching that thread and the cost of the replacement autoride shocks is absurd, in my opinion. What you are telling me about the 8.1 is what I was guessing, thanks for the confirmation!

I don't have an RV, but I do tow snowmobiles to Michigan in the winter and a utility trailer from time to time, but there is occasion where a heavier rig would be very nice. The question for me is this: Is the availability of towing a heavier load worth the trade? Especially if after spending $1k on my current surburban, I might not be happy with the ride.

Thanks a bunch!

Machine · November 17, 2005

Elwood,

The ride is considerably firmer with the 285 AT’s. I have them inflated to about 37PSI, and the ride is much more solid. I, too, dislike the stock tires on the Z. They are too soft. I would have changed them out on my other Z a while back, but my wife uses it mainly for city driving.

The one thing I have noticed is that switching over to 285’s will take the gear ratio from 3.73 to about 3.66 - that small difference is still big enough to be noticed when pulling over 5K pounds.