Any suggestions for wheel tire combo in my situation?

Preston

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I’ve been doing my research on the forum and looking through builds and have been having a hard time deciding what’s best for me. I really like the look of the 285/70/17s but the hit to MPG, performance, and general cost of the tires does not quite seem worth it to me (but it looks so good!!). I’ve been looking at 265/70/17s and I think they’re much better looking than stock but I don’t want to go with those then eventually wish I got the bigger tires. Can 265/75/17s be a thing? I want to find some sort of compromise here but I’m not quite sure what it is. I just started a new job out of college so my budget has increased greatly but I still want to be. conservative in the amount I spend. Any suggestions? I feel like I need to hear something to convince me one way or the other. Side note, this is the first truck I’ve ever owned so I have very little experience with larger tires.
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JAKE2.3

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I went with 275's. I wanted 285 but didn't really need them, or the huge mpg hit. 275's seemed to be good compromise with my wheel package. Bigger than stock, looks beefy, but not cartoonish big either. After I ordered them I had second thoughts while waiting on delivery, but that went away after install. I'm happy with that size.
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FL.ranger

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I have 285/70/17 and I’m very happy. I didn’t really think it was a “huge” hit on my MPG but then again that wasn’t my main concern.
 

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I'm in the same boat, but I want a taller tire for off road as well. I was considering the Falken A/T3W in an LT275/70R17 load range C. They are 32.4 inches tall, however, they are heavy at 57 lbs each.

Then I was surprised to learn that for most situations, a narrower tire that is tall actually performs better off road. In addition, the narrower footprint will provide for better MPG's. Now I'm considering the BFG KO2 in a LT255/75R17 load range C. It's almost as tall at 34.1 inches, but it weighs much lighter at 46 lbs.
 

I_smell_like_diesel

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I'm rolling on a fairly aggresive all terrain LT275/65R18 LR-E and I still get reasonable gas millage (about 22 mpg). Seems like 275 series is about the cut off for reasonably priced, good quality tires as well.... anything wider that that, seems like the prices generally skyrocket.
 


HenryMac

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Then I was surprised to learn that for most situations, a narrower tire that is tall actually performs better off road.
Yep.. That was common knowledge back when off road was every road...

 

Frenchy

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Something to be aware of is what are you doing with the truck. Are you going to be going off road? Are you just wanting looks?the list goes on. If you are going off road but not trying to go too crazy then a good all terrain will do you well in the long run as they usually don't cause much of a loss on MPG to begin with. I have 265/70-17 Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3's on the stock sport wheels and I can say I like them so far. For street they are quiet and for offroad they hold up for everything I have thrown at them(nothing crazy like thick mud or nice sharp jagged rocks). Perhaps that will help your decision.

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Preston

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I'm in the same boat, but I want a taller tire for off road as well. I was considering the Falken A/T3W in an LT275/70R17 load range C. They are 32.4 inches tall, however, they are heavy at 57 lbs each.

Then I was surprised to learn that for most situations, a narrower tire that is tall actually performs better off road. In addition, the narrower footprint will provide for better MPG's. Now I'm considering the BFG KO2 in a LT255/75R17 load range C. It's almost as tall at 34.1 inches, but it weighs much lighter at 46 lbs.
Is weight a main factor for the mpg loss? Nitro Terra Grappler G2s in 285/70/17s are only 45 pounds a pop I think. If that’s the case I would go with those but I thought it had more so to do with the greater surface area of tire to the ground.
 
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Preston

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Something to be aware of is what are you doing with the truck. Are you going to be going off road? Are you just wanting looks?the list goes on. If you are going off road but not trying to go too crazy then a good all terrain will do you well in the long run as they usually don't cause much of a loss on MPG to begin with. I have 265/70-17 Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3's on the stock sport wheels and I can say I like them so far. For street they are quiet and for offroad they hold up for everything I have thrown at them(nothing crazy like thick mud or nice sharp jagged rocks). Perhaps that will help your decision.

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It looks really good! My extent of off-roading will be to get to a cool campsite or hike. I guess you could say it’s more for looks.
 

NvrFinished

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Is weight a main factor for the mpg loss? Nitro Terra Grappler G2s in 285/70/17s are only 45 pounds a pop I think. If that’s the case I would go with those but I thought it had more so to do with the greater surface area of tire to the ground.
Three things will factor into MPG loss. Weight, width, and diameter. More weight means more rotating mass that the engine has to get rolling. A wider tire creates more friction on the road that has to be overcome with more power. Taller tires requires more torque from the motor to get the tire rolling and keep them rolling through the gears.

A tall tire would usually be one of the biggest factors for MPG loss unless you changed gear ratios. However, because this transmission has such close gear ratios and with 10 to choose from, I believe that only the initial acceleration through the first gear or two is the biggest contributing factor to having a tall tire.

I think weight and width on these vehicle is what affects MPG's the most. 45 lbs is light for a tire of that size and would definitely help.
 

HenryMac

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Three things will factor into MPG loss. Weight, width, and diameter. More weight means more rotating mass that the engine has to get rolling. A wider tire creates more friction on the road that has to be overcome with more power. Taller tires requires more torque from the motor to get the tire rolling and keep them rolling through the gears.

A tall tire would usually be one of the biggest factors for MPG loss unless you changed gear ratios. However, because this transmission has such close gear ratios and with 10 to choose from, I believe that only the initial acceleration through the first gear or two is the biggest contributing factor to having a tall tire.

I think weight and width on these vehicle is what affects MPG's the most. 45 lbs is light for a tire of that size and would definitely help.
Meh... A taller than stock tire will drop engine rpm at highway speed and improve MPG.

So it really depends on where you are driving. If you drive mostly highway, you'll likely see better mpg with a taller tire that is the same width as stock.

And from what I am reading the OP won't be off road much at all.
 

Frenchy

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It looks really good! My extent of off-roading will be to get to a cool campsite or hike. I guess you could say it’s more for looks.
With that being said I would suggest no bigger than the 265/70-17 that way you dont have to worry about any modifications. Also just keep a simple all terrain and you should be good. And if you are wondering I have the Old Man EMU lift kit from ARB.
 

mgallo13

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Something to be aware of is what are you doing with the truck. Are you going to be going off road? Are you just wanting looks?the list goes on. If you are going off road but not trying to go too crazy then a good all terrain will do you well in the long run as they usually don't cause much of a loss on MPG to begin with. I have 265/70-17 Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3's on the stock sport wheels and I can say I like them so far. For street they are quiet and for offroad they hold up for everything I have thrown at them(nothing crazy like thick mud or nice sharp jagged rocks). Perhaps that will help your decision.

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hey man, is your truck leveled? Literally just bought the same truck a few days ago and I'm already itching to level it out, probably going with the Fox 2.0's. I'm assuming you didn't have to modify your crash bars with the 265/70/17?

Also, in an unrelated note, one of my good friends is one of the postmen in Leadville. Been out there every winter since he moved out.
 

Frenchy

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hey man, is your truck leveled? Literally just bought the same truck a few days ago and I'm already itching to level it out, probably going with the Fox 2.0's. I'm assuming you didn't have to modify your crash bars with the 265/70/17?

Also, in an unrelated note, one of my good friends is one of the postmen in Leadville. Been out there every winter since he moved out.
No mine is not leveled. It is the Old Man EMU lift kit from ARB. The front went up by 2.5 and the rear by 1.5. It has given me more than enough clearance for offroad and cleaned up the ride on the street.
 

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Then I was surprised to learn that for most situations, a narrower tire that is tall actually performs better off road.
Generally accurate, but it depends on the terrain. For sandy/rocky situations you want a larger footprint that'll give you extra traction, but for most other terrains a narrower tire is better.

Meh... A taller than stock tire will drop engine rpm at highway speed and improve MPG.
This isn't necessarily true, it depends on engine load, rotating mass, etc, as to whether or not it helps. While generally a lower engine speed is helpful as a guideline, if there is extra load, it'll cause extra fuel consumption that offsets (or surpasses) the savings from the lower RPM. Especially with a boosted engine, the further you are into the boost, the more fuel is needed to supply that air and combustion.

However, for MPG, the biggest factor is always going to be your driving style. A heavier foot means less miles per gallon but more smiles per gallon!

I've seen a pretty hefty hit to my MPG when I moved, but that's because my house is at the top of a hill that's about 1000 feet and *everywhere* requires going down and then back up. That's a lot of load to try and counteract, which you can't reasonably do.
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