# 285/75/r16 from 265



## advancelawncare (Jun 9, 2010)

I have a 2005 GMC 2500 HD and am getting new tires on it, I have 265/75/r16 right now and the stock size is a 245. I was thinking of going up to a 285, can anybody tell me if that is a good or bad idea, or at least some input on it????


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## XxChevy-HDxX (Jul 15, 2010)

advancelawncare;1066135 said:


> I have a 2005 GMC 2500 HD and am getting new tires on it, I have 265/75/r16 right now and the stock size is a 245. I was thinking of going up to a 285, can anybody tell me if that is a good or bad idea, or at least some input on it????


A question about the 265's...... Were there any rubbing issues after the stock 245's??? Because im getting 265 Goodyear Duratrac next month.


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## Brandon29 (Jan 17, 2010)

I have 285/70/16 on my 05. My speedo was off like 3 mph but my tune fixed that lol I have leveling kit on the front of mine tho too No rubs on mine. Some people say that bigger tires put more stress on the tie rod ends but who likes looking at little tires with big open wheel wells


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## M & MD Lawn (Aug 29, 2010)

I Have a 97 sierra and mine are stock 245 too, i had 265's and then went up to 285's, the 285 wore kind of hard on my front end i practically replaced everything except the axle. It could have been because mine is older too, but idk if its a good idea or not, yes you have a wider footprint for plowing but those tires and then the weight of the plow, ehhhh idk,i will tell you this much i came back down to 265's after all the money i put in my front end!!


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## TheBossMan2000 (Sep 1, 2010)

Ive got 285/75/r16 on mine and no problems what so ever. about1.5 mile/hr off on speedo. no lift on the truck and my dad has run the same on his 96 half ton with no problems except he just had the front end worked on just a few months ago. he's had it since 98 and first time he's done anything to the front end.


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

Uh......wider footprint hinders plowing.


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## M & MD Lawn (Aug 29, 2010)

TheBossMan2000;1066229 said:


> Ive got 285/75/r16 on mine and no problems what so ever. about1.5 mile/hr off on speedo. no lift on the truck and my dad has run the same on his 96 half ton with no problems except he just had the front end worked on just a few months ago. he's had it since 98 and first time he's done anything to the front end.


same here, i had mine done last season


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## advancelawncare (Jun 9, 2010)

XxChevy-HDxX;1066184 said:


> A question about the 265's...... Were there any rubbing issues after the stock 245's??? Because im getting 265 Goodyear Duratrac next month.


No rubbing at all and I was told there would be no rubbing with a 285 either!!


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## advancelawncare (Jun 9, 2010)

Do all you guys that said you have the 285's also plow snow with those tires on the truck?


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## XxChevy-HDxX (Jul 15, 2010)

advancelawncare;1066434 said:


> No rubbing at all and I was told there would be no rubbing with a 285 either!!


Sweet! thanks


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

Sawboy;1066236 said:


> Uh......wider footprint hinders plowing.


As long as they look cool, that's OK......


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## Brandon29 (Jan 17, 2010)

advancelawncare;1066436 said:


> Do all you guys that said you have the 285's also plow snow with those tires on the truck?


No I dont plow with my 05 yet lol


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## Q101ATFD (Oct 24, 2006)

advancelawncare;1066434 said:


> No rubbing at all and I was told there would be no rubbing with a 285 either!!


If you put 285/75R16 on your factory wheels, you will have rubbing along the bottom 6 inches or so of the rear of the front bumper. They will also rub on the splash guard in front of, and behind, each tire. Most guys cut the bumper and guard and it looks just fine. I would rather have total clearance with the tires than rub a little.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

XxChevy-HDxX;1066184 said:


> A question about the 265's...... Were there any rubbing issues after the stock 245's??? Because im getting 265 Goodyear Duratrac next month.


265/75/16 fits fine, absolutely no rubbing problems. Its the most popular replaceemnt tire size and I beleive the newer trucks come with that as stock. My 2000 had them on there when I bought it used and I jsut replaced a cheap set of 245/75/16 with a new set of 265/75/16. Looks better, you get a bit more meat under the truck and it doesn't significantly alter your speedo readings (3.7% slower).

The 285's might rub slightly if your suspension is stock, particularly when you carry a plow in the air and turn your steering full lock in one dorection or the other. Turn up your torsion bars 4-6 turns and get an alignment and you should be good though. I would recommend 285/65/16 though, to keep your speedo accurate and your ride height unchanged.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html


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## TheBossMan2000 (Sep 1, 2010)

advancelawncare;1066436 said:


> Do all you guys that said you have the 285's also plow snow with those tires on the truck?


Yep. They seem to do just fine


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## buddymanzpop (Nov 14, 2009)

Why does GM put those dinky 245's on 3/4 tons but the 1/2 tons can come with 265's? Anyone know the answer?


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

I have 285 75 16 on my 04 with NO RUBBING. all stock . The only time I got rubbing was when I recently moved a 9ft plow and turned my wheels. I need to reprogam my speedo again though.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

Sawboy;1066236 said:


> Uh......wider footprint hinders plowing.


Im one of the few that like wider tires for plowing. :waving:
Best tires I have plowed with where my 315 75 16 on my old truck.


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## BlizzardBeater (Aug 29, 2010)

They should do alright as long as you dont plow. The 285's you'll find might rub when your turning and stress the front suspension, like going over a bump or pothole. The plow will stress the front suspension enough so that they could be a problem with rubbing at full turn. Yes larger tires do put additional strain on front end parts, but so do the plows we all run. Front end parts will always wear out regardless, just maybe a little faster. Replace all steering and front end parts with lifetime parts, i.e. moog, when the time comes. make sure to keep them greased as well if they have fittings.


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## BlizzardBeater (Aug 29, 2010)

Oh ya, almost forgot. Usually the wider the tire, the less traction in snow. For years I used to put 235/85R16's for plowing. They were tall and skinny, worked great.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

BlizzardBeater;1066791 said:


> Oh ya, almost forgot. Usually the wider the tire, the less traction in snow. For years I used to put 235/85R16's for plowing. They were tall and skinny, worked great.


Yes but when ur pushing snow ur not driving over the top of snow . Pushing a pile is when I need my traction and with a wider footprint I get it.


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

hmmm! So for all these years, everybody (including me) who's been plowing with tall skinny tires have had it backwards. wow


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## XxChevy-HDxX (Jul 15, 2010)

mayhem;1066483 said:


> 265/75/16 fits fine, absolutely no rubbing problems. Its the most popular replaceemnt tire size and I beleive the newer trucks come with that as stock. My 2000 had them on there when I bought it used and I jsut replaced a cheap set of 245/75/16 with a new set of 265/75/16. Looks better, you get a bit more meat under the truck and it doesn't significantly alter your speedo readings (3.7% slower).
> 
> The 285's might rub slightly if your suspension is stock, particularly when you carry a plow in the air and turn your steering full lock in one dorection or the other. Turn up your torsion bars 4-6 turns and get an alignment and you should be good though. I would recommend 285/65/16 though, to keep your speedo accurate and your ride height unchanged.
> 
> http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html


Well im glad to hear that..... thats not a big speedo change at all... Just curious how much would it cost to get the speedo adjusted to 265's??


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

Its free for me using my tech 2. Where in mass are u?


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

Sawboy;1066812 said:


> hmmm! So for all these years, everybody (including me) who's been plowing with tall skinny tires have had it backwards. wow


I do what works for me.I know I have only been plowing for 12 years Im still a rookie but maybe someday I will learn from my experiences and several plows trucks Ive had maybe,


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## BlizzardBeater (Aug 29, 2010)

Its not so much about taller as it is about skinnier. The smaller the patch of tire that touches the ground, the more weight there is per square inch of tire touching the ground. This adds up to better traction, less spinning, and better breaking.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

Must be why they use skinny tires for all forms of racing


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

I use 238/85/16 also. They are great in the snow.


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## tom_khollman (Oct 29, 2009)

I have the 285's on my truck and a 9.2 polyv-xt with no rub, I also have the timbrens in the front to with the torsions cranked up but I would plow with wide tires over skinny ones any day!


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## Sawboy (Dec 18, 2005)

brad96z28;1067310 said:


> Must be why they use skinny tires for all forms of racing


Funny, all those times I raced at the strip, I never raced on snow.

Ridiculous comment. Apples to oranges dude.


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## linckeil (Sep 18, 2007)

brad96z28 - every time i see a thread about tires you're on it talking about how great wide tires are for plowing. then you go on to make some stupid comment about "not driving over the snow" or about skinny tires not being used in racing. you are not making any sense. just say they work for you and leave it at that.

the FACT of the matter is that a narrower tire is better in the snow. you can make stupid analogies all day long - and i'm sure you will - but it will not change the FACTS. you don't believe it when anyone on this site tells you, so here's an article from a company that does nothing but sell tires-

http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=126&currentpage=120

Here's an excerpt from the article -

A wide, low profile or large tire has to "plow" a wide path through snow which causes more resistance. The narrower the tire, the easier you can get through snow.


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## DJ Contracting (Dec 16, 2003)

You know I have to chime in here...If I have a truck without a plow on it (none plow truck) then I would surly have a factory size tire or a bit more narrow tire on it in the winter time, however I don't think that a plow truck that runs a bit wider or larger tire would have that much of a problem plowing snow. Now before I get any slack here i have to agree a larger wide tire (say 10" or wider) would float on the snow and not get to the pavement for grip, however on a plow truck I agree that when you put your plow on the ground then you should be clearing the snow out in front of you therefore your tires would/should be on the pavement, that's not to say that if there is packed snow and or ice under what you just pushed you would get any traction no matter what tire you run. I'm not convinced that a narrow tire will get that much more traction, however the narrow tire will get down to the pavement faster than a wide tire would due to spinning and heating/melting up the snow/ice faster. So I said all that to say this I personally will run 285's on my plow truck It is only one size larger than the factory size, so good luck on what you buy and hope they work good for you. -Joe-


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## linckeil (Sep 18, 2007)

slighter wider than stock is usually fine (you won't loose much traction in the snow), but slighter narrower is better. the primary purpose of my truck in the winter is to make me money. i want it to look good, but will not sacrifice plowing performance for aesthetics. i have the wide tires and aluminum rims to run in the summer, but the tall skinnies go on in the winter. run two sets of tires and you have the looks in the summer without sacrificing traction in the winter. to each his own i guess. but wide or narrow (all things being equal) is simply a matter of physics, not opinion.

and FYI:

235 tire = 9.25 inches wide
265 tire = 10.4 inches wide
285 tire = 11.2 inches wide
315 tire = 12.4 inches wide


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

DJ Contracting;1067722 said:


> You know I have to chime in here...If I have a truck without a plow on it (none plow truck) then I would surly have a factory size tire or a bit more narrow tire on it in the winter time, however I don't think that a plow truck that runs a bit wider or larger tire would have that much of a problem plowing snow. Now before I get any slack here i have to agree a larger wide tire (say 10" or wider) would float on the snow and not get to the pavement for grip, however on a plow truck I agree that when you put your plow on the ground then you should be clearing the snow out in front of you therefore your tires would/should be on the pavement, that's not to say that if there is packed snow and or ice under what you just pushed you would get any traction no matter what tire you run. I'm not convinced that a narrow tire will get that much more traction, however the narrow tire will get down to the pavement faster than a wide tire would due to spinning and heating/melting up the snow/ice faster. So I said all that to say this I personally will run 285's on my plow truck It is only one size larger than the factory size, so good luck on what you buy and hope they work good for you. -Joe-


I agree. Glad u understand where Im coming from. Ive plowed with everything from 235 to 315.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

linckeil;1067710 said:


> brad96z28 - every time i see a thread about tires you're on it talking about how great wide tires are for plowing. then you go on to make some stupid comment about "not driving over the snow" or about skinny tires not being used in racing. you are not making any sense. just say they work for you and leave it at that.
> 
> the FACT of the matter is that a narrower tire is better in the snow. you can make stupid analogies all day long - and i'm sure you will - but it will not change the FACTS. you don't believe it when anyone on this site tells you, so here's an article from a company that does nothing but sell tires-
> 
> ...


And yes the article if u can read talks about driving through snow. As i stated I am talking about plowing snow and pushing piles. I guess I am going to need to continue posting my theory til u can understand it.Great observation there I do not disagree with the article it is just not what I am talking about.


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## cet (Oct 2, 2004)

Wow some people like to beat the dead horse. We all use what we feel is best. I used to run all 235's on my trucks. Then I bought a dually and I can tell you that thing is crap driving from site to site. Last year I bought a 2009 GMC 2500 and it came with 270's I think but not sure. It did fine but we really didn't have enough snow to try it out. In July I bought a 2007 2500 with 285's. I guess I will see how these do. I will have a wide enough plow, most likely a 9'2" Poly V-XT, to clear the tires.

Once on site I don't think the tire size has a whole lot to do with traction. I have never really had a hard time plowing regardless of how much snow there is.


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## tuney443 (Jun 25, 2006)

buddymanzpop;1066619 said:


> Why does GM put those dinky 245's on 3/4 tons but the 1/2 tons can come with 265's? Anyone know the answer?


First of all,those '' dinky 245's'' are more than adequate for the legal loads that can be placed on a 2500HD.Those are LT tires,same as the 265's that come on 3500's,which I have.The 265's on Suburbans,1/2 tons,and other SUV's are P tires{passenger],which don't have the same ply or weight ratings that the LT's[light truck] have.


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## 2COR517 (Oct 23, 2008)

buddymanzpop;1066619 said:


> Why does GM put those dinky 245's on 3/4 tons but the 1/2 tons can come with 265's? Anyone know the answer?





tuney443;1071008 said:


> First of all,those '' dinky 245's'' are more than adequate for the legal loads that can be placed on a 2500HD.Those are LT tires,same as the 265's that come on 3500's,which I have.The 265's on Suburbans,1/2 tons,and other SUV's are P tires{passenger],which don't have the same ply or weight ratings that the LT's[light truck] have.


Continuing on this vein, economics come into play. The 245/75 is the cheapest way to get 3,000# capacity.

In addition, the 245s are slightly smaller in diameter, improving towing/heavy load performance.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

buddymanzpop;1066619 said:


> Why does GM put those dinky 245's on 3/4 tons but the 1/2 tons can come with 265's? Anyone know the answer?


Try to keep the 6.0 trucks economy in the teens.


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## XxChevy-HDxX (Jul 15, 2010)

brad96z28;1066826 said:


> Its free for me using my tech 2. Where in mass are u?


In Revere Mass


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

If ur ever up my way I can re cal ur speedo.My candi module is down on my tech 2 as long as it is pre c.a.n. I can do it. I


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## kramer56 (Oct 13, 2006)

i went from 265 to a 285 firestone last season and was much better for plowing along w better groundclearance. I had to do the trimming tho but much happier


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

kramer56;1073586 said:


> i went from 265 to a 285 firestone last season and was much better for plowing along w better groundclearance. I had to do the trimming tho but much happier


How do u like the ppe programmer? We have similar trucks.


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## DJ Contracting (Dec 16, 2003)

Ok so I bought some Goodyear Wrangler mtr's 305 70R16 (used) they have 13/32 of tread on all the tires guess how much...wait for it wait for it ok $225.00. Now I just have to get them mounted


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## Outty330 (Dec 4, 2008)

Not to hack your thread but I'll chime in with a question on the subject, If I were to go from a stock 16 inch wheel with 265/75/16 tires on my 99 silverado Z71 to a 17 inch wheel with a 275/70/17 tire would there be any rubbing issues I know speedo will be off slightly just worried about clearence. No leveling kit and i have not cranked T-Bars.Pics are what I'm looking to put on.


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## kramer56 (Oct 13, 2006)

brad96z28;1073622 said:


> How do u like the ppe programmer? We have similar trucks.


I like it alot. improves mileage and way more power. had the edge didnt care for the motor noises it made which im told was normal and the predator shifted like a sledge hammer against a brick wall.


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## brad96z28 (Aug 21, 2005)

kramer56;1074195 said:


> I like it alot. improves mileage and way more power. had the edge didnt care for the motor noises it made which im told was normal and the predator shifted like a sledge hammer against a brick wall.


Oh good Im not crazy about the predator, and I had an edge It sounded like it pinged like crazy. Im glad Im not the only one either .


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## kramer56 (Oct 13, 2006)

the edge made it sound like the engine coming apart to me but i think it was when the timing was changing it would knock wasnt too happy about that but it did build power.


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## the new boss 92 (Nov 29, 2008)

this wole tire thing makes alot of sence and all but i have never one hade a problem with my 285's! but i do understand what the whole smaller tire thing will do!


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

The idea is a thinner tire will help cut through snow and slush better and get down to the road surface, where a fatter tire will tend more towards riding on top of the snow.


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## nhgranite (Feb 26, 2009)

i would stick w/265's for plowing. 285 are to wide. my buddy wants to trade his. they suck in the snow. to wide. tall and skinny is the way to go. 

question, can you get a 285/70/16?


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