I didn't plan on getting new tires until my stock Bridgstone V steel LT245 75 R16 Load "E" tires wore out, but somone at work wants to buy them from me, so..........I'm trying to decide on new tires on a limited budget.

I've search and read almost every post over the past few days and now I'm even more confused :)

I want to move up to 265's. I do alot of Hwy driving and very little off-roading. I want a non-aggressive quiet tread with WOL to improve the appearance of my truck a little. Longevity is a must (of course).

Alot of members seem to like the Michelin LTX M/S so I was leaning towards them until I got a price of $763 for a set of 4 mounted. That's a little more than I'd like to spend right now.

The sales guy is trying to get me to go down to a load range "D" tire. He says that a load range D in the 265 size is the same as load range E in the 245 size due to having more tire. Does this sound right? I'd like to improve my ride without comprimising my load capacity.

I sure would appreciate any advice on load range and tires that woud suit my needs.

I trust you guys a bunch more than the tire saleman :)

Thanks!

Rob

I was running Cooper Discoverer H/T's until I bought my H2 wheels/tires. 60000 mile rated. I'm same as you.....highway king. They were good in snow, and quiet on the road. 265/75/16 "E". IIRC, they were $600 for 4 mounted/balanced w/lifetime warranty from Spartan Tire. I'd have to find my receipt in the truck to say for sure.

I cant say enough good things about my 285/75 Bridgestone Revo's. They may not get the mileage the Michelins get, but I think they are a better overall tire. I'm on my 3rd set and will get another set next time out.


I got 46k+ out of my last set and most of the wear was do to my heavy right foot.

skoryaro - (I'm still trying to figure out what the hell your name means ):h )

Anyway, in theory, your tire salesman is right that a 265 "D" rated tire and 245 "E" rated tire are of the same load capacity...However, since a "D" load rating is 8 ply and an "E" rated tire is 10 ply, you'll likely notice a difference in the way the truck handles, especially when/if you have a heavy load in the back of the truck or pulling a heavy trailer...Some tires feel less "planted" if you will..almost a squirm type of feeling....
It sounds like you don't use your truck that hard though so the difference might not be so obvious....And a 8 ply tire might just ride a bit better than the 10ply does (less bounce because of more give in the sidewall)
As far as price goes, when it comes to tires, you seem to get what you pay for...Off-brands don't seem to last as long, and in my expierience, need to be balanced more often as well...I would spend your coin on a quality set now and get the miles out of them rather than save yourself 150 clams and have to change them after 20,000 miles...

Scott

Thanks for the quick responses. I know alot of people like the Revo's but they are just as $$ as the Michelin's from what I can tell - may have to just bite the bullet and ante-up some more cash. Gauges may have to wait :)

skoryaro - (I'm still trying to figure out what the hell your name means ):h )



Well, let me fill you in............When I first ordered my truck I found this site, had some good info on it so I thought I'd "sign-up" but didn't plan on being around very long. Just used a combination of my first and last name (something I could remember for a few days until I was done browsing :). Well I got hooked and now that my post count is up I hate to change my screen name. The "2" at the end came about because I originally logged in as Skoryaro1 and screwed up my passwaord - had to then change my user name - thus SKORYARO2.

Now you know "the rest of the story"

BTW - thanks for the tire advice :)

Try Costco for pricing, they are the cheapest around here, you even get free flat repairs and balancing for the life of the tires.

In New England at a chain that has shops in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, I was able to purchase four Cooper Discoverer ATR tires (a new model) 265/75-16 LR E for $500 (plus sales tax) including mounting and balancing.

I went with these because they are a couple of hundred bucks cheaper than Michelins, plus they have a M&S rating. Since it can snow around here any time from September through May, I thought that would be a good.

Cooper makes truck tires under contract for Nokian, and some of the tires look similar. Maybe I am getting a poor man's Nokian tire.

Costco is probably about as cheap as you can get for Michelins with mounting and balancing.

On the stock 6.5 inch wide rims, I would not go larger than 265, though others have.

I went with the Michelin LT265/75-R16 LTX M/S (Sam's Club) - truck sits a little higher with the 265's and the load rating was a little higher than the 245's. I tow a 10,000 # fifth wheel.

2004 GMC 2500HD Ext. Cab Long Box ; Duramax (LB7)/Allison; GMC bed liner; Air Lift Super Duty air bags; Michelin LT265/75-R16 LTX M/S ; Luverne Running boards; Bilsteinshocks; Isspro gauges; Racor frame mount fuel pre-filter.

Another option is the Dunlop Radial Rover's. I put on a set last Feb with 36ish on my truck(now at 44). I got all 4 mounted and balanced at Sams Club for a little over $500. Now these are rated D instead of E but have a load rating of 3000lb per tire vs the stockers which if memory serves were 3042 per tire. I also went to a 265 instead of a 245. So far I like them, but I can't say how long they'll hold up, but of course that will vary greatly on use of truck and road conditions.

FWIW my brother was in the tire business for around 8 years, and highly recommends the Michelins & Bridgestones. His opinion on the Dunlops are they are good middle of the road tires, but won't live as long as the two stated earlier. Firestone and BFG's in his opinion were to be avoided for short life spans in HD use. Once again take all this with a grain of salt.

I got a set of TOYO AT's "E" rated for $560 mounted/balanced, the works. They are quiet on the highway to.

Rob .... The Michelin LTX M/S 265's specs call for a 7 inch wide rim. If you are running stock rims, you most likely have a 6.5 inch rim. So, if you want to follow the manufacturer recommendations, you will also need to spend money on new rims. That being said, there have been posts on this board from folks running 265 + tires on the stock 6.5 rims without a problem. I also want to ultimately go to the Michelin 265 and will have to make the same decision. After the Ford/Firestone fiasco, I am inclined to go along with the tire manufacturer recommendations.

Thanks for all your responses. Always nice to get advice from those that have been there.

Try these sites for tire comparisons.

It may or may not help.

http://www.discountpartcenter.com/tirecalc.html

http://www.michelinman.com/assets/pdfs/doc_ltxms.pdf

Just an FYI my local discount tire dealed with me and brought their price below what the les schwab or the costco would offer.

I am replacing soon the 245/75 X16 Firestones with Uniroyal 265/75X16. He gave me a out the door price of $514. This are E rated tires and the price was everthing included even the tax. The are the first Firestones that have gave me good service. I did not notice they were on the truck until I got it home, but I got over 37000 on them. I got a RV trip to Georgia in a few weeks and when I get back going to buy the tires.

Consider Dunlop Rover RVXT's 60,000 mi Load Range E. Cool tread pattern, and quiet.

Thanks for your responses - went with (4) Toyo Open Country L/R E LT265/75/16. Got $300 for my stock Bridgstone 245's with 9K on them.

I got a set of TOYO AT's "E" rated for $560 mounted/balanced, the works. They are quiet on the highway to.


BTW - That was a good price :)