tires

[mrherren]

I have a 2003 Silverado Z71, what are the largest tires i can put on without any mods? Any suggests to what tire? I'm looking for more of a off road style tire, but something that won't be too loud running down the highway.

[kenny-1907]

Then don't get an off road tire. If you are looking for a good traction tire for off road but something that will be fairly quiet on the road , i suggest the BFG AT in the size of 255/85/16 It should be the same height as the BFG MT which is 33.3" tall when new , but you do not get the extra width of the 285/75/16 which i did not want for reasons of driving in snow. Also a narrower tire will give you a little better fuel economy

[v10_viper]

Originally Posted by kenny-1907

Then don't get an off road tire. If you are looking for a good traction tire for off road but something that will be fairly quiet on the road , i suggest the BFG AT in the size of 255/85/16 It should be the same height as the BFG MT which is 33.3" tall when new , but you do not get the extra width of the 285/75/16 which i did not want for reasons of driving in snow. Also a narrower tire will give you a little better fuel economy

I'm sorry but I have to do this, I'd highly suggest the Bridgestone A/T Revo's over the BFG's. Now I have never had the BFG's on my truck but I do know a kid who has them, they are a nice tire indeed but once I put my Bridgestone's on I'm highly impressed by them, especially in snow. In mud they clean out damn well if you keep them moving at 20+ mph. In all the pictures that I've ever seen I have to say they dont look anywhere near agressive, but on a 265/75/16 I can stick my thumb in the tread, and they have these other little deals in the tread that help clean stuff out. Don't even ask my about braking performance on slick surfaces now compared the the old Hercules tires that I use to run. My dad had had some Goodyear AT/S's, they did have around 70,000 miles on them but he couldn't believe how the ride quality increased just because of these tires plus they squat a lot less when you have a load on it. Ask me a year ago, I'd have said the BFG's, they were the king for tires, but Bridgestone/Firestone is starting to pull ahead with their line of truck tires I think.

[jeverett]

I Like Cooper tires....I guess because they're made about 40 miles from here...

[TwentyPints]

i'd say bfg's or coopers. they are both nice.

[bowtieguy]

i am planning on some TOYO's mud tire i have never tried them before but i hear good things about how they work in the mud and are pretty quiet on the street. i do know that toyo's street tires are good tires, those i have used in the past.

[jeverett]

Toyo's are really good tires. I sold and mounted many a set when I worked at the tire store. I mostly sole hte Open Country AT's. There wasn't a mud-terrain avaiable at that time.

[TXAGG05]

How aggressive do you want to go? Obviously the more aggressive the tire, the louder it's going to be. I've had BFG A/Ts on my past three trucks and I'd have to say that they're not the quietest tires out there, but they offer the traction that I need, last forever, and have a comfortable ride. I replaced my Firestones immediately after I bought my truck in 2002 with Goodyear AT/Ss and was pretty happy with them. They were pretty quiet, but they didn't stay aggressive for very long so I switched to the BFGs. I like the Coopers and the Bridgestones, but I wanted something more aggressive, but not quite a mud tire. I'd just consider how much driving you do off road, and what kind of situations you get into when you are off road.
Jeb

[kenny-1907]

Originally Posted by v10_viper

I'm sorry but I have to do this, I'd highly suggest the Bridgestone A/T Revo's over the BFG's. Now I have never had the BFG's on my truck but I do know a kid who has them, they are a nice tire indeed but once I put my Bridgestone's on I'm highly impressed by them, especially in snow. In mud they clean out damn well if you keep them moving at 20+ mph. In all the pictures that I've ever seen I have to say they dont look anywhere near agressive, but on a 265/75/16 I can stick my thumb in the tread, and they have these other little deals in the tread that help clean stuff out. Don't even ask my about braking performance on slick surfaces now compared the the old Hercules tires that I use to run. My dad had had some Goodyear AT/S's, they did have around 70,000 miles on them but he couldn't believe how the ride quality increased just because of these tires plus they squat a lot less when you have a load on it. Ask me a year ago, I'd have said the BFG's, they were the king for tires, but Bridgestone/Firestone is starting to pull ahead with their line of truck tires I think.

By all means, suggest away. Everyone has a right to their own preferences and opinions. I was speaking from expierence from owning the BFG MT'S and the AT'S as well and i definetly prefer the A/T tires, the M/T's are terrible in icy conditions. I am thinking of grooving my M/T's to see if it will help a bit with traction in the snow by breaking up the lugs.

[mrherren]

well i live in IL, at times we get a decent amount of snow, but in the last couple of years it has been less and less it seems like. This is my 1st 4x4 so i'm not sure how aggressive I want. I know i want an aggressive look.

[VTISC007]

http://www.kelly-springfield.com/...Safari MSR
http://www.mickeythompsontires.com/...ATZ (the website doesn't show the new tire yet, but I've seen pictures and read the reviews, the tire is pretty bad ass.)
http://www.dunloptire.com/...Rover RT
You don't need to stick to mainstream tires.
I am still debating the 255/85R16's for my 2500HD 4X4 as opposed to 285/75R16's. I've been opening my eyes a little more now because I want tires that are closer to 34" diameter, and Mickey Thompson & Interco tire companies make a lot of really good tires and they also make a lot of different oddball sized too (for experiments). The companies that I have mentioned are reputable companies & have been around for a long time. I use to work in the tire industry for a long time, so I'm pretty seasoned when it comes to tires, and I am quite a picky guy, especially with tires. It's really hard for me to pick a tire because for the most part they last a long time (commitment), it's not like buying food where you could switch from chinese to mexican from one day to the next. Just brain storm for a little while. Usually a six-pack of beer helps me finalize my decision. It's almost like I already know what I want and what I need but sometimes the beer knows best. There are so many options out there, that's why it's hard to figure out what you want. Don't over-think. Do some research, narrow it down to about 3 different tires, have a couple of beers, then go to the tire shop and pull the trigger (meaning: to pull the trigger, simply means to make a final decision). Don't drink too much, you have to drive safely to the tire shop to get your tires.
Buying tires for my motorcycle is not so difficut, they usually wear out in six months, so I try different things.
Good Luck!!!

P.S. I wan't very impressed with my BFG/AT's.

[kenny-1907]

One thing i should correct after thinking about is that i never owned the BFG A/T's , they were Mickey Thompson A/T's which were the same tread pattern damn near as the BFG.