expedition tires for towing..285s or 265s

marty79

marty79

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2013
Location
Newton, NC
hey guys, on the market for some new shoes for the expedition and I'm on the wall about size since we will be towing quite often now. Jeep trailer and now a pop up when we go camping.
Currently has Load C 265s..rides good, average 18/19mpg highway grandma driving lol
Would like to put 285s Load Range E on it for towing purposes. I get about same reviews on most say gas mileage doesn't change much on highway with 285s, lots of in town driving will some but these suck on gas in town period!
I suppose acceleration would suffer some..I have 3:73 gears, rear locker 4x4 with full factory tow package (big trans cooler, bigger radiator, class IV hitch, factory 7way connector. Maximum tow rating 8900 lbs (and I've probably pulled every bit of that the last trip lol)

I guess I'm worried the bigger heavier tire will help in some towing characteristics but hurt it in others. More strain on the trans and gears?? but less give/sway in the tires! Less Power up inclines with the bigger tire (which the 5.4 screams already up inclines with 6500/7000lb behind it)...just looking for thoughts on running the 285s? thanks everyone
 
just doooo it
 
I stick with OE size on my tow rig for a lot of reasons. Pulling power, stopping power, and mpg’s. I’d definitely step it up to a load range E if you’re towing. I’m also a stickler for looking at tire weights. Going from an all season to an all terrain to a mud terrain can add a lot of weight to a tire. Heavier tires make power, brakes, and mpg’s suffer.
 
Stick with 265's. 285's will hurt your power and mileage.
 
Kinda what I was leaning towards, 265s. Just wanted some more experienced opinions from those whom been towing longer than me. Thanks
 
what about 235/80 17 10 ply. I see some good deals on those, appears to be bout same height just narrower than 265, 10 ply though. I've always seen HD trucks and dually trucks run them so they must be good tires for highway/towing...yei or nai
 
235/80/17 was the tire size on my 3500 ram dually. I had Mastercraft Courser HXT’s and they pulled over 50k road service and were awesome. For the money I’d say they are a damn good investment. Not super aggressive but I never had an issue (understanding my truck was 2wd). I did upgrade in size and switched to a more aggressive tire due to where I live and tow. I went with Toyo ATII. But for what it sounds like I think you’d be more than happy with the Mastercrafts.
 
You know they make 265s that are load range E, right? Plus, 285s cost more....so, why?
 
I run OE 245/16 load E for towing with Suburbans and 265/16 for non towing or a light utility trailer. I did run some 285/16 for the beach but they were too big for towing
 
I would go with the 265>285>235. Definitely in an E range. Plenty of choices in those sizes for E range.
 
BigSouth said:
I’m also a stickler for looking at tire weights.
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This is not always the best deal. Why it is like this, I do not know... But...

Some good friends of mine own a big tire chain here. I was pricing tires for my 1/2 ton and 2500 the other day. I was looking at nitto trail grapplers and noticed they did not make a 37 that was E range. Highest was D, 3700# at 50 psi. The 35 E range has a lower weight capacity at 34/3500# at 65 psi. Even tho the 37 has a higher load capacity they will not/ cannot mount them on a truck calling for an E range tire. Could be a miss print on the net, I do not know. The extra plys should be stronger.
 
BigGreenMonster said:
I would go with the 265>285>235. Definitely in an E range. Plenty of choices in those sizes for E range.
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This. The tall skinny 235 will have less contact patch, more sidewall flex, etc. Bad for towing, trailer sway, etc. 285 will hurt performance, both acceleration and braking.
 
BigGreenMonster said:
This is not always the best deal. Why it is like this, I do not know... But...

Some good friends of mine own a big tire chain here. I was pricing tires for my 1/2 ton and 2500 the other day. I was looking at nitto trail grapplers and noticed they did not make a 37 that was E range. Highest was D, 3700# at 50 psi. The 35 E range has a lower weight capacity at 34/3500# at 65 psi. Even tho the 37 has a higher load capacity they will not/ cannot mount them on a truck calling for an E range tire. Could be a miss print on the net, I do not know. The extra plys should be stronger.
Click to expand...
^THIS. Don't get hung up on load range, look at the actual weight rating. I've had D rated tires that were nearly 4000lb rating, and E rated tires in the mid 2000lb range. Different sizes are classed differently. Honestly I think they just rate them based on size and load range, regardless of any actual capability to carry the load. Almost all tires with the same size and load range will have the exact same weight rating in pounds, even for different manufacturers and tread types. D or E just tells you how many plys (plies?) the tire has.
 
Good info thanks guys
 
BigGreenMonster said:
This is not always the best deal. Why it is like this, I do not know... But...

Some good friends of mine own a big tire chain here. I was pricing tires for my 1/2 ton and 2500 the other day. I was looking at nitto trail grapplers and noticed they did not make a 37 that was E range. Highest was D, 3700# at 50 psi. The 35 E range has a lower weight capacity at 34/3500# at 65 psi. Even tho the 37 has a higher load capacity they will not/ cannot mount them on a truck calling for an E range tire. Could be a miss print on the net, I do not know. The extra plys should be stronger.
Click to expand...

I think you missed my point. I’m talking about the actual weight of a tire. Not the rating. All ratings being equal, and exact same size, compare a Michelin LTX, a BF Goodrich AT2, and a Nitto Trail Grappler. There can be about 10 pounds per tire difference in the same size tires.
 
BigSouth said:
I think you missed my point. I’m talking about the actual weight of a tire. Not the rating. All ratings being equal, and exact same size, compare a Michelin LTX, a BF Goodrich AT2, and a Nitto Trail Grappler. There can be about 10 pounds per tire difference in the same size tires.
Click to expand...

Oh... Yeah, I missed that. Never really paid much attention to the weight of my DD or tow rig tires. Weight is a key factor in tires on the yota tho.
 
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