Tires

[RonS]

I have done a search and got a bunch of good stuff. But still a few questions on replacement tires for my 02 Duramax 4x4 2500HD. Should I be thinking about 10ply tires?? Should I be thinking about going up to the next size ie. 265 from my 245/75R/16 which I now have? Should I stay with the Load Range E ?? I know that the BEST brand of tires are the ones we presently have on our TV but going to ask anyway..what brand is your choice? And if I go 10ply or up to 265 do I need to have something reprogramed?? I am in need of my third set with 75K dont think I want to stay with Firestone. Thanks Ron

[Glass Guy]

If you increase tire size of your tires your speedometer will be off, If you go to a taller tire you will be traveling faster than your speedometer shows, for instance if your speedometer shows 65 you will be traveling at 69. Not sure on a GM truck but I know Fords can be reprogramed. Roman

[Broome101]

Going from 265 from 245 want make much difference at all.I switched them from 245 to 265 on my Tahoe and made no difference at all in speedometer, I guess they all can differ a little. But if it was me I would definitely go up to the 265's. I prefer Michelin LTX on mine. I have also ran Copper HT's with good performance as well.

[315RLS]

[quote]Originally posted by Broome101


I'd second on the Michelin LTX. Have found it to be an excellent tire as well.

[Montana Sky]

I replaced my factory tires at 35,000 miles back in October. Just rolled 50,000 miles yesterday, I chose the keep the stock tire size and load range. I figure if that meets GM standards and they know what we are going to do with these trucks, it is good enough for me. I went with Toyo Open Country A/T tire and have been very happy.

[DHenry]

I had a problem with my Firestone tires at 27,000 miles and the tire guy at Firestone told me that the 245's were a minimum tire and he suggested that I put the 265's on, which I did, but I put Bridgestone on instead of Firestone. May be the same tire, but at least it did not say Firestone on the side.

[sreigle]

I like the Michelins but I'm getting better wear out of the BF Goodrich Rugged Trail T/A tires than I ever got our of Michelin, Firestone, or Goodyear. These tires have over 50,000 miles on them and look to have another 10k to 15k left in them, easily. Maybe more. These are the OEM tires on this truck. They are 17 inch so I don't know if that makes them wear a bit longer. They're LT265/70R17 LR E.

I'm so happy with them I just put a set of new BF Goodrich Commercial T/A tires on the Montana and the next set on the truck will be BFG. There are other good brands but I sure am happy with the wear pattern and mileage on these.

[Sweetfire]

I have 10 ply tires and would think that with the tow weights of our Montanas you wouldn't want less. Having said that, I think some brands rate their 8 ply tires for the same load as others rate their 10 ply. Load range E is the important factor.

After looking at your tire picture you might consider having your tires siped. The tire will run cooler, grip better in rain, and last longer.

[Dave e Victoria]

I replaced the stock 245's with Michelin 265's on our 2003 GMC 2500HD. They ran good and were only half gone after 40,00 miles when i sold the truck. The spedometeer was a little slow but i was able to reprogram the DIC and odometer with the Hypertech programmer. Loved those tires.

[Bill Frisbee]

I fully endorse Steve's recommendation of the BFG Rugged Trails. The 265s came as OEM on my Dodge Ram 3500 ... which suggests to me that DC believes 265 is the appropriate size (and BFGs have the appropriate construction) for pick-ups carrying heavy loads.

B

[sreigle]

Sweetfire, 'siped'... isn't that having additional tiny grooves put in the tires? How would that improve wear? That's not a confrontation. I really don't know. With 50k on these tires would it be worth the expense? Since we tend to get on gravel roads and backroads with hunks of rock sticking up through the ground, wouldn't a bunch of sipes cause these tires to maybe chunk out a bit on that kind of terrain? Sorry so many questions, I have no knowledge in this area. Thanks.

[Bob Pasternak]

Steve; To sipe a tire, they cut relatively shallow slits 1/16 inch apart and 3/16 deep across the tire. It gives the tread a squeegee effect when starting or stopping on wet/slippery roads. It does not detract in any way from tire life or safety. Ran siped tires for years on the big rigs.

[Montana Sky]

Steve,
I have my tires siped. In my opinion it is worth the cost at the time of purchase, being your already 50K into these I dont think you will get the cost vs. benefit out of those tires. Siping helps the tires run cooler, and also gives you better traction in the rain/snow/ice. The main reason I do it is for the cooler temps while towing the heavy loads. I did not sipe the factory tires, but I can tell the difference between these and the old ones. I have 15,000 miles on these new Toyo's, will have to see how they look as the miles progress. Might be something to look into when your replace your OEM tires...

[BigAl52]

I put the Cooper Discover 10 ply 265 17" on the Dodge.I like them real well so far and they don't have that aggresive rock throwing tread on them like some of the others do. I like the B.F. Goodrich tires but they need to change the tread design for me as they pick up to many rocks. Al

[Sweetfire]

Steve, like Dave (Montana Sky) said its worth it when the tires are new, I wouldn't do it on tires you would be replacing within 15,000 miles. They increase tire life by keeping the tire cooler, hot rubber on hot roads wears faster. Our local tire dealer charges $11.00 per tire to sipe when new. They do say that if you are running on gravel most of the time, say 75% gravel/dirt and 25% pavement, then you probably should not sipe the tires. Small pieces of gravel MAY become lodged in the sipes and cause small chunks of rubber to come off. I drive a fair amount of gravel roads and have not noticed any problems and I have been having my tires siped for years.

[sreigle]

I wonder how that would impact our "offroad" excursions. We don't do any real serious 4x4'ing but have done some where I wondered if it were hurting the tires, especially not being full tread at this point.

Do most all tire dealers do siping?

Does it have any impact on the tire warranty (other than chunking)? Like treadwear warranty and road hazard warranty? I know Bob said it doesn't reduce safety or tire life but I wonder if the manufacturers would use that against me in a warranty situation?

Sounds like an interesting concept. Thanks for the info.

[Thunderman]

RonS,
Check this out for tire information,www.dakota.truck.net/TIRECALC/tirecalc.html

Weldon

[Montana Sky]

Steve,
The previous park I stayed at all summer over the past 4 years had a gravel road to get into it. I would say 1/4 to 1/2 mile long, have had these tires siped since new. Also had the tires of my 03 Duramax siped, combined I have 65,000+ miles on siped tires and spend a good amount of daily driving on gravel roads. To current day I have not seen any problems with these tires and the guys at the shop said these are wearing flat and look great.

[DarMar]

I have been a fan of the Goodrich tires as well. Have had a couple of sets of the 10ply Goodrich All-terrain and they are unmatched in heavy snow. Have been getting 60K with no problem on rough road and gravel conditions. We just put a set of Goodrich Long trails on and they do improve the ride quite a bit. The long trails are rated for even longer wear and are superb for tracking in rain. They are not as well rated in heavy snow but we have a 4 wheel drive for that.

[virgil47]

Gosh I sure learn a ton of stuff form you guys. Thanks to all who contribute.