265/75/16 vs 235/85/16

[huntsonora]

I went with and stayed with the Cooper ST Maxx in 265/75/16 on my 06 Tundra and have been impressed with them but at 54lbs per tire they are a little heavy. I've been thinking seriously about going with the Cooper AT3 in 235/85/16z. Height is essentially the same, they're an inch narrower and weigh 12lbs less at 42lbs per tire.

I would drive the AT3's until September and then get a set of the ST Maxx for hunting season. It would make the ST Maxx tires last more than one hunting season and that's when I need such a heavy duty tire

I can get the 235 AT3's for $135/tire. I can go with the 265/75 Cooper ATP for $170 tire and it weighs 49lbs so there's a little weight savings there as well

Basically, I want an all terrain tire to use during my off season and am debating the pros and cons between the 235's and 265's

Hard to beat the price on the 235's. Any thoughts are appreciated

 

[p nut]

Other than price, 235's had no advantage for me. The MPG was exactly the same (comparing the exact same tire--BFG KO), power felt the same. Off-road AND on-road performance suffered, though. There was much less lateral stability, especially on off-camber turns, which resulted in more puckering moments than I was comfortable with.

Even the price is not a big factor. $20 difference per tire means $80 total. Divide that into 4 year ownership = $20 per year or less than $2 per month!

Stick with 265/75/16's and don't look back.

 

[pittsburgh]

I was very happy when I went from 33x12.5x15 BFG MT's to 33x10.5x15's on my YJ I think it tracked nicer on the road, and it was easier to man handle the wheel/tire combo when working on the jeep. I don't know if it save me any MPGs to go with the skinny tire but I think it was easier on the jeeps drive train and I never noticed any ill affects in the stability department. I am thinking about doing the 235/85/16 on my Taco and doing tall skinny tires on my Wrangler LJ.

 

[01tundra]

I've had both on my Tacoma, currently have the 235's and will be going back with them next time around.

I haven't noticed any real differences in handling on the road and no real noticable difference off-road either.

I went with them mostly because they are lighter than the same tire in 265.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I have been running the AT3 in 235/85r16 on my Chevy diesel for almost 3 years including many hunting miles and never felt let down by them, this includes dragging the frame over rocks on several occasions on trails where I have seen Jeeps parked down below and they didn't keep going. Granted that by simply putting it in 4-lo in 1st gear it will crawl up about anything but the slickest of hills without even touching the pedal going up or coming down due to such low gearing.

 

[kayadog]

Do you need LT rated tires? The P265/75r16 Hankook ATM's weigh 39 lbs. and are around $128 each, less if you find them on sale. I ran both the ATM and Cooper AT3 and like the Hankook better.

 

[huntsonora]

Do you need LT rated tires?

Yes I do, I drive 40,000 miles a year with over 15,000 miles being on two track or dirt roads. I'd go through a P rated tire so fast it wouldn't even be funny

I guide and outfit hunts on close to a half million acres here in the states and close to 200,000 acres in Mexico.

Just pulled this stunt on Sunday evening...

 

[WyoCherokee]

Do you need LT rated tires? .

Any vehicle that touches gravel needs LT tire. taking a P rated tire off pavement is just asking for a flat.

 

[WyoCherokee]

Just pulled this stunt on Sunday evening...

Looks like you hit a hole!

 

[huntsonora]

Looks like you hit a hole!

I hit a rock that was a lot bigger than it looked. It was buried with about 18 inches sticking above the ground. I was driving to the ranch and was in the middle of nowhere with no cell service and I got sucked into some ruts. My truck kicked out to the left and I went off the road and the right rear tire hit the rock. It sheared the pin that held the axle to the lead spring. It was a long 15 mile walk to another ranch as I was hustling to beat the storm

Anyway, discount will honor the road hazard even though the tire was on its last legs which is cool of them. Question is do I go 235/85 or 265/75?

 

[comptiger5000]

Any vehicle that touches gravel needs LT tire. taking a P rated tire off pavement is just asking for a flat.

That depends on the weight of the vehicle, driving style and the tire in question (not all tires are equal when it comes to durability, even if they're the same size, same load rating, etc.)

 

[Clawhammer]

I'm having the same debate with my Tacoma. I'd like to shed the weight of the 265's, but am worried about losing traction with it. I'm leaning towards the ST/Maxx too.

 

[p nut]

I'm having the same debate with my Tacoma. I'd like to shed the weight of the 265's, but am worried about losing traction with it. I'm leaning towards the ST/Maxx too.

For what it's worth, I commuted on both sizes for years. Same brand/model tire, same route, same speed. Mpg figures came back almost identical (which was around 19mpg in an 01 DC). Looked too skinny as well. I'm not into fat wide tires, but aesthetically, too narrow. And that was on a 1st gen Tacoma.

 

[huntsonora]

That depends on the weight of the vehicle, driving style and the tire in question (not all tires are equal when it comes to durability, even if they're the same size, same load rating, etc.)

A P rated tire on the ranches I hunt are essentially useless. Doesn't matter what brand, I'll destroy them. Might work for some but is too light duty for the miles and roads I run

 

[1stDeuce]

Is that a Tundra? If so, a 265 might be the better option to keep road damage down if you spend time on soft private roads... I had 235's on a 2500 GMC a while back, and while it was rock solid on them, and got great mileage, it would find the bottom if the ground was soft... Sometimes the bottom is not near the surface... It always got through, but the ruts I left were sometimes fairly significant... A lighter vehicle may not be so affected.

Also, if your wheels are wider than about 7", a 235 may be stretched a bit to cover. I put a set of 235/80R17's on a 7.5" wheel, and it was OK but the 17's are typically a bit wider than the 16's, and I was a little worried about the sidewall, which was fairly exposed. (Never had an issue though...)

Any luck with finding a better deal on Hercules tires locally? I'm about to put the TerraTracII's back on the road under the Comanche project. I still maintain they're as good a tire and comparable in performance to the AT3. It's just a matter of price.