Tire dilemma 285 or 255

[NDMORETIME]

So here is my dilemma. I need to get a new set of tires on my 4runner. I am currently running 285/75/16 and was thinking of moving over to a set of 255/85/16 for a little narrower and taller tire. I was told this might help me out on gas a little bit. I am still running 4.10 gears if this makes a difference.

My other hang up is that I can get the 285's from Treadwright for about $550 delivered to my door and then I figure another $100 to have them installed. If I go with the 255's I have to get a set from Discount because Treadwright does not carry this size. I would be going with the BFG KM2's and they would run me about $1200-$1300.

Would the difference in mileage between the two offset the $600 dollar difference in tire cost? Is there anything I am not looking at that I need to take into account? That $600 could go a long way towards other toys like bumpers, a winch, or a new 1911 for example.

Any and all ideas would be greatly appreciated!

 

[nucktaco]

i dont have any experience with treadwright but the idea of retreads on a DD seems a little scary. i considered them aswell due to the cost but i think the peace of mind you get from having a trusted name brand tire makes the km2's worth the extra money.

check out the link below.

http://tirecrawler.com/shop/detail_tire.php?product_id=6025


not affiliated in anyway with the above site just noticed they sell cheap tires.

 

[Schattenjager]

Fantastic results with Treadwright - quality stuff. Save your money and put it toward gas etc. Also, the 285's are everywhere if you should need a replacement while about. 255's, as you are undoubtedly learning, are tricky to lay hands on quickly.

 

[KG6BWS]

I agree with Schattenjager. I ran Treadwrights on my Tacoma for about 45k miles, give or take, and they were excellent.

I also agree with him about availability. Ill never run the 255's just based on the fact that theyre near impossible to find.

If youre wanting to try a narrower tire take a look at 235/85's. I ran a set on my Taco for a while. Theyre about 32x9.50(I think). THe nice thing about them is the availability. Since theyre a very common commercial tire size, and the stock size on most dually pickups, they can be found just about everywhere.

 

[ExploringNH]

After having run both sizes on a 2002 4Runner, I am comfortable in saying that you wont notice a mileage difference between the two.

 

[fifthcircle]

I am on Treadwright's. Love them so far.

I am running the 235/85's now. If you like the look and feel of your 285's, you might not like the much skinnier 235's. Not for driveability reasons, but for looks. They are pretty narrow, but from the side look just like any ~32" tire.

I am with everyone else. Get the retreads, and save the money. Maybe an all terrain will help with milage? Maybe run a tad higher pressure? Maybe switch to 265/75's? Maybe get a lower load range (lighter) tire? All things could help with milage.

 

[hilux30]

Difference in gas consumption is almost non-existant if you ONLY look at it from a "285 vs. 255" tread section width point of view.
30mm (+/-) will not make a difference as much as the tread design, density of rubber, and most improtanty over-all diameter of the tire (for final drive ratio). Air pressure too but that's more determined by driver preferance.
I prefer the 285s because it snows a lot, better handling on dry weather (sidewall to tread section ratio), mud traction, and just looks better, but it is mostly determined on functionality and what you use the truck for....

 

[jeff parker]

The BFG's at TireRack run $756 for the set. Saving $200 to run on used tires with no info on their history seems like false economy to me. Use a car for DD and you will save much more than $200 on gas.

 

[mkitchen]

$1200 to $1300 sounds high

I just bought a set of 285/75 R16 BFG AT ko's mounted and balanced with warranty for $980. You should find them for a bet less in the Phoenix area for less.
Good Luck
Mikey

 

[Derek24]

I say stay with 285's and get your self a nice Kimber with the saved cash!!!

 

[Schattenjager]

Costco is a great place to buy BFG's! They are particular about OEM sizing, so I just take unmounted wheels in and have them mounted and balanced.

 

[NDMORETIME]

Thanks for all the info guys. I think I will stick with the 285's due to the ease of finding a replacement should the need arise. I have gotten some quotes for my tires and the treadwrights sure are a better deal from the initial cost stand point. The quote from treadwright to my door was $550 for there mud terrain. I am assuming there all-terrain would be around $510. The online quote from tirerack was $831 for BFG all-terrain's and $901 for the KM2 to my door. Now with both of these options I would have to pay to have them installed and balanced. The quick numbers I found online are around $25 per tire and $12.50 for every subsequent rotation and balance. If I figured this correctly I am looking at an additional $600 dollars over the life of the tire if I get 40K miles out of the tires just on the low side. This number is figured on getting the tires rotated every 4k miles. That puts the treadwrights into the $1100 dollar range, tirerack BFG at's at $1400, and KM2's at $1500 over there life span. This does not include any sort of warranty as I understand it.

Discount tire gave me a quote at there friends and family rate due me delivering most of the store transfer tires through my day job with FedEx Ground. There quote was $983/$1125 for the BFG AT's and $1072/$1226 for the KM2's. The first number is the cost with everything for the life of the tire minus the warranty. The second includes there warranty.

I have not checked with Costco yet but I will get a quote from them today. How well do they stand behind there warranty or do they even offer one?

If my calculations are correct the initial cost of the Discount tires are more expensive but over the life of the tires it will work out in my favor plus I get a warranty for the tires. Please let me know if I am missing anything in my calculations of if they are off. Math was never my strong suit. Thanks guys for all the input.

 

[lionsbreath]

I have two sets of treadwrights. On my taco (265/70/16 MT) they are on the poor side hard to balance and one is way out of round. On my Dodge 2500 diesel (245/75/16 AT) not a problem at all, still required a little more weight to balance them then I would care to put on a new set of tires but the ride is nice. I am looking to put a new set on the taco and will steer away from the treadwright's this time. The Treadwrights don't seem to like a lot of hwy driving, wears them pretty fast. Both of my sets are on BFG Casings