A tire question that hasn't been asked... really

[fish1534]

I have a tire question and have searched for the answer with no luck. Mine is slightly different than the what's the biggest tire that fits.

I have a 2004 (nbs) Silverado 2wd work truck (wt) with the 4.3L v6 and 3.42 gears. The truck came from the factory with 235/75r16 and it's tire time. Trucks came standard from the factory with either 235s or 255s. Did they shoe an v6s like mine with the bigger 255s? The 235/75r16 look absolutely puny on my truck; it looks like this big truck is laying prostrate on the ground. I want bigger tires like everyone else but just something to fill up the wheel wells. I would really like 265/75r16s but would settle for 245/75r16s. From this forum, I think both will fit on a 2wd. Are either of these tires so large that they will kill my performance with a 4.3L and 3.42 gears? I absolutely will not re-gear this truck but instead keep my tire size reasonable. I can do the math and calculate rpms and my new ratio but I just don't have the experience to know what that will feel like driving. I never take the truck off road and do a fair amount of interstate driving; I like my fuel economy and I love that on the interstate that I can easily cruise at 80+ in a truck.

Has anyone else done this? Will 265s make it a dog? Opinions? Are there any better options like 235/85r16 because they are the same width I have now and just taller? Do those look funny?

Thank you,
Kyle

[dixie_fl_angel]

To answer your first question, yes some of the the 2 wheel drives came with 255/70/16

The reg cab long bed, crew cab short bed, and reg cab short bed

(my tire guide does not specify v6/v8 so I dont believe it matters when you are talking tire size/body style)

so that size is an option :dunno:

[dixie_fl_angel]

and hello from tampa, fl :bye:

[dixie_fl_angel]

Also, in looking at size comparisons... just some further info, you may already know this.. but it might help :dunno:


the 235's you have vs. the 255's

the 235's overall diameter is 29.9 in and 9.3 width
the 255's overall diameter is 31.1 and 10 in width



if you went to something like a 265/70/16
the OD is 30.6 and width 10.4


I'm not an expert on gear swapping, but I really dont think that suttle difference would hurt the truck, its not like your puttin 35's on it.

[shealyn1]

I'm gonna agree with dixie and say 265/70r16s they seem to be a good balance of a larger tire but still small


Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[fish1534]

Thanks for the advice! But does anyone have any first hand experience with this? Someone has to own a truck with a 4.3L without puny tires or at least ridden in one. Maybe a story will liven up this thread.

When I was 17 I got the family's new body style Dodge Ram work truck; it was used in the family business for hauling merchandise but neither of my parents wanted to drive a work truck. Thank God, it was red and not plain white. I bought 32/11.5 for the 6 cylinder truck (I have no clue what the gears were); they looked great but made it a dog. A 32/11.5 is similar in height to 265/75r16, granted the 32 is a wider tire though and I think width may have a greater effect than height. Well I dumped money into upgrades and fun stuff but couldn't ever play in the truck because it was only a few years old and 2wd. It's just wrong to pinstripe new paint and I couldn't roll or damage a truck that was needed for the business. Having a nice truck was as much a curse as a blessing. In 2004, after I graduated college and bought my truck I swore I was not going to make the same mistake and dump money into a truck for vanity's sake that I didn't use off-road. This truck was going to be used for work and make me money not take money! I haven't bought a thing not necessary for the truck since I bought it new nine years ago. So after nine years I am thinking the 235/75r16 tires have to go; they just don't even look normal compared to most of your trucks! I just don't want to make the same mistake with tires for a third time.

Yes, the third time. You see last year I bought an old Jeep and it is the best thing in the world. I go wheeling ever few weekends; I bent the front drive shaft 2 weeks ago and don't really care. Break it, fix it; scratch it, leave it; break it, fix it; dent it, leave it; roll it, don't care! It can go anywhere and is fun as hell! The only problem is the previous owner put a lift and 33" tires on without re-gearing the 3.07 gears in an I6! It's a complete dog; my girlfriend calls the Jeep the put put. I can't get above 60mph on the interstate. Now, I don't care about the interstate but I need to put more torque on the ground off road so I am swapping in new axles with 4.10 gears (4.10 axles are a direct swap).

So can anyone help me out? Do you realize how pissed I would be pulling away from the tire store with absolutely no power... again; I would be the dumbest guy in the universe, lol! But I really want normal tires too. My freaking tires look like they are off a Civic! What's your experience with 265/75r16, 245/75r16 or 235/85r16 with a 4.3L and 3.42 gears? There has to be a lot of smarter people here then me!

Kyle

Oh and hello back at you!

[Outlawz2004]

You also have to consider the tire weight when going for a bigger tire. Rotational mass will sap the power more than just the overall size being larger. Check out tire rack and compare some of the sizes you want and check the weights. I know Kumho road ventures are fairly light, but the kumho stx have a little weight to them. Falken street treads are light, but their all terrains are heavy. You can go with 245/70/16s for a bigger look all the way up to 265/75/16s without any kind of lift. If I were you, I would throw on some 245/75s or 265/70s.

[dixie_fl_angel]

^^ what I was going to say.

You're comparing apples to grapes.

A 32" offroad tire is made completely different than a street tire and the weights of the tires are what you need to look at rather than comparing sizes to the old tires you had.


This might help as well..

you're in the blue area with the 265's :dunno:


http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af337/dixie_fl_angel/tiregearratio.jpg

[dubnutts]

^^^ nice chart dixie!

And to add to what people have already posted, a wider tire will have the mass of the vehicle dispursed throughtout the entire surface of the tire that touches the ground meaning a wider tire will have more grip than a narrow tire meaning more strain on the transmission/ engine which in turn means more "put put"! The manufacter GM, Ford, Dogde put a certian size on any vehicle that deals with better gas mileage, not if it looks cool and most vehicles can take up to two sizes bigger no problem. For example i had 255/75-16 on my truck when i bought it. Too small for me but i could roast em on account of the less weight and surface area of the tire then i jumped up to 285/75-16 (about 33") and alot wider i could feel the difference in the truck! Slighty slower but then again mine is a SB 350. And with those tires they slighty rub on the inside of the tire only when making sharp turns. Go for the biggest tire you can fit!!! Hope this helped

[oneloudz71]

I think the member on here by the name of kirk hat 40's on this truck with a v-6, maybe he will chime in! Here is his truck thread...
http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/general-discussion/projects-builds-restorations/348651-kirks-truck.html

[fish1534]

It would be great to hear from Kirk or someone else that actually has tried this before I spend $600 on tires!

[dubnutts]

$600 on a set??? Isnt that cheap? I bought a set of 33s for about $850. And the 38s i want are $1600 :(

[oneloudz71]

$150 a tire? Crap thats cheap!

[neubauej]

A friend of mine has 265/75/16's on her 90 rclb 4x4 with ye old tbi 4.3 and 3.42's and while it surely isn't quick it is acceptable for what it is.

I imagine yours being an 04 and 2 wheel drive, so lighter and more powerful, should be just fine.

[fish1534]

Thank's for all the answers and advice! I wan't to include an update for anyone searching this thread in the future. My 2004 rclb Chevy Silverado came stock with the 4.3L Vortec engine and 235/75R16 tires and a 3.42 rear end. I wanted to upgrade to slightly larger tires but not make the truck a dog.

Over the weekend I bought 4 Firestone Destination Le2 in 265/75R16. I like the Le2 because it is one of the newest low rolling resistance tires on the the market and I drive about 300 interstate miles every weekend. Firestone originally wanted $140 per tire plus installation and road hazard. After me saying, "No way, that's nuts!" repeatedly, I got the 4 tires for $450 including road hazard and installation. I think that's a good price. Tires are on of the few things in America that are still not fixed price and they really rip people off.

The tires look great on the stock height truck. They fill up the wheel wells and make the truck look solid and tough while still looking like a truck and not a toy. They do not rub at any point and the suspension can cycle fully. The truck probably rides about 1" to 1.5" higher because of the larger tires and new rubber. The truck handles great and feels stuck to the road but this is probably due more to new rubber than tire width or height. It really is incredible how great new tires feel! I notice no difference in power or shift points during city driving. The only disadvantage is that the truck is no longer able to maintain cruise as fast as I would like. With my old tires I would set cruise at 79-83 mph and forget about it. The truck rarely shifted out of overdrive. With the new tires it is impossible for the truck to maintain overdrive at 80 mph. I have to cruise somewhere between 65-75 mph. At 75 mph it still downshifted frequently and Florida does not have steep hills. I hope that I can at least maintain the state speed limit of 70mph and didn't make a mistake and go to big. My speedometer is off about 3 - 4 mph at 70 mph so all speeds were measured with Garmin. I intend to try to eak a little more power out of the truck with a throttle body blade mod and 100,000 mile tune up.

Kyle