265 vs. 285- how much real advantage off road?

[Cherry LC]

honestly, if you don't already know the answer, then your off-road driving needs are pretty mild. the 265 should get you better mileage on-road due to being more narrow.

for the potential future trip you describe... 265 are much more widely available worldwide than 285.

I'm really just getting started with off-road driving. I've had the truck for about a year and, between a blown head gasket, some other travel, and generally being busy haven't gotten out too much. But, I'm going to get off-road more so I need tires more for future than past situations..

Tire size availability is important, and it's why I'm not considering 255/85/16 tires. It seems like a great size, but hard to find. Do you see any Cooper tires in Central America? I imagine not..

 

[sandcruiser]

cooper is around, I've seen a few.

For all-purpose driving, 265/75 is plenty.
Search the expedition forum on ih8mud for more input from folks who drive outside of the states.

in my experience in California, I was usually either on near-perfect highway or on very rough trails. In those two instances, you might prefer 285 tires as they are taller and could yield better mileage on flat highway (like highway 5, for instance) over long distances. Off-road you aren't likely to be on gravel for very far, and can poke along in low-range.

I just stepped up to 33"12.50 after having done 8 years w/ 31x10.50. On sand, they are much better (wider). In deep mud, both tires bog down... but the 33's might go a little further.

I plan to add a set of 255/85 or maybe 265/75 at some point as my "road tires" because the 33s are loud. much louder than the 31s were. And the 33s wander a LOT more than the 31s did on gravel roads.

For long-term reliability, 265/75 will do less wear and tear than 285. They are lighter, narrower and keep the gearing closer to the stock design.

Personally, If I still lived in CA, I'd probably go with 285s. Because I know that I'll push the limits of what I would want to do with 265s. But I've gone a lot of places on 31s in a 60-series and am sure you could go a lot of places w/ 265s on an 80.

Final thought: maybe go to a tire store and lift a 265 compared to a 285 on the same rim. Then imagine changing your spare tire on a dark and rainy night (or a hot baja midday) and see if the size/weight difference is any factor for you. I know that w/ 33x12.50 on my rig I am no longer very confident that my wife (who weighs in around 108 lbs) can change the tire safely/easily. That is one big strike against them in my book.

Don't waste too much brain power on this issue--- either tire will work.

 

[Devil's Slide Doug]

There are certain trails where 285's will be barely adequate and the 265's will be too small. The cooper stt's work pretty well off road and also work well on the street in rain and snow. There are some piks of my truck in my rotw in my sig line.

 

[sandcruiser]

Sure. And there are trails where 285 isn't going to be nearly tall enough. And trails where buggies running 37's have trouble clearing obstacles....

There is no doubt that taller tires make a rig more capable in extreme offroad situations.

But they have a price, and for many people a shorter, narrower tire is a better trade-off between street-worthiness and trail-worthiness.

The OP doesn't sound like he hits too many very-difficult trails, so I suggested that 265 might be a better choice for road-worthiness and lower cost and better mileage.

But I run a 33", personally.

There are certain trails where 285's will be barely adequate and the 265's will be too small. The cooper stt's work pretty well off road and also work well on the street in rain and snow. There are some piks of my truck in my rotw in my sig line.

 

[charlestonfj60]

Anyone have pictures of 285 75 16 Nitto Terra's on stock height?

 

[Landcruiser97]

I am about to mount the 3rd Set of Michelins LTX M/S 275/70 R16s.

No Lift, Lockersss

They are great OFF Road and handle good at High Speeds.

Got over 60000 miles on them each Time.

 

[packetstormin]

Trail Diggers

I just put a set of the Hercules Trail Diggers on my rig. They are 285s. They were reviewed in 4wd toyota magazine and were given a favorable rating. My impressions so far are they are pretty good MT's for the money. They cost about 192 installed. They have good road manners and are less noisy than my BF Goodrich KM2's that are on my 4runner, though there is some road noise but its expected from a MT. Offroad they are great so far. I went through some sand and mud and through some real rocky trails and they were great. They cleaned out real well. They have this stone blocker technology in the side wall which is supposed to help prevent punture which I think is interesting, I will have to see how they hold up to the rocky trails here in AZ.

Just my thoughts

 

[Cherry LC]

Well, I finally went with the 285 Discoverer STs. They were in short supply and a bit hard to get, but I found a set. I'm very happy with this choice. They drive well on the road, are not too loud, and they've done well in snow and the little bit of off-road driving I've done so far. Now I just need to get the spare out from underneath the truck! The third picture was taken by my four year old...
Thanks for the helpful advice.

 

[e9999]

glad to read you're happy. All that matters.

personally, I'll likely go with narrower over wider for a given diameter. And I love sand running...

unfortunately, at the rate I'm going it'll be 20 years before my MT/Rs are worn out...

 

[Hounwas]

It's time to replace the stock size highway tires on my 97 LC and, like many folks, I'm having a tough time with the decision.

I'm looking for the compromise of the best on-road handling (and good snow and ice performance) combined with as much capability as possible off-road. I've narrowed it down to the Cooper Discoverer S/T for the tire (the Nitto Terra Grappler was a close second), and 265/75 or 285/75 for the size.

My question is, how great is the off-road advantage of the 285 over the 265 and is it worth the handling penalty for the on-road miles? The main advantage seems to be height, but the 1" difference in total height seems, to me, to translate into a half inch of additional clearance. Does that really make a noticeable difference off road? Any input would be appreciated.

I have OME 861/862 "stock height" springs and OME shocks, and I'll be driving primarily in northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains and a bit in Nevada and southern Utah. Ultimately I would like to explore Mexico and Central America in my Cruiser, but that's not going to happen for a while.

If you're looking for a good all-around tire that will perform well both on and off road, the Cooper Discoverer S/T is a great choice. As for the size, the 265/75 or 285/75 should work well for you. The main advantage of the 285 over the 265 is height, but the 1" difference in total height doesn't translate into a significant difference in terms of clearance. For the on-road miles, the 285 may have a slight handling penalty, but it's not enough to make a noticeable difference. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which size tire is best for your needs.

 

[Marco Lau]

If I had to do it all over again, go straight to 35s from stock or better yet, go straight to 37s and get all your suspension pieces dialed in.. your wallet will thank you later.