Help tire size 285 vs 275 stock truck (1 Viewer)

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Portland, OR
2013 LC200 here. Came new to me with 285 60 18 Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus from the dealership. Great on road tire with very good MPG and exceptional handling in wet conditions. If I wanted to stay on pavement, this is absolutely the tire for me.

However, looking to upgrade to something a little more off-road capable. 3 mountain peak/snowflake rating is a plus for the occasional chain/traction tire requirements in PNW. Unfortunately K02's seem to be the only choice around here in the stock 285 60 18 that is also a winter rated all terrain.

I have seen many comments on Mud that switching to 275 65 18 is doable with no lift or other modification needed (I am not interested in lifting my truck while it is still my daily driver) Many other options such as Cooper AT3 4S, Goodyear Wrangler, etc. in this size that will get me where I want to go. I am just looking to get out a little further, not serious rock crawling or deep mudding.

Anyone make the switch to 275 65 18 on a stock truck and can share differences in handling or performance noticed by the slightly taller/narrower tire??
 
2013 LC200 here. Came new to me with 285 60 18 Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus from the dealership. Great on road tire with very good MPG and exceptional handling in wet conditions. If I wanted to stay on pavement, this is absolutely the tire for me.

However, looking to upgrade to something a little more off-road capable. 3 mountain peak/snowflake rating is a plus for the occasional chain/traction tire requirements in PNW. Unfortunately K02's seem to be the only choice around here in the stock 285 60 18 that is also a winter rated all terrain.

I have seen many comments on Mud that switching to 275 65 18 is doable with no lift or other modification needed (I am not interested in lifting my truck while it is still my daily driver) Many other options such as Cooper AT3 4S, Goodyear Wrangler, etc. in this size that will get me where I want to go. I am just looking to get out a little further, not serious rock crawling or deep mudding.

Anyone make the switch to 275 65 18 on a stock truck and can share differences in handling or performance noticed by the slightly taller/narrower tire??


The BFG KO2 is available in either LT275/65-18E or LT285/65-18E as well as LT285/60-18D. All of which are doable without a lift!

I run LT285/65-18E KO2s on a stock 2015 LC. The KO2 has the 3 mountain peak/snowflake rating; however in the winter, I run dedicated winter tires (275/65-18 Nokian Hakka R2 SUV) living in NW Colorado.

I run a slightly narrower winter tire because of increased performance in snow. If I did not have a dedicated set of winter tires, I personally would run LT285/65-18E KO2 tires year-around vs. LT275/65-18E KO2 tires year-around.


https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/hunters-ramblings/why-is-narrower-better-in-winter-conditions

"It's all about physics. Wider tire sizes have to plow through the snow which causes more resistance and a tendency to float. A narrower option, with a smaller contact patch, has more weight per square inch that helps the tire cut through the ice and snow."


Wide Vs. Narrow Tires


"There are two ways to get traction (a function of friction) on any surface: increase the contact area or increase the pressure per square inch. Skinny tires must carry the same amount of weight as fat tires, but must do so with far less contact with the road. This increases the force in pounds per square inch on the tire tread, theoretically allowing the thinner tire to "cut" into the road surface. You could compare the pressure effects of fat tires to skinny to (respectively) a baseball bat and a samurai sword.

Dry Traction

In completely dry conditions, wider and fatter is always better for traction. A dry road and dry tires allow every inch of rubber to grab the road with no interference, so traction increase/decrease is almost linear with tire size. The only downside to larger tires on dry roads is that they can increase steering effort in low-speed conditions. Traction is traction, whether it's rolling forward or swiveling on an axis.

Wet Conditions

Generally speaking, wider tires will perform better in wet conditions than skinny tires, but it depends on the tread pattern. Wide tires can easily trap water underneath while rolling, making efficient water removal channels (called "sipes") a priority for design. Narrow tires can get away with having fewer sipes because they're not as inclined to trap water underneath and because their higher contact pressure tends to "squish" water out of the way.

Snow Safety

The long-held belief that narrow tires are better in snow and ice is generally true. One side effect of high contact pressure is heat, which can, in many cases, squeeze any snow beneath back into its liquid state. When combined with a sipes designed to carry that melted ice and snow away, the end result is a tire that performs far better in winter conditions than wide summer rubber. Wide tires tend to float over the top of ice and snow rather than digging in."



Here are a couple of photos of my 2015 LC (with LT285/65-18 KO2s) on Black Bear Pass


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Events/Trails - LCDC 2019 - 5th Anniversary



NOTE: Because of increased friction, less aerodynamics & tire weight, I experienced a decrease of 3-4 mpg on the highway when I switched from OEM tires (P285/60-18) tires to my LT285/65-18E KO2 tires!
 
Note that 285/65/18 KO2s only come in e-rating, which requires substantially higher inflation pressure. Between that and increased weight it significantly impacts ride quality.
 
I would note that different manufacturers and different tire construction/shape lead to different measurements. The 275 Michelin tires I immediately put on my LC when I purchased it have a significantly wider contact patch on the road than the 285 Dunlop OEM tires.
 
Note that 285/65/18 KO2s only come in e-rating, which requires substantially higher inflation pressure. Between that and increased weight it significantly impacts ride quality.

Just for reference -

On a LC200, the following are the Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressures for the tire sizes under discussion in this thread:

P285/60R18 - 33psi F/R (Stock)
LT285/60R18 - 46psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT285/65R18 - 42psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT275/65R18 - 45psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)

NOTE: Recommended pressures are different for LX570.

HTH
 
Thanks Gaijin! Do you also have the pressure recommendation for 275/65R18 in a standard load? Looking at some options like Cooper AT3 4S which I believe is only available in a SL.

Just for reference -

On a LC200, the following are the Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressures for the tire sizes under discussion in this thread:

P285/60R18 - 33psi F/R (Stock)
LT285/60R18 - 46psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT285/65R18 - 42psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT275/65R18 - 45psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)

NOTE: Recommended pressures are different for LX570.

HTH
 
Thanks Gaijin! Do you also have the pressure recommendation for 275/65R18 in a standard load? Looking at some options like Cooper AT3 4S which I believe is only available in a SL.

The Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S in 275/65R18 116T Standard Load on a LC200 has a Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressure of 33psi F/R.

HTH
 
Just for reference -

On a LC200, the following are the Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressures for the tire sizes under discussion in this thread:

P285/60R18 - 33psi F/R (Stock)
LT285/60R18 - 46psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT285/65R18 - 42psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)
LT275/65R18 - 45psi F/R (Same for Load Range D or Load Range E - no difference)

NOTE: Recommended pressures are different for LX570.

HTH

Thanks for the correction.. I guess the difference is it being an LT tire vs P-metric.

Either way I’ll probably be swapping out my LT KO2s for something in stock sized p-metric, given my experience and needs.
 
I just put on new 285/65R18 KO2s on my '14 LC200 and they are working great so far. I had the opportunity yesterday to test them out on 8-10" of fresh snow and they performed awesome. I also contemplated going down to 275/65R18 but am very pleased I went up from the stock size.
 
Bump. Still looking for photos and feedback of a 200 w 275/65/18 ATs. Will keep searching in the mean time.
 
Going from stock to BFG KO2 in STOCK size... how much of a hit on mileage?
 
Going from stock to BFG KO2 in STOCK size... how much of a hit on mileage?
Seems about 1-2mpg hit from what I read FYI.

Trying to get this thread back on track though.
Anyone with a 200 on 275/65/18s please GITT and share thoughts.
 
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ITT OP ieveryone keeps taking it somewhere else.

Seems about 1-2mpg hit from what I read FYI.

Trying to get this thread back on track though.
Anyone with a 200 on 275/65/18s please GITT and share thoughts.
I am doing the same research on P275/65 R 18 AT tires. Michelin LTX AT2, Nitto Terra Grapper 2, Revo 3, and Pirelli Scorpion Plus AT, all come in P tires with load ratings in the 114 to 116 zip code.
Tundra OEM tires in LTX have a more aggressive side wall somewhat unique to the Tundra. Still looking.....
 
I ran 275/65/18 Duratracs for a year. Noticed no issues with the narrower size. Currently on 275/80/18 and that's fine too. Easier to fit the skinnies in the 200 wheel well. Lx570.
 
Seems about 1-2mpg hit from what I read FYI.

Trying to get this thread back on track though.
Anyone with a 200 on 275/65/18s please GITT and share thoughts.

I just ordered the Cooper AT3 4s in 275/65/18. Not sure if they will be mounted later today or sometime this week but I will have some answers for you soon. On paper the .61 inch increase in diameter and .39 inch decrease in width doesn't seem like much of a difference. My only concern is the new tires looking too skinny in the wheel well.
 
I have and love the Nokian Rotiva at plus tires. Mine are 17's on RW's but they also make them for the 18's. Link below.

nokian-rotiiva-at-plus

I looked hard at that tire...but it does not come in stock size. But yeah, that tire is pretty darn great! Strong sidewall, highway friendly.

How’s the road noise?

Please post pics!!!
 
I looked hard at that tire...but it does not come in stock size. But yeah, that tire is pretty darn great! Strong sidewall, highway friendly.

How’s the road noise?

Please post pics!!!

Road noise is minimal with somewhere around 10,000 miles so far. Great in the rain and snow. Also worked very well down in the desert.
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On my 2013 I just switched from Michelin Defenders to the General Grabber ATX. Kept stock size and went with LT285/60/18. I Was looking for a severe snow rated all terrain and wanted to try something new, different then the KO2s. Very happy with them. Hardly any more road noise then the Michelins and they ride well on and off road. Wife’s happy with them too.

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