I am in the need for some new tires ad currently have Michelin LTX 265/75 16 E-rated and am looking into a 285/75 16. I see that the load rating is 300 lbs higher on the 285 than the 265. The load on the rear axle is about 5500lbs which is below the tire rating but thought the 285 might be a tougher tire.The total trailer weight is about 16K. Would it affect the towing?I have an 04 CC long bed 4WD 6.0 with a 6spd. I dont want the torque of a smaller tire to go away. Or are they not that much bigger to make a difference.

 

You shouldn't notice much of a difference with your diesel because of the fairly high torque output at lower rpm. The 285/75 is basically 1" wider and 1" taller than the 265/75 depending on what type of tire you get. An all-terrain 285 tends to smaller in diameter than a mud terrain 285 tire due in part to the deeper tread depth on the mud tire. There are 285/75 E rated tires on the market also. I'm going to be going to Es next because I've been towing more frequently. The E has a heavier sidewall than the D.

 

You can have what you want....

BFG A/T

LT265/75R16/E
3415 lbs
Raised white letters

LT285/75R16/E
3750@80
Black side wall

The 285 is about one inch wider and two inches taller.
They fit on the stock rims for my 2003.
No rubbing.
For towing, you don't want mud tires, they wear faster.
Found here:
All-Terrain T/A KO | BFGoodrich Tires

 

My advice would be to go to a 285/70 it will be wider but very close in height to your 265/75 , Thats what I did and like my setup

 

I do the change. In fact I did that when I had my 06. I did it to get a little ride height mostly.

did not notice it during towing.

 

I just went from 265/70R17E BFG Rugged Trail to 285/70R17E BFG T/A KO. I notice a slight loss of power off the line, but nothing terrible. Towing isn't much different, an 8000 pound trailer feels about the same.

 

You can calculate the difference somewhat at least as far as gearing is concerned.

Take old tire diameter divided by new tire diameter. Multiply that number by your gear ratio to get your effective gear ratio.

My 295/70's turned my 4.11's into about 3.80's - not cool for me so I may consider a gear change in the future...