I will need to be purchasing tires shortly. The vehicle currently has the 265's.
If I change to 285's, will I notice a change in performance? Specifically:

1. I now have a 4.30 gearing. Will I loose my towing advantage eith bigger tires? My current TT is 6,500 lbs and I am not to concerned at this time, but in the next year we will be purchasing a larger TT that may need the extra umph.

2. Will Larger tires throw off my speedometer?

3. Will I end up with more wind drag, thus reducing MPG, or will the large tires increase MPG?

4. Would the 285's have a better ride than the 265's?

 

In MHO:
1. a little
2. yes
3. a little, No
4. I dunno.

Here's a calculator you can use to see the RPM difference the tires will make:
https://www.rearendparts.com/pages.php?pageid=16

 

I made that exact change in tire size on my X and the performace loss was minimal, and the speedo is now about 1.5 to 2 MPH off. As far as MPGs, any time you add weight (bigger tires) you are going to lose some mileage, though not much with the sizes you are going to. Hope this helps!

 

what is the benefit of going to a "larger" tire size ? Here in northern Arizona, we have a lot of clay in our mud, which makes it pretty slippery. We have about a mile & a half of cow track before we get to "improved" dirt road, then another mile or so before getting to the county-paved road. I have yet to see any significant advantage in getting thru the "slop" from larger tires, unless you go to full blown "flap-equipped mudders" which, of course, arent suitable for improved roads.

The primary disadvantage of a larger tire is the increased side-wall exposure, meaning less stability especially when towing in a cross wind with a heavy load.

I am coming up for new tires in a few thousand miles. What should I know about this?

 

I think the primary motivation is that bigger tires look better.

 

= = = = =

ooohhhhhkay....


well "different stroke for different folk".....

i dont spend much time LOOKING at my EX. Near as I can tell, neither does anyone else, cept for some damn whacko enviornmentalists whose opinion on how it looks, dosnt interest me all that much.

I am aware of a phenomena by which some people go spend lots of money to get fancy wheels ( which they mistakenly call "rims", confusing a part of a wheel with the entire wheel unit) so they can mount SMALLER sized side-wall tires on em.

They think that LOOKS cool. Some of em have sidewalls that dont seem to be more than an inch from the ground to the rim of the wheel. I guess that would be ideal for heavy towing in cross-winds, IF those super low-profile tires are "rated" for the load. ? ? ? ? (personally, think that is an equally bad idea - you need a fairly large side-wall to provide a cushion between bad roads and the rim of the wheel). But again, not clear that any "bigger" than our stock tires and wheels, would accomplish anything. At least not from what I have seen living here in the boonies.

When I was a kid, there were always a few of those around, who put "glass-packs" (ultra loud mufflers) on their vehicles, to make a lot of noise. Theory being, that if your "you know what" was too small..you could compensate by making a spectacle of yourself on the road. ....oh well..."different stroke for different folk". ( P.S...my EX is VERY quiet...stock except for the customary suspension mods)

 

While there may be motivation for better looks, the main reason over-sized tires came to market is ground clearance and increased footprint.

285's will only increase your ground clearance half an inch.

The will throw off your speedo a bit but some have claimed that going to 285's actually corrected the error from the factory.

You'll not feel much in the way of loss, nor will lose much towing prowess. It'll be like having 4.10s. Meaning; while you have a 4.30 rear axle, going with the larger tires it will be equal to stock tires and a 4.10 (approx) ratio.

You will be turning about 72rpm less at 60mph. I surmise you'll hardly notice. Although due to the added sidewall, your ride comfort may improve.

 

I went from a 265/75/16 to 285/70/17 in the same tire, and noticed no real difference. The speedo was a few mph slower than the vehicle speed at higher speeds. The difference in height at first was the biggest differences actually. It may be only 1/2" difference with two NEW tires, but because the ones you have are likely worn down, its a bit more. It just felt bigger for a few days until I got used to it. I like the look of the new tires, but from a practical perspective, the difference is minimal