Yes sir you needs some 30x9.50x15. Nice truck by the way. The 30's will add some toughness to the look of your truck but wont stuff the wheel wells too much at all.

Do you want a semi-aggressive all terrain type tread, or something more suited to the highway? I promise you do not want true mud terrain tires, they ride absolutely horribly on the road. I have experience with many types of tires I can help you decide on a brand/model.

I have Firestone Destination LE's on my 95 F150 and they are great. Not terribly aggressive and great road manners, but still enough meat to get good traction in the loose stuff. I got them because I do alot of highway driving but didnt want to completely give up off road traction.

My 92 F150 had Goodyear Wrangler RT/S which also came on my 96 Ranger and I HATE those tires. Baloney skins is the word that comes to mind. Get those if all you care about is a soft ride.

When I ditched the Goodyears on my Ranger I went to BFG All-Terrain T/A's which are the quintessential truck tire. Tough, great off road and good road manners. Not for the hardcore off roader but a good all around tire. My dad also ran these on his 86 F350.

My Bronco II had Firestone Destination A/T's. A bit more aggressive than the LE's on my 95 F150 but also good on the road.

My 98 F150 had a Cooper built tire that had the off-brand name of Starfire but it was somewhat comparable to the Cooper Destination ATR. The Cooper is a great all around tire, but I dont care for the looks of them.

Throw a few names out there and I will tell you what I know about them. Yeah, I have had a lot of Ford trucks. Haha.

I really should work in a tire store, haha.

 

Here is just a chance to show off my trucks, HAHA!

Different angle of 92 F150 with 265/75/15 Goodyear Wrangler RT/S


Different angle of 95 F150 with 31x10.50x15 Firestone Destination LE


96 Ranger STX 31x10.50x15 BFG All-Terrain T/A


96 Ranger "BEFORE" 265/75/15 Goodyear Wrangler RT/S (no lift but lots of mud)


90 Bronco II 225/75/15 Firestone Destination A/T


86 F350 33x12.50x16.5 BFG All-Terrain T/A


98 F150 265/70/16 "Starfire Radial A/T"

 

Thanks. You have some nice trucks. I like how those BF Goodwrench A/T tires look.

I am looking for a semi-agressive tread.

 

I dropped down from a 265/75 16 to a 235/75 16 and have regretted it daily just because of the height difference. The truck seems to role easier, it is a 99 F150, 5.4L extended cab 4x4, but I don't like it. I looks smaller, it dropped probably 2 inches in overall height. I am not sure about the rating on the tires, I don't remember what thefirst ones werebut I am sure they are lighter tires.

 

The BFG All-Terrain T/A would be perfect for you.



But...

What is your budget?

The BFG's on tirerack.com are $128 each for the 30x9.50, local prices will be a bit more but Tire Rack will charge you shipping, plus you have to get them installed. Like I said many times it ends up cheaper to just buy from a local tire shop.

The BFG's do tend to be on the more expensive end of things, with Michelin and Bridgestone being a bit more, though the Michelin LTX M/S which has a reputation for being a great all-around tire is about the same price as the BFG in the 30x9.50. Not as aggressive of a tread though.



A tire very similar to the BFG but for a little less money is the General Grabber AT2. Tire Rack has these for $104 each for the 30x9.50 and General is a quality brand.



If you come across any other tires that you seem to like the looks of, post them up. If I know anything about them I will help you out!

Good luck!

 

Thanks fordpower46.

The general grabber looks like a good tire. I am on a strict/cheap budget because of college and girlfriend. So the grabber would be the best bet...

I ll look around some more too and post up my findings

 

Another question just pooped up. I know I should replace tires soon, as the tread is wearing low, but there are also cracks in between the tread. This cant be a good sign right? The last owner just let truck sit and rarely drove it, but atleast he took of the rest of the truck though...

 

Dry rot is never a good thing. If its bad enough it can be a safety hazard.

If you are on a very strict budget, call your local tire shops for some prices on off-brand tires with all terrain tread like the "Starfire Radial A/T" that I had on my 98. Often they are made by the brand name companies but since you arent paying for the name, they are a bit cheaper. For example I just looked up the Starfire online and one place has the 30x9.50 for $87 each.

There are many many MANY different off-brands...all different treads and styles...I recommend finding the shops that have the tires in stock, even if they are not the size you need, so you can see how they look and make sure they will suit you. Then you can go ahead and order your size if you like them. Not all shops will have the same brands, either. It will take some diligence, but if you call around and visit enough places, you will find the right tire with the right look for the right price.

Once I ordered tires for my Mustang sight unseen and when they were installed i was like "eeehhhhh" over how they looked, so I will never do that again.

 

Thanks again fordpower46

I will go to the family mechanic as he also a tire dealer too and is ussaully very reasonable.

Thanks again, this information is very valuable and has been a big influence to make a more informed decision.

 

We just bought this 1997 F-350 Crew-Cab 4X4 - 7.5l
that has stock (recommended by Ford) 235/85R/16's.
I'd like to put 265/75R/16's on it ..... will these fit or should
we stick with the factory size ? Whats best for this 1-ton ?
Especially in snow, as we live in northern Montana.

 

I have 1992 F150, 2 wd, 5.0 liter, with 3.55 gears. The truck has original heights and suspension with no lifts.

I also thought the 2.35 tires looked puny, and replace them with 31x10.5x15. In my opinion they look great. No rubbing issue, and I still get about 16.x mpg at speeds of around 70. I've also followed a thread on this board to re-calibrate the the speedo, so it reads correctly.

 

you wont really do any damage to the trans and 3.55s should be fine with even a 35 inch tire. it will dog a little bit with 35s but its a pretty minor difference going from stock to 31s. I would recommend goodyear duratracs in 31x10.50.

 

If you want good snow performance and good off road performance you should get the duratracs my dad has a set on his ram and they are awesome. On an f350 you can probably fit 33s no problem.

 

Thanks for all the info guys ..... has anyone bought tires from www.treadwright.com, they're recap/retreaded tires, cheap & cool looking (guard dog & wardens) this is their 235/85R/16 ?

 

Looks like those have little to no siping. Wouldn't be very good at all in rain and snow.