Hello everyone:

I recently purchased a great 1999 K1500 Suburban. Details are in my signature. It was a great deal at $2,600 for 139,000 on the odometer. It is a base model, air conditioning, no 3rd row seat, manual windows, vinyl seats and flooring.

Anyways, it needs a set of new tires and I am wondering what size and load range tires other Suburban and Tahoe owners would recommend for a daily driver vehicle? It is equipped with stock grey metal 16" rims and I do not plan on changing that anytime soon.

So please reply back with tire specs and brands you would recommend for me as a daily driver who would want to also occasionally go off road.

Thanks in advance, Evan.

 

Go with the tire size listed in the door jamb. What ever brand you pick do not go with Goodyear. I personally like Michelin (very expensive) and Kumho.

 

@MDTAHOE:

Thanks for your reply. I looked at the tag in the door and the tire spec is P245/75R16 and the rims are 16 x 6.5J whatever that means.

I know a few things about cars and trucks but the magical specifics of tire ratings and what you can substitute for what and etc. are a bit beyond my depth.

I am wondering about the difference between P=Passenger tires and LT=Light Truck tires. Could you use one in place of the other if you find comparable rated tires?

I have totally used up and thrashed (and two of them are showing wear indicators) Cordovan Wild Trac Radial SUV tires: M+S P245/75R16 109S which appeared to be decent tires perhaps 75,000 miles ago and have the following ratings imprinted on the tire: Treadwear 540, Traction A, Temperature B.

This will be a 5 tire job since the original spare tire is a different tire and looks like it has never been used in 11 years and has all sorts of tiny cracks on the side facing the window where it is stored in the rear drivers side of the cargo area.

I like beefy tires, so could I use a LT tire in load range E which is a 10-ply rated if I found tires that met or exceeded the speed rating and load index?

I have read here and elsewhere on the net about how LT tires provide a stiffer ride compared to Passenger tires and that is not a concern to me, as I am used to driving older pick-up trucks and vans and am not using this vehicle to cart around fragile glassware or a family full of rugrats -- its just me and a desire for a tire that will last around 80,000 miles and be as durable as possible.

Any insight you have on this from your experience as a shop foreman and service manager would be helpful as buying five SUV tires is much more of an investment than buying tiny little 14"-ers for a compact car and I am a bit out of practice with this since it has been so long since my last SUV/truck tire purchase.

Thanks again, Evan.

 

on my last suburban it came with 254/75/16 and I went with a 265/70/16. load range E is more for towing and very heavy loads. the more agressive tire you get the faster the tread will wear.

 

Michelins will probably give you the 80K and tho expensive, probably no more than LTs and ride quality w/b better. Check tirerack.com.

 

Does anyone know what is the tallest and widest tire that can be put on a chevy suburban? I have a set of tires (P235 75R15XL), standard on the decal tires. I want to improve height and fuel economy.

 

Check tirerack.com.