rrpalma

Hello,

I have a 2013 3/4 ton white Suburban. It came with 265/70 R17 Bridgestone Duravis, on the original 17x7.5 8 lug wheels (who makes them? are they USA made?). These wheels look bad, with some oxidation, so I'm planning on getting a new set.

I will like to remain at 17", so was considering the Eagle Alloys 186 wheels (17x9) with BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A KO2 LT285/70R17/E 121 R.

I have a few Qs, that maybe someone would be kind to answer:
1. Subjective: Comments on this combo?
2. Is Eagle Alloys a good brand? As compared to who? They are made in the USA.
3. The rating on my original tires is "S". These are "R". Pros? Cons?

Thanks for reading.

SWHouston

Succinctly...
A reasonably good OTR Tread, but short on wet traction.
Your selection of a 9" Rim. is an appropriate Rim Width for the 285/70R/17.
The Goodrich T/A KO is not known for it's quiet ride.
Eagle Alloy Wheels are made at USA and Foreign Manufacturing Facilities.
The "S" is a speed rating of 112 mph. The "R" rating is 106 mph.
The Overall Diameter of the 285 KO's is 32.7".

You need to check the original (OEM) diameter of your ride's tires, and note if there is any major difference.

This is a link to the KO's specifications:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

rrpalma

Thank you SWHouston for your reply. Very informative.

I might need to step down to 275/70 R17, because I was told by a specialist that the 285 because of the height of the tire might come close to the front bumper piece that goes underneath the front bumper when I steer.

However, the specs on the 275/70 R17 call for an 8.5" rim, and the wheels I'm considering are 9". Opinions?

Thanks!

SWHouston

I'm not sure why your other source told you that you would need to reduce the width of the Eagle 186 Rims. In fact, the 275 is exactly 9". The previously selected 285's were acceptable, but, .2" wider.

You may view the specs of the 275 at...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes
and note that they are 32.2" in diameter, that's 1/2" shorter than the 285's.

Again, what is the size of the original tires ?
You need to look on the placard/sticker on the drivers door to see this information.

Note:
Though there is an accepted variation (Rim Width to Tread Width) the proper and best performance is experienced when those two are exactly the same. Tire Manufacturers "offer" a rather wide variation, mainly because they want their rubber on your ride, and your money in their pocket. ie: the "permitted" variation allows their tires to be placed on a wider range of vehicles.

Note 2:
Larger tires are placed on vehicles where the OEM Tires were smaller lots of times. Most times when there may be a clearance problem, an increase in the "offset" of the Rim will eliminate this. Offset is the horizontal position of where the outer rim is placed, in reference to the center.

You may view an article describing Offset at...
http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/...jsp?techid=101

When selecting a set of Rims, regardless of their size, the Manufacturer (Eagle in this instance} should be able to select (from their stock) a Rim Diameter and Width, with an Offset that is appropriate to disallow any scrubbing of the Tire on the frame/components of your ride. OR, tell you that they don't have anything that will work with that size combination.

rrpalma

Thank you again for your quick reply. The original wheel and tire size for this truck is 265/70 R17, on 17x7.5" wheels.

SWHouston

Both of your choices are larger tires than the OEM. Given which one you eventually install, the effect of the increase in diameter will be relative. Here are explanations of the several effects of your proposed change, and is a copy of a stock post elsewhere in this Forum.

Effects of a Larger Tire:

Differential in your Speedometer Reading...
Your speedometer will read a slower mph than what you're actually going.
A Reduction in perceived Braking Power...
From some to a great extent, you will have to apply more pressure to the Pedal, to get your vehicle to stop.
A Reduction of Engine Power...
You will have to apply more throttle to get things going.
That being said, I cannot tell you that you will absolutely realize a reduction in Gas Mileage, but, 99% of the time, that usually is the case. The reason for these negative effects, is an increased distance/fulcrum between the Center Line of the Axel, and the Surface of the Road. Your individual Driving Habit, can influence the effect to a large extent.
A Reduction in control on Wet Surfaces:
Two things contribute to Wet Traction, those being, the weight of your Vehicle, and the Speed you are driving. Increasing the width of your Tires causes a larger Bow Wave to be created, which will effect control of your vehicle as your speed increases.
An increase in the height (center of gravity) of your Vehicle.
Though slight, this should be an area of notice for the operator.

But, there are some positive tradeoffs...

More Rubber on the Road, generally means Better Dry Traction...
Again, your ability to apply the Brakes not withstanding, and this "traction" mostly apples to when it is Dry. But, often times as stated above, a larger tire will cause Hydroplaning to some extent. So the traction is selective, and has a lot to do with the Tread on the Tires as well.
Increase in the Load Carrying Capacity (proper width Rims required)...
With a larger Tire, greater Loads can usually be applied/carried, assuming you have sufficient air pressure*. But having correctly sized Rims (as you have chosen), are vital to this. The sidewalls of a Tire were intended to operate in a Vertical line, and varying the rim width (either narrower or wider) can negate, and seriously detract from this. And, the Loading capability may be reduced, when a lower Profile Tire is installed.
Functionality...
When encountering Sand, Mud, Rock, Snow or Ice, having the right set of Tires on your vehicle can mean getting home or NOT ! Often times, when the operator is aware of the scope of problems which a large Tire causes, and compensates for those, having a "dedicated" set oftires can be a great advantage.
The Appearance (usually the most popular reason)...
What can I say, having a nice gnarly set of tires on your ride, does have an appealing effect !

*= Within 10% of MCIP (Maximum Cold Inflation Pressure)

rrpalma

Thank you SWHouston for your very informative post. I have in fact learned a lot from this forum.

This vehicle comes originally with 17 x 8 (8 lugs) wheels, and Bridgestone Duravis M700 tires, at 265/70R17.

I had pretty much decided to buy just the very same OEM wheels / tires combination. No complains at all, EXCEPT that after a rough season, and some neglect, the OEM wheels (polished and painted aluminum) look rusted. Then someone suggested I should try forged Centerline Scout wheels, with BFG AT KO2 tires; keeping the same wheel / tire sizes. Any advantages? Pricing is basically the same, so I rather go with what is best.

SWHouston

There are two advantages with keeping the same size regardless of tread pattern.

1. No perimeters change. Speedometer, brake and throttle feel the same, and gas mileage should not change either.

2. Having a second set of Rims, with appropriately sized Tires on them, allow you to have some nice smooth Street Tires on one set, and a gnarly OTR/mud/fowl weather Tread on the others. Lots of people do this, switching seasonally or for "play".

Additionally, you can apply a lower priced tire on the set you don't use as much.

Just as a guide for you...
Before I moved to the south, I had nice smooth street/HI way tires on my ride through the summer, and as winter approached (lots of show where I used to live) had a set of really cleated tires that I put on. The winter tires were totally a nuisance on dry roads, but I felt SO good cursing by all those guys that were stuck in the snow*.

*= Ok, I actually helped pull a few out on a better road surface. Another advantage of having 4WD.

rrpalma

Thank you again SWHouston for your post. What you mention in it, as well as on the previous one, are the reasons why I decided to keep the same size on my new wheels and tires. However, I'm undecided on whether the new (aka "nice") set of wheels and tires should be the same as the OEM I currently have or the forged Centerline / BFG combo. Those Centerline are rated at 3200 lbs -- don't know about the OEM.

SWHouston

The OEM were Load Rated at 3195 (close enough) and here are the specs on them...
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....l=Duravis+M700

But I'm still a little uncertain as what your objective is...
Do you just want the OTR Tires on new rims, or...
Are you going to make a street AND off the road sets.

If you are going to do off the road, I suggest you put the OTR tires on the old set of rims, given that winters or off the road excursions are more brief.