I've got 2018 4X4 FX4 XLT nothing special but I like her. getting near 50K miles ...baby needs new shoes. I have several questions, may you fellas can help the old Dog out. I haven't bought tires in a long time. My truck came with factory mostly highway tires... not much tread depth... worked ok but if not for 4X4 it would have got ugly a time or two.

Question 1. I have the Goodyear 275/65 factory tire. I cant see if how many ply this is on tire. The intertron says 4 ply or 10 ply. Have had sidewall leak for a long time (probably *****ly pear)...fill it once a week or so , do I want 10 ply and does this help sidewall/other punctures on a ranch? I also do alot of hwy driving...20+ miles into town.

Question 2 I read a thread on tires here maybe 6 mos. or so. I wrote down Toyo open country AT2 or AT3. Supposedly somewhat quieter but still has "gription". and decently long life? Can anyone verify if this is good tire? Don't want a ton of noise, just more meat on the ground.

Question 3 I'd like to raise front of truck (levelling kit) to accommodate somewhat larger tires. I'd like the way it looks but also want to get front raised ... I removed front air dam because it would occasionally scrape on some stuff out here and was afraid I'd rip it off. Anyone have issues levelling the front by 2 to 2.5 inches? Is there a place I can get speedometer calibrated for taller tires?

Any input to one or all questions would be appreciated. Thanks...

DOG XO 84 said:

---

I've got 2018 4X4 FX4 XLT nothing special but I like her. getting near 50K miles ...baby needs new shoes. I have several questions, may you fellas can help the old Dog out. I haven't bought tires in a long time. My truck came with factory mostly highway tires... not much tread depth... worked ok but if not for 4X4 it would have got ugly a time or two.

Question 1. I have the Goodyear 275/65 factory tire. I cant see if how many ply this is on tire. The intertron says 4 ply or 10 ply. Have had sidewall leak for a long time (probably *****ly pear)...fill it once a week or so , do I want 10 ply and does this help sidewall/other punctures on a ranch? I also do alot of hwy driving...20+ miles into town.

Question 2 I read a thread on tires here maybe 6 mos. or so. I wrote down Toyo open country AT2 or AT3. Supposedly somewhat quieter but still has "gription". and decently long life? Can anyone verify if this is good tire? Don't want a ton of noise, just more meat on the ground.

Question 3 I'd like to raise front of truck (levelling kit) to accommodate somewhat larger tires. I'd like the way it looks but also want to get front raised ... I removed front air dam because it would occasionally scrape on some stuff out here and was afraid I'd rip it off. Anyone have issues levelling the front by 2 to 2.5 inches? Is there a place I can get speedometer calibrated for taller tires?

Any input to one or all questions would be appreciated. Thanks...

---

1) Your factory tire is not going to be a ten ply tire on a half ton unless you have some sort of package in it I am not aware exists… It is likely a P rated tire and 4-6ply

2) A 10 ply tire is going to weigh significantly more than your factory tires and even more than an 8 ply tire. You do not NEED to run a 10 ply, but if you're like I was, it was the best option in a slightly larger tire size.

In my opinion, the extra couple of millimeters you get from the two plys, doesn't make THAT big of a difference. I used to repair 10 ply tires all of the time in college - they also get flats.

Regarding your sidewall, most of the A/T tires have a more reinforced sidewall than you currently have. Goodyear did/does make a Kevlar reinforced tire that was to help with a few things but also sidewall tear resistance. I don't recommend the Goodyears on any truck. I still have bad taste in my mouth about them and they had a lot of problems back in the day.

Toyo makes pretty good ATs, BFGs are good (particularly on a 1/2 ton), Cooper and Falken make decent looking options that are cheaper than those, and Nitto makes a few options too.

All of the all terrain tires will look better and perform similarly off-road. The more aggressive tread will NOT ride as good s your factory tires and you'll need to be more mindful or rotating and balancing. I'd stick to every 6k not exceeding every 8k.

3) I leveled my 2014 with the Bilstein 5100 shocks in the front. You can adjust the amount of lift you want from .5/75 - 2.25". This is the best way, in my opinion, to level the truck out without running "pucks" (spacers) and compromising your ride quality.

I ran them with a 1.75" lift and maintained a slight rake for when I towed. I bumped my size up to a 275/70/18 and they looked good and didn't kill my mileage and/or towing.

Hope that helps! Laying in bed about to go to sleep so I'm sure I missed something.

Im gonna guess that you dont have 10 ply…. i have 10 ply on farm truck and it rides like I think a tank should.. way rougher than 07 jeep with AT tires

The older I get the softer I and my tires become.

I have an '18 XLT 4x4 with Michelin ATX M/S and 112k miles. It's simply a highway cruiser. The ride is perfect.

I also have an '07 Wrangler 2-door with 105k miles and E-rated BFG K/Os. If you go that route, don't air them all the way up unless you're carrying massive payloads (which you likely won't with a 1/2 ton). If you inflate to whatever they're rated for, you'll feel like Fred Flintstone driving down the road and will likely rack up hella dental bills replacing all the fillings in your mouth.

The K/Os need to be replaced this spring. I won't be getting E-rated tires.

Couldn't agree more about the air pressure.

The air pressure you run in your tires is NOT based on the Max Cold Inflation rating printed on the sidewall. I repeat, you don't run your E rated tires at 80psi on your half ton because the sidewall says so.

You recommended pressure is found on the drivers door. You can and absolutely should tweak it based on load but no reason to crank them up that high unless you just enjoy a terrible ride.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Couldn't agree more about the air pressure.

The air pressure you run in your tires is NOT based on the Max Cold Inflation rating printed on the sidewall. I repeat, you don't run your E rated tires at 80psi on your half ton because the sidewall says so.

You recommended pressure is found on the drivers door. You can and absolutely should tweak it based on load but no reason to crank them up that high unless you just enjoy a terrible ride.

---

The pressure on the door is for the tires listed on the door. If you run 35 psi in a load range E tire you're likely going to have cupping and heat buildup since it isn't made to flex as much as you are making it. You don't have to run the rated psi by any means, but don't drop below 50-55 psi or so for any E/10ply rating tire!

10 ply tires on a half ton are almost always a bad idea. If you're running heavier axles with a big lift, maybe. They will ride like solid wagon wheels on a lighter vehicle. Stick with P-series for half ton trucks (can get HL series, which have higher load ratings than SL tires) or a load range C unless you routinely max out the max tow package (and you should have gotten a superduty).

No you won't and I would never recommend running a 10 ply tire at 50-55psi on a half ton unloaded.

I ran 3 sets of 10ply BFGs the same way I always recommended people ran them (on a half ton) when I worked at DTC in college. Unloaded run about 40 psi all around or 35 front and 40-45 rear. When I towed, I'd increase pressure to no more than 45psi. Not a single issue with cupping or irregular wear.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

No you won't and I would never recommend running a 10 ply tire at 50-55psi on a half ton unloaded.

I ran 3 sets of 10ply BFGs the same way I always recommended people ran them (on a half ton) when I worked at DTC in college. Unloaded run about 40 psi all around or 35 front and 40-45 rear. When I towed, I'd increase pressure to no more than 45psi. Not a single issue with cupping or irregular wear.

---

Thanks for all this info (and to everyone else?. I'm studying up so I can maybe ask a few more questions..

Regarding the Bilstein 5100"s... any idea what that$ would run and where I would go to get them? Ive never delved into this on my own. I bought an old skool '76 bronco and all of the lift suspension etc was done when i bought 6 years ago.

I'm not necessarily looking for 10 ply just seems at the few 285/70/18 that i looked at were rated E and 10 ply. If i were to keep the air pressure like you mentioned am I in for a rough ride? Maybe they make the size i want in less ply. I'll search and advise. Thanks again to all

Stage3motorsports is where I bought mine. I think they ran like $300-350 for the set but imagine it's more now. They make several options including ones that have replacement coil overs but I don't think it's needed to maintain the integrity of the stock ride.

If you can avoid the 10 ply tires, do it. It's just a bunch of excess weight and a stiffer tire that will not ride as well. Unless you're really hauling heavy stuff (even though you'll never need the full utility of that tire on a 10ply given limitations of hauling/towing on a half to) and you're just dead set on getting them.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

---

Stage3motorsports is where I bought mine. I think they ran like $300-350 for the set but imagine it's more now. They make several options including ones that have replacement coil overs but I don't think it's needed to maintain the integrity of the stock ride.

If you can avoid the 10 ply tires, do it. It's just a bunch of excess weight and a stiffer tire that will not ride as well. Unless you're really hauling heavy stuff (even though you'll never need the full utility of that tire on a 10ply given limitations of hauling/towing on a half to) and you're just dead set on getting them.

---

appreciate you trying to help..... Very confused.... I literally cannot find even a 275/70/18 tire that is NOT 10 ply??? Am I crazy? Toyo , BF Goodrich, Goodyear. Every tire I've looked at in this size says 10 ply , 80psi etc.

Can you recall what type of tire you had that was 275/70/18 and wasn't a 10 ply? I feel like i'm caught in a bad dream.

Does any fightin' Texas Aggie have larger tire than the stock 275/65/18, that isnt a 10 ply tire????

The 275/70/18s I ran were 10 ply BFG ATs. You're probably going to have to toy around with size options to find an LT tire but not an E. You may not really have a choice if you're trying to size up as you're getting I close to OEM size for many 3/4-1 tons.

2013 F-150. Put a 2.5" front/1" back leveling/lift kit on my truck at about 70k miles. Maintains a slight rake. Put on 295/70/18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers which lasted a hair over 60k miles. Loved them and just put on a new set of 4 of the same tire.

Call John's Trim shop in Baytown and talk to Todd. He will know all of the answers.

captaingus said:

---

2013 F-150. Put a 2.5" front/1" back leveling/lift kit on my truck at about 70k miles. Maintains a slight rake. Put on 295/70/18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers which lasted a hair over 60k miles. Loved them and just put on a new set of 4 of the same tire.

---

Thanks to all.. Apparently, this is the only larger sized tire in standard or C load in existence. I think this is what I was looking for.. One question Gus, if i bought the 5 th tire for a spare, will it fit underneath?

DOG XO 84 said:

---

captaingus said:

---

2013 F-150. Put a 2.5" front/1" back leveling/lift kit on my truck at about 70k miles. Maintains a slight rake. Put on 295/70/18 Nitto Ridge Grapplers which lasted a hair over 60k miles. Loved them and just put on a new set of 4 of the same tire.

---

Thanks to all.. Apparently, this is the only larger sized tire in standard or C load in existence. I think this is what I was looking for.. One question Gus, if i bought the 5 th tire for a spare, will it fit underneath?

---

Welp,,, I though i found an SL rated tire in this size but must have been mistaken, Gus you sure your is not an e rated 10 ply?

I guess you have an odd size tire. TireRack only lists 3 tires for 285\70\18, but lists 65 tires in a variety of load ranges for 285\70\17.

Like others have said, you may have to play around with the tire size or consider a different sized wheel.

You could do a 285/65/18 Falken AT3 which a lot of people like. It's marginally taller than stock and comes in SL.

Without doing much research, I'm sure it has a higher load index than your OE tires. You can get on manufacturer's website or do some YouTube watching to see how their sidewall ply qty stacks up to their competitors.

You might also consider changing to a 17" wheel. Raptor take-offs can be found pretty cheaply and open up a variety of other tire sizes.

I run C rated 285/70/17 BFG all terrains and have been happy with them. Plus is some Jeep Rubicon and Gladiators run this same size and you can occasionally find deals on take off tires as well (usually BFG A/T or Falken Wildpeak).

As to your leveling question, I ordered Bilstein 5100s from Stage 3 and had a local shop install them for me. Replaced the rear as well and have been very pleased with the ride - feels more controlled and firm but not harsh. My fronts are set at 1.75 of lift since I pull trailers often and didn't want to be nose high.

[img][/img]

Thanks to all for ideas ill check this out and report.