265 HT vs 275 AT Tires. How much will it affect performance and MPG?

[ExCommunicado]

Hey everyone. Time for some new tires. Currently running 275/65 Dynapro HP2s on my truck with no complaints other than tire wear. Technician recommended going for 265 60/65 highway tires because the majority of my driving is highway. I originally wanted to get 275/65 all terrain tires for a more aggressive stance, but technician told me I will take a big hit in performance and MPG significantly. He also mentioned that the HT are about 6 LBS lighter and the thread pattern on AT tires will be louder out on the highway. Anyone have any real world experience with these? Thanks.

 

[Socalramfan]

Hey everyone. Time for some new tires. Currently running 275/65 Dynapro HP2s on my truck with no complaints other than tire wear. Technician recommended going for 265 60/65 highway tires because the majority of my driving is highway. I originally wanted to get 275/65 all terrain tires for a more aggressive stance, but technician told me I will take a big hit in performance and MPG significantly. He also mentioned that the HT are about 6 LBS lighter and the thread pattern on AT tires will be louder out on the highway. Anyone have any real world experience with these? Thanks.

Post some pics when you get them

 

[62Blazer]

If you went from your current 275/65 tires to the same size all terrains I doubt you would see any huge difference in mileage. Obviously the exact AT tire you choose can vary (weight, how aggressive the tread is, etc...) but again doubt you would see any huge difference. I would expect you to see some increase in MPG if you went with the smaller HT tire as compared to the larger AT tire. How much? Depends on how closely you track the mileage as to whether it really matters or not. One thing to keep in mind that by going to the smaller (shorter) tire without changing the speedometer calibration will give you a higher MPG calculation simply based on odometer (miles) error or differences. This is because the odometer it based on how many revolutions the tires make, and a larger tire travels a further distance during each revolution. This means if you drive a true 5 mile long stretch of road, a larger tire will need to make less revolutions as compared to a smaller tire. Since the vehicles senses revolutions and then calculates that into miles, it will think you actually went a shorter distance with the taller tires (since they made less revolutions). This multiplies and perceived MPG loss because of larger tires. Yes, I would suspect you to lose some MPG with a larger and more aggressive tire but it will also seem like you lost even more MPG because of the speedometer/odometer error.

 

[CanuckRam1313]

The stock Good-for-a-Year OEM tires are garbage; trash!!!

I originally went with LT285/65R20 BFG KO2's for a summer tire and was generally pleased at the beginning.

However, these particular tires take a lot of weight to balance out, even with a road force balance. They were also not the best in rain either, but I loved the look of this more aggressive tire.

FFWD to the start of this summer and I had enough of the BFG's altogether. I had 2+ seasons on them and they just weren't hitting it for me as I do more highway than off-road. Plus the continual balancing issues with the BFG's soured me a bit, as did their wet/rain road prowess as well.

I went with LT295/65R20 Michelin Defender LTX M/S tires and what an incredible improvement in every aspect of the experience.

The Michelin's are bigger than the BFG's but are about 5lb a tire lighter. The Michelin's took between 0.75 and 2.25 OZ of weight per tire on a road force balancer, so that is a huge improvement in and of itself vs. the BFG's.

Then factor in the Michelin's performance in wet roads and heavy rain conditions is miles above that of the BFG's.... well, easy to say that I am extremely happy with the Michelin's.

Yes, they are a bit more expensive overall for the Michelin's, but if you're looking for a fantastic highway tire with a robust construction, then these could be something for you to consider.

 

[Spree]

I have Cooper Rugged Trek's in 275/60-20. I can't hear them and it doesn't affect mpg at all. There great.

 

[ExCommunicado]

Hey guys. Thanks for your advice. I wanted to see both tires in person, but they are currently on back order and are OUS at the shop here in town. I read that one advantage of AT tires are that they are tougher and more resistant to puncture. I looked at the spec sheet online and the AT tires are a little over an inch taller and 6 lbs. heavier. I am trying to see some real world experiences. If I will only gain .5 MPG and a little performance on the HT tires then I would rather have the AT tires. 2 MPG and a second off 0-60 would be a different story though.

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[pacofortacos]

Depending on the tire, a 2 mpg hit is possible. Even more is possible depending on the tire selected and your driving habits.
The V6 has less torque than the hemi so you will probably notice a heavier tire - but brand, load range (SL, XL, LT, etc), tread pattern will all have an effect.
Some AT tires can be as much as 15 lbs heavier per tire - your tires are pretty light at 40 lbs each.

 

[Torque]

I have Cooper Rugged Trek's in 275/60-20. I can't hear them and it doesn't affect mpg at all. There great.

I have the Cooper Rugged Trek in 275/70R18 and they've been great tires. All but one took very little weight to road force balance. Could be the different rim diameter, but mine are not silent, but not very loud either. They are their loudest at about 45MPH. They've performed excellent in rain, snow, and ice. The sidewalls are attractive IMO and I've noticed quite a few people looking at them too. These are E-rated tires so they're a heavier and tougher tire than stock. I took at about 2 MPG hit with them on my 5.7L Tundra compared to some 275/65R18 Michelins that were P-rated and about 10lbs lighter per tire. Towing my camper with these tires is much more stable now with the Coopers. Steering seems lighter and more confident too.

 

[Freakydude]

take a look at general grabber ATP tires, They have the look of an offroad but they are designed for highways. great A/T tire too for an occasional offroader. I didn't see any difference except in snow which was a huge improvement