BFG 285-75-16

[gpfahler]

I just changed the tires on the stock rims on my 2500 to GOODRICH 285-75-16 T/A KO it appears to have added approx 2+ incheds in height and width with a much improved/agressive tread pattern. They do not appear to be "cupping" at all the stock rims seem to handle the larger size ok. I think I got a good deal on the tires, 165 ea installed.

Gary

 

[NJ-Black-02-2500]

Did you have to lift the truck at all??

Any trouble with them rubbing the wheel wells??

Did you reprogram the speedo?? If not is it off by much??

I like BFG tires and am going to get them when the firestones it came with wear out.

Thx

 

[gpfahler]

First of all ?NO I did not lift the truck.. The tires barely rub,center front wheel well. I changed the tires at 7K miles as we have a Suburban that uses the same stock tire. ?I have a programmer and could reprogram for the new tires size but the difference is not enought to worry about. So for now I am not going to reprogram the trans. I will probably check the speed with a radar gun and see just how far the spedo is off. ?I bet its only a couple of miles per hr.

Gary

 

[gotmud]

Do you have any pictures?

 

[hbrenner]

what is the stock size on the 2500?

 

[gandolphxx]

what is the stock size on the 2500? ?

On the '02 the stock was 245/75/16 "E" rated tires on 16x6.5" rims - I have heard that the '03 2500 may have 16x7" wheels, anybody confirm?

 

[gpfahler]

I'll try and take a couple of photos.

 

[bigjohnn]

I just add BF Goodrich AT's 265/75/16 on my 2002 1500. They fit great. Added about 1 inche in lift. My dealer ordered a 285/75/16.. to big for stock 1500. I did not want to mess with any type of lift so these worked great.

By the way I have a set of Firestones for sale....Cheap.

 

[hq]

I am planning to put 285's on my 03' 2500. ? Costco and Sams Club have them for $166 installed with free lifetime rotation. ?I have seen 16x7 rim width mentioned on several spec sheets but nobody has confirmed that yet.

I seen a set of 315's on Hummer H2 wheels 17x8.5 (8 lugs) on a Silverado 2500HD (no lift but cranked torsion bars). ?If someone was really ambitious, I would love to see if that is possible for an Ava 2500. ?The wheels are sellilng for about $250 on Ebay and complete tire and wheel sets have sold for $600 - $700... a great deal if it would fit.

2500HD with H2 wheels and 315's (no lift)

I have Firestone Steeltex on my old truck and they seem to wear forever. ?Got 36k miles on them now and they can easily go for another 20k. ?If you wait till they wear out it is going to take years.... ?

 

[gpfahler]

Ok got a couple of photos of the tires

 

[gpfahler]

Last one

 

[hq]

Those tires seem to fit fine on the stock wheels. The 2500 has forged aluminum wheels which are stronger than the "cast" version on the 1500. If you wanted to upgrade them to Welds or Centerline forged wheels it would have cost you at least $600 - $1000 more.

Some folks and tire shops frown on putting such large tires on those rims but I have not heard of any complaints from people who have actually run such a combo. I am aware of at least one 2500 owner running 305's on those stock rims.

One advantage of running such a tight fit is the ability to air down to a very low psi and not having to risk losing the bead. If you ever head out to the sand dunes, those tires and wheels should allow you to air down to about 8-10 psi without any problems.

 

[Ghostwheel]

What did you mean by barely rub?

 

[gpfahler]

On the front center of the wheel well there is a slight mark only on the driver side that I have noticed. It appears that in a (right turn I think) that there is a rub mark. It is hardly noticible. So far I don't see this as a problem. I have only driven approx 10 miles since the new tires were added. The week coming up I will be putting some miles on and have a better experience mod.

 

[tomcat]

I BOUGHT A SET OF HUMMER TIRES AND WHEELS ON
E-BAY OUT OF COSTA MESA CALIF 315/17, THERE MONSTER TIRES. I HAVE A 02 2500 AND ALSO PUT THE
TORSON BAR CAMS ON .WITH A DIE GRINDER AND A DEEP BREATH I GOT THE WHEELS TO FIT WITHOUT SCRAPING.THE RIDE HAS GONE TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET,BUT THE LOOK IS GREAT.I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE ORIGNAL CENTER CAPS AND CUT OFF THE FOUR
NUBS THAT SPACE THE CAPS FROM WHEELS AND THE
CAPS FIT INSIDE THE HUMMER WHEELS LIKE THEY WHERE MADE FOR THEM.

 

[chevroletavalanche]

Any pics?

 

[tomcat]

I BOUGHT A SET OF HUMMER TIRES AND WHEELS ON
E-BAY OUT OF COSTA MESA CALIF 315/17, THERE MONSTER TIRES. I HAVE A 02 2500 AND ALSO PUT THE
TORSON BAR CAMS ON .WITH A DIE GRINDER AND A DEEP BREATH I GOT THE WHEELS TO FIT WITHOUT SCRAPING.THE RIDE HAS GONE TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET,BUT THE LOOK IS GREAT.I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE ORIGNAL CENTER CAPS AND CUT OFF THE FOUR
NUBS THAT SPACE THE CAPS FROM WHEELS AND THE
CAPS FIT INSIDE THE HUMMER WHEELS LIKE THEY WHERE MADE FOR THEM.

 

[gandolphxx]

They sure look nice, but they look awfully tight to turn, how about rubbing if your off-road?

 

[hq]

I figured it would not be to long before someone would give the H2 wheels/tire combo a try.

That is a lot of rubber on that truck. I would suspect the rear should fit fine without any adjustments. The front looks tight and there is no question that those torsion bars are cranked up. It looks like it has a lift.

When I was at the auto show, I took photos of both the H2 and Ava 2500 front end. The components look almost indentical. The Ava 2500 had Bilstien shock and the H2 had some generic brand though.

The other difference was the "cut off" bumper on H2. I am wondering if some surgery with a saw and a heat gun could work on gettings those 315's to fit without too much cranking of the torsions.

 

[tomcat]

I DID QUITE A BIT OF CUTTING ON BOTTOM PART OF INERLINER IN REAR AND TRIMED WITH DIE GRINDER SO
IT DOSEN'T LOOK TO BAD INLESS YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE,IN THE FRONT I CUT A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE BUMPER INCLUDING REMOVEING THE BOTTOM BRACE WHICH I THINK CAN BE REMOUNTED.I'M
NOT PLANING ON ANY HARD CORE 4X4ING.IF I CAN'T GET
THE RIDE BACK I'LL TRY WITHOUT TORTON CAMS.THERE'S
A SMALL RUB ON MAX TURNS BUT IT'S VERY MINIMAL.IN THE REAR I ADDED ONE INCH SPACER.NO MODS TO REAR.I REALY DON'T KNOW ABOUT OFF ROAD USE,TIME WILL TELL

 

[hq]

Great job. A lot of folks said it could not be done and 285's were the absolute max.

I suspect that after few more tweaks those 315's will feel right at home on the AV.

The H2 wheel/tire "take off" combos are a great deal on Ebay. Especially if you can find one close to home and not have to pay shipping (and sales tax... ) They are going for about $600 - $750 last time I checked. There is absolutely no way you can buy such a combo through a regular dealer.

 

[rubiconguy]

Looked on the BF Goodrich website and it said that those tires 285-75-16 are to go on rim sizes between 7.5 and 9.0". I might go to these as well (my truck should be here in three weeks) but I am anxious to hear if you are having any problems. Did you find out if the 2003 have 6.5 or 7 inch rims? Let me know how they are working out. - Thanks

 

[hq]

I decided to stick with the stock forged wheels and ?installed BFG 285's on my 2500. ?They fit fine on the stock rims (still don't know if they are 6.5 or 7"). ?Got the tires at Costco in So. Calif. for $166 + tax (incl mounting, balance, lifetime rotation, etc...)

They fit with no rubbing and no cranking of the torsion bars. ?The combination of the 2500 and 285 tires makes for a mighty tall ride without any lifting. ? I took some quick measurements. ? There is 11" of clearance from the ground to the frame (the rear differential is bit lower though). ?Step in height is almost 2 feet.

I wanted to run larger tires (at least 33") and I did not want to go the lift route. ?The 2500 seem to work fine. ?I guess the money I saved on the lift can be used to pay for gas.

The tires alter the speed by about 8% so you are actually going 64-65 when the speedo shows 60. ?I checked that with my GPS.

 

[gpfahler]

Now that I have had the BFG 285'S on for a month I can report that I am very satisfied with the tires. It does feel like the truck was lifted. I figure it raised it approx 2 inches from the stock tires. I still have not reprogrammed the trans for the new tire size.(I have the supchip tuner).

Gary

 

[mrosenfield]

I just put Big O 285/75R16 all terrains on my 2003 Avy 2500, on 8" Centerline wheels. (Centerline is selling off their old stock for $116 per wheel - almost 1/2 price - check out www.centerlinewheels.com). THEY RUB. I had to trim in front and rear, and reshape the fender liner. I'm still adjusting it, but the look & utility is worth it. I can post photos if anyone is interested. Let me see, what else can I modify...