Tire Size 245 vs 265 vs 285

In the archives for this news group and other places I have be able to track down that I can have a P75/245 R16 tires, P75/265 R16 or P75/285 R16 on my stock rims. I have found that it will alter both the shift points of my MANUAL transmission and alter the accuracy of my speedometer. The larger tire will also give me less torque from a dead stop, and will give me slightly better mileage. I have a Dodge Ram 1500, 5.2l (318) with a 5 speed manual. I can EASILY smoke the tires so having less torque is not a issue either. The problem that I am trying to solve is poor proformance on wet roads. I live in Las Vegas, NV, and when it rains the baked in oil and junk on the road give me very poor traction both in starting, and stoping. Of the

3 sizes which will have the least impact on dry (90% of my driving time) but increase the the grip on the wet roads? I need new tires anyway, and I am stuck on what to get. I know that the brand/tread design/type of tire, along with 300lbs of weight in the back will help the traction issue probaly more then the size of the tires. The only down side I can find to wider tires is more a tendancy to hydroplane, but I can control that with cautious driving in flooded areas, and more expensive for the larger sizes. When I walk into a tire tire store what should I get size wise? Any suggesions are greatly appreicated, Thanks!

Paul

2001 Dodge Ram 5.2, 2x4 SLT Laramine with 5 speed manual. I am gonna keep it for a LONG time, unless gas goes over $10.00 per gal.:(

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Reply to
datadontUse
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You want a tire that has a tread that is fairly smooth in design but the has lots of small blocks and sipes to get the water away from surface. ALso, in summer when it is hot, it bakes the oil to the surface of the road and when it first rains, it can be realy greasy. Big tires on a tall axle ratio does not help traction either because there is more axle and chassis wind up when you apply power and more tendancy to lift the right wheel from drive shaft torque (this is why you can spin them easily at time even when dry) and reduce traction. Believe it or not, deeper axle gears would improve traction and with OD there will be no lose of MPG and if you stay with 85 series tires, they have lower rolling resistance and will help MPG too.

Reply to
TheSnoMan

IMHO, if you're looking for traction, you'd be better off staying at the stock tire size height and going with a wider tire with a more aggressive tread.. Ask a few local tire shops (not Walmart, but someone that knows tires) and they'll set you up for local conditions.. YMMV

mac

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Reply to
mac davis

265/70/16 would be a good choice. It has an almost identical diameter as the 245/75/16 but is wider.
Reply to
Nosey

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