Truck tires?

[destiny_56085]

Ok first of all I'm a gal and I do own a truck. I know I need new tires. Coming from a mechanical standpoint, I know little more than putting gas in the darn thing. I don't want to look like a total idiot or get taken advantage of when I walk into a shop. I checked out pricing on Tires Plus's website and all the ratings and such are greek to me.

So what exactly do I need? I have a 2005 Chevy Silverado Extended Cab. I know the tires on there are 17" and are the originals from the factory still. I know my current ones are the P265's, but the estimate also pulled up P245's. I put on about 60 miles a day to get back and forth from work. I also have a farm and do some hauling for there. I occasionally pull hay wagons, my 2 horse trailer, etc. I live in MN. Snow is a regular occurance and lots of mud out at the farm in the spring. My lil brother has some massive 22" ones with huge bear claw tread. I know I don't need anything like that but I still want some traction .

Are there any brands I should look for or stay away from? I ran an estimate on Tire Plus and it came up with $107 to $250 per tire. Price isn't as big of a deal as them being able to last me for a couple years. What is with the special ratings S, T, H, R, and Q? I really don't care if they have white lettering or not....just one more thing to scrub.

I plan on doing this in the next couple weeks and would appreciate any advice.... Thank you!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Just stick with the same size.

I can't say I'm too much of an expert. How many people go through enough tires to really compare?

I've always liked the BFGoodrich Radial Long Trail T/As for truck tires. I've used them on my Dakota and the wife's Explorer. Fairly decent ride, good traction, moderate wear, reasonably priced (for 15" tires anyways).

I've used other one-off brands before and wasn't too impressed. Off the top of my head I can't even remember which brands they were, as I've used BFGs for quite a while now, on the trucks as well as muscle cars I've had.

 

[ke_ben]

"P" number on the tire refers to profile size or the distance between wheel/rim and ground, smaller number=less distance. This can affect speedometer accuracy. Just like almost anything anymore brand doesn't mean much because most brands also have cheaper lines of tires. Look at temperature and traction ratings, A is best. The other letters (S, T, H, R, and Q) you refer to are speed ratings, if that is important to you. There is a treadwear number rating on the sidewall also but this is not much help unless you are comparing 2 of the same brand tires together because there is no industry standard so for durability really about the only thing that you can go by is the mileage on the tire warranty. I haven't bought any of them yet (since my wife's truck still has the original BF Goodrich's) but have heard good things about Nitto brand tires for the money and some of my friends have them and are impressed. They are available at Discount Tire so that also makes it convenient too.

Good luck.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I was just looking at the BFGs online and if you want something with a little more traction the Rugged Trail T/As have a little more aggressive tread than the Long Trails I'm using, still pretty reasonably priced. The Long Trails are more of a highway tire, yet I've run them in the snow and mud and haven't too many problems. We both have 4x4s. I'm a pretty good judge of where I can and cannot go though.

 

[destiny_56085]

Thank You! Its been something I've been putting off til I get my tax refund this year. I checked with Tires Plus and all they carry are Dayton, Bridgestone, and Firestone. I'll check with some of the smaller local dealers too.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

The "P" signifies P-metric aka Passenger car tire. If thats what came on the truck and you don't tow with it you will be ok with a like of what you have. If you tow or heavily load at all you would be better off to upgrade to an LT (light truck) tire which gives you a stouter tire with a higher load capacity. I tow heavy at times so my truck and SUV both have LT's with a load range of E. When you go to the tire store just tell them what your wants/needs are and let them make the recommendation as to stay with what you have or upgrade to a higher rated tire. Also keep in mind that an "LT" tire is going to have a more truck like ride/feel than a "P" tire due to the thicker sidewall on the "LT". I personally wouldn't have a "P" on a truck/SUV even if I didn't tow or load heavy due to the squishy ride/feel of the "P".

 

[CARS]

Quote:
I completely agree.

Sometimes you are just better off to go to a small shop and talk to them. The guys at West Side garage have always been up-front with me. My experience with chain stores like Tires Plus are that they are filled with 20 year old's who just read off whats in the catalog/computer screen.

Just make sure you stick with the same size so your speedo is correct.

Have fun shopping!!!

 

[destiny_56085]

Haha...wouldn't want a speedo off kilter. JK

I've never been a huge fan of West Side garage. Red & Lanny Zarn do all my mechanic work. Shane Heiderschiedt is also my cousin. I called up to Sleepy Eye Repair since they usually have the best deals. Got to talk to Dan Neid...someone I used to babysit for about 20 years ago. He recommended this one by Firestone...10 ply heavier duty for $176. They had a DynaPro (never heard of that brand) for $160.

I definitely agree about the 20 year olds behind the counter just reading off specs.... I bought my last 2 set of tires from Tires Plus and Redwood Tire. They basically just stuck the cheapest thing in stock on my trucks and they barely lasted a year due to all the hauling I do.

 

[CARS]

Wasn't Lanny in the klink??

You will love towing with the 10 ply tires, going down a concrete road may drive you crazy. They are going to be louder than what you're use to but the stability you'll get will make up for it. You can always just crank the radio on the noisy roads

 

[destiny_56085]

Yup Lanny was a lil naughty. My brother also hunts with him and his son so I get to hear most of it.

Well I plan on using the remainer of my tax refund on putting a decent stereo system in this truck too. My old truck was all decked out with 2 12" subs, tweeters, 3 way 6x9's, amp, top of the line pioneer deck, etc. I miss blowing my windschield out a couple times per year with the thumping. Bye bye to any use of the backseat too. I also found a place up in Redwood to get the dual exhaust on my truck for about $250 too. Should be able to hear me coming! I know better than messing with lift kits and stuff. I've used my brother's truck and it doesn't tow properly then.