I think if you re-geared your axles, you would like it better.

 

compared to the 4.10 gears that would be ideal for 33" tires there is a noticeable difference. Of course its gonna run fine...even if there no axles the engine will run fine Just not for as long as the engine and transmission wear out quicker when you put more load on them....but it depends on driving style. You have to notice the truck always shifting in and out of overdrive? thats because all the gearing is now highter with the bigger wheels and the load on the transmission is greater in every gear is higher...

Truth is, a lot of people just talk themselves into believing there is no loss of performance.... Yet those are the same people who throw $100 away on spark plug wires and convince themselves it netted them 20hp...

 

Mine didn't shift in and out of overdrive any more with 285's and 3.55 gears compared to 265's. And I have cheap O'reilly's wires. There is some performance difference with the larger tire, sure. But its not like its a rocket with 265's and a dog with 285's. I say run the tire size you want. If you have the money and time to change the gearing, even better. Bigger tires will be harder on the drivetrain, sure. More so with the high gears. But we're only talking about an inch or two taller. Not 35's or anything.

 

Thanks for the input
I am going to stay with 265's until I can afford a gear change.
I am also going to add a 2" leveling kit

Thses are the ones I'm leaning toward.
They are pretty aggressive and load range E
OTD for $822
LT265/75R16 123 N 0 E OWL 7 - 8 7.5 10.59 31.76 8.1 3415 18

http://www.mastercrafttires.com/html...&artw=75&rd=16

 

it has to be shifting in and out of overdrive more..especially between 45 and 55...If its not than I would question if its even working and going into overdrive... arent stock tires like 29 or 30 inches? ... larger tires with taller gears has the SAME effect on the drivetrain as towing something... keep that in mind.

Remember having a mountain bike and switching from the smallest sprocket by the pedals to the largest? the difference was less than a couple inches but remember how much harder is was to move that bike and accelerate when you had the chain on the biggest sprocket.... it would tire you out a lot faster and you had to down shift gears more to climb a hill... exact same thing applies here...

 

Thats a very good analogy

 

According to Hankooks pdf on their "Dynapro AT-M":
265/75-16 has an overall diameter of 31.7"
285/75-16 has an overall diameter of 32.8"

So I'd buy the vastly cheaper 265's

 

I mean on the highway at 65-70, it stayed in overdrive, didn't shift out of OD going up the slightest hill or anything like that. I understand gearing and tire sizes, but we're talking about like and inch taller tire, right? Which only 1/2 inch is between the axle and the ground... Anyhow, my opinion is 265's if you want mileage and drive on the highway, 285's if all you're gonna do is mainly fart around town and mudride and you like the way they look. And yes, the larger the tire, the more stress you'll put on the drivetrain. I think dude decided to get 265's anyway. lol

 

I had 285's at one point on my truck. They were At's. I changed to 265 Treadwright M/T's recently. The only difference of power I can feel is when I'm in overdrive and try to acclerate, and the difference is slight. I got about the same MPG with both tires (hand calculated at the pump). The 285's look better, but I guess if you want the most performance you can get outta your truck without having to re-gear it or anything then just go with the 265's. They don't look too bad. I have a 2" leveling kit on my truck also. If you would like to see pictures of what it'll look like I can post them on here,,

 

What kind of mileage are you getting out of your treadwrights? And what tire do you have? Im looking at either the guard dog or the backbone 2. Just wondering if theyre worth it