I need tires

[Daveb]

So my new to me 2001 2500HD needs different tires than what the Oregon Chevy dealer put on. Looking for recommendations. It is a 2 wheel drive, will not be in snow(unless an emergency). I am looking for comfort, ride quality, low noise, etc. Unfortunately, Michelin does not make my size, LT245/75/16, in the Defender series anymore or that would have been my choice

 

[ORVietVet]

Cooper Tires.

 

[stutaeng]

I have bought 2 sets of Coopers within the last 5 years:
2006 Suburban 2500 LT265/75/16 bought in like 2021? I need to double check to see how many miles I've put on them and measure them, but at least 30k, maybe more.
2020 Express 3500 passenger van LT245/75/16 bought last Fall

I will buy some tires for my 1500 Silverado soon, and will likely be another set of Coopers.

You can run some LT265/75/16 if they make those in the brand you want.

 

[Marky Dissod]

So my new to me 2001 2500HD needs different tires than what the Oregon Chevy dealer put on. Looking for recommendations.
2wd, will not be in snow (unless an emergency). looking for comfort, ride quality, low noise, etc.
Michelin does not make my size, LT245/75R16, in the Defender series anymore, or that would have been my choice.

Your pcm cannot tell the difference between LT245/75R16 - 30.46" tall, and LT265/70R16 - 30.60" tall.

However, your truck can likely fit/accommodate up to 31.7" tall tires with negligible rubbing at full steering lock,
so if you can tolerate a speedometer error, or can have your pcm tuned to adjust the speedo constants, these tire sizes also fit in your wheel wells:
245/75R16 - 30.46"
285/65R16 - 30.58"
265/70R16 - 30.60" - MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S2 is available in this size
275/70R16 - 31.15"
265/75R16 - 31.64" - MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S is available in this size

 

[Daveb]

So a little background first. When I agreed to purchase this truck, they told me they would be installing new tires on it first. Great! I have always had excellent experience with the Defenders. I sent them a screen shot of what I was after. They installed exactly what I had sent them a pic of. Unbeknownst to me, they are not LT rated, GVWR OF 2308 pounds. They swear to be damned they are adequate for the vehicle and it’s all my fault for the error. LTX in Michelin evidently does not mean Light Truck,10 ply. My rear axle rating is in excess of 6000 pounds, and my argument is these tires need to be rated to meet or exceed that amount. They say tough. Go buy another set and sell the ones we put on if you don’t like them. Fault notwithstanding, have tire ratings changed since the load range E days? Are there different ratings that apply today? Thanks from someone still in the G78-14 days

 

[Marky Dissod]

Don't know if you're aware that

... looking for comfort, ride quality, low noise, etc.

kinda contradicts

... LT rated, 2300lb GVWR. They swear to be damned they are adequate for the vehicle and it’s all my fault for the error.
LTX in Michelin evidently does not mean Light Truck, 10 ply. My rear axle rating is in excess of 6000lb,
and my argument is these tires need to be rated to meet or exceed that amount.

Their argument barely holds a sip of H2O ... they put on '1500' tires (you were not fully aware that that's what you asked for)
that are adequate for a 1/2 ton pickup truck, especially if it's usually empty-bedded and hardly ever tows / hauls anything heavy.

LT tires are for towing / hauling LOTS OF HEAVY STUFF. Of course a truck that works or plays HARD needs LT Load Range E tires.

In LT245/75R16, Load Range E, I'd get FALKEN WILDPEAK A/T4W, looks like the best bang for the buck
In LT265/75R16, Load Range E, the MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S (NOT M/S2, just M/S) is available,
but once again, I'd recommend the FALKEN WILDPEAK A/T4W, a more capable tire for less money
In either size the Sumitomo Encounter AT2 also comes in Load Range E, also lots of tire for the money.

There are of course other good choices, like
BFGOODRICH ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO3 (KO2 would also be acceptable, this time)
TOYO OPEN COUNTRY A/T III
FIRESTONE DESTINATION X/T
NITTO TERRA GRAPPLER G3
GOODYEAR WRANGLER WORKHORSE AT2 (NOT AT without the 2!)
GENERAL GRABBER A/TX

My bias (is it apparent?) prioritizes extra capabilities for contingencies.
If yours does not, more power to you; use TireRack or SimpleTire's choice matrices.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Were I you I'd very seriously consider getting 17" wheels such as these:

17" Inch Wheel Rim Fits x47139 GM 1500 Silverado Tahoe Sierra 8130 8131 BLK - Wheels Express, Inc

Contact us for bulk order freight quote or free shipping options. [email protected] [email protected] Rim Size:17X8 Bolt Pattern:6X139.7 Hub Bore:78.1MM Ways to become a member for discount or wholesale purchase. 1 show 3+ purchases in our system 2 bulk...

wheelsexpressonline.com

Going from either 245/75R16 or 265/75R16, to 265/70R17, opens you to a considerably larger selection of tires.

 

[Daveb]

Thanks for the replies, truly appreciate them.
I am fully on board with having the correct rated tire on any vehicle I own. Granted, the vast majority of the time, the truck is empty except for me and dog. But there will always be times when I want/need to put a load in it which would severely overload these tires. I firmly believe if anything happened that would have been tire related, either insurance company or lawyers would have a field day with it.
So here I am, 1000 miles away from the and 1000 miles away from home and I will be changing them at my expense.
There is a Discount Tire here which is who I would have used at home so I will work with them to see what they can come up with before I hit the road again for home.

 

[Daveb]

I can’t see the Defenders in E unless I am just missing something, somewhere. At least not in either the original size or a size that is indistinguishable in height to the original. The ones I see are “XL” which isn’t 10 ply. I think as of now, I will pick either the Cooper HT or the Michelin A/T

 

[Marky Dissod]

My feeling is that someone should get the tires they like, because you have to live with them, and a hundred down the road won't be worth it otherwise.

You may be confusing your 'feelings' with what tire makers 'feel' like doing with their tire selection to maximize their 'profits'.

can’t see the Defenders in E, unless I am just missing something, somewhere.

Looked up Michelin man website, to see what Michelin is intentionally missing AND providing in 'E'.
In LT245/75R16:

Auto Tire Result(s)

Browse Michelin car tires by size 245 / 75 R16 , Speed Index : Any Speed Index. Find high-performance options designed for your vehicle, offering exceptional safety, durability, and comfort.

www.michelinman.com

In 265/75R16:

https://www.michelinman.com/auto/browse-tires/by-dimension/265/75/16/123/-?choices=true

 

[Daveb]

Trigger has been pulled, Cooper HT’s are going on

 

[Marky Dissod]

Michelin is a good brand, if it were an off-brand cheap tire that would be different, and any good brand new tire is better than an old tire.

'Michelin is a good brand' is, to my experience, insufficient specificity. (Chevy Silverados are pretty good. Chevy Aveos are not, by any measure.)
Michelin makes some excellent tires, true, but if they choose not to make excellent tires in the size(s) & spec you need or want, THEY are telling you to pound sand.
By the way, Michelin also make some 'fair-to-middlin' tires, intentionally, for their own reasons; I'd avoid those like the plague.
Even 'Michelin Defender LTX M/S' is insufficient specificity - the 'Michelin Defender LTX M/S2' is superior to the M/S without the 2.

 

[Tonimus]

This will be a vastly unpopular opinion: When I bought my Tahoe, the p.o. had put new tires on it like 200 miles prior. Big O sold Sailun Terramax HLTs. I've put about 18k miles on them and I'm actually happy with them...

 

[Marky Dissod]

This will be a vastly unpopular opinion:

But WHY?

When I bought my Tahoe, the p.o. had put new tires on it like 200 miles prior. Big O sold Sailun Terramax HLTs.
I've put about 18k miles on them and I'm actually happy with them.

When I ask 'why?' here, it's a separate question from the previous one.

No longer believe there's such a thing as a 'good brand' anymore. Tires are not siblings or even distant cousins, even if they share a 'surname'.

 

[Tonimus]

But WHY?

Because tire brand questions are like oil brand questions.

When I ask 'why?' here, it's a separate question from the previous one.

They are reasonably quiet, seem to be wearing well, and have decent traction in torrential downpours.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Because tire brand questions are like oil brand questions.

Here, hear.

They are reasonably quiet, seem to be wearing well, and have decent traction in torrential downpours.

So far as I can tell, most people spend most of the time NOT approaching their tires' limits in the dry, even during most 'emergency' maneuvers.
However, once the weather is less-than-ideal, any emergency maneuver could suddenly reach or exceed one or more of the tires' limits.
As a result I very heavily prioritize how tires behave in rain, snow, and various soft-off-road situations (rockiness is rare in NY/NJ/CT/PA/MA).

 

[Marky Dissod]

Trigger has been pulled, Cooper HT’s are going on

Tell us how you like them, thanks!

Think he meant Discoverer HT3?

https://www.coopertire.com/en_US/tires/discoverer-ht3/24488-17019600300000.html?back=tireFinder

 

[Daveb]

Missed a letter, HTP 2

 

[AuroraGirl]

'Michelin is a good brand' is, to my experience, insufficient specificity. (Chevy Silverados are pretty good. Chevy Aveos are not, by any measure.)
Michelin makes some excellent tires, true, but if they choose not to make excellent tires in the size(s) & spec you need or want, THEY are telling you to pound sand.
By the way, Michelin also make some 'fair-to-middlin' tires, intentionally, for their own reasons; I'd avoid those like the plague.
Even 'Michelin Defender LTX M/S' is insufficient specificity - the 'Michelin Defender LTX M/S2' is superior to the M/S without the 2.

also they throw defender on A LOT of tires from cars to trucks with vastly different jobs and treads, the only thing i think is consistent is they tend to have a higher tread warranty and cost a lot

 

[AuroraGirl]

So my new to me 2001 2500HD needs different tires than what the Oregon Chevy dealer put on. Looking for recommendations. It is a 2 wheel drive, will not be in snow(unless an emergency). I am looking for comfort, ride quality, low noise, etc. Unfortunately, Michelin does not make my size, LT245/75/16, in the Defender series anymore or that would have been my choice

make sure to calibrate the ebtcm to the new tire size unless you found coopers in the 245