Tall x narrow 17" tires?
 

While it's gonna be a while before my present tires are worn out (31,000 miles / 35-40% tread left), I'm looking ahead to the future. Since diesel fuel isn't gonna ever be "cheap" again, I'm doing about everything I can to make my truck as fuel efficient as possible. I like the height of my 33 x 12.50's, but the 12-inch wide foot print offers up a lot of drag and rolling resistance.

Does anyone make a radial tire 33-34" tall by maybe 10-10.5 inches wide that I can use on my stock 17" wheels? I see Interco (Super Swampers) offers a 34 x 10 x 17 LTB, awesome size but they are mega-aggressive and bias-ply... not a good choice as my truck sees 95% asphalt and the tread pattern/bias-ply construction is terrible for fuel economy.

Closest ones I can find are the 285-75R17 (33.8 x 11.25 x 17) offered by Toyo, which are really a little wider than I'd like, but a good start. Anyone know of anything else close?

BFG KM 2, 255/80-17 which is a 33.3x10-17, Super Swamper also makes the SSR in a 35/10.50-17.

look at the 285/75-17 sizes from Toyo & Nitto. 34" and a good 1.5" narrower than a 12.50 tire. probably other vendors have the same size, others oughta chime in!

Thanks so far guys. I've been eyeballing the Toyo's in 285-75R17. They're a lot of tire (3970lb road range) and they are also pretty heavy (67 lbs), but that can be expected. I know several people that run the Toyo A/T's and really like them. The 255-80R17 BFG's would be great... if they made them in an A/T version. I chew mudders off too quick. Especially when they want $300.00+ a tire!:scare2:

my first thought was the swampers for a weird size, but if they only have bias ply then thats definitely not a winner. Toyos are really good tires, if I was in your position and wanted something that'll last I'd probably go that route.

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can you clear 16s on the 03 calipers? I'm sure you could find someone to trade you 17s for 16s, they are still 8x6.5.

I've been running the Nitto 285/75-17 Dura Grapplers on the 1st Gen for about 2 years now and think they are great. They came in just under 100lbs.@ new on Alcoa Classic wheels, being about 10 pounds heavier than the stock wheels/tire combo.

Excellent HD towing tire, no doubt.

My brother just ordered a set of the Toyo Open Country A/T's in 285-70R17 (33 x 11.25) for his new-to-him 2006 Ram 2500. He's moving up to Concord, NH in April, so I figure he'll give those tires a good workout in the snow next winter and be able to report on how he likes them. Hopefully my present tires will give me another year.

Then again, I may look at another set of Pro-Comps. This is my second set, the first being 33 x 12.50 M/T's. I got good life out of them (40,000 miles, though admittedly I'm really anal about tire rotation. Every 3000 miles), but they sucked in the snow unless there was at least 6" on the ground and they cut 4 mpg's off my fuel economy over the stock ones.

The Extreme A/T's I'm running now have been a real good and they bite hard in most road conditions except slick snow. They have large tread blocks, though siped a bit, that allow them to slide around a bit more than a true all terrain in the slushy stuff, but they do a damn sight better in snow/slush/ice than the mudders did!. And while they aren't mud tires, they do better in the mud than any A/T I've ever run on any truck. They seem to be a good compromise between a mudder and an A/T but cost me 2-3 MPG's on average over the stockers due their width and the fact they are pretty heavy (load range E). If they made a slightly narrower version, I'd buy another set in a heart beat.

Pro-Comp offers their standard A/T in 285-70R17. It has a 50,000 mile tread-wear warranty, load range D (3195 lbs. Same as the load range E, X-A/T's I'm running now) and is Severe Snow Rated. They call them their "Studless Snow Tire". Maybe I'll give a set of those a try when they have their next "Buy 3 get 1 free" sale. Decisions, decisions.:argh:

Not all swampers are bias ply. The SSR, Trxus MT, Irok Radial, M-16, Trxus STS, Vortrac, TSL Radial are all Radials, but not all are available in a 17. I don't think you can grind the calipers enough to clear a 16" wheel. I have seen 16.5 wheels after grinding on the calipers though. Personally I would not grind them, I'd stick to 17's. A friend had a set of the 37/12.50 Trxus MT's on his 2500 Chevy Duramax and really liked them. He got around 40K out of them with decent tread left. He put a set of the ProComp xtreme AT's on, he liked the Truxus better.

295/75/17

That would be a 34.5 x 11.5. Sounds pretty good. Who makes 'em?

I've never seen that size offered for sale in any model by any manufacturer.

Old thread but bump for a 33 or 34 by 10.5 tire. I'm going to need new tires for my first gen soon.

seen some 235/80 R17 at the local tire place. But that turns out to be a 31x9.25. Don't remember what brand they were though.

I've Actually made some progress, toyo open country, Cooper SST's and BFG MK2's all come in a 255/85 r16 which I think works out to 33x10, I'm currently running 285/75 R16's and think the 255/85 R16's are just what I'm looking for. I'm about 90% sure I'll pull the trigger on the MK2's, I'm running the toyos now.
They also come in a 255/80 r17 for 17 inch rims, I'm most likely getting new rims too so I was thinking about going 17, not sure if they would be better than the 16's in any way.

I'd like to know if those MK2's are any good in the snow. I have a set of stock 17" wheels I'm not using and would like to mount a set of tall skinny tires on them for next winter.

Unfortunately I missed all the snow, truck was getting the transmission rebuilt. The little snow driving I did they were great. I also parked with the rear end on the snow and facing slight down hill, I thought I'd need 4x4 to pull out but it did it without slipping in 2wd. From what I've heard they are great in snow, and not great on ice. On slushy or rainy roads I could not break them loose. Mine are 255/85r16 (33x10)

Pretty much all mud tires will work great in snow drifts on fluffy snow. Same basic principle as mud. It is hard packed snow that mud tires have problems. They don't do well. Lack of siping so the tread blocks don't grip as well.

the skinny on tires for mountain performance
 

I've done a lot of snow and mud in the Great Northwest and the taller and narrower the tire the better for 4x4 performance and snow travel in the mountains. Guys with the big fat tires just spin out and get stuck. Super swampers worked the best in those conditions and seemed to be what everyone used locally. And yes, they have radials.:c: