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My truck has a 2.5” BDS level on the front and everything else is stock. After I got the level I initially went with 275/60r20 KO2’s and drove on them for 3 weeks. I decided that I wasn’t fully satisfied with the look so I used the Discount Tire guarantee to exchange them for a set of 285/65r20’s. I read a bunch of posts on this board where guys talked about how they did the same and the 285’s were actually smoother than the 265’s. I thought to myself, how could this be? Going from a D rated tire to an E rated tire would always result in a tougher ride than the D rated tires. I have experience with both load ratings on different trucks. I was skeptical but was willing to take on the rougher ride for the look.
I have had the 285’s on for 2 weeks now and by gosh, they are actually smoother. You feel potholes and imperfections in the pavement less. The only thing I can think of is that the 265’s are a lower profile tire. The added plys in the sidewalk don’t seem to make a difference between the two and the added air between the wheel and the road seems to be better cushioned with the 285’s. I was honestly really surprised.
My truck has the 5.0L with the 10 speed tranny and 3.55 gearing and you can feel the difference over stock but I really don’t feel much of a difference between the 265’s and 285’s with my configuration.
I was averaging about 17 mpg’s with the 265’s and have not calculated the mpg’s with the 285’s but I would assume it will drop.
In in my opinion, the 285’s are a perfect size for this set up. If you are on the fence, I would not hesitate to go 285.
With the BDS 2.5” I don’t have any rubbing at full lock, forward or reverse. No other mods needed with trimming or crash bars. I used a Rough Country 2.5” on my 2015 and 2012 and it still had a rake to it. I wanted dead level and the BDS provides that.
I also am looking at 285/65 tires. With the 3.55 gears, do you wish you had taller gears? Calcuator tells me going from stock tires, to the 285, my ratio will be 3.28:1, is that going to be noticeable?
I did it on my last truck... I had the 5.0 in my 2013 with 3.55 and went with a 6 inch lift and 35x12.5x20 tires. You can tell a difference as I am sure you would regardless, but I did not think that it was that bad.
Nice truck and beautiful scenery! Did you install the fox's yourself or have a shop do it? If you don't mind saying if a shop did what they charged for parts and labor? Just trying get a ballpark of what I should expect. I am kicking around between Fox Stage 1 front/rear and Halolifts Boss Ultimate Kit. TIA.
I had a local shop her in southeast Alaska install everything. Things are probably cheaper everywhere else. Here's a breakdown of what they charged:
- Replacement of front struts: $180
- Replacement of rear shocks: $90
- Install of rear block: $180
- Wheel alignment: $90
The Fox components were purchased from PerformanceLifts.com. I also debated Fox vs Halolifts. I went with Fox because I didn't want more than 2" of front lift (safer CV angle) and they are constructed from aluminum instead of steel. I live in a temperate rainforest and things tend to rust quickly. Aluminum was a no-brainer for me. (Fingers-crossed on the trucks body.)
The ReadyLIFT rear blocks were purchased from AutoAnything.com. I liked that they are tapered to help with driveline alignment and have integrated bump stops.
I recently had Bilstein 5100s installed all the way around on my 2018 RWD Lariat. The front is set at the highest setting (2.1"). For tires I went with 285/60/20 Bridgestone Dueler Revo 3s. I wanted a tire that had a little more aggressive look, but wouldn't annoy my wife everytime she rode in the truck, as this will be driven on pavement 95% of the time. In my short time driving on them, I am very happy with them. They're very quiet tires and have been an overall smooth ride.
How long does it usually take for the front to settle? It might just be an optical illusion, but the truck looks just a touch nose high.
