New Girl to the Tahoe World!

[Pyramid_Head]

Blessings from evil Commiefornia.

 

[2591tdj]

What is OEM? I was wondering if you put on the P-Metric or LT version of the Michelin LTX.

I’ve run nothing but P metric Michelin LTX AT/2 on my Tahoes. They are not real aggressive and likely not the look you seek but ride and handle well until they are about 1/2 worn, then they tend to want to slide a bit on wet pavement. I get at least 60k miles per set. When the Wranglers on my new Tahoe need replacing, it will be with the Michelins.

I went with the P over LT simply for the slightly softer ride. The LTs have a bit deeper tread than the Ps and might be a bit better for off road and heavy snow.

 

[whymeintrouble]

Welcome to the forum! I have an 05 suburban, and run BFG KO2s. They are freaking awesome! I got them as freebies from a contest I won, but these are fantastic in ice and other garbage winter weather. I live in Illinois, and I can say that we have had more ice storms in the last couple years and these tires have proved themselves multiple times. I like them so much I bought them for my work van too. As far as wheels go, first know what look you want to go for. Quite a few of the wheels i looked at had a couple different choices for offset. I've attached a couple of pictures of my wheel setup. All they had to do was trim a bit of the plastic on the front side of the wheel wells. I made sure the tires stayed under the wheel well, specifically because our seasons here consist of road construction and road construction
Best of luck to you, have fun with your new toy, I mean work vehicle lol

 

[vcode]

Get a tire that has a good rating for snow traction and be done with it. Tires hanging out past the fenders just put extra stress on your drivetrain. If I drive in heavy snow, I put mine in 4Hi and turn the TC off. Combined with the G80 locker, I have blasted thru the worst of Wisconsin winters. And avoid the temptation to get wider tires. I went up against a guy in the winter with a lifted pick-up on 36's (or something like that) and absolutely blew his doors off in my stock Honda Civic AWD wagon.

 

[iamdub]

I’m considering a 2” leveling kit to assist with a little more clearance but nothing crazy. Looking like 32” is going to be my max diameter without any offset changes.

32" is the diameter of the stock tire size. With a lift, you could go a little taller. You can't get too crazy with tire size because then gear ratio would be a factor. But, it sounds like "crazy" isn't in your plans.

You can start out small and cheap, and I'll use mine as an example: For about a year before I lowered it, my Tahoe was lifted. I did this just as a cheap way to change it up from stock and because I had some all-season tires that looked more like an all-terrain, so lifting fit the theme. I had a 2" lift in the front with a spacer and a 1" lift in the rear, also with a spacer. No other suspension mods and I didn't even need to adjust the alignment. Since it went up, I wanted it to go "out" for it to remain proportional to my eyes, so I added 1.5" spacers (I was running the stock LTZ wheels). I don't off-road and it's a 2WD, so this was purely just for looks and to not be stock. But, I often drive everything like it's a sports car and I didn't withhold from my lifted Tahoe. No issues at all with the spacers. IMO, 1.5" is about as far as I'd go with wheel spacers.

As @Rocket Man mentioned, hub-centric spacers are a must (if you use spacers). I bought a budget-priced set off Amazon that looked to be identical to a much pricier popular brand, just without that brand's logo. I drove my Tahoe just as hard as ever with them then put them on my brother's 4WD Sierra when I lowered mine and lifted his. He regularly goes off road and often tows a trailer with his RZR, 4-wheeler and camping gear. Never an issue. Just install them properly.

For the lift, again, I bought a budget set of strut spacers off Amazon. All this type of lift is, is a set of blocks and longer bolts. Rough Country's spacer is a polymer ("plastic"), and I'm sure is perfectly fine. But, for around $25, you can get some machined billet aluminum blocks. Metal just made me feel better and it was cheaper. They come with Grade 5 hardware, which should be fine. But, I grabbed some Grade 8 hardware from Lowe's for the cheap peace of mind. The front spacers install in about an hour and slipping the spacers under the rear coils is about another hour. "Simple, cheap and harmless" is what I'd consider this lift. IMO, a 2" spacer-only lift (front and rear) is about as high as I'd go and not give it a second thought. *EDIT* Here's an example of the lift spacers, but these look to include Grade 8 bolts: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KD6Y...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

These look like the ones I used, but say they come with Grade 12.9 bolts. Like those above, they show to include nylock nuts. At $21, you can get Grade 8 hardware if their included hardware is junk and still be at half the price of RC's spacer kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B091JT2P1...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

As far as fitment, I only had rubbing at full lock. The far outside shoulder of the tire tread would rub a plastic rivet that secured the fender liner. Backing the wheel off a couple of degrees resolved it. It was so minor that a tire with a different tread profile likely would've prevented the contact. It was harmless and that setup was only temporary for me, so it wasn't worth changing tires, etc.

If you want to change the wheels, just base everything off the key points of the stock wheel and tire package- the overall tire diameter, tire width, the offset and/or backspacing of the wheels, wheel width, etc.

The type of tire will make the most difference in your off-road and/or snow capability, though. With a small lift, I'd just lift the front to level it with the rear and focus the rest of my efforts on tire selection. Unless I wanted different wheels, of course. Also, you may find that you only need 1"-1.5" to level it, and there are smaller spacers for this. For a number of functional reasons, you really shouldn't make the front higher than the rear. My suggestion is to measure the fender lip to the ground, then jack up the front until it sits where you like it. Step back and look at it because the body lines and windows affect how it looks. Measure the difference and order your lift accordingly. Just because a lift kit says "leveling" doesn't mean your truck will sit level no matter what. These things varied in their heights just as they came off the assembly line. 2" might be too much lift and 1" might not be enough.

 

[jqwiii00]

Hey guys - First time ever joining a forum although I’ve been reading others’ for years when I needed help. Decided I’d join now that I have a toy I want to mod!

I’m looking to upgrade the wheels but know little to nothing about what to do when shopping for tires. I have tons of stupid questions. I just know my goal is to have agressive, beefy tires that protrude from the sides maybe an inch or two. I will be keeping the stock suspension so rubbing is something I am cautious about. These will be mainly for the winter months as I got this big baby to commute in the Jersey weather. I named my new (2012) Tahoe LT pronounced “Lo-ren”, who has a few upgrades of the LTZ. Any help, tips, and favorite sites/brands will be greatly appreciated! I definitely need help with this one

Hi Loren. I've lived on the East coast and the Colorado mountains. Really aggressive tires are great for heavy mud but not what you describe. I love Michelin LTX tires. They've worked on mountain trails, heavy snow, icy roads, etc and I have NEVER been stuck in 30 years of it. I do not favor tires that stick out as they'll throw everything on to the sides of your truck... as in rocks, etc. Hope this helps and have fun.

 

[mountie]

Welcome Loren.....
No such thing as a stupid question. ( I had lots of them after buying my '05 Yukon).

( Tires)...May I suggest... If there is a nearby Discount Tire business... I have had GREAT luck from the intelligent people there. Plus, the "Road Hazard warranty" added to your tires is wonderful.
Point being.... You will buy tires from someplace... Having a local installer is best. They can get you any tire you decide.

 

[vcode]

Hi Loren. I've lived on the East coast and the Colorado mountains. Really aggressive tires are great for heavy mud but not what you describe. I love Michelin LTX tires. They've worked on mountain trails, heavy snow, icy roads, etc and I have NEVER been stuck in 30 years of it. I do not favor tires that stick out as they'll throw everything on to the sides of your truck... as in rocks, etc. Hope this helps and have fun.

A guy at work had tires that stuck out (which is illegal in many states). He drove to work in the slush, coating the sides of his truck. The temp dropped during the day and froze the slush solid. He could barely get in thru the rear door.....

 

[acesttz]

I run Nitto G2s - 305/55/20

They fit the stock rim and suspension. They are about 1.5 inches wider than the stock tire. They are the same height as the stock tire so your speedometer stays correct. They only rub the anti-roll bar when turned full lock.

 

[vcode]

I run Nitto G2s - 305/55/20

They fit the stock rim and suspension. They are about 1.5 inches wider than the stock tire. They are the same height as the stock tire so your speedometer stays correct. They only rub the anti-roll bar when turned full lock.

Hunh? Stock 275/55-20's are 31.9" tall, 305/55-20's are 33.2" tall.......