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Need Tires, 255/70/16 or 245/75/16

My original statement is still true - all other things being equal, a slimmer tire will have less contact patch with the road, therefore less grip.

That isn't necessarily true, especially when talking about virtually as close to the same tire size and profile as you can get. If other things are equal then a tire with less width will have more longitudinal contact which improves traction for acceleration and stopping, because tires aren't rigid objects, rather they deflect to put about the same amount of tread down given the same load, so long as a tire isn't excessively narrow or wide for the rims and has the right air pressure for their size vs load on them.

What wider tires do instead (again so long as it is not excessive width) is roll less in corners (but not much when the tire design and sidewall height doesn't change) and heat up less in high performance applications. Neither of these are of much relevance in slippery wet or icy conditions on a SUV, but that's unfortunate because if they were then heating up more in winter it would be a good thing by softening the rubber, bringing them closer to the performance of a winter tire.

There might even be an argument made that on vehicles easy to tip over you are as well off to feel some tire slippage and ease off your speed sooner instead of having more body roll towards a tipping point - if it weren't rainy/snowy/icy.

Wider do wear slower, but generally cost more so that may be a wash. I won't argue that they can't change ride quality for the better or worse (depending on vehicle and change made) and might "look" better/beefier because people associate them with higher performance vehicles but in the latter case it's the shorter, stiffer sidewall that was the goal and you need the width to provide the same load capability.
 



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There is a law of diminishing returns. As Sonic said, all other things being equal a 245 will be better than a 235.

But keep in mind that a 235 may just be all the truck can use in which case a 245 or 265 will be a total waste.

All of the tyres mentioned will be safe to use within the vehicles capability.

OEM size was 255, not 235.

BTW, I bought the 245/75/16 Bridgestone Duelers from Walmart. Paid $66 each on clearance. Very happy with the tires, a huge improvement over the old Goodyears...
 






^ Gen II started with 235/75/15 as OEM size. They put the 255 on 16" rims but Gen II started with 15". As for what a 2000 started with, I don't know if the base model had 16" or that was a wheel package (likely).
 






OEM size was 255, not 235.

BTW, I bought the 245/75/16 Bridgestone Duelers from Walmart. Paid $66 each on clearance. Very happy with the tires, a huge improvement over the old Goodyears...

Hell, I wonder if these are still on sale. I'd buy them. Someone put 235/70/16s on mine years ago, so these would still be an 'upgrade' of sorts.
 






Hell, I wonder if these are still on sale. I'd buy them. Someone put 235/70/16s on mine years ago, so these would still be an 'upgrade' of sorts.

Not sure about the US, but in Canada Walmart is selling off all Brand Name tires at 60% off. I bought 205/55/16 Firestone Champions for my Beetle for $46 each. Got Snow tires for my daughter 195/70/14 for $32

They will only carry the off brands in the future, and guy told be they are phasing out all tire centers. All Toronto tires centers are closed down already.
 






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