Half-ton pickup redux

[Stelcom66]

Id stop right there with heavy frame rust. Had that with a toyota and dont want it again. That was pretty much my no. 1 deal killer when recently searching for a new(er) work truck. Along with some decent power and no stick shift.

Didn't buy that one - instead a 2002 with the 5.3 V8. The frame is decent for it's age, noted also by others who have seen it. Yes I believe today's 4.3 V6 shares the same displacement of the old engine, and that's about it. Surprised the consensus is the 4.3 was that under powered - my Dodge with the 225 S6 and 4 speed manual was adequate, but it was only 2WD and that was before my wood burning/hauling days.

 

[SpaceBus]

I had a 93 V-6 Silverado and it was trouble free other than it was dog. You need a level hwy to maintain speed. As soon as you hit a hill your crawling. And thats with the truck bed EMPTY. That all changed in the last few years. The new ones (Ecotec)have just under 300HP and you would never guess it was a 6 under the hood. It has almost 100HP more than my K2500 with a 350 CU 8 cyl. eng. I find myself inadvertently squealing the tires pretty often. I think its been completely redesigned. No longer the 350 with 2 cyl lopped off.

The new one is pretty decent, but has an odd style crankshaft because it's a 90 degree v6. It's a wonder they don't shake themselves apart, but the torque is pretty nice. That's really what's making you smoke those tires, not the peak HP.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

. Surprised the consensus is the 4.3 was that under powered - .

My 93 4.3 had just 160HP. Thats pretty bad for an extended cab truck. Then again my 95 Ext Cab K2500 4x4 350 Cu in v-8 has just 200. They have come a long way HP wise.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

It's a wonder they don't shake themselves apart, but the torque is pretty nice. .

I actually tried to start it when it was already running. Cant hear or feel it running from inside or outside. Now i look at the Tach if im not sure its running. They must have the balance right.

 

[Zack R]

I don't know if you guys know this, but women hate Miatas. They think Miatas are cute, to look at. Top down ruins hair, there's no storage, seating is cramped, and it isn't plush. Women who like convertibles get Sebrings, or whatever.

Shelby Cobras are just tiny English roadsters with american V8 engines. A modern Cobra is a Miata with a lot of power. Mazda created the Miata as an English roadster clone that wouldn't leave you stranded or wet. It's also one of the, if not THE, most raced car in the world. I don't see any one make American car racing series....

I wanted something faster than a Miata but more user friendly than a Cobra so I ended up with this. Just got back from a weekend road trip and it was a blast.

 

[SpaceBus]

I wanted something faster than a Miata but more user friendly than a Cobra so I ended up with this. Just got back from a weekend road trip and it was a blast.


View attachment 246025

Nice. I love M roadsters, particularly the Z4 variant.

 

[Ashful]

Nice! Z3?

I wanted something faster than a Miata too, so I bought anything else with 4 wheels.

 

[Zack R]

Nice! Z3?

Yes - its a 2000 Z3 but with the M3 engine/powertrain and wider rear fenders aka the "M roadster". 240hp isn't a lot for modern cars but it's more than enough to motivate a small car like this.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

What would be a good reason to put smaller tires on a 4WD Pickup. Mfg call for P265/70R17 and previous owner has P235/70R17 on the truck.

 

[johneh]

Cost of tires

 

[MrWhoopee]

What would be a good reason to put smaller tires on a 4WD Pickup. Mfg call for P265/70R17 and previous owner has P235/70R17 on the truck.

The common belief that narrower tires provide better traction in snow (more lbs. per sq. inch of contact patch). I can neither confirm nor deny whether it's true.

 

[SpaceBus]

What would be a good reason to put smaller tires on a 4WD Pickup. Mfg call for P265/70R17 and previous owner has P235/70R17 on the truck.

Price and gearing.

 

[SpaceBus]

The common belief that narrower tires provide better traction in snow (more lbs. per sq. inch of contact patch). I can neither confirm nor deny whether it's true.

Narrower tires do work better in the snow, but it's usually not that much of a difference if all other things are equal.

 

[Ashful]

The common belief that narrower tires provide better traction in snow (more lbs. per sq. inch of contact patch). I can neither confirm nor deny whether it's true.

It’s true. If you don’t believe me, just try driving an unloaded dually in snow, I dare you! There’s a reason army trucks have narrow knobby tires, they care more about “go” than “show”.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

So the whole reason for a wider tire is just looks? Im wondering when replacing if i should go back to factory size.

 

[Ashful]

So the whole reason for a wider tire is just looks? Im wondering when replacing if i should go back to factory size.

Wide tires help in real soft mud or bogs, enhancing flotation when you can’t reach the bottom. But on road in snow, a skinny tire always wins, flotation is the last thing you want at road speeds.

On road, it’s for looks, the same mentality as the idiots who put hi-lift jacks and snorkels on Jeeps that will never see five minutes of off-road in their life.

 

[SpaceBus]

Wide tires help in real soft mud or bogs, enhancing flotation when you can’t reach the bottom. But on road in snow, a skinny tire always wins, flotation is the last thing you want at road speeds.

On road, it’s for looks, the same mentality as the idiots who put hi-lift jacks and snorkels on Jeeps that will never see five minutes of off-road in their life.

It's not entirely for looks, at least not in every case. For general snow and trail use, no point in wide tires. You gain no surface area with a wider tire, only a different shape (wider instead of narrower), until you start messing with tire pressures. Then the benefits of a wider tire become more apparent. If you have ever driven on sand, then you understand. Nonetheless, for most people it is a looks thing.

Also, military uses fairly wide tires. At least 10.5" on humvees and they get wider the heavier the vehicle. The off road only stuff also has large tires, and some of the vehicles use them for the floatation specifically. I don't know of any military vehicles still in use that still use narrow tires. The old Jeeps definitely did, but those also weighed nothing.

 

[Seasoned Oak]

I will probably revert back to the factory size on the door plate when replacing these tires. The ride is a little harsh so i think i may improve that with the recommended wider tire and a little less air pressure. Right now the air pressure is 45lbs and i rarely carry weight on this truck. Probably go with BF Goodrich LT tires . Lots of reviews noting the improved ride characteristics with the BF Goodrich.
BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT 265/70R17 115T Tire
.

 

[SpaceBus]

I will probably revert back to the factory size on the door plate when replacing these tires. The ride is a little harsh so i think i may improve that with the recommended wider tire and a little less air pressure. Right now the air pressure is 45lbs and i rarely carry weight on this truck. Probably go with BF Goodrich LT tires . Lots of reviews noting the improved ride characteristics with the BF Goodrich.
BFGoodrich Advantage T/A Sport LT 265/70R17 115T Tire
.

You probably won't bark the tires as often, but I doubt the ride will be any different. The truck will probably feel more confident at freeway speeds and maybe follow grooves more often as well. If anything the smaller diameter and narrower tire gave a better ride due to less unsprung weight.

 

[bholler]

It's not entirely for looks, at least not in every case. For general snow and trail use, no point in wide tires. You gain no surface area with a wider tire, only a different shape (wider instead of narrower), until you start messing with tire pressures. Then the benefits of a wider tire become more apparent. If you have ever driven on sand, then you understand. Nonetheless, for most people it is a looks thing.

Also, military uses fairly wide tires. At least 10.5" on humvees and they get wider the heavier the vehicle. The off road only stuff also has large tires, and some of the vehicles use them for the floatation specifically. I don't know of any military vehicles still in use that still use narrow tires. The old Jeeps definitely did, but those also weighed nothing.

I think allot of that is due to where we are fighting. If we were in Siberia they would switch to narrow tires. But we have been in deserts for years where wide tires make sense

 

[SpaceBus]

I think allot of that is due to where we are fighting. If we were in Siberia they would switch to narrow tires. But we have been in deserts for years where wide tires make sense

I don't think the tires for the larger stuff like MATVs and RG30's can be made in narrower sizes and still accommodate the weight rating required. weight is the main reason the tires are wide. A fully kitted out RG30 weighs over 50,000 lbs and has three drive axles with six tires total. Dual wheels would be necessary to handle the weight with a narrower tire.

 

[Ashful]

It's not entirely for looks... Nonetheless, for most people it is a looks thing.

That was an awful long and rambling contradiction. Yes, there are situations where width is advantageous, but none of them have anything to do with highway use in snow on a light truck.

 

[SpaceBus]

That was an awful long and rambling contradiction. Yes, there are situations where width is advantageous, but none of them have anything to do with highway use in snow on a light truck.

Yes, but light trucks can go on more types of terrain than highways with snow. When driving on highways without snow (the condition of highways 99% of the time in on the Eastern Seaboard) wider tires are a benefit. Weight capacity also increases with tire width. I assume this is why six cylinder BMW X5's have steamroller tires.

 

[bholler]

I don't think the tires for the larger stuff like MATVs and RG30's can be made in narrower sizes and still accommodate the weight rating required. weight is the main reason the tires are wide. A fully kitted out RG30 weighs over 50,000 lbs and has three drive axles with six tires total. Dual wheels would be necessary to handle the weight with a narrower tire.

Yes obviously in some situations you need wider tires for load handling. And i have 2 sets of wheels and tires for my bronco. One 10.5 wide for on road and 1 12.5 for offroad which is usually aired down. When i need to replace the road set i will probably go a little narrow for snow.

 

[bholler]

Yes, but light trucks can go on more types of terrain than highways with snow. When driving on highways without snow (the condition of highways 99% of the time in on the Eastern Seaboard) wider tires are a benefit. Weight capacity also increases with tire width. I assume this is why six cylinder BMW X5's have steamroller tires.

Weight capacity can increase with width but not necessarily. My wide mud tires are much lower capacity than my much narrower all terrain tires on my trucks.