275 Vs 285 Tires: The Difference Between 275 And 285 Tires
Traction vs. Cost. This is always a tough decision to make when it comes to tires. The wider tires offer more traction and better grip, but they also cost more than the narrower tires. The tire you pick will depend on the type of surface you want to drive over.
The biggest difference between these two tires is their width. The 285s are 10 mm wider than the 275s and they offer better stability. But the narrower 275s provide a nicer look, are better on the highway, and do a better job when you are towing.
To learn more about these and other differences between these two tire options, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can make a better tire purchasing decision. Wider is not always better.
275 Vs 285 Tires Difference
What is The Difference Between 275 And 285 Tires?
The 275 advantage:
- better on the highway
- does a better job when towing
- is a better daily driving tire
- it doesn’t cost as much as the 285 models
It is said that the 275 helps the engine work better and not as hard. This action in turn helps improve your gas mileage. Plus, the narrower tire gets the power to the road quicker.
Then, they are a quieter tire which helps provide you with better ride comfort. On top of all this, you can save between $100 to $30 per tire depending on the brand you buy.
The 285 advantage:
- thicker side walls which means it is a stronger tire for heavy-duty action
- a deeper tread for better traction
- they just look good on most vehicles
- better stability when you go off-road and a better off-road tire all around
With the wider tire, you get a higher load capacity. That means you can tow heavier or bring more things with you. Then the traction you get with those deeper treads makes your off-road adventures safer and more fun.
In addition to all of that, they are stronger and can take more punishment than the 275s can. A bigger tire may mean you can get rubbing and have problems with the gear ratio but there are solutions for those issues.
275 vs 285 Tire Width
When you see these numbers on the side of your tire, they are usually the first numbers you will see in the code. These numbers are telling you how wide these tires are in millimeters.
To translate those numbers into inches the 275 equals roughly 10.9 inches wide while the 285 equals 11.2 inches wide. That is not a big difference but it is enough to influence wear and tear on your engine, lower your fuel economy, and so on.
Because the 285s are wider, they are also heavier. It takes more work on the engine’s part to get those tires moving and up to speed. You may also lose acceleration when you have the 285s on your wheels.
What you have to watch out for when you want to upgrade to the 285s is the wheel well width. These tires are not made for every vehicle and you may need a lift kit to solve the problem.
Check your wheel well capacity to see if these tires will work for your set-up.
275 vs 285 Tires Mpg
There is going to be a difference in the fuel mileage when you change tires. You should experience fewer mpg when you go from a 275 to a 285. Then you will experience a rise in your mpg when you do the reverse.
However, the difference may only be between 2 and 4 mpg. The heavier the tire, the more work your engine does. The more work your engine does, the more fuel it uses. The more fuel your engine uses, the fewer mpg you will get.
When one owner went from a 265/60/17 to a 265/70/17 tire, he lost 1 mpg. Another owner went from a 265/75/16 to a 285/75/16 he lost between 2 and 4 mpg.
Those figures give you a loos boundary to guide your own measurements. Also, the other factors that reduce mpg will come into play. Those do not change because you changed tires. How you drive, where you drive, how heavy is your load and other factors will influence your overall mpg results.
Can I Use 285 Tires Instead Of 275?
Yes, you can as long as the rim size remains the same. You can’t put a 285/75/17 tire on a 275/75/16 wheel. But that is not going to be your only problem.
Your wheel well size may have a say in if you can use the 285 alternatives over the current 275 tires. If the wheel well is too narrow or too short for the tires, then you have to do some upgrading to the wheel wells.
That upgrade usually involves installing a lift kit to avoid the tire rubbing on the metal. You want to make sure you have the clearance. Sometimes you can get enough clearance if you simply change the lower shock collar.
But clearance is not the only problem you have to deal with when you go to a larger tire. The gear ratio will be affected when you make this change. The gear ratio is determined by the manufacturer for the stock tires they put on the vehicle.
This gear ratio is set to make sure your engine provides the right amount of power without overloading it or damaging your gearbox. When you put a larger tire on without changing the gear ratio, then you will make your engine and transmission work harder than they should.
When you go larger, you need to re-gear the back end to make sure the transmission and engine have the right tools to work properly.
275 vs 285 Tires F150
The advantages listed above for these tires will be the same for this truck. Both are considered to be stock tires for the F150 but which ones you get will depend on the trim and model series.
The Raptor may have the 285/70/17 as a stock tire and the wheel wells are large enough so that there is no rubbing. The 275s and the 285s can be the stock tire for different F 150s if the rim is an 18-inch wheel.
If you go to a 20-inch rim, both tires can be stock but the middle number will be 60 for both. The 18-inch rims require a 65 middle number to be stock.
275 vs 285 Tires Tundra
The 275 is supposed to be stock for this model; series. It is a good tire and provides good stability on both paved and unpaved roads. However, the drawback to the 275s is that they are weaker and more vulnerable to sharp objects than the 285s.
If you want to upgrade to the 285 model you should get a smoother ride in some cases and more traction when you are driving over soft soil or mud. If you experience high winds and you have the 285s on your vehicle, you may not have the stability the 275s bring in this situation.
The 275s should provide better gas mileage.
275 vs 285 Tires Tacoma
The situation here will be the same as it is with the F150 and the advantages of both are described above. Both tires are used as stock tires for this model series and it will depend on the trim you want as to which tire is placed on the wheels.
Because the 275s are slightly smaller than the 285s, you may see the former wear down faster than the latter. It will be a matter of weight for this truck series.
The heavier the tire, the lower the performance and fuel mileage you will get. Which tire you choose will be determined by the roads you drive the most. The 285s are the better off-road tires.
275 70R18 vs 285 65R18
The 285/65R18 tire is going to be approx. a 1/2 inch smaller than the 275/70R18 tire. But the 275 is going to be narrower than the 285 by roughly 1/3 of an inch.
You get more revolutions per mile with the 285 tires than the 275 models- 619 to 608 approx. Then the 285 is also smaller than the 275 in both the circumference and the sidewall height.
Both tires may have an actual speed rating higher than what your speedometer reads. It is not a great variation until you get to about 50 or 55 mph. That is when there will be about 1 mph+ higher actual speed than the speedometer reading.
285 65R18 vs 275 70R18
The experts are saying that while these two tires fit the same rim, they are not interchangeable. They are saying that if you want to make the switch, you have to change all 4 tires and not anything less than that.
Even though the differences are slight, there is enough of a difference to keep you from mixing the tires and using them for your regular driving needs. It is always best to stick with the same tires when you need to make a change.
Your engine will work easier and you should not lose any mpg when you keep the same tires on your vehicle.
275 55R20 vs 285 55R20
The latter tire is going to be bigger, wider, and have a larger circumference as well as sidewall height. This makes the 285 a stronger tire and better for off-road conditions.
You should get better traction with the 285 but also a lower mpg result when you make the switch. Because the 285 are larger, you should check for rubbing and any gear ratio issues before installing them.
The only time the 285 loses to the 275 tires is in revolutions per minute. The totals for both are 624 approx. for the 285 and 632 approx. for the 275. The actual speed for both does not reach 1 mph till roughly 70 mph.
285 60R20 vs 275 60R20
The 285 is going to be the bigger tire in this category as well. This means that everything said earlier about the advantages of both will apply here. You will have a stronger tire if you switch to the 285 models but the 275 tires will bring you better gas mileage.
Again, if you switch from the 275 to the 285 tires, you would have to watch out for rubbing and the gear ratio. Changing the gear ratio for the larger tire is important. That way you do not wear out or damage your engine or transmission faster.
Are 33-Inch Tires The Same as 285?
In some cases, yes they are. It will depend on the middle number as to the height of the tire. For example, a 285/70/17 is a 33-inch tire, as is the 285/65/18.
But when you go to a 285/50/20 tire, then the size drops to 31×11.22. The width remains the same for all three tire options. However, since every tire manufacturer makes its own molds, there is no universal standard for them to follow.
That means that some 285 tires may only be 32.832” but are considered to be a 33-inch tires. It will all depend on who makes the tires. If you want to go to a 33” tire, you may have to lift the wheel wells between 2.5 and 3 inches.
Who Makes The Best 285 & 275 Tires?
Generally, those people who rate the different tire brands and rank them from best to worst use a set of criteria that may or may not be universal. One professional review website uses the following criteria to determine who is number one:
- Consumer Satisfaction- customer experience is a very important factor in who makes the best tire
- Industry Professionals- this is where almost 1000 mechanics and tire professionals got to have a say in what they think is the best tire brand
- Government statistics- this has to do with road safety and durability
- Tire Quality and Engineering- how the tires were made, what engineering was involved as well as tire innovation, and so on
- performance- what were the results of the different tests that monitor the performance of the tires.
Those are the 5 main criteria used to determine the #1 tire and if you haven’t guessed by now, Michelin came out on top as the best brand for tires.
1. Michelin- this has been a top tire-making company for over 100 years. It is also one of the top-selling tires you can buy today. This company also owns BF Goodrich and Uniroyal tires but those tire companies do not focus on the same vehicle aspects as the Michelin tires do.
2. Continental- this company's focus is more on passenger tires but they make a wide range of tires that fit bikes as well as commercial vehicles.
3. Cooper- has a high rating from tire professionals. Their wide tire line-up makes sure you can find one of their tires for any vehicle you may own. Their tires can be fuel efficient or at home when you go off-road.
4. Yokohama- This is a top Japanese tire manufacturer that has spent years upgrading its quality. They have American manufacturing facilities and their tires are popular in the racing community.
5. Goodyear- is another company that has been around for over 100 years. They are a top tire manufacturer and build a wide assortment of tire models. Their products are well known for durability and quality.
6. Bridgestone- the largest tire manufacturer in the world with over 100 different tire models to choose from. They are also the leaders in winter tire innovations that have helped change the way the tire industry makes its winter tires
Of course, your list may be different than this one. Everyone has their preference due to their experience with their local dealers as well as the performance they receive.
Michelin was #1 in the different tire categories except for Best SUV/Crossover tire. It was #2 beaten by Continental. There are tire brands to avoid, and you may see some of those brands mimicking the top brand names:
Chaoyang
Geostar
Triangle
Goodride
Westlake Tires
Accelera
AKS Tires
Compass
Telluride
Unicorn
What may surprise you is that some of these tire brands are not Chinese. At least one is made in Indonesia. Several of these brands fall under the ownership of the Zhongce Rubber Group so be careful when you are shopping for tires.
Some Final Words
The better tire will depend on where you drive and what type of performance you want. The 285 series of tires have its advantages as does the 275 series of tires. It can be a trade-off in many circumstances.
It may boil down to the cost of each tire and if you want to lift your wheel wells at all. Of course, the brand who makes these tires should weigh significantly in your decisions. Some tires are far better than others and you want to avoid the cheaper prices.
