Just put 285/75/16 Duratrac's on my 07 today. Replaced the 265's that were on it. Love the look and feel of the Duratrac.

 

This is the MTZ 305 for our trucks. Mickey Thompson 90000001478 Baja Radial MTZ Tire Size LT305/70R16

 

You are correct with stating the obvious LOL! Unfortunately, my budget doesn't have room for buying seperate winter and summer tires. I would consider an AT tire if there were one which had the bold look as well as performance. I've been reading reviews on the Mickey MTZ and Cooper STT and nothing but good reviews from off-roaders as well as daily drivers such as myself. The description states that the tire is great for on-road/off-road but nobody would know better than you all! I found one other tire which is the Mickey ATZ P5 (comes stock on the Rocky Ridge Silverado) but it must be a specialty tire as it's not listed on the Mickey site or anywhere on the net; they only list the ATZ P3.


This is the description of the MTZ (is this accurate or will these wear down fast with daily driving 80%city and 20%highway) I'm already expecting to see a decrease in MPG if I goto the 305's:


Ready to play in the mud or hit the street for a bit of nightlife, the Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ Radial delivers superior performance without sacrificing bold good looks. With an aggressive tread that takes on mud and snow with ease, this tire also provides solid handling and driving confidence. High mileage wear and a smooth ride complete the package the Baja MTZ Radial offers, making it an excellent choice for drivers who like to play hard -- and look good doing it.

 

ATZs are also good tires, just a further compromise away from the MTZ closer to a regular AT tire, they come in 2 types (ATZ and ATZ+ which is more of a street version). The difference is the spacing between the lugs and size of the side biters.

ATZ


ATZ Plus


MTZ

 

pulled the trigger this weekend and bought the Mickey MTZ's. Got them from PepBoys for 260.00 each. I went with the LT305/70R16.

Now I have one other question but don't want it blown out of proportion (it's a lift question):

I know you said they will fit without adjusting the torsions. My question is, If I level the truck by cranking the torsions to 23.5", is it necessary to buy the Bilstein leveling shocks, or can I just purchase the bigger bump stops and keep the stock shocks in place? I went to Monroe to get a price on shocks and he quoted me 780.00 for 4 shocks!

I wanted to crank the torsions prior to getting the alignment and tire installation but worried about the "nosedive" that everyone mentions and how drastic it is...

 

I have been running the OEM shocks for many years with the Hunner 1/2" nut trick and no extended progressive dampeners. Yes, there is some nose dive but it is not Drastic nor Dramatic.

By placing a 1/2" thick nut on the top of the OEM shock and reinstalling it you will gain the 1/2'' and be back in the "sweet spot" of the shock. I only level to 23 1/4" which is almost the same as 23 1/2" everyone recommends.

I now have Pro Comp ES9000s up front (with the Hunner nut trick) and love the ride (Less than $55 per shock):
Front:915580
Rear:924503

 

I got all 4 bilstein 5100's for 300 bucks. I dunno if the price is the same or not but regular price was 400 I think. I went through 4wheelparts.

 

At 23 1/4" I was just barely off the bump stops and didn't notice excessive nose dive like I did at 23 1/2". The stock adventure shocks are my favorite without spending big money on remote reservoir shocks. I have tried the Monroes and they are cushy, too soft in fact.

 

I got the tires put on yesterday. Was going to have them turn the torsion bolts to lift it and do the alignment but they found that I have a right inner tie-rod which is beginning to go bad (of course they tell me this after they have mounted the tires on the truck); My old tires wore evenly all around so I don't think the tie-rod is very bad yet but I'm looking to get it replaced in the next day or so. The Tech was afraid to turn the torsion bolts as he had never done it before (they were gonna do it for free), I even provided him with step-by-step instructions with pics from one of the sticky threads on here. I'll just do it myself right before taking it to get the tierod and alignment done.

Anyway, huge thanks to everyone who chimed in and especially to Tainter and Doc Olds who convinced me to go to 305's! Ride looks much better with the bigger tires and can't wait for some snow; gonna check with some of my co-workers who do off-roading to try it a few times.

 

They do look sweet! Congrats.