So we have had my wifes H3 for a while now and its time for tires. She has a 08 H3 Alpha and it came with 265/65/16 tires on it stock. I have been reading and would like to know what is the largest tire size I can put on her H3 after a torsion bar crank up to level it up. From reading it looks like the 285/75/16 would be the best choice. Can someone please confirm this for a newbie?

 

the largest you can fit is 315/75/16

 

Staggs is correct.

You can put 35" (315/75/16) tires on an H3 even without the Torsion bar adjustment.

33" tires are also popular in 285/75/16 & 305/70/16 size.
305/70/16 is as wide as a 315 but 33" like a 285.

 

I just pulled the trigger on a set of 305's last night. Here's a couple thoughts and considerations that fueled my decision:

-Anytime you add tire weight or tire diameter, performance will suffer. With your Alpha it isn't as pronounced, but it still occurs.

-Anytime you add tire weight and diameter, it increases wear and tear on the braking, steering, and suspension components. The steering rack on the H3 is one of it's weaker links. It is known to fail prematurely when guiding much heavier 35" tires. Actually it can fail with even with the stock 285's, but the much heavier 35's seem to greatly speed up the process.
That being said, plenty of folks run the 35's, so if you aren't going to be offroading a ton, the wear issues won't be as pronounced. Not trying to steer you away from them, just throwing out some thoughts.

- Whatever size you choose, I'd shop for a D/8-ply rated rather than an E/10 ply rated.
Going from either a factory P-metric or C/6-ply tire to an E/10 ply, ride quality will suffer. E-rated tires are designed for the weight of full-size trucks and thus ride harsh on a mid-sized SUV.
The factory C-rated Bridgestone 285's are no longer available.

I chose a D-rated. Plenty strong, lighter weight, more compliant ride.

Many options are available in D-rated 285's, 305's, and 315's.

-Another important consideration is tire pressure. If you air up the tire to the sidewall pressure, the H3 will ride like a grain cart. You can run lighter pressures and still get even tire wear. Doing a tire wear chalk test can help to find the correct psi. As an example, on my Jeep TJ with 285's, I ran 28 psi and had a compliant ride and even tire wear. I had over 50k miles on the tires with usable tread remaining when I sold it. Obviously you'll want to run a bit more psi on the heavier H3, but nowhere near the max sidewall pressure that some tire shops would have you believe.

I can post up a pic of my rig with the new shoes for reference if you'd like, or do a search for Doc's rig, as the stance of his H3 is what convinced me to look further at the 305's.

Hope this helps, and happy tire shopping!

 

I went from the stock 265's to 305 Duratracs on my Alpha. Set me back 1 mile per gallon, but it was the best mod I've done in terms of how it makes the 3 look. HUGE improvement!

 

We went with 285 Duratracs on the wife's truck. Even though they're still only the larger stock size, she got lots of compliments on the tires.

If you are only driving on road and want the very best ride quality instead, stick with 265's.

 

Thanks for the replies. You all have given me alot to consider. I think because the wifes hummer is our family vehical, for now I am going to go with the 285's. It will be a upgrade from the 265's that came on it. I am looking forward to the day when she is done with the Alpha and I will get to play!

 

When it came time for new rubber on my rig I went with DICK CEPEK F-C II...285's. looking back I wish I went a size or two bigger. I was to cheap to pay the extra $300 for the 315's. make sure you get the tires you really want cuz you'll regret it if you don't .