Best Tires for (2022) Ram 1500 Limited w/Night Edition (mostly highway driving)

[HeavyRotation]

And I think 22s on a truck look utterly ridiculous - especially a 4x4 - unless it’s a Matchbox car. It appears we each have our own definition and limits on what we consider to be ridiculous. Not to argue…

I put some giant chrome 22s that my buddy didn't want on my 05 2500 for a while, they had metric 325 width 50 series on them, looked like a long bed skateboard. They absolutely destroyed the ride quality, steering, braking and made the truck feel a lot slower (100lbs of unsprung inertia each). Happily went back to my stock aluminum 17s when I sold those. 22s look great on a lowered street truck, but can you even rally those things on a big round rock gravel bar without rashing the hell out of them?

 

[AngelPhoenix]

I put some giant chrome 22s that my buddy didn't want on my 05 2500 for a while, they had metric 325 width 50 series on them, looked like a long bed skateboard. They absolutely destroyed the ride quality, steering, braking and made the truck feel a lot slower (100lbs of unsprung inertia each). Happily went back to my stock aluminum 17s when I sold those. 22s look great on a lowered street truck, but can you even rally those things on a big round rock gravel bar without rashing the hell out of them?

I'm like 80% highway driving, 10% city, 10% off-road, but for sure, if I was going off-road on a weekly or even monthly basis, I wouldn't want them. Or if I didn't have air suspension.

Gonna get some light AT tires (Cooper AT3 4s, Continental Terraincontact A/T, Firestone Destination AT2, etc.) for better traction and a tougher sidewall and let the air sus/ride height settings do their thing.

 

[Maxx]

Is there a big difference between the Defender 285/45R22/XL 114H BSW tire and 285/45R22, 110H rated Other than the load rating of 2337Lbs.tread wear vs. 2600 lbs. & tread rating? My local tire shop can get the non XL tire, can’t find the XL tire.

Thx

 

[sessman]

Is there a big difference between the Defender 285/45R22/XL 114H BSW tire and 285/45R22, 110H rated Other than the load rating of 2337Lbs.tread wear vs. 2600 lbs. & tread rating? My local tire shop can get the non XL tire, can’t find the XL tire.

Thx

Do you have pictures of the XL on a RAM? Does the XL just mean it has a larger side wall or?

 

[AngelPhoenix]

Do you have pictures of the XL on a RAM? Does the XL just mean it has a larger side wall or?

Means higher load capacity afaik. Could mean it has a thicker/stronger sidewall, but not necessarily larger.

 

[TX_JDubya]

Do you have pictures of the XL on a RAM? Does the XL just mean it has a larger side wall or?

It all has to do with the internal structure of the tire to handle heavier loads. Inherently their is a gain in stability and longevity over an SL rated tire which has benefits as well.

Here is a good writeup that explains it fairly well.

Standard Load (SL) vs Extra Load (XL) Tires

When it comes to passenger tires, there are two types of load capacities to consider: Standard Load (SL) and Extra Load (XL). (Technically, there’s also Light Load but they’re highly uncommon and pretty specific, so we won’t get into it). Th

www.prioritytire.com

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[TX_JDubya]

They likely use a XL rated tire due to the lower profile tire on the 22"rims to get better wear and to be able to handle the higher pin weights when towing 11k+ with the 3.92.

Standard load tires would not likely provide a appropriate safety margin for the safety engineers comfort level when towing at max capacity on these trucks.

The rear axel capacity (GAWR) of the DT trucks (New body ram 1500) is 4100 lbs. This is for all configurations.

A SL tires is rated for 2337 lbs. Which means it provides a 14% margin above the max rated axle load (x2 =4674 or 114% of the GAWR)

A XL tire is rated for 2640 lbs which means it provides a 28% margin above the max rated load (x2 =5280 or 128% of the GAWR)

There is a reason (most likely stability and safety) they specifically called for XL tires. It's not just snake oil folks.

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[Maxx]

The Eagle Touring OE tires I’m replacing is 285/45R22 114H XL. On 2020 Limited 4x4. I was having trouble finding the Michelin Defender LTX M/S in the XL. The replies above are on point.

 

[TX_JDubya]

The Eagle Touring OE tires I’m replacing is 285/45R22 114H XL. On 2020 Limited 4x4. I was having trouble finding the Michelin Defender LTX M/S in the XL. The replies above are on point.

Discountiredirect.com has that exact tire foe $299.

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/buy-tires/michelin-defender-ltx-m-s

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[Maxx]

Discountiredirect.com has that exact tire foe $299.

https://www.discounttiredirect.com/buy-tires/michelin-defender-ltx-m-s

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Yes they do $300 a tire, found them locally for less after looking around.

 

[AngelPhoenix]

Bumping this thread real quick.

Gonna go with the Defenders (LTX M/S XL). Been researching for weeks and the combination of tread wear/warranty, rain and snow traction, highway comfort, towing stability, looks, and price is just the best.

I had started another thread to try and get some clarity on "E" rated tires and they honestly seem like way overkill for someone only doing occasional towing of a sub-6500 lbs trailer. However, from everything I've read, the Defenders do really well for a P/XL-rated tire with towing, better than most others with the same load rating. So that pretty much sealed the deal for me.

 

[AngelPhoenix]

My final conundrum is whether I want to get the 305/45r22 version (instead of the 285's). Apparently they're only .71 inches larger in diameter, so I don't think I would have any rubbing issues, and I would get a bit more sidewall height and load capacity.

 

[Glarensen]

My final conundrum is whether I want to get the 305/45r22 version (instead of the 285's). Apparently they're only .71 inches larger in diameter, so I don't think I would have any rubbing issues, and I would get a bit more sidewall height and load capacity.

We’re you able to find 305/45r22? Doesn’t list this size in options

 

[AngelPhoenix]

We’re you able to find 305/45r22? Doesn’t list this size in options

I saw them listed on Sam's club and a few other places. I'm probably gonna stick with the 285's though. Wanted to get them this month (with the dealer buy 3 get 1 for $1 deal) but timing hasn't worked out. The OE Pirelli's are pretty good actually, surprised at how comfortable and solid they are overall. Must be the extra reinforcement they had to do to make them XL. Hopefully they will be decent in the snow.

 

[Klips_USA]

Michelin Defenders!

I swapped the cheapo Nexans on my 2021 Ram two weeks ago to Michelin’s Defenders. I took it to Discount Tire with a mere 300 miles on it where they gave me $300 trade value and the out the door cost on a new set of Michelin’s was only $591 including tax with another $30 off in the form of a rebate since I used my Discount Tire card.

How did you get them to offer a trade? Doesn’t seem like something they’d want to do.

 

[NorthStar]

How did you get them to offer a trade? Doesn’t seem like something they’d want to do.

I've done it for years with Discount Tire. If you have a current year model with super low miles (like you just purchased it and it has under 1000 miles), then you simply ask if they would be willing to trade. They'll give you a verbal prices, haggle over it as you might get another $50 or $100...and then make the deal. They take the value of the trade off the new tires and you're set. Keep in mind they have folks who come in looking for a set and may not be able to afford a new set of Michelins but could afford a near new set of Nexans...they make money when they sell it and I didn't have to drag them home knowing I had to hassle with listing/selling them online.

 

[Biga]

I've done it for years with Discount Tire. If you have a current year model with super low miles (like you just purchased it and it has under 1000 miles), then you simply ask if they would be willing to trade. They'll give you a verbal prices, haggle over it as you might get another $50 or $100...and then make the deal. They take the value of the trade off the new tires and you're set. Keep in mind they have folks who come in looking for a set and may not be able to afford a new set of Michelins but could afford a near new set of Nexans...they make money when they sell it and I didn't have to drag them home knowing I had to hassle with listing/selling them online.

Discount Tire gave me $20 a piece for my Nexan's that were about 2/3 worn out.

 

[Bpebler]

I’m surprised there’s no love for the Grabber ATX. I had them on my Silverado before trading in for my Ram with the Goodyears. Put Michelin Defenders on & really like them but the Grabber’s seemed to have cornered better, done very well in inclement weather as the Michelins do, & I got 85k out of them. I have another Ram on order but might go the Grabber route this time. Have some thinking to do.

 

[Alex25spanka]

You seem to be mainly concerned with the sidewall height. The sidewall height for the 3 tire sizes you mention (285/45R22, 275/50R22 & 305/40R22) are 5.05", 5.41" & 4.8", so at best you could increase the sidewall by 0.36" with the 275.

Downsizing the wheel to 20" would allow you to increase the sidewall by almost an inch - for example a 275/55R20 has a 5.95" sidewall. This is what I did with my 2021 Limited, before and after pics attached to show what 0.9" more sidewall looks like (1st pic is the 20" wheel) Obviously this requires a purchase of wheels but I figured do it now to get my money's worth.

We run Michelin Defenders on my wife's SUV. They are a great all-season tire with really good snow and rain performance but by design will be a narrower, less aggressive tire. An AT tire looks more aggressive but many perform relatively poorly on rain, snow and ice. Unfortunately the selection of AT tires for 22" wheels is more limited, and none had the snow performance I needed which factored heavily into my decision to go to a 20" wheel.

Just some additional thoughts.....

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Hey I love your current set up. I have a 2019 limited and mostly drive in city/highway. What brand wheels and tires are you running? Also, is the ride quality the same, better, or worse?

 

[Alex25spanka]

You seem to be mainly concerned with the sidewall height. The sidewall height for the 3 tire sizes you mention (285/45R22, 275/50R22 & 305/40R22) are 5.05", 5.41" & 4.8", so at best you could increase the sidewall by 0.36" with the 275.

Downsizing the wheel to 20" would allow you to increase the sidewall by almost an inch - for example a 275/55R20 has a 5.95" sidewall. This is what I did with my 2021 Limited, before and after pics attached to show what 0.9" more sidewall looks like (1st pic is the 20" wheel) Obviously this requires a purchase of wheels but I figured do it now to get my money's worth.

We run Michelin Defenders on my wife's SUV. They are a great all-season tire with really good snow and rain performance but by design will be a narrower, less aggressive tire. An AT tire looks more aggressive but many perform relatively poorly on rain, snow and ice. Unfortunately the selection of AT tires for 22" wheels is more limited, and none had the snow performance I needed which factored heavily into my decision to go to a 20" wheel.

Just some additional thoughts.....

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Hey which brand tires and wheels are you running?