ok, i have an 06 S model, and here's some things you need to know:

no offroading...at all!
some highway driving, like 35-40% of my miles
mostly in town driving

pretty soon it'll be like 90% in-town driving.

i want to upgrade in size mainly, but don't want to have to lift my X or do any suspension work to make them fit right.

i'm also wanting a more rugged tire look, but not a 100% offroad tire obviously.

i need some suggestions/pictures. i'm new to the whole "bigger tire" thing, as i've only had a car with 18's and low profile tires before this Xterra.

thanks for any help guys!

I've heard its possible to stuff a 33 in a stock 2nd gen.

You want a 285/75/16 sized tire. either a BFG AT ko, or a Bridgestone REVO AT.

That gives you an aggressive look, while also getting better than stock ride/handling, and amazing snow performance.

The ko looks more aggressive, and is better in deeper snow, the REVO is less aggressive, and is better in lighter snow...and the REVO is slightly better in handling/rain...but not much....the ko lasts around 75k, the REVO around 45k, so beteeen the two, there's no wrong answer...just pick your priorities.

Did someone say Thornbirds?

Right on! The choice of tuff-guy pavement princesses everywhere. Aggressive good looks w/ lugs hanging off the side and zero offroad performance.

yeah...b/c it definately doesn't snow around here...EVER

i'll look into those thornbirds and the BFG AT KO's

thanks guys keep the suggestions coming!

ok, i like the size 285/75's for sure

http://www.trailquest.com/tires/ss_thornbird.shtml

i went there but how do i read that chart? or simply...which one is the size i want? 285/75?

haha, i think they were joking with the thornbirds....

but that link you have, there isn't a 285/75R16 on that site. there IS a 255/85 which is a skinny 33, which some others have put on and look fine.

give some real thought to a 265/75R16 in a REVO or something...if you aren't going off-road at all, even a BFG AT is alittle overkill

yeah..

NO offroad
NO snow
No sleet

i live in SC..so rain is about is bad as it gets around here..

Don't get skinnier than 285.

The flotation off road, and lateral acelleration/braking On Road, suck with skinny tread.

I threw on the Bridgestone Revo ATs this past fall and have been thoroughly impressed! Quiet on the road, awesome in the snow and ice we have had in Vancouver this winter, and fabulous in the rain and we get enough to have small rivers running down the sloped roads. I put the 30 x 9.5" ones on as my X is at stock ride height. I put them to the test several times in some light off-roading and moderate hill climbing! Blown away by the performance. I am a noob at this stuff, but I would highly recommend these tires if you don't intend on doing anything serious and just want a reliable tire for any weather that comes your way!

Holy crap, that's funny. I've seen BFG's with 40K and they were bald as sh1t. I think both tires last long, but I've never heard that BFG ATs last for 75k and still have decent tread. Sorry, but not on this planet!

Why would anybody running an All-Terrain run them bald, anyway? They start to suck offroad once they hit 50% tread. I usually replace tires every 30k if my front end is doing well and 20k if it's messed up (i.e. Xterra with loose steering ).

...

I recommend Toyo Open Country AT as a sensible alternative that is cheaper than both of those with excellent performance.

Jeff,

If you're driving ON ROAD mostly the AT/KO will last that long, trust me I got 65k out of mine before I sold them with about another 10k left on them. That was with half a season of wheeling on them...

If you drive like a yahoo in a 4000# truck, or said 4000# truck has loose steering, or said truck spends more time off road than on, then your tires won't last long (regardless of brand and whether or not they are "Jeff approved")

Yeah, yeah, yeah....

Michelin LTX/MS

The Michelin LTX's are decent tires with a smooth ride. I know they are rated fairly high in snow traction on Tire Rack, but I felt they weren't as good as Dueler AT's(non-Revo).

When I had my Pathy- I first bought a set of Non-Revo Duelers, and thought they were the SHEEEET. They were great in snow and gave me all the confidence I needed in winter driving(I have a 3 mile downhill ride that is steep and windy and not plowed that great).

I wanted another set, but could get LTX's cheaper than even non-Revo's, so it was LTX's. Granted they aren't the same type of tire(AT vs Highway tread), but the LTX's were a happy balance.

Chris

Sorry I'd have to disagree with that. I'd go with 255/85/16 instead of 285/75/16 anytime.

Narrower gives you more pressure and less hydroplanning, which are things you want if it rains a lot (and heavily) like in the South.

BlakeHasAnXterra:
You'll find people VERY passionate about sizes AND models, so don't listen to them. Just get the Thornbirds in 255/85/16 and voila!

:p

TJ: No offense meant. Your technical comments are always appreciated.