98 1500 Z71 Tires Size

Hi everyone,
Looking for some thoughts on what size of Rubber will fit under my truck.
Stock 1500 Z71 with stock 16X7.0 rims.  
I’m thinking of 305/70/16’s.  Will these fits?  I don’t mind cranking my torsion bars a little and was considering using wheel spacers.  Please send me your thoughts or concerns.  Thanks everyone.  

my friend has a 96 and he needed two iche of lift to fit 305 you can squeeze 285 75 r 16s  

285 is about the max you are going to fit.  
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Looks like I will be going with 285/75/16's.

I was thinking about Toyo open country M/T's.
What are your thoughts on these.  Good Bad Ugly.  Is there something better out there.  I'm not a hard core off roader but I do like to play in the Mud.  Suggestions please.
Thanks  

They don't last very long. Go with the BF Goodrich KM2s or even the Cooper STTs.  

Why is everyone so anxious to make their trucks SLOWER and more slug like? They talk about biggest tires they can fit but never talk about re-gearing too. Bizarre!  

Notice I never recommended a size? If you don't want to lift it, why not put a better tire than a factory tire on the truck. But then again, why go out muddin in a stock truck. Getting stuck in a stocker is boring. As a daily driver, maybe a 265 85 16 but thats a stock size too. I can see if the truck has an OD and 4.10s with the 255/85/16 or the 285/75/16. They are only about 33.3" tall and a light weight tire. Again that's the "magic" ratio these days.  

You will laugh but for many years I ran 31's on my 89 burb a few months after it was new. Never was crazy about the way it performed in OD with 31's and 3.73 gears so I finally went back to stock tire size. I would have ordered truck with 4.10's if it was possible as I think that would have worked well with 31's on that truck.  

I agree. When I had my Blazer with the 700 and 4.88s with 35s I loved the way it worked so well. Alot of my friends back then thought it was way too low and again that magical ratio came up and thats what most guys used.
So give me a ratio what you would prefer for my 74 with TH400/208 37s? I just put 4.56 in it and that helped it off the line but it seems to wind up quick. I'm thinking I might try a 700 with 5.13s but not sure. Right now its just my DD until I can finish the 91 in a few weeks.  

I would try 5.38's with a 700R4. It would take off like a rocket (one because of 5.38's and two because of 700R4 22% deeper first gear) and cruise at a much lower RPM on the road than now. Your THM400 has no locking converter so at 65 it should be around 2800 to 2900 RPM at 65MPH.(a bit more than numbers suggest because of converter slippage). With 5.38's and a 700R4 it would cruise at about 2200 RPM. (how do you like those numbers?)  

Well its all good but here's the entire deal.... I'm not going to be driving it on road at all when I get the SAS installed in my 91. I just want to be getting all the parts ready to install on my 74 when its time. As for the 700, I know the goods and bads about them I know how to scatter one or two also.
So whats your opinion on the 4L80E with the gear reduction unit installed to lower the 1-2 gear? Would that be a route for me to go. Money isn't an issue, I know they are expensive. I just never done any research on them. I plan on installing the 502HT motor from GMPP. I would like someone to build a 700 that will hold up to that. I don't see it happening. I'm old school and like the TH400. Its the only thing that I've never had a single problem with. I've gone the 700 route before with the proper ratios according to tire size and I tend to burn the reaction carrier out of them and explode the planetaries. What's your combo for this project, Sno? I appreciate the suggestions.  

I have heard bad rumors about gear reducing 1st and 2nd on a 4L80. The tranny does not calibrate/shift right afterwards. I would use a built 700R4 before I did this. A properly built 700R4 can handle 700 HP and 700FT lbs of torque.  

Thanks for the info. I don't know many that have done that reduction gearing so I don't know much about it. Its just a thought. Guess I can start the build-up on a 700. $ $ $