98dango,
I too prefer tall skinny tires around 35-36” range. The best I could find is Super Swamper Q78-16 TSL's. I am on my second set and love them although they are getting harder and harder to find. The last set purchased in 2009 took almost 4 weeks for 4WP to find a set of 4. 2 came from Texas and 2 from Louisiana….bad deal if a catastrophic tire failure occurs on a trip so I started running 315x75R16's for long distance trips. Plus, the Q78 Swampers aren't really a tire one would want to live with on a daily basis or ride very far. Took them on a 1,800 mile trip a few years ago...never again! While they are awesome in the mud and snow and off-road in general, any steering input is only a mere suggestion as to which way you want the truck to turn at highway speeds. Straight line driving they are great, no wondering or anything....curves, not so much. Driving a truck with bias ply Super Swamper TSL's is like having your steering intermediate shaft made of rope instead of steel tubing. Got to winder her up in the corners then it comes unraveled quickly on the rebound. Tire wear, especially with a Detroit rear locker is pretty bad as they are a very soft compound. On the other hand, they handle the load of my camper great! No sway what so ever…..and did I mention they tear up the mud and snow like an animal.
Now on with 9.00-16's. Those will probably even be harder to come by than Q78's. Growing up my dad had an old K20 wrecker that he went back and forth from 9.00-16's to Q78's every few years. The truck wasn't really lifted only add-leafs in the rear and arched front springs. The Q78's are noticeably taller than 9.00-16's. The 9.00-16's my dad always got were bias tube type tires branded Gateway mudder but the tread pattern was the same as a Gumbo Mudder.
255/85R16's are too small. Probably fine for a Toyota or somewhat stock domestic HD truck.
Q78's on my '78 K10. Depending on the destination depends which tires the truck wears out of the home shop.
315/75R16 elcheap Kumho tires. Soon to be replaced with BFG AT's. Much shorter and wider than Q78's. 315 BFG's are a bit taller and skinnier than Kumho's though as Coloradobill and I learned last weekend.
'78 K20 wrecker I inherited when my dad passed away a couple years ago. I remember the day he brought this truck home from the dealership back when it was brand new. I even learned how to drive in this truck. Poor truck hasn't been driven since 1997 when the 427 died. These tires are 9.00-16 with no lift, just slightly arched front springs and a few additional springs added to the rear packs. My Silvy in front is wearing the usual 285's.
Same truck with a different brand of 9.00-16's from the way back file. Circa 1982-1983 at our old Exxon station
255/85R16 on a newer GM truck. I never tried putting these on the '78 K10 but I can tell you the Q78's would not fit this '05 Silverado HD as the tires would not clear the fenders. I tried one day and couldn't even get the tires on the lug nuts before they hit the fender edges. 255's are very small compared to Q78's or even 9.00-16's. 255's are a perfect “big” tire for a Tacoma.
Found this picture while digging up tire pictures. Ah, I loved this day. Big new tires made the shop smell good too!
4 new SS Q78 TSL's fresh off the UPS truck in 2009