Tire type, rim sizes and such...

[TheMcCalls]

Hey all,

When I bought my truck from a dealership recently, they had already done me the solid of putting a 6" lift, 20" rims, and 35" M/Ts on it.

Thing is, I don't care much about fancy rims or their size, and I think I'd rather have A/T's on it now that I've had some time to drive it. Considering selling my rims and tires to buy some plain looking 17" rims and some AT's.

So my main question is, for off-road driving (and I DON'T mean rock crawling, or sitting around doing high-rpm circles in a mud puddle), is there any advantages/disadvantages to certain rim sizes (I've been told things like a smaller rim makes for a bigger footprint when aired down, etc)?

I suppose ancillary questions could also be 1) M/T vs A/T, 2) should I go up from 35 to 37 in the process, and 3) if I don't care about looks, is a cheap rim ok?

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd, GO!

 

[Truckerbizz]

They way I see it, The smaller rim and bigger the tire, the comfier the ride will be aired down because you have a bigger sidewall to cushion the ride. Also, 17 inch rims will provide more options for tires and itll be less expensive, not sure why that is, but from all the research I have done it seems to be that way.

For tire size, since you're not gunna be rock crawling I'd stick with 35s. Youll get better MPG, they are cheaper and you really wont need the extra size (even thought it would look BADASS) Ive only got an inch of lift in the front of my truck and run 35s, granted I trimmed a fair bit of the fender liner, but the 35s will fill the wheel well up better than 33s.

In respect to the "cheap Rims" I always think you get what you pay for so if I'm gunna spend a lot of money I'd rather buy once and cry once. But its really up to you on the rims and your preferences.

The MT/AT tire has been a debate for everyone I think haha. Most people could get along just fine with ATs but damn do the MTs look good! If youre not gunna be going through a thick mud bog Id say go with AT's. I have 35" MTs on my truck and after they wear down my next set will be the AT KO2's or Duratracs. With the ATs youll get better MPG, you wont get the vibration from the lugs hitting when you're going 20-35 mph, they will last longer due to the tighter lug patterns, less road noise and they have better traction in the wet/icy stuff because they have more siping than MT tires do.

 

[boehml]

I have ran a 15" wheel and a 17" wheel on my Jeep Wrangler. Now, depending on the weight of your rig the load rating is going to make more of a difference in ride than a wheel size will. On a 15" wheel you will experience more "body roll" (for lack of a better term) during day to day driving because of the increased sidewall (this is also dependent on what PSI you run too), whereas on a 17" it will feel a bit more stable. Personally, 17" wheels provide more benefit but are also more costly. When I swapped over to 17" I even noticed better fuel mileage (by an extra 80km!). As for cheap wheels, I second Truckerbizz and the same goes for every other product you'll buy - buy the best quality you can reasonably afford.

Now, tire size. A 37" tire can add a lot of stress onto steering components, axles, brakes and suspension. Depending on how heavy duty those parts are will determine whether or not you should jump up tire sizes. For example, if you had Dana 60's front and rear you would be much more inclined to run a 37" tire than if you had a Dana 30 and 44. I'm not familiar with Dodge Rams, so you'd have to do some searches.

Lastly, with your requirements for offroading an AT would fit perfectly, something like a BFG KO2 or Duratrac (my vote goes to the KO2). It was said already, but the AT's will give you better MPG, ride better and be less noisy.

On a side note, If you can manage with less amount of lift, I would.. The lower your center of gravity is, the better in my opinion.

 

[TheMcCalls]

Great info, thanks guys!

So far, I think it's gonna be 17" rims (not sure which brand yet), staying with 35" tires, and moving to A/T.

While I DO love the look of the M/Ts, I'm trying to make decisions based on functionality as opposed to aesthetics. This IS my daily driver, and although the ECO feature on the Hemi is nice and all, I'm still sitting at about 13mpg in the city. I could use some help with that.

As for tires, I'm considering these, these or these. Not sure yet.

@boehml I hear ya on the lift thing, but the dealership put this on my truck before I bought it, so I'm probably gonna leave it as is for now until my wallet recovers.... lol

 

[TheMcCalls]

Actually, after reading more on the Fabtec lift I have, "55. Must use 18" wheels or larger."

Any idea why that would be the case?

Guess it's stick with the rims I have, change to A/T's, and call it good for now.

 

[The other Sean]

Turn your wheels lock to lock and see if anything suspension wise gets in the way of the lip of the wheel on the inside. Not being familiar with Rams or their lift kits, you never know where a tie rod, sway bar or control arm gets in the way as you turn the wheels left to right. What size wheels did your truck come with stock? Also look at the space from your brake calipers to the inside of the wheels. I know my Friend's last two Rams (4WD 1/2 tons) came with 20" wheels, so one would assume the brakes were sized to fit within those confines. The comment from the lift company may be related to guys wanting to do as you want and go with smaller wheels based on tire preferences.

 

[TheMcCalls]

Turn your wheels lock to lock and see if anything suspension wise gets in the way of the lip of the wheel on the inside. Not being familiar with Rams or their lift kits, you never know where a tie rod, sway bar or control arm gets in the way as you turn the wheels left to right. What size wheels did your truck come with stock? Also look at the space from your brake calipers to the inside of the wheels. I know my Friend's last two Rams (4WD 1/2 tons) came with 20" wheels, so one would assume the brakes were sized to fit within those confines. The comment from the lift company may be related to guys wanting to do as you want and go with smaller wheels based on tire preferences.

To my knowledge, the truck came with 17's stock. When I bought it used a few months ago, they had put 20's.

When I called Fabtec just now, they said something about smaller rims not clearing certain suspension components? This is where a lack of basic knowledge really works against me, since I can't picture what they're talking about, but I guess I have to take their word on it! LOL

 

[Truckerbizz]

the reason why you need the 18"+ is because you have new spindles. the stock spindles can clear smaller rims but your new ones are beefier and with the brake caliper you need to have a larger rim. Let me know if you have any other suspension questions, I have had to rebuild the front end of my truck twice now and feel fairly confident with it

Also that lift you have is super nice quality. Fabtech is great and I'm sure it rides so well.

What tires are you thinking about getting, your links above didnt work.

 

[TheMcCalls]

the reason why you need the 18"+ is because you have new spindles. the stock spindles can clear smaller rims but your new ones are beefier and with the brake caliper you need to have a larger rim. Let me know if you have any other suspension questions, I have had to rebuild the front end of my truck twice now and feel fairly confident with it

Also that lift you have is super nice quality. Fabtech is great and I'm sure it rides so well.

What tires are you thinking about getting, your links above didnt work.

Ahhh, ok, gotcha.

Weird, they all still work on this end. Let's try it like this:
http://beta.discounttire.com/en/buy-tires/general-grabber/p/32833
http://beta.discounttire.com/en/buy-tires/cooper-discoverer-st/p/27402
http://beta.discounttire.com/en/buy-tires/bfgoodrich-all-terrain-t-a-ko2/p/29044

 

[Truckerbizz]

So strange, it still says request rejected when I click it. But from what I can tell it looks like you're interested in the general grabber AT2? and the Cooper St and the TA KO2. For my money, I'd go with the KO2s. The general grabbers are alright (the first few seasons of Expedition Overland use them) but The KO2s will last longer, are a stronger tire and will be better in snow/mud, also it has bigger lugs on the side wall for when you are aired down (and itll also help in the deep snow). For the Coopers, check out the ST Maxx, its more like a hybrid MT/AT tire that is much stronger than the Duratracs (3 ply instead of 2 ply)

 

[hardtrailz]

Doubt you gain much with the change from 20 to 18s. Right now you already have the 20s, so unless you think you can sell them for more than the 18s I would seriously consider keeping them. Plus it seems 20 is a more common size than 18 if you need a spare at some point 500 miles form home. I would look at some of the Copper as mentioned. Great crossover AT/MT and tough and long lasting.

 

[TheMcCalls]

So strange, it still says request rejected when I click it. But from what I can tell it looks like you're interested in the general grabber AT2? and the Cooper St and the TA KO2. For my money, I'd go with the KO2s. The general grabbers are alright (the first few seasons of Expedition Overland use them) but The KO2s will last longer, are a stronger tire and will be better in snow/mud, also it has bigger lugs on the side wall for when you are aired down (and itll also help in the deep snow). For the Coopers, check out the ST Maxx, its more like a hybrid MT/AT tire that is much stronger than the Duratracs (3 ply instead of 2 ply)

Weird, no clue why it's not loading for ya, but yeah!

My buddy runs the ST Maxx's and swears by them.

I gotta get these tires that I have on the market and see what I can get for 'em, then I guess I'll choose... hehe

 

[TheMcCalls]

Doubt you gain much with the change from 20 to 18s. Right now you already have the 20s, so unless you think you can sell them for more than the 18s I would seriously consider keeping them. Plus it seems 20 is a more common size than 18 if you need a spare at some point 500 miles form home. I would look at some of the Copper as mentioned. Great crossover AT/MT and tough and long lasting.

My thoughts exactly - staying with these rims for sure!

 

[boehml]

If you do decide to change, I vote for the KO2's, but they do run small. If I went to KO2's I would get them in 37 which really ends up being a true 35". My current 35" MTR/K's come in at 34.5 mounted under weight, so not that big of a difference.

 

[TheMcCalls]

Actually considering this wheel/tire combo a buddy found:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18x8-5-Machined-Black-Valor-5x5-5-5x150-18-Wheels-Discoverer-STT-Pro-Tires-/351904744805?fits=Section Width:305|Aspect Ratio:70|Rim Diameter:18&hash=item51ef284565:g:N34AAOSw44BYKOg5&vxp=mtr

thoughts?

 

[hardtrailz]

That is a sweet lil combo right there.

 

[TheMcCalls]

That is a sweet lil combo right there.

I'm thinkin' so too... gonna shop around for more sets like this and see what's out there, but this seems to be a strong contender.

 

[Truckerbizz]

The only thing is that the STT Pros are a MT and not an AT

 

[TheMcCalls]

The only thing is that the STT Pros are a MT and not an AT

Yeah, I actually just saw that a few minutes ago. Gonna keep searching for sets like this. Hopefully I can find something.

 

[hardtrailz]

I have the best luck on discount tire direct due to them: coming mounted and balanced, shipping for free, and offering huge sales/discounts around the holidays. Esp if you use their credit card and then just pay it at first bill. No interest and bigger money back typically.

I know they carry a few AT tires that would suit you and they have all sorts of wheels. I have bought near a dozen sets for me and family in past coule years