Can I buy single tires to replace dual tires?

[davygp38]

In my State, if you have dual tires on your truck, and you have the audacity to have any bed, other than a factory pick up bed, then you are bumped up to commercial truck status, and put in a higher insurance, and registration class. I have seen for a few years now, big trucks that have replaced the dual wheels on their rigs, with single wheels, that are wider, and with a lower profile. Can something like this be done on my F 250. Could you do it in a non dually truck, to increase your load range? Any info would be helpfull

[Mace Canute]

A friend did that with his 1985 one ton Chevy dually. He has really big Dick Cepec tires on the back with custom rims, with 15" or 18" rubber. Fills up the wheelwell just right for looks. The fronts tires are Cepecs too on matching rims, and sized to look right. It was expensive back then, not sure how it would work out today.

As far as increasing your load capacity, nope! That's already set by the existing axle (wheel bearings), springs, brakes etc. The factory tells you what your GVW is and that's what will be used if any question of your truck's GVW is. In fact, you might want to keep an eye on the capacity of the new wheels and tires that you buy to ensure you don't lose capacity, if you decide to go that route.

Any bets how long it will be before the Regs are changes to close the "Single Wheel Loophole"?

[K7LN]

...then you are bumped up to commercial truck status, and put in a higher insurance, and registration class. I have seen for a few years now, big trucks that have replaced the dual wheels on their rigs, with single wheels, that are wider, and with a lower profile. Can something like this be done on my F 250. Could you do it in a non dually truck, to increase your load range?

First, insurance rates tend to be dictated by your VIN number unless you chose to get commercial rates as a business. The VIN is usually the only thing that the insurance companies have to classify your vehicle unless they do a visual inspection. I'm sure there may be exceptions to this practice. Commercial status and registration is set by the DMV.

Second, since you're talking about an F-250, I assume that you want to put on a bigger tire. What comes out of the factory on single wheel trucks with an approximate GVW of 9000 pounds will already have the heaviest tire available. Larger tires like the Cepecs mentioned will almost always be a lighter tire. Quite often they are load range C at 50 psi. The previous posted covered the issue well.

If you're out to change to single wheels, then just change rear rims and tires, but you'll loose capacity. Also, you'll have two different types of rims, and the front hubs will be a different style. The front hubs can usually be replaced easily with the proper parts, but then watch out that the new hub & rim work with the front brakes correctly. In any case, you do lose total capacity on the truck.

[davygp38]

Thanks for the feedback, I am getting the same answers from some of my friends.

[ol'oilburner]

I wasn't aware that Ford ever made an F250 with DRW, I thought you had to move up to an F350 to get the DRW option. I've got a dodge 2500 with the Cummins in it and it came from the factory with E (10ply) tires and I think if I inflated them to where it recommended (80psi), I would exceed the truck's stock suspension capability before I reached the maximum capability of the tires.

[JESSE1]

Ford never made an F-250 dually but they did make a heavy F-350 SRW extended wheelbase pickup back in the '70's. It was the Super Camper Special, 9900# GVW, regular cab, had a 140" wheelbase with 10.00x16.5 front tires and 12.00x16.5 rear tires. I had a new '79 Lariat with a 460, auto and 4.10 axle ratio. Tough truck, about 8 mpg. It was Ford's answer to Chevy's dually pickup. Ford came out with the F-350 dually in '80.

[77bronco]

Go to the Rickson truck website. They sell 19.5 wheels and tires made to fit the bolt pattern of most 3/4 and 1 ton SRW trucks, nice looking, but pricey.

Rickson truck wheels dot com

[FlaDon]

First, insurance rates tend to be dictated by your VIN number unless you chose to get commercial rates as a business. The VIN is usually the only thing that the insurance companies have to classify your vehicle unless they do a visual inspection. I'm sure there may be exceptions to this practice. Commercial status and registration is set by the DMV.

.......

Allstate in Florida will bump you into the commercial insurance at either a 4500/450 with pickup bed or 350/3500 with anything but a pickup bed. All the rest you said is correct.

[davygp38]

I wasn't aware that Ford ever made an F250 with DRW, I thought you had to move up to an F350 to get the DRW option. I've got a dodge 2500 with the Cummins in it and it came from the factory with E (10ply) tires and I think if I inflated them to where it recommended (80psi), I would exceed the truck's stock suspension capability before I reached the maximum capability of the tires.

I never said I had a dual rear wheel F250. I had a Chevy Mason dump, with dual rear wheels, that I sold, because I was paying high insurance due to the dual tires, and dump body making it a commercial truck. I replaced it with the f-250 V10, because it had more power, and with the single rear wheels, my insurance went down etc. What I am looking to do is to see if it is possible to put a rear/tire combo on my truck that approximates the load range of dual tires. I already have 1500# helper springs.

[K7LN]

Allstate in Florida will bump you into the commercial insurance at either a 4500/450 with pickup bed or 350/3500 with anything but a pickup bed. All the rest you said is correct.

The VIN will indicate if its a 350 or 450 and whether it's a pickup style or chassis cab. I'm with Allstate and they draw the line somewhere between 10K and 11K GVW for their home use utility vehicle as they classify pickups. This is a common crossover point for most insurance companies. This way, they'll let you have a dual wheel pickup to tow your 5th wheel travel trailer.