Eliminating spare tires

[JDgreen227]

You are right. My F350 SRW diesel 4x4 has the high 11,500# gvwr package. No way a small tire and wheel combo is going to do that. There is a reason it has 18" wheels.

Chris

What load range and psi are required to get that gvwr?

 

[Diamondpilot]

What load range and psi are required to get that gvwr?

I think they are E and 80 psi. I am out of town right now and can not check.

Chris

 

[JDgreen227]

I think they are E and 80 psi. I am out of town right now and can not check.

Chris

Chris, not trying to bash those who actually NEED larger tires and rims to carry a payload in their truck, but the vast majority of GM and Ford and Dodge half-tons I see with 20" tires have an empty cargo bed. My GMC is fitted with LT245/75R16's, load range E, and are rated for 3042 pounds per tire @ 80 psi. Nobody with a half-ton is going to NEED anything larger than a 16 inch...20" rims and tires are strictly for appearance.

Just looked up the specs for my GMC...it, along with the C-K 2500 series pickups built on the same chassis in Y2K, have a 8600 pound GVWR. This means the OEM tires have well over 3500 pounds of load carrying capacity in excess of the GVWR when inflated to 80 psi.

 

[cmore]

Chris, not trying to bash those who actually NEED larger tires and rims to carry a payload in their truck, but the vast majority of GM and Ford and Dodge half-tons I see with 20" tires have an empty cargo bed. My GMC is fitted with LT245/75R16's, load range E, and are rated for 3042 pounds per tire @ 80 psi. Nobody with a half-ton is going to NEED anything larger than a 16 inch...20" rims and tires are strictly for appearance.

:thumbsup:

 

[mikehaugen]

large rim/ low profile tires have a place on the racetrack. The lower profile tire provides much less side flex and offers better handling (though with a loss in ride quality)- I guess the same could be technically true on a truck. That said however, I have a 2500 ram with 285/75r16 and have hauled upwards of 5k in the bed (probably not the best idea, but wasn't far) and have towed probably around 12k and have never felt my tires were an issue. This however was when I used to have firestone steeltex tires load range e and those were phenomenal tires. Wish they still made them. The last set of tires I had and the current ones I have do feel much more squishy and squirrely. So I don't think the 20's are a necessity just for weight handling alone- load range and proper inflation are more important.

I do also see the other argument about the bigger brakes. I don't care what anyone says or thinks... bigger brakes are better brakes. So if they are putting bigger rims on to enable the use of bigger brakes then I am all for it.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I guess at the end of the day i am a appearance guy. We are looking to trade in our BMW335I for a Ford Edge. The sport package with the 22" wheels make that car, without the 22's it looks just like everything else on the road.

Chris

 

[JDgreen227]

large rim/ low profile tires have a place on the racetrack. The lower profile tire provides much less side flex and offers better handling (though with a loss in ride quality)- I guess the same could be technically true on a truck. That said however, I have a 2500 ram with 285/75r16 and have hauled upwards of 5k in the bed (probably not the best idea, but wasn't far) and have towed probably around 12k and have never felt my tires were an issue. This however was when I used to have firestone steeltex tires load range e and those were phenomenal tires. Wish they still made them. The last set of tires I had and the current ones I have do feel much more squishy and squirrely. So I don't think the 20's are a necessity just for weight handling alone- load range and proper inflation are more important.

I do also see the other argument about the bigger brakes. I don't care what anyone says or thinks... bigger brakes are better brakes. So if they are putting bigger rims on to enable the use of bigger brakes then I am all for it.

My GMC still has the OEM Firestone Steeltexes and at 42,000 miles they still have half the usable tread left, my only gripe is they have limited traction in snow but for an all-season tread that can be expected.

Yeah, Chris...I agree with the point about bigger rims and tires looking great...the 16 inchers on my GMC look really lost in the fenderwells....like somebody put a lift kit on and ran out of $$ to upsize the rubber and rims.

 

[brin]

All according to what you want to spend your money on....doesn't it ?

 

[oldyellr]

Bigger wheels and tires give bettrr final drive ratios and help mpg ratings. They alsp add ground clrarance but do cost. You pay to play.

Smallest wheel I have in my fleet is 17"

Chris

The transmission and/or the differential is what is used to set the final drive ration. Wheel diameter is just a part of the equation and not the determining factor. Those giant "hoops" are to impress people who like that stuff, that's all.

Bigger wheels also allow more room for bigger brakes.

But that's not the reason they have them on luxury poseur SUVs. That's only on performance and sports cars that actually get the big brakes.

 

[Ken45101]

Chris, not trying to bash those who actually NEED larger tires and rims to carry a payload in their truck, but the vast majority of GM and Ford and Dodge half-tons I see with 20" tires have an empty cargo bed. My GMC is fitted with LT245/75R16's, load range E, and are rated for 3042 pounds per tire @ 80 psi. Nobody with a half-ton is going to NEED anything larger than a 16 inch...20" rims and tires are strictly for appearance.

I am not quite sure what you are trying to say. Our C3500 (dually) is not far from the max load rating on the front tires when empty. That engine is heavy!

We had a 3/4 ton (F250 SD) and it wasn't enough rear axle capacity for our horse camper, we had to go to a dually to safely handle it. The 3/4 ton was 300# over the rated rear axle weight without horses or water.

Ken