Tires, lift, etc. for dually work truck

[newbury]

After reading the tire thread http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/trailers-transportation/260596-what-kind-pu-tires-should-2.html I thought I'd ask here.

For you WORKING off-roaders (not the "Let's go spin the wheels and climb rocks") especially in South east US type terrain (mild hills, mud, sand, not a lot of rocks) forested areas do you have any recommendations for tire sizes, tires, and lifts for my dually?

I'm starting to drive off-road more (haul some wood, take some tools) and I know the standard street tires I have will not do for the long run.
I'd like to plan to get a set of tires for my "woodland management tasks" which will probably be a cool weather activity and use my "street treads" in the summer and for long trips. I'm thinking a few inches of lift and slightly larger tires with a more "off road" tread will help me get over those small logs and rocks that get in the way. Yet with only a little lift swapping back to street treads will only be a pain in the back, like I used to do swapping to snow tires in the winter.

As usual, thanks for any advice from the TBN borg

 

[powerstroke444e]

Just my 2cent I like firestone destination mt and a little bigger tire but I don't like putting a lift on work trucks. I have found as cool as it looks it don't help it haul anymore being lifted and it takes away from the max weight it will handle and its harder on every part of the truck.

 

[56FordGuy]

I ran some stock size Federal Couragia tires on my F-350 dually. Didn't want to lift it due to clearance issues with my gooseneck. Those were some of the best offroad tires I've ever run. Where I am in TN is mostly rocky hills, with a small layer of dirt on top. When it gets wet, the top layer peels off and you get slick, nasty clay followed by rocks. Those tires were excellent in that stuff, but I never ventured into deep soupy mud with them.

They were pretty bad road tires though. They rode poorly, didn't do well in the rain, and were incredibly loud. If I were buying tires for a 100% off road, farm truck I'd put them on without a doubt. Anything that has to cover much road distance though, I'd look for something else.

 

[RobertN]

2nd that. Like lifted trucks, but it is high enough already to get heavy tools, tractor stuff, gravel, firewood out of my stock RAM2500 4x4. As it is, the axles had to be flipped on my 5th wheel to lift it to match the tall stock truck.

There are nice tires out there for the kind of work you mention. Wrangler Duratrac's are one.

Otherwise, look at 4wheelparts; all kinds of lifts, tires etc.

Just my 2cent I like firestone destination mt and a little bigger tire but I don't like putting a lift on work trucks. I have found as cool as it looks it don't help it haul anymore being lifted and it takes away from the max weight it will handle and its harder on every part of the truck.

 

[crashz]

My 83 GMC has a six inch lift. Its leaf sprung and back in the day, those lifts were merely huge leaf packs bent with a good arch and tight clamps. It rides as if there is no suspension. And even with 35 inch BFG's, its useless off-road. When I rebuild it, it will be dropped to near stock (2" Deaver springs) to make it more useable. Since Fords are tall to begin with, I would stay with a stock suspension if I were you.

I would recommend a tall skinny mud tire (BFG , Cooper, Goodyear, etc). Be careful though when traveling through mud. The dual tires in the rear will act like a trencher and actually dig and knead the tires in deeper.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Just better tires will help but no matter what a dually is just not a good choice for this. You need a short wheel base SRW truck or SUV.

Chris

 

[newbury]

Just better tires will help but no matter what a dually is just not a good choice for this. You need a short wheel base SRW truck or SUV.

Chris

We've had this discussion a number of times. I needed a multipurpose truck, I can't yet afford one for every use. I wanted the dually for stability and payload capacity in a Crew Cab, 4x4, configuration. Per spec my "rated" payload capacity is about 1,000 lbs more than the same truck in SRW.

Just the little load of pallet rack I picked up, with what I had in the cab, approached the rated payload capacity of the SRW configuration.

It may be called a 1 ton but it's rated at about 4,240 lbs payload capacity.
The reason I want the lift is ground clearance, not looks.

I ran some stock size Federal Couragia tires on my F-350 dually. Didn't want to lift it due to clearance issues with my gooseneck. Those were some of the best offroad tires I've ever run. Where I am in TN is mostly rocky hills, with a small layer of dirt on top. When it gets wet, the top layer peels off and you get slick, nasty clay followed by rocks. Those tires were excellent in that stuff, but I never ventured into deep soupy mud with them.

They were pretty bad road tires though. They rode poorly, didn't do well in the rain, and were incredibly loud. If I were buying tires for a 100% off road, farm truck I'd put them on without a doubt. Anything that has to cover much road distance though, I'd look for something else.

Thanks for the pointers the on the tires and on 5th wheels - I don't have a 5th wheel YET so had not thought about that aspect.

 

[powerstroke444e]

What size are your wheels 16 or 17 I have put 285/?/16 firestone destinations mud tires that were 10ply on a 2002 before and got about 40,000 miles on them they did great in the mud and snow. Not to loud and handled being loaded to max with out any issues. Only reason I don't have them on my trucks now is I couldn't get them in 17's 10ply that may have change now though.

If you go to wide/big on a dually you will need spacers to keep tires from kissing and blowing out.

 

[techwrtr2]

I believe a lot of our dully crew cab trucks run Duratracs, but only on the rear as they are 2wd. They also put them on the full size vans roaming around.

 

[RobertN]

It is kind of hard to see, but just looking at the 5th-wheel wheel-wells, you can tell it sits 4-5" taller by how much open wheel-well there is. Ours is a '98 27', and had the axles flipped under the springs already when we bought it 3 years ago.

If it were not for that axle flip, the back bumper of the 5th-wheel would be real low, and the back of the trailer that is over the bed, would be in extreme danger of hitting the tailgate. The pinbox is adjustable, but not to make up for that much.

My truck is stock RAM2500 4x4. If it were to have any lift on it, the 5th wheel would need to be lifted further.... In the picture, the driveway is not level, so it does not show the truck/trailer level. On flat pavement the whole package is nice and level, and pulls like a dream. The 5th-wheel is a medium size, 27'.

Seeing some of the newer 5th wheels out there, some appear to have taken this in to account in their design. Still, a little lift, and the 5th-wheel needs some lift.