Help, I've been getting confusing information from everywhere. I haul a 11.5 ft truck camper on the back of my '95 crew cab long bed F350. I occasionally tow a 32' camper (seperatly of course). Since I do not have duallies, it was suggested I go to a wider tire for better load distribution etc. Currently the truck has 235 85 16s. A couple of sources have recommended 265 75 16's. I have seen much wider tires on similar trucks w/campers in the past. Is there really a benifit to the wider tires and how large can I go on the Ford stock Aluminum rims? Any insight would be appreciated, Thanks Bob

 

You'll have to make sure you get the 'e' load rating on the 265's. I'm pretty sure they're out there. I see alot of guys hauling with 'd' rated 265's and while they probably give a nicer ride, they sacrifice the same load stability that they are trying to gain if and when they load heavily. You might want to also consider the dually adapter option, but to do that right you should keep your eye out for a whole set of 6 wheels and the fender flares. The 265 "e" rated tire would be much cheaper. I've thought over similar question.
Tony

 

I just went out and checked my trucks.

The 94 F350 has 235/85 16R Load Range E tires rated at 3042 lbs.
These are mounted on the steel 16x7 wheels.
The 00 Excursion has 265/75 16R Load Range E tires rated at 3415 lbs.
These are mounted on the Ltd Aluminum 16x7 wheels.

When you do the math, the 265s are .1" taller which is undectable from a power/performance/speed persective. By increasing your width you're substantially increasing the load capacity of your tires. Don't forget, this doesn't change the capacity of your springs etc...

 

Hey Thanks for all you rhelp. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with the 265's. My nagging question still is "IS BIGGER BETTER?" The advantage of 265's all around enable me to rotate the tires, however, I'm still wondering about those big wide tires I've seen on tow/camper hauling trucks. As far as a duallies, I've driven a friends 350 in the snow and my wifes Aerostar ran circles around it! Bad experience or just is this typical for a duallie?

Thanks again

Bob

 

>Hey Thanks for all you rhelp. I'm pretty sure I'll be going
>with the 265's. My nagging question still is "IS BIGGER
>BETTER?"

Are you sure that's not your wallet nagging the question?
I think the 265's would be maybe $15/tire more, but they seem to be the better choice for a combination of ride/weight hauling capabilities.

As
>far as a duallies, I've driven a friends 350 in the snow and
>my wifes Aerostar ran circles around it! Bad experience or
>just is this typical for a duallie?

Put 4000 lbs on the bed of the dually and 4000 lbs in the back of the aerostar and then do the comparison test
I dually without weight is probably even more helpless than a single axle pickup without weight. Plus the stiffer springs of an F350 push even more weight forward over the front end and off the rear tires. Even so, traction on duallies is greatly enhanced with either posi-trac or 4X4. The aerostar is front wheel drive I think, isn't it.? The only thing that competes with front wheel drive is 4X4 or a loaded posi=trac.

Tony

 

Sportdeck 262 offers great info. Also don't worry to much about the added width, the 265/75-16's aren't all that much wider then the 235/85-16's. the "section" width is maybe 3/4" to 1" wider. These will easily fit a 7" wide wheel.

As for going any bigger you could even go with 285/75-16's on your rims though you will need to check with the tire manufactures recommended rim widths as many call for 7.5" minimum with this size. The 285/75-16's are "taller" as well and WILL affect your grearing.

As for the price differential, (235/85-16 vs 265/75-16) I would say this depends on tire brand and place of purchase. The 265/75-16 is a way more popular size nowadays and as such, generally more readily available (Law of Supply & Demand applies here) You are more likily to find a good top name brand (Michelin, Goodyear, Bridgestone, BF Goodrich, etc.) 265/75-16 cheaper then the same tire in 235/85-16!

Petrol