Thank You to everyone for your opinions

 

Moved to correct forum

 

You don't say whether this vehicle will be operated on any hard-surface roads with 4X4 engaged...however, with the weight of the bed, water, and other equipment, I would advise you to keep the front and rear tire diameters as close to equal as possible otherwise you will be putting too much strain on the transfer case etc. whenever the truck is operated in tight turns in 4X4 mode and the tires cannot slip enough to relieve the strain. Even when tires are exactly the same diameter, every time the vehicle turns, the front and rear tires turn in different radiuses and at different rotational speeds so the tires need to be able to 'slip' to alleviate drivetrain strain. The closer they are to the same size, the less they need to 'slip' to do this.

 

the proper size for the look of the 2-4 inch lift? dont take offence to this but thats putting form before function...

here is the real delema you need to consider... if you go bigger size so you would need to also change the gear ratio in the differentials to be able to push those tires...

this will be critical with the weight of all that water and pump equipment. It makes no sence to me to have my fire dept look cool in town, but not be able to get into the the brush... I would guess volenteer fire dept dont have money just laying around, and this added expense is something you need to consider. Just a thought

 

I'd leave it stock size myself and go with a leveling kit. then you could upsize the tires while using the same rims..giving you a couple of inches which is probably all you need.

Don't forget new shocks all around and you will have to address your steering linkage with the changes as well.

Consult a local 4x4 shop is my best advice.

 

Is the truck single rear wheel or dually? I would think a SRW truck with 4inch lift would be able to fit a 37 inch tire. If you need the lift for ground clearance then I might go with a 35 inch tire for articulation reasons.

 

First off, let's forget about how it looks. If it looks pretty and can't get the job done, then it's worthless. We run 2 standard F350 4x4s on stock size tires with one being a slide in pump and one being a flatbed rear pump with a 200 gallon poly tank. Both are manual 4x4 with manual hubs. I've only seen them stuck a few times in the years I've been on the job and I can tell you that it would not have mattered what size lift or tire you had on there, they would have been stuck anyways. But that's what they make winches and mutual aid 6x6 monster forestry tankers for! PTO winch FTW!!



Above is our dedicated Forestry. Below is the other 350 we have as a utility/forestry with the slide in.



Below is "The Beast". It knocks over everything in it's path. Although, it turns really sweet to the right... not so much to the left.



Go with a slightly more aggressive stock size tire and make sure you have a winch setup on it. If you need more than that to do forestry work, then you need a "Beast".

 

Just remember the higher you go, changes the center of gravity and a possible roll over with a water tank. Someone in a hurry does not think clearly at times.

Bushwacker makes cut out flares that would allow a bigger tire but you really need to mount and test tires that hit or fit at a local 4x4 shop if you have one in your area.

 

This is Our Dept's 550 we run stock size tires and no leveling needed with all of our equipment and 400 gal. tank on board. Off road it is plenty high enough, we are careful where we put it. I agree with Maxium4x4 you really don't need to go too high. We have newbies that think they can drive it like a regular pickup.

 

Go see the folks in Appleton, they (and many others) have figured this out already.

Alternatively come to the Fire Dept Instructor's Conference in Indianapolis next month with your checkbook. FDIC, The World's Largest Firefighter Training Conference and Exhibition

 

I'll agree with just leaving the truck stock. Reliability is key for fire apparatus and when you start putting on lift kits and bigger tires, you decrease reliability. If you can't get to the fire with a stock 4WD pickup, then a pickup isn't the right tool for the job anyway.

Here's a typical brush truck used by the DNR here in MN. Nothing out of the ordinary, just a stock F-350.



If they can't get where they need with those trucks, they bring in the J-5s.

 

Thank You to everyone for your opinions.

 

Well, you asked for input so everyone gave you their input. Sounds like what you really need to do is consult a company that specializes in building this type of fire apparatus.

Keep in mind you are spending taxpayer money here. Your first post mentions looks twice, which really makes it seem like you want a cool looking brush rig more than just one that gets the job done. In my opinion, adding lift kits and big mud tires to a truck like this is a complete waste of taxpayer money.

Also, a small lift and bigger tires isn't going to greatly increase the truck's capability. Sending a truck into a situation that's beyond it's capability is just putting your equipment and firefighters' safety at risk.

 

Just make sure the truck can do this. holy crap!!

Fire truck drives through Eltham flood. [VIDEO]

 

This is the brush truck from one of the local VFD near me. I think it has a 5" or 6" lift.