I'd like to get my truck a little less likely to get stuck and figure that wider tires with better tread would be my best bet. My truck is a 4wd conversion, has TruTracs front and rear, and can still get stuck pretty easily due to the heavy weight punching the skinny tires through the mud until I hit the axels. I'm assuming wider tires would give me a better chance of staying on top of it all. What I'm trying to figure out is where it all gets complex. A few facts:

My truck is a 2003, but all of the "underneath parts" are from a 2006.

My current wheels are 2003 offset, not the 2006 which has a wider axel.

I'm currently running 35.5" tires on a 19.5 wheel, with no rub.

Since I have a "Frankenstein" truck, I can't really say for sure that it has a certain amount of lift. I can say that I had to add an extra leaf in the rear to get it back to level, so it is for sure higher than a stock 4wd.

The things I'm unclear on:

1. Will a wider tire really help?

2. If I go with a smaller and wider wheel like a 16x10 or wider, can I assume that I can't go as tall or there won't be room in the wheel well?

3. How much of a difference can I make by changing the offset? I'm assuming that I can use bigger tires without rubbing, if I stick them further out by changing the offset. Most wheels seem to have a range of different offsets they can be ordered with.

4. I don't particularly want to lift the truck further as I've had "geometry" issues since the conversion that I seem to have under control now. I'm not really wanting to start back down that road.

Thanks for any help, and feel free to suggest any wheel, tire, or wheel/tire combo you think might work.

 

In theory however, many times a more narrow tire will deliver greater ability to dig deeper into the mud to a more solid base for traction. Where the wider tire while providing more flotation does not assure greater traction which is needed for moving the vehicle.
So maybe what you really need is a larger diameter tire that allows for digging deeper before high centering on the frame or axle housings.

 

Well I've seen highly modded mudding trucks with what looks like tractor tires, but I'm thinking that won't go too well on the road. Also, I own the fields where I'll be driving, so I was hoping to stay on top so as to not rut the fields.

 

Wider tires will definitely help you stay on top better. As for steering you'll probably find that the skinnier tires will be better. Drove tandem semis and triaxle crane trucks with skinny front tires and the big wide ones respectively and the big ones make you feel like you're skiing when you are trying to turn unless you get a lot of weight on them.