Tire Confusion
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: IL
Tire Confusion
Can someone please give me a solid answer, I went tire shopping last night and I'm told by 2 different shops I have the wrong tires on the truck.
I have a 2003 F350 SC 8ft bed 4x4 5.4L
I have asked for Stock size tires, I have been told so far that my stock tire size is 225, 235, 245 & 265 / 75, 85 / 16 Now I thought the stock size was 235/85/16, then I have a couple guys tell me that it's wrong and it could affect the steering and speed. The truck has 235/85/16 now, I was thinking of going to 245/75/16 or even to the 265/75/16, but then another sales man said if I bring it down to 225/75/16 I'll get better handling. So I really, really need someone that's tire savvy, because IMO, as long as it has the load rating and it's the right diameter, it works.
I have a 2003 F350 SC 8ft bed 4x4 5.4L
I have asked for Stock size tires, I have been told so far that my stock tire size is 225, 235, 245 & 265 / 75, 85 / 16 Now I thought the stock size was 235/85/16, then I have a couple guys tell me that it's wrong and it could affect the steering and speed. The truck has 235/85/16 now, I was thinking of going to 245/75/16 or even to the 265/75/16, but then another sales man said if I bring it down to 225/75/16 I'll get better handling. So I really, really need someone that's tire savvy, because IMO, as long as it has the load rating and it's the right diameter, it works.
More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 562
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Tire Rack, which is typically a good source of information, shows that your stock tire size should have been 265/75R16. That matches the stock size that I had on my 2003 F250 SCSB. You should also be able to find a sticker on either the driver door or inside the fuel filler door that shows your stock tire size, recommended inflation pressures, and load ratings. The 235/85R16 size that you have on there right now is a little narrower than the stock size, but nearly identical in overall diameter and close to the stock load rating. I would choose the stock 265/75R16 size in a Load Range E in order to maintain factory handling,speedometer calibration, and load rating. Going to a 225/75R16 will not give you an appropriate load capacity for your truck (~750 pounds per tire less than the stock size) and will result in the speedometer reading faster than you are actually going.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: IL
Yeah, the speedometer reads 5mph faster now, when I'm showing 60 I'm really only doing 55.
I just pulled the trigger, I don't drive it much, maybe 3k a year at most, to pull a little 6x12 enclosed dbl axle trailer. So I found that Discount Tire has the Corsa brand highway tire on sale 265/75/16 Load E1 for $110.00 per tire, sales guy said he only had 3 left in stock, so he upgraded me to the Corsa all terrain that was $118.00 per tire for the same price, so I saved about $32.00 for a little more aggressive tire. Thanks for the information you guys supplied.I really appreciate it.
I just pulled the trigger, I don't drive it much, maybe 3k a year at most, to pull a little 6x12 enclosed dbl axle trailer. So I found that Discount Tire has the Corsa brand highway tire on sale 265/75/16 Load E1 for $110.00 per tire, sales guy said he only had 3 left in stock, so he upgraded me to the Corsa all terrain that was $118.00 per tire for the same price, so I saved about $32.00 for a little more aggressive tire. Thanks for the information you guys supplied.I really appreciate it.
Tuned
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 314
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From: SE WI
^ This was also my thought. Also the owner's manual should contain that info?
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2017
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The manual will show every size used for all the versions of super duty, the sticker should show what came on that truck
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More Turbo
Joined: Jun 2008
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Usually the sticker is on the door jamb for the driver door, but on the supercab, they sometimes put it elsewhere since the driver door jamb is also the front of the rear half-door. On my 2003 supercab F-250, the sticker with tire sizes, inflation pressures, etc. was located on the inside of the fuel door.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: IL
The sticker on the door jam is pretty much unreadable, it's so faded it almost looks like some kind of bar code or one of those stickers with all the dots that make a pattern you can scan with your phone.
I mounted the tires at an independent shop. Discount tire wouldn't do it because they said I had the wrong lug nuts on the wheels and couldn't be liable.
So not my search for 32 lug nuts with the flat (Flanged face) is proving to be hard. can someone tell me where I can find the lugs at?
I mounted the tires at an independent shop. Discount tire wouldn't do it because they said I had the wrong lug nuts on the wheels and couldn't be liable.
So not my search for 32 lug nuts with the flat (Flanged face) is proving to be hard. can someone tell me where I can find the lugs at?
Posting Guru
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From: California Desert
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Northern Illinois
235/85/16 and 265/75/16 are the same overall diameter. In 99 (which I recall 99-04 is same) Ford used a wheel that the width was acceptable for either a 235/85/16 or 265/75/16. Some but not all 2wd came with 235/85/16 and Some but not all 4wd 265/75/16.
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