A 275/75R16 will fit better on a 16x7 rim than a 285/75R16 would.

If I had to pick a tire for your situation, I'd look at this style of tire, but keep in mind that I'm partial to BFG tires.

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/bfgap...ongtrailta.jsp

This next link will show you the details about the sizes offered in the above tire, and what rims are reccomended with each size.

http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/asset...g_trail_ta.pdf

In this link the largest tire is a 285/75R16, Personally I'd reccomend a 265/75R16 over a 275 for the simple reason that they are easier to find and wont cost a terrible amount. Plus if you went with a 265 your existing rims will work. Ideally you want to choose a rim width that is in the middle of the "Rim Width Range", but any size that is in the range will work.

As far as the 17 vs 16, I had 17's till one rim went bad, then I changed to 16's as the rims were cheaper and so were the tires for the same height and width tires.

 

Hey SRM2002,

Again, some very useful informations. If I can, I would like to stick with the original rims simple due to bugetary reasons. A 275 I can find "relatively" easily around my area so I think I'll see what the offers are in that size.

As for BFG over any ther tire, you are not the only one that has spoken highly about them. I have a few friends that have BFG and they swear by them. Thank's for the suggestion. I'm still kinda partial to the looks of the A/T's.

As for Bridgestones, do you know anythign about the Bridgestone H/L? Apparently it is ideal for sandy/desert conditions. As I live in a hot climate where rain (definately no snow here!!) is not an issue these tires have been suggested to be the "answer". However, like I said above, I still really like the look of the A/T but practicality will prevail.

Thanks Again.

 

OK all this talk about tire & wheel size, gave me the bug so I pulled the trigger on a set of 17" X 8" Weld Racing Sidewinder Wheels and 285/70/R17 BF Goodrich All Terrains. It will take a week for Discount Tires to get the rims, but I will report back and post a picture next week. They are going on my 2001 F150 Lariat SuperCrew 4x4 without a lift kit. I would like to lift it a couple inches but my wife at 5' already strugles to get in and out. I have new Rancho shocks so my frontend is in good shape and from what I have read above I should not have any rubbing problems. If I do, Discount Tire has a 30 day return policy. Or I can just lift her! Both the truck and the wife.

 

lol
My wife is 5' as well. I used to have a 1976 F250 Hi-boy with 38.5" tires on it. It was always interesting watching her climb into it

 

I have read the whole thread, so if these questions have already been answered, I apologize for the repost, but I could not find exactly the info that I was looking for. Thanks.

My questions are similar to those posed by Schmuk on 12/6, to which superrangerman2002 replied.

Details on my truck:
* 16x7 stock rims
* '97 4x4 flareside
* no lift

SRM2002 responded to schmuk that the 285/75R16 would fit on the 16x7 rims, but he would not recommend it. My 1st question, then, is why not? What is the concern? Is there a safety issue?

Also, when I search various vendor sites for tire pricing, they usually only offer a few tire sizes for a '97 Ford F150, none over 265. For example, Sam's Club only offers 235/70R16, 255/70R16 and 265/70R17. Pretty much the same at Costco, and I assume others. Why are these vendors not offering these other tire sizes that I hear folks saying fit on the truck? Do vendors not stand behind a tire installation if it does not fall within their recommendation?

Bottom line is that I would like to put 285/75R16s on my truck like others in the thread, but I want to make sure they will safely fit on my stock 16x7 rims and that I will not have to go out on a limb and go without a warranty from whoever I buy them from.

 

OK my wheel came in early, so I got them mounted up and she is ready to roll.

I went with the Weld Raching Sidewinders in 17"X8" and the BF Goodrich 285/70/R17 ATs. I could not be happier with the results.

Thanks to everyone on here helping me making my selection. You are a great resource!

I put new pics in my album so check them out.

Merry Christmas & all the best in 2005!

Gerald Goff

p.s. CWGOFF, is Goff your last name? Not that common of a name!

 

Yep, Chris Goff, born in SC. Now live in NC. You are right. There are not too many of us.

I checked out your pics. Nice truck. The new wheels and tires turned out great. Good luck with the new ride.

I am about to upsize my tires on the cheap. I have an appointment on Monday to have Lee (Kelly) Ridge Riders 285/75R16s mounted on my stock rims. I have 125K on the truck, so I am only hoping to get another couple of years out of it, thus the tight budget.

Anything will be an improvement on the 245/75R16s that are on it now, and have been since I bought the truck last year. It looks like a Matchbox truck right now. I am looking forward to seeing a little less wheel well in the near future.

Again, good luck with the new tires/wheels. For what it is worth, your Carolina cousin is jealous.

 

285/75/16's will fit on a 7'' wide rim in a pinch, but most manufacturers simply won't reccomend it, I believe that they mostly reccomend a 7.5" rim to a 9.0'' rim. In this case I wouldn't lose any sleep as you aren't trying to run a 14'' wide tire on a 7'' wide rim. I generally reccomend that if your tire is 11'' wide you should run a rim that is 3'' shorter in width and no more than 4'' shorter. This gives you 1.5'' of sidewall on each side of the rim, and allows for proper tire contact at proper psi's. Having too narrow of a rim causes the center of the tire to balloon out and wears funny in the center. The only way to correct this is to run lower tire psi's, which generally means more tire heat, and alot more wallowing in corners. On the other hand, having way too wide of a rim for said tire, leaves little flex in the side wall, causes funny wear on the outsides of the tire, and typically has a hard ride.

When you buy tires from Sam's club, especially in the size you are after, you often have to special order them through their respective website by doing a tire size search, instead of a vehicle search. If you order through Sam's Club, they will pick up the shipping tab, where as others such as NTW will make you pick up the tab on shipping. I cannot say for Costco as I'm not familiar with them. Any tire that is listed on their website, should ship to your local store regardless of what is on their racks instore.

Before you decide to order them, talk to the shop that would put them on and ask them if they will still honor tire warranties oversized tires, and if they will even install the tires. Make sure you talk to a supervisor or a manager, instead of the 18 yr old Counter-top-Commando.

Some shops will say yes, some will say no. I'm fortunate that the local Sam's knows me well and I don't have any troubles in this dept.

BTW, Sorry for the late reply.

 

After reading all these posts... i am still confused. I have a 2002 F150 Lariat that came with 275/60/17's. I am going to put a leveling kit on it. Can i run a 296/60/17 with no issues?

 

I have a 97 f-250 LD 4x4 with 265/70/16, It had (what I think is factory) 2" blocks in the back. I replaced these with 3" blocks and cranked on the torsion bars, but I want more. I am lookin to put different wheels and tires as well as a lift. So here's my questions, I have found a set of wheels but not sure if they will work, they are 17x7 weld scorpios with 5" back space. How much backspacing should I look for and is 5 too much? As you might know this is the crazy 7 lug wheels that are almost impossible to find. 2nd question is what tires/lift should would be recommended. This is my first 4x4 and I really dont do much offroading. I am just wanting somethin that will look great and can venture offroad when I want too. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ok, any guys out there with this truck, that has been lifted? How big can I go with tires and with which size lift? I have recently found a 6" lift at my local offroad center but they say it'll be around $2300 installed. Is this too much? How hard is it to do yourself? Thanks for any and all help.

 

I got a quote for a 6" Fabtech lift kit for my 2002 2 wheel drive, installed was just under 2 grand. Depends on what market you are in, i suppose.

 

Thanks for the info. What size tires will you be able to fit with the 6" lift? I have a 97 f250 LD 4x4 with the IFS, so that could be why mine is a little higher.

 

Hey Uncle Jesse,

I hope the SRM2002 doesn't take offence for me stepping in like this, but this is the way I understand things. Of course if I have stepped out of line, I presume SRM2002 will sort me out quickly, hopefully not with a hockey stick however. ;-)

Essentially a 285 tire will fit without a lift. Will a a 285 tire fit your stock rim, that is another question. However that is why the recomend is to stick to a 265 or 275 tire, purely for the sake of not having to change your rims.

Now, if you lift the truck, whether that be with a leveling kit or a full 6" lift, then you are no longer limited to the 285 size tire.

Therefore my plan is to level the truck, get some bigger wheels (probably a 17x8) and then throw the biggest BFG A/T I can fit on those wheels. Slap it all together and see what happens. I think that will give the truck some real attitude and eliminate the embarrasment felt while driving on the current 245 tire I have. LOL!

If anyone has a suggestion or comment on my plan, please feel free to pass it on.

 

Check out the 7th post, those sizes are for 2wd F-150's.