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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.
No offence taken.
We're all here to help in what ever way possible.
I make no claims on being a bonafide expert, I'm just one that grew up tossing tires through high school and most of college, and working a while in the rubber industry.
I blelieve that Uncle Jesse has a 2wd truck, so in effect the numbers I posted at the beginning of this thread are moot.
Yes a 285/75r16 or a 285/70R17 will fix a stock F-150 4x4 on stock rims (depending on your rim size), but as I made the claim earlier, most mfg'ers do not reccomend these sizes on stock 7'' rims.
I really can't stress this enough, if you have 17'' rims, and are wanting a bigger tire and wider rims, the selection and savings of a 16'' rim and tire is really hard to beat.
FWIW, the 16x8 American Eagles and the 285/75R16 BFGs cost me roughly $263 a corner. The same height setup in a 17'' rim would have cost me atleast $40 more per tire, not counting the rims.
Last edited by superrangerman2002; Jan 11, 2005 at 06:13 PM.
Help, I currently have a '97 4x4 F150, with 12mm 1.75 wheel studs. I just purchased a set of '03 FX4 wheels from a friend, but the whelel studs from an '03 are 14 mm. does a conversion need to take place in order to use them. they are center mounted and use washer style lug nuts? I get mixex answers by both dealerships and tire shops on this question. 2mm (1mm on each side of the stud) does not "seem" like a lot.
Help, I currently have a '97 4x4 F150, with 12mm 1.75 wheel studs. I just purchased a set of '03 FX4 wheels from a friend, but the whelel studs from an '03 are 14 mm. does a conversion need to take place in order to use them. they are center mounted and use washer style lug nuts? I get mixex answers by both dealerships and tire shops on this question. 2mm (1mm on each side of the stud) does not "seem" like a lot.
If a conversion is needed what would that intail?
thanks
The only "conversion" that I know of is different rims.
And yes there is a big difference between the 12 and 14 mm studs.
You need to mention this when you order rims, as any rim shop's book with have a designation for the 12mm and 14mm studs.
I spoke with 3 service reps at the different Ford Dealerships and they said it would not be a problem to use the newer wheels. They only cautioned me on making sure that I use the proper lugs, the ones with the flat face washer.
Most aftermarket wheels use an acorn style lug to help center the wheel but Ford used the hub centric style mount and flast lugs.
I have them on there now, and will check the tightness of the lugs every day for about a week and then will remove the wheels to see if there is any unusual wear on them.
I checked my wheels yesterday and all the lugs are still tight and the when I removed one of the wheels there was no sign of degragation. I will check again in a few weeks.
Like I have mentioned in previous posts, I am going to put larger wheels and tires on my 02 SuperCab 4x4. From the other posts, it sounds like i should stick to a 8" wide rim due to vibration issues. This actually should be fine. However, my idea is to put 315's on. Aside from whether or not they will fit (I'm working on that issue at the moment) are there any negative side effects that I can expect? I know acceleration will probably be slower (unless I change the gearing which I do not plan on at the moment) but can the 5.4L engine and drive train handle a tire of that size? I am also aware of the effect on the speedo, although I do not know how to reset the speedo so that it will read accurately once the new tires are on. Will there be any handling issues or with the way the truck will drive? Steering issues? Basically, what can I expect the first day I drive the truck once the bigger tires are on.
Hey y'all! Glad to join. So far, this topic has helped me since I was wondering about my tires as well. I was thinking about running Goodyear MTR's on my F150 in the next year or so. Here's what I drive: '03 F150 extended cab Flareside. I've got 17's stock. Any suggestions? Thanks.
How can I easily and safely (and w/o a lot of expense) gain an extra 2 to 3 inches in height without changing my rims. I'm presently running Goodyear LT245 75R16's...on my 99F150. How high can I go?
If I've got disc brakes at all corners, will 16" rims fit? It doesn't look like they would clear the brakes. I've read the other posts dealing w/17" rims. However, I know that I can save money by going w/a smaller rim. Of course, I could always upgrade to 18" rims. Thanks in advance.
Hey superrangerman2002, thanks for the reply. I knew that the brakes weren't the issue but rather the calipers. I was implying the whole thing: rotors, calipers etc.
Anyway, you're setup looks good...actually closer to what I'd like to get. However, still like mud tires. I had BFG MT's on my old 'yota and they performed nicely. I might go back with them on my new F150. Also, instead of metric sizes, can I just put 33x12.50's?
Hey superrangerman2002, thanks for the reply. I knew that the brakes weren't the issue but rather the calipers. I was implying the whole thing: rotors, calipers etc.
Anyway, you're setup looks good...actually closer to what I'd like to get. However, still like mud tires. I had BFG MT's on my old 'yota and they performed nicely. I might go back with them on my new F150. Also, instead of metric sizes, can I just put 33x12.50's?
You could go with with a flotation sized tire if you can find one. The 285/75R16 is roughly a 33x11R16 tire (it could be 11.5 wide, I can't remember for sure).
I really don't believe that a 12.5'' wide tire is going to make it on a stock F-150 with out some lift, not to mention that size would mean at least a 9'' rim (stockers are 7'').
I think that you'll find more of a selection in the metric sizing nowadays than the flotation sizing.
The tires I have barely miss front valance by 1/4" on a full turn.