My friend is trying to buy a ford truck with 35 inch tires on it and his step dad seems to think 35 inch tires are unsafe on the road. Do you guys agree? With a proper lift kit and steering corrections done to the truck is it really unsafe to drive on the street? I think 35s arnt a big deal myself and see guys running 44s on the street. I'd like to know your opinion on this. Thanks

 

As with all things, about 90%++ of all accidents (solo type) are due to drivers not understanding or being able to control their rigs/trucks. Bigger tires=different steering quarks. Bigger lifts= possible roll over if turns are not correct taken.

The drivers ability is the KEY point. Know what your truck CAN AND CAN NOT DO!! I've seen far to many MVA's while being on a fire dept for a number of years...Most-if not all accidents where fully avoidable provided the drivers knew what they where doing, and not being distracted---not showing off to friends--and the worst of the worst? Driving after doing the "party" thing. It all boils down to proper maintaining of the truck/car..and knowing how to maintain proper control.

When you get to see first hand using HURST tools cutting a car or a truck apart to extricate people cut up severely...and you know all of it could have been avoided if the parties involved just slowed down over that corner----Where not gabbing away on a cell phone----and not getting drunk at the local bar.... That changes your perspective real quick.

Bottom line? It's all about being safe and knowing your truck.

S-

 

I run 35's no problem.I travel to the ranch and back (30 miles round trip)almost every day with my 77, and this is donin 65-70mph on the high way.Sometime I even got the welding trailer.Your stopping distance will be quite longer,but it can be helped.Oh yeah make sure the front axle has a steering stabilizer,because without one driving in a hard crosswind will get scary.

 

Besides the 35s, any other mods?

Leary of previous owner mods. Maybe HE knows to keep constant pressure at 38 mph while lightly holding the brake in left turns, but YOU might find that out the hard way. (Dramatization. 35s alone wouldn't do this. Your mileage may vary.)

 

One word "Respect". If pops says it is not safe, then guess what bud. It aint safe.
You can argue, and everyone else can say something for or against it, and the bottom line is that whenther the step dad is right or wrong, if he has much to say about the purchase, like he is helping with money, maintenance, or any other decision making factor, then the step dad carries quite a bit of weight.
I am assuming that the new driver, is just that, perhaps a new driver, or at least a rather young guy, and the step dad is probably concerned about the saftey of all parties when this rig hits the road. Guys will be guys, and even grown guys go back to thier younger roots, and I believe that the real point that the step dad is making, is that the driver might be less likely to have a potential problem, (and the step dad might feel a bit better) if the truck did not have such large tires.

Now just about any rig can be lifted properly, and with saftey in mind, but, even if it looks cool, it is never worth going against the word of the big guy.
Maybe there is a compromise in there somewhere?

 

My dad was one of those "all stock all the time" guys who hated to see even blackwall tires and mags.... Until he drove the '67 El Camino I put some better tires/wheels/shocks on. But he was as I have come to be, leary of any mod done to the car or truck. Why was it done? To drive it like heck? So the assumption was mod'd meant beat. Overly conservative perhaps, but as the just prior post said, the man has his reasons and his comfort with the entire transaction is very important. Avoid "I told you so's" 10 ways: Listen.

 

His step dad is most likely just looking out for him and I don't think telling him that a bunch of guys on this "internets" say it's safe is going to persuade him, but who knows?

I second the above responses regarding driver safety as well as respecting elders. those are more important than the size of the tires.

My dad is one of those guys too. I'm 24 now, and modifying my truck (nothing insane, mind you, little more power, slightly larger tires) and I still get his baffled looks :P

 

It's not the tire size itself that's inherently unsafe but a hack job of a lift i'd be concerned about (if it's lifted) i've seen more then a few trucks with lift blocks under the front springs and that's an accident waiting to happen.

 

amen to that

If only more people could understand that.

 

That, I think is what's behind the rejection of visible mods: If that's done, what's been done you can't see? And since it's pretty much a buyers market, why go further for a non-exclusive vehicle?

 

I would also have to agree with everyone who is saying listen to the Dad and the respect thing.

 

What's the problem with lift blocks on front?

 

Do a little research here on the site and you will learn. Go to the offroad section and read about lift blocks.

 

Am I the only only one that can hear the dead horse getting drug out?

 

I'm not condoning the use of lift blocks (and I didn't install these), but nearing 250K miles on them without an issue.



Jason