I am looking to convert my 2wd F250 I need Traction. What I am wondering is will the fender flairs bolt up to the short bed. They look like they will. I will probabaly use the arrow craft spacers

 

First welcome to FTE, If you're adding dual wheels for traction, you are going to be very disappointed. The rear axle weight will now be divided by 4 tires instead of two. The only advantage of dual wheels is carrying weight. The Psi per sq. inch is less due to the added surface to the road.

 

WellI am also lowering the truck 3" inthe front and 5" in the back and I want the space under the bed and try the Michelin X tire which can be 22" wide

 

Um yes they make short bed duallys so if you can find a pull-off bed or some flares is should fit. I don't know about attaching the flares though. Probably be easier to just buy a dually bed in the correct color and bolt it on.

What are the details on this project? The more you can tell us about your goals for the truck the better info you can get out of everyone around here.

My take based on what you've said is this: You gain nothing by doing it to a 250. The axle shafts are a diff spline count than the 350 SRW and its a diff axle than the duallys so you won't gain any strength in the drive train to handle any increased traction you might gain. Why do you need so much traction combined with lowering the truck? You truck won't be rated for enough to warrant the axle that's already there much less any more or any wider tires.... and a 22" wide tire seems insane (in general, pics?) on something that lowered. Just the clearance between the top of the much wider tire and the existing fender cutout seems like it wouldn't be enough to clear at 5 inches of drop.

Unless you are putting out ungoldy HP and torque numbers. Then just buy a D80 out of a real dually. You'll probably be snapping stock shafts left and right if you do manage to get the traction you're looking for with a stock 250 axle under there. It's a Sterling 8.5" right now, yes?

 

I think he's going for the "phantom dually" look, but to be functional as well. I've seen them before, a slammed dually with a super wide slick instead of the duals. Might be cheaper than tubbing it.

 

Not really true.

I can plow all storm long in my dually in 2wd with very little traction problems. My SRW ford will barely move in 2wd. Dont forget, you also get alot more road contact, just because the the ground PSI is less, doesnt mean less traction.

 

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/6...ml#post6542032

He said hes putting out 750+ rear wheel HP in that thread. I'd like to know what engine mods he has to get it up there. I'm guessing its with a 6.0 too. I really want his mod list.

 

Correct, traction is created by the friction between the two surfaces: road & rubber. More rubber, more traction.

The Super Duty has a 10.5", not a 8.5"

 

Traction in the snow is dependent upon the contact patch/PSI. More rubber does not equal more traction in snow since the weight is spread out over more rubber/the contact patch.

On dry ground yes, more rubber is more better. In snow, the opposite is true.

Take a look at the Rally Cars. When its a dirt/paved road the tires are wide and set up for those conditions. When they rally on snow/ice, the tires are super narrow, the cars actually look kinda funny.

Sometimes, up here in PA ill even see a dually running around with 2 of its rear tires off...talk about looking funny haha.

 

most dually /traction posts on here say they suck in the snow

 

Very well said, and don't dare take a dually to a slick, steep boat ramp without someone holding the brake. You'll be surprised how easy it is to drag the truck down the ramp if the boat hangs up while launching.

 

Thats strange, I experiance the exact opposite. Alot of duallies only plow in 2wd because they get good traction. Mybe its the 1000-2000 pounds thats normally in the bed/dump. I run about 1000+ all winter long in my SRW ford

 

Sorry...that's isn't correct either.

You have no traction in the snow because snow doesn't offer the friction coefficient of asphalt! If if had the same friction then a dually would have the same traction. Dually's have higher flotation in snow and rain but that can be offset (to a degree) by having weight over the wheels.

The larger the tire's contact patch, the larger the area of friction, hence the more available area for traction. Tread design, the friction coefficient of the road surface, weight displaced all have bearing on available traction.

 

Just for clarification I'm referring to a dually as a truck with the pickup bed. There is a difference between the way an empty dually handles and a ton truck with a 2000# flat/dump bed with dual wheels. Never even heard the term dually until pickup beds began to be installed on trucks. As Monsta pointed out though, a lot of variables determine traction.

 

In my experience dual rear wheels do provide better traction all season unless you are forging a new path in unplowed snow or mud. Mud is the problem. With mud you just float on the top slick layer and don't sink down to the hard surface as easy as a SRW. Ive only got semi stuck empty(20 minutes of back and forth to get out) in slick mud in a 2wd dually but never in loose or compacted snow even up steep roads. Of course if I stopped mid way up a snow compacted hill then I would probably be in trouble.