Bed size??
 

So how many of you have the 6 1/2 ' bed compared to the 5 1/2' bed?? I noticed that you would lose 410 pounds of payload by choosing the 5 1/2' bed!! That would really count when adding in tongue weight and passengers/cargo etc. wouldn't it??

I chose the 6-1/2 foot bed because it's more useful. Hard to get by with the smaller bed unless you just use it like an oversized trunk. The vehicle is pretty long though in crew cab form (around 21 feet?) and you can feel it while maneuvering in a parking lot. I've heard the longer wheel base creates a smoother ride but honestly I didn't notice any difference in test drives.

My max tow supercab 145" fx4 comes in at 1772# payload, I like the proportions of 6.5' bed compared to 5.5 on supercrew, I think that a supercrew with 6.5' would be a pain in parking lots!

The other thing I am wondering is if it is better to have the 18" tires compared to the 20"?

I had the 20 inch pirellies on my 06 fx4, they were noticeably harsher than the 18's on my 12 fx4, there has been some discussion on this and the consensus is that you lose about 100 lbs of payload to the 20's also.

the current 20 inch wheels are some of the sharpest wheels to be put on a pickup truck (fx4 trim) that I have seen for factory wheels in my opinion, but the 18 inch wheels look great also!

I chose the Scab for the 6 1/2 foot bed and a shorter overall truck but I really wanted the Screw with 6 1/2 foot bed, just too long.

As for wheel size: IIRC all 18's are chrome clad. While most people have no issues some have had some problems with tire changing machines and the cladding getting messed up on curbs and from road debris. The problem reports are definitely at a minimum though.

6.5 bed Screw here.

Noticably harder to park in tight places over my old 06 Screw with 5.5 bed and the 5.5 bed 2012 screw.

I got the long bed as it is much more stable while towing my RV trailer.

So are the 20" rims and tires going to ride like crap?? The stock ones I see listed have OWL All Terrain tires on them (never heard of that brand).

I have the 5.5' Screw. Agree bed is small (I pull a fishing boat, so all 7'rods have to go in an angle across the bed). Upside, (fold the mirrors in) and this thing fits in my long garage stall. Long enough wheelbase to make it an excellent tow platform.

I've got 20's on my SCREW with the 6.5' bed and they don't run like crap at all. The ride is smoother than my '06 with 5.5' bed but that may just be due to the newer truck.

The OWL All Terrains just stand for Outlined White Letter all terrains. Chances are they are the Pirelli Scorpion ATRS. I love the look of my 20's it's just gonna take some serious cash when those bad boys need new rubber.

the 18's on fx4 are machine aluminum with grey painted pockets.

There is NO functional reason to have the 20" wheels except for appearance. And replacement tires will cost more, and the rims will be more prone to damage if you hit something hard, or if a tire loses some air. The 18's will have a taller sidewall which in theory should ride better but you may not really notice the ride being *that* much better.

Chrome clad wheels have that $10 KMart hubcap look to me and I would avoid them. If you are going to *use* your truck, especially for any off-road purposes, go with 18's and avoid the plastic chrome cladding.

As for bed size, I'm an old schooler and would always prefer the longer bed if you are going to use your truck to carry stuff. I like the 8 foot beds we had in prehistoric times for carrying 4x8 sheets of stuff (but that's when trucks were utility vehicles and had regular cabs), but the 6.5' bed will do that with the tailgate down.

George

I have the 5.5' bed on my SCrew. I prefer the look of the shorter box over the 6.5'; I think that extra foot makes the truck look too long. I don't haul all of the time, so the shorter bed hasn't been too much of an issue for everything that I've carried to date. Oh, and you can put the tail gate down and carry those 4'x8' sheets of plywood/dry wall with a 5.5' bed just fine, too.

Thanks for the correction. :-X22