Harley Wheels Expert "Need Tires"
 

Ok, let me explain this and see if any one can answer. Ive got a 2004 f250. it has leaf springs in front. I just brought 2in hubcentric spacers. I put 2005 harley davidson wheels on it, which are 8.5in wide. I have a 4.5 donahoe lift. The tires im running are the stock harley 275/65/20's with the lift i want to run a taller tires but my wheels are 8.5 wide. I drive this truck everyday so i want an all-terrain tire. Which size tire can i go with ? I have looked at the toyo 325/60/20 but they are 12in wide and i dont know if 8.5 wheels will ride and they are 36.4in high and need to make sure my 4.5in lift will clear them. Any suggestions of tires would be great. It also dosnt matter the brand. Thanks

Need help if anybody can answer?

I can;t answer the tire question, but if I read correctly, you are using 2' spacers between the wheels and hub? ACcording to my friends at the mag shop..spacers are a bad idea.

If I were you I'd be checkin the back spacing on the old rims and new rims.
That is done by measuring from the wheel mounting surface of the rim to the inside outer edge.
There could very well be a big difference, to your benifit or not?
If your new rims have less B-S than the old ones good for you!
If they are the same keep in mind a 2in spacer will allow you to run min 4in taller tire
most likely 5in taller tire from your stock B-S.
GoodYear makes a nice tire MT/R that's 12in fits down to 8in or 8.5?
How about measuring your BS on both sets so will know where your at....
You may not even need 2in spacers BS will tell you.
For every 2in taller tire you loose 1in of turning radius.
So I'd also check how much turning clearence you have now.
8.5 wide rim dont mean much, it's the back spacing!
After market rims can be bought with your choice of back spacing reguardless of width, within reason.
Gene

The 2005 HD edition wheels are 8" wide not 8.5" wide. If you run a tire over 13" wide you will need to decrease the amount of backspacing to push the wheel out of the wheel well. This will prevent the tires from rubbing the spring pack. Most guys run 4.5" of backspacing on the 2004-older trucks with the wider tires.

To each their own.

Regardless of how little stress that they may or may not place on the lugs...you are still loosing threads on the studs that the nuts contact. Too few threads means they could come loose.

Actually, if they are the tyoe of spacer I'm thinking they are, they have their own studs in them (you'd be using a total of 16 lugnuts per wheel....8 for the spacer & 8 for the wheel).

I could be wrong :-X16

You are correct the studs are made into the spacers and are 14mm long instead of 12mm so they will fit perfect.