Wagon Wheels, Pizza Cutters... Tall, Narrow Tires.

[IL8APEX]

I'm itching to do a wheel and tire upgrade on my recently acquired 2019 Ranger and wanted to float it out there before I commit to anything. So instead of firing up the "not in my back yard" machine give it a minute and have a listen.

I'm a believer in narrower tires that cut through snow and crud to get to whatever lies below. Local meteorology loves the term "winter mix". I'm also a believer in larger tires to smooth out rough roads. Because potholes. These two concepts together yield a Wagon Wheel, or something tall and narrow. I haven't seen much of that here on the 5G forums. Right now I have something like 33x10 in mind.

So the first hypothetical wheel / tire combo would be a 17"x9" wheel with roughly 5" of backspace and a 235/80r17 BFG KO2. That would get me something nearly 32" tall and roughly 11" wide. Easily done on a stock truck.

Does anyone out there have anything like this yet? I'd love to hear their feedback and how it felt on road, especially in rain and winter mix.

-Tom

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[Oregon Comrade]

I'm itching to do a wheel and tire upgrade on my recently acquired 2019 Ranger and wanted to float it out there before I commit to anything. So instead of firing up the "not in my back yard" machine give it a minute and have a listen.

I'm a believer in narrower tires that cut through snow and crud to get to whatever lies below. Local meteorology loves the term "winter mix". I'm also a believer in larger tires to smooth out rough roads. Because potholes. These two concepts together yield a Wagon Wheel, or something tall and narrow. I haven't seen much of that here on the 5G forums. Right now I have something like 33x10 in mind.

So the first hypothetical wheel / tire combo would be a 17"x9" wheel with roughly 5" of backspace and a 235/80r17 BFG KO2. That would get me something nearly 32" tall and roughly 11" wide. Easily done on a stock truck.

Does anyone out there have anything like this yet? I'd love to hear their feedback and how it felt on road, especially in rain and winter mix.

-Tom

Hey Tom - I like the narrower tires also. My "summer" tires are 255/75R17, which are effectively 32.1 x 10. I just put on a winter set of studded Nokians that are 235/85R16 which are tad shorter and about an inch narrower, 31.7 x 9.3. The 235/80R17's are much narrower than 11", 235mm is approx 9.25", so they are the 17" equivalent to the 235/85's I use on my 16" rims.

My old FJ40 landcruiser used 33 x 9.5, those suckers were crazy pizza cutters and great in the snow too.

I haven'd had my truck in the snow and slop yet but have always used narrower tires in the winter on my Audis and have always had great luck. They track much better and don't get thrown around as much in the ruts.

The caveat is most tires in these sizes are Load Range E, so do have a stiffer ride. It didn't bother me, but some folks are put off by that.

 

[Deleted member 1634]

Why not go all out and do actual wagon wheels? haha

https://www.fourwheeler.com/news/du...E56F36115CC7C9BD0D846B59DAEE0180207ABE70DF55B

But in all seriousness, I agree with you that narrower tires are the way to go in the snow. The tires currently on mine (265/60/R18 OEM Hankooks) are way too wide for the snow, I can tell just by looking at them, and am confirmed when I drive it. Narrower snow tires are on my list for next winter for sure.

 

[IL8APEX]

The caveat is most tires in these sizes are Load Range E, so do have a stiffer ride. It didn't bother me, but some folks are put off by that.

That's EXACTLY what I was looking for. I'm certain I could make up for some of that with suspension tuning, but not sure I could make it tolerable.

I recently found the KO2 is also available in a 33"x12.5", but that seems too big for a Ranger with stock fenders. Maybe not? If you've got 'em, post 'em up!

-Tom

 

[RoadBoss]

I ru 235/85 16 on the stock XL steels. (235 is about 9.25, not 11). I'm really happy with them and they perform great in the snow and in the rough. however, I do wish they were slightly taller, just for aesthetic purpose. so I'll probably switch to 255/85 at some point in the future.

also, if you were to go with a 235 tire, you don't want to run a wheel any wider than 7.5 inches maybe 8 at the widest.... this makes it pretty tough for finding aftermarket wheels....
even if you go with a 255/80 17, I would try and find something more narrow than 9.... it can be done, but if you're running low pressures in the dirt and over rocks a more narrow wheel would be much safer both for keeping the tire bead seated, and protecting the rim of the wheel.

ALSO, these are load range E tires, and they ride great. load range is not really going to affect your ride that much unless you are dramatically increasing the pressure as well. I run about 30psi in mine and they're just fine.

 

[IL8APEX]

even if you go with a 255/80 17, I would try and find something more narrow than 9.... it can be done, but if you're running low pressures in the dirt and over rocks a more narrow wheel would be much safer both for keeping the tire bead seated, and protecting the rim of the wheel.

That's a good point. I'll definitely make sure I ask some reputable locals before I order wheels / tires.

-Tom

 

[IdriveG5]

also, if you were to go with a 235 tire, you don't want to run a wheel any wider than 7.5 inches maybe 8 at the widest.... this makes it pretty tough for finding aftermarket wheels....
e]

This is the hard part. Here is the closet wheel I found, but the hub bore is a little to big for my likely to get a hub centric ring made for. Has good offset for our trucks thou. Not sure if there is a rule of thumb how thick you can go with a hub centric ring? Can see these wheels have great load ratings as well.

https://www.blackrhinowheels.com/off-road-wheels-rims-havasu.php#wheel-specs

 

[Fritz]

235/85 r16 Firestone winter force 32”.
Had them put in yesterday. I thought the 30psi would be sufficient but they look a bit low.

 

[nrspence]

235/85 r16 Firestone winter force 32”.
Had them put in yesterday. I thought the 30psi would be sufficient but they look a bit low.

I run 30 psi on my stock 265/65/17 tires on the road and they ride great. Off road I like to air down to 25 or 20.

 

[Fritz]

ALSO, these are load range E tires, and they ride great. load range is not really going to affect your ride that much unless you are dramatically increasing the pressure as well. I run about 30psi in mine and they're just fine.

Is that 30 PSI what you run on a trail or street pressure? I just put 235/85r16 on mine and they "look" low at 30 psi. I'm seeing some people state they run this tire at 45-50 on tacomas.
How many miles do you have on the tires?

 

[RoadBoss]

Is that 30 PSI what you run on a trail or street pressure? I just put 235/85r16 on mine and they "look" low at 30 psi. I'm seeing some people state they run this tire at 45-50 on tacomas.
How many miles do you have on the tires?

I typically run them closer to 34 ish, depending on how much weight I have in the truck.

On the trail I usually start around 18-20 psi.

 

[RoadBoss]

235/85 r16 Firestone winter force 32”.
Had them put in yesterday. I thought the 30psi would be sufficient but they look a bit low.

from the photo, I don't think they look low, but if so, it's probably because they are winter tires. Those 'usually' have a softer sidewall which will be more likely to compress. you could try adding a little air, or just watch the treadwear, and temperature once it warms back up.

 

[Fritz]

Check out that ground clearance. Stock truck with 235/85r16.

 

[alaska2baja]

I wanted a slightly taller tire than stock but did not want to cut, chop or delete anything installed from the factory. (i.e crash bars, fenders, etc.) I was also not interested in the fitment of wheel spacers to accommodate a larger tire. I wanted to retain good fuel economy and range and I didn't want wider than fender tire poke for both aesthetic reasons and to minimize slinging rock and debris down the side of my truck. Tire weight was also an important criteria in my search. Most C or D rated tires would be more than ample for the Ranger's payload but there are very few choices and a great many more E rated tire options from most major brands in the pizza cutter profile. I was hoping to find something in the mid forty pound class but most newer Hybrid tire designs are more than 50 lbs per tire. By contrast, the stock Hanook Dynapro ATM on our XL and XLT trucks is 39 lbs. (but only an SL / 112 speed rated tire)
Mud-terrains look cool but are too aggressive. IMO All-terrain tires function better on gravel and washboard roads in Baja where I spend most of my off-highway time at 18-20 PSI. For lower air pressure on the beach (12-15 PSI) I also prefer more sidewall height in relation to overall tire height. In the past I have run the Cooper AT3's, BFG KO's, General ATx and Toyo AT's but was open to others. I also like a tire that is quiet on the highway but has great off road manners because I spend a good amount of time on the pavement "getting to" my off road destinations.

After a lot of research, components were ordered and the last of my parts finally arrived last week. I now have everything installed.

In consideration of current ride height...I have an APG mid-runner suspension with King extended travel shocks at all four corners and a rear Deaver progressive leaf spring pack. This set-up levels the front end (2.75") and retains stock rear bed height.

I swapped out the 17" stock FX4 wheels for 16 x 7" EvoCorse Dakar wheels with a +20 offset. These are mounted to a set of LT235/85/R16 Falken Rubitrek A/Ts.

The EVO's provide enough backspace to fit the suspension upgrades and the tire sits exactly flush to the fender well. Of course, there's no rubbing at full articulation and/or turning which was paramount. At 31.8" tall by 9.3" wide it's a little taller but narrower than a 265/70/17. The sidewall is also taller. (7.9") The Rubitreks weigh 46 lbs. and I'm currently running @42 PSI and the ride on the highway is fine. It's been raining here since I mounted everything up but I'll do a Tire Pressure Chalk test once the streets dry out to check for potential wear problems at this PSI.

Although this tire size and rim combo is a bit obscure I feel it fits my needs perfect and might be a consideration for other members.

 

[Fritz]

I ru 235/85 16 on the stock XL steels. (235 is about 9.25, not 11). I'm really happy with them and they perform great in the snow and in the rough. however, I do wish they were slightly taller, just for aesthetic purpose. so I'll probably switch to 255/85 at some point in the future.

also, if you were to go with a 235 tire, you don't want to run a wheel any wider than 7.5 inches maybe 8 at the widest.... this makes it pretty tough for finding aftermarket wheels....
even if you go with a 255/80 17, I would try and find something more narrow than 9.... it can be done, but if you're running low pressures in the dirt and over rocks a more narrow wheel would be much safer both for keeping the tire bead seated, and protecting the rim of the wheel.

ALSO, these are load range E tires, and they ride great. load range is not really going to affect your ride that much unless you are dramatically increasing the pressure as well. I run about 30psi in mine and they're just fine.

Still like those coopers? Did they get any louder with miles on them?

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