So, in an effort to gain ground clearance and not look like a donk, the truck is going to need wheels/tires next year. It's been fun with RT615K+'s on the front in a 255/40/17 and some Lexani 275/55/17's on the rear. Very entertaining for sure even with the weak and worn out engine. But I cant drive over anything larger than a pebble with my 2" of ground clearance. Now, the logical thing would be lift the berkeleyer back up a couple inches, right? Nah... why do that.
So I'vebeen looking at a set oc 18x9.5's in the right offset and a tire to go with those. A 275/40 goes from a 25" tall tire in front now to a 26.7", giving me 3/4 of an inch more ground clearance. the 285/40 gives me 27", or a full inch of increased clearance on the LCA. If I wanted to go nuts, there's a 295/40 gives me over 1.2" of extra clearance but I think trying to stuff a 295 on a 9.5 or even a 10" wheel is likely a bad idea.
So the goal is to find a wheel/tire combo with a good HP summer tire option in the 27+" diameter range. THOUGHTS?
A 285 on a 9.5 should work okay, I think. It's got enough sidewall that mounting won't be an issue, it just might be a little more flexy than ideal. Any reason for not just going with matched 275s or 285s all around?
rslifkin said:
A 285 on a 9.5 should work okay, I think. It's got enough sidewall that mounting won't be an issue, it just might be a little more flexy than ideal. Any reason for not just going with matched 275s or 285s all around?
That is the plan, a matched set at all 4 corners. The 275/55 LExanis's are leftovers from pre-OD trans and needed as much height as I could get my fingers on. They're also fun because they have no traction ever. But that was with 150 hp at the flywheel. With 300+ I imagine the fun with those will dissipate rather quickly and the 255/40's are on 8.5" wheels that I got stupid cheap ($110 shipped for all 4) back when I first bought the truck. There's really nothing in a 17 that can get me close to that diameter with a tire that doesn't suck the soul out of you.
also... there are a lot of options in 19's for tires, but all the wheels are hideous.
For max performance, that is waaaayyy wide of tire to run ratio.
A lot of fast track / race cars are going 245 on a 10 inch wide wheel.
Will the setup you suggest work... it should.
Lettuce know. I've got a set of 245/40-18's that Hoosier said would fit on an 8.0" rim. When I got the tires in hand, I thought that all I had to do was get them on the rim 'cuz they'll bead themselves! Not a lot of flex in those tires. Unmounted they're 9.5" across the beads. I have no idea how I would get them off the rims. Sawzall?
I have a real tire machine in my garage so mounting and dismounting tires isn't usually a problem. I can see dismounting might be challenging.
And then there's the cantilever thing going on. Tires these days aren't designed for the overwide tire width to rim ratio we used to see. I'm looking for a set of 9 or 9.5" to use these tires with. Gotta great deal on them and I hate to see them go to waste...
TO me the problem with a truck is filling up the hole. Trucks have larger wheel openings, so what tire side wall in a 285 will fill it up. a 285 75 16 will look large and the rubber you see fills the hole like a rubber band just can't. just too much wheel in the 18/19 and up. well maybe 18's but you see what i mean to use the sidewall to fill it up.
SkinnyG
UltraDork
9/14/18 7:25 p.m.
Not the same diameter wheels, but I'm running 275/60R15's on a 10" wheel, and will be going to 295's in spring. It'll probably work :)
In reply to GTXVette :
This is a race truck, so performance tires are a requirement.
Do it
also, see the local examples I messaged you for reference
I used to run 275s on a 12" wide wheel, so I am a good example of what not to do.
bobzilla said:
So, in an effort to gain ground clearance and not look like a donk, the truck is going to need wheels/tires next year. It's been fun with RT615K+'s on the front in a 255/40/17 and some Lexani 275/55/17's on the rear. Very entertaining for sure even with the weak and worn out engine. But I cant drive over anything larger than a pebble with my 2" of ground clearance. Now, the logical thing would be lift the berkeleyer back up a couple inches, right? Nah... why do that.
I find this funny, because I reckon I got lucky not highsiding the TL on the road in front of your house this spring 
In reply to sleepyhead :
its loose gravel, you just grade it when you're low. I did it ever time the truck goes and and back.
