Larger Wheels and Tires? Pros & Cons

[JeffJones]

I currently have LT 225/75 16" tires and wheels and I need new tires and wheels. Is there any advantage to getting 17" or 18" tires and wheels and wider tires?
I will be getting a all terrain tire.
Thanks

 

[highdesertranger]

the rim diameter size has nothing to do with the tire size the rim width does determine the tire width. as the rim size moves up so does the tire price. a 17 cost more than a 16 for a comparable tire. and a 18 cost way more. I would stick with the 16's. highdesertranger

 

[MrNoodly]

I went from 245/75/16 on my 3/4 ton Express to 235/85/16 for two reasons. The latter has a slightly larger radius/diameter/circumference which means it turns slightly fewer times per mile, which in my case improved gas mileage about a half MPG. It makes the speedometer read a little slow, though. About 2mph at 70.

The 235/85/16 is also slightly narrower, so there's slightly less friction, also contributing to higher milage. Granted, less rolling friction means less friction for traction, but that hasn't been a problem for me yet in five years.

 

[B and C]

If you keep the same tire diameter but go up in rim size, you don't have as much sidewall to flex when going over rocks and such. My tires, the same size as yours are load range E. If yours are an E rated tire, I would think that finding a replacement on the road if you have a problem to "be a problem". Our tire size is very common and I would think even the tiniest of towns with a tire store would have them.

 

[MrNoodly]

If you keep the same tire diameter but go up in rim size, you don't have as much sidewall to flex when going over rocks and such...

Also, you'd be replacing relatively lightweight sidewalls with the heavier metal of the wheels, reducing fuel mileage and increasing ride harshness.

 

[Manyways2go]

This is my experience my truck 4x4 the larger wheels are alloy and not steel so I expect lighter too. I went from original equipment 16in to 17in wheels. The tire size is also larger diameter overall, it can be a personal decision but some of the pros and cons. It slows engine revolutions somewhat to maintain the same highway speed, similar to a change in axle gear ratio.  You would not want this if you are currently under-powered on hills etc. There are some calculators online to check this out in further detail for your specifications. It helps my fuel mileage on my vehicle. It has a lot to do with current gears vs horsepower/torque. It also increases the height both ground clearance and above OK for me but others have to step up/ climb up to get in.

The bad: the tire cost would be more expensive with larger tires, the speedometer and odometer are no longer accurate on mine they both read slow by 4mph. I haven't looked into correcting the error I use GPS speed when I need to know.

Try to go with common size tire more readily available and always choose the best tires you can get (safer and cheaper in the long run) as previously mention its possible to keep same overall diameter with larger wheels and not much would change,  Is it worth the cost for any possible benefits? like maybe cosmetic or chance of stronger sidewall?  A little more info to digest.

 

[johnny b]

Without getting into lift kits and such ($$$), your vehicle is limited as to what will fit.
On my Ford E-250 there were two sizes available when new...225/75-16 (my stock size) and 245/75-16 (option).
I went with the larger when replaced last year.
No clearance issues, but just that little change to a slightly 'fatter' tire has my speedo 4 mph slow.
But I got about an inch extra ground clearance...and a 'beefier' stance...looks better.

 

[JeffJones]

Great info everyone, thanks for the input. I am going to stay with 16" and maybe go with 245 for a wider tire. The wheels is 16" for this Ford are really limited and that sucks. I Aman old school chrome dude but looks like black is the thing now. By the time I buy them blue will be the new fad or red or who knows...

 

[highdesertranger]

good call to stay with the 16's. highdesertranger

 

[Beeps and eats]

Stick to your 16's but opt for the 45's in width. And you will gain a little height. I'm glad I did it.

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

 

[Seminole Wind]

here is a cool lil tire size calculator/comparator

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=245-75r16-225-75r16

enter the tire you have and the tire you are thinking of and see the difference

notice that just switching from a 225 width to a 245 width while having the same aspect ratio and rim size will get you not only a wider tire but a slightly taller tire as well. if you go wider and need to stay same dia then you need to reduce aspect ratio to compensate

 

[highdesertranger]

just a note, the 225 and 245 measurements are not the width. they are a measurement from bead to bead. the aspect ratio determines the width and how tall the tires are. highdesertranger

 

[Weight]

The said measurements are from inside wall to outside wall. Each measurement has a designated rim width that must be used to maintain tire safety.
This is copied from Tire Rack Co. information.
"Section Width
A tire's section width (also called "cross section width") is the measurement of the tire's width from its inner sidewall to its outer sidewall (excluding any protective ribs, decorations or raised letters) at the widest point. This measurement is made without any load placed upon the tire and after the tire has been properly mounted on its industry assigned measuring rim and has been inflated and reset to its test pressure after 24 hours.
Because a tire's section width is influenced by the width of the rim upon which the tire is mounted, the correct industry assigned measuring rim width for the tire size being measured must be used.
The width of a tire mounted on a narrow rim would be "narrower" than if the same tire was mounted on a wide rim."

 

[rollinghaus]

One more thing to consider if you have purchased a new van. I have a Nissan NV2500 tall roof and as I dug into the factory warranty you will note if you go out of spec wheel/tire size you can void that awesome 5yr, 100,000 mile warranty. I was going to go just a bit bigger because my van looks like a white rhino on roller skates but now I am just going to go a better quality tire when I need to replace the thin sidewalled stock Firestones.

Hope that helps for any new van buyers.

Lastly, after I push through my warranty it's no holds barred

 

[highdesertranger]

besides the warranty most of your more reputable tire places will not install out of spec wheels and tires. even if it's out of warranty as they don't want to be held liable for any issues that might arise. highdesertranger

 

[Seminole Wind]

yes changing tire size is not something to be taken lightly.

it WILL affect drivability
it WILL affect power/performance
it WILL affect economey

those effects can be negative or positive or some of each. you need to know what you have what you want and what you will get then you can decide if they will work for you.

this tire calculator allows you to enter in your existing tire size and another size then it will compare them. including showing what % underdrive or overdrive yoyu will get.

it is a great tool to help see how a tire size change really works out. a lot of people do not realize that if you "just go wider" like switch from a 205/75r15 to a 245/75r15 you will not only be 40cm "wider" but the diameter will increase as well because the diameter is a ratio of the width. remmember if you end up with a 5% increase in diameter that is like a 5% overdrive. will that be good or bad for your rig? a wider tire can provide more traction and floation and that can be good in sand, but not so good when it hydroplanes easier on rain soaked roads

think about why you think you want a differnt tire size. then use the calculator to see what changes will actually happen and then decide if that will work for you

an informed decision is the best you can do and only you know what you want. and not many tire shops are willing or even able to help you figure it out anymore

 

[Jim_Rockford]

I went from 245/75/16 on my 3/4 ton Express to 235/85/16 for two reasons. The latter has a slightly larger radius/diameter/circumference which means it turns slightly fewer times per mile, which in my case improved gas mileage about a half MPG. It makes the speedometer read a little slow, though. About 2mph at 70.

The 235/85/16 is also slightly narrower, so there's slightly less friction, also contributing to higher milage. Granted, less rolling friction means less friction for traction, but that hasn't been a problem for me yet in five years.

You are close but a skinner tire acually gets a bit more traction because you get more contact psi per sq inch . This really only works with street tires due to the tread blocks. A wide drag slick works better because it has more rubber contacting the road .

 

[regis101]

I plugged your van into americastire.com for a quick look.  It gave two additional +Zero tire sizes.

My long story short is that stock is just fine.  In your case, staying with the stock size , albeit a second or third comparable choice, but increasing load rating might be in order.  Especially is you've added static weight.

Bling can turn to bang quickly. Going wider means that tire has to be placed so that not too much inboard that it might rub balljoints or outboard that the slider side door hits. ( ask me how on that one ). Barn doors aren't an issue though.

You're gonna have crawl around and see the amount of available room then make yer choices.

Just some thoughts.