Tire size recomendations

Getting tired of waiting for Al Bore's global warming so I thought that I would do something about it.

Gonna resurrect the chevy 4x4 this summer and start driving that.

Tired of getting stuck with the car.

Need to put tires on the truck anyways.

Soooooo here is what I am looking at.

It has the stock 235 75 15's on it now, and they just seem tiny in those wheel wells.

Thinking of some tire options.

1) Put 31x10.5's on the stock rims
2) trying to put some bf goodrich 33x9.50's on the stock rims. (should fit)
3) getting some 235 85 16's and of course rims on the old beast. These were stock for the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks.

Also another reason for changing tire sizes is that I wanna put the 3.73 axles I got from a junk burb on the truck so it can actually do some work.

Course by putting on bigger tires it helps reduce highway rpms.


Sooooooo guys what do you all think????

I like #3, you can get a load range E in the 16's
Everyone has them and they are a little cheaper now
that all the newer trucks run 17's, 18's and 20's

Wish they hadnt changed the inside hole size on the 88 and ups.

I can get a shitload of 16in wheels for cheap.

But of course they dont fit the older pickups. GRRRRRRR

The front end won't handle much bigger than a 31 x 10.50. 33 x 12.50s will tear the steering box from the frame. And cause every other part of the front end to wear out 2-3 times faster.
For less than half the cost of a set of those tires you could just get an all wheel drive Aerostar, haul wifey and the kids, dogs, whatever, and get 18-20 mpg. Granted it isn't a truck but I figgur why drive a truck 95 percent of the time for that 5 percent when I might actually need it. But that's just me.

The one thing I do need is ground clearance. Dont get that with an aerostar.

I do want to get something that can tow, or pull a trailer that can haul a car.

Maybe I should just put the cheby back together sell it, and get the ford going instead.

Course if I do that its gotta have a limited slip or locker of some sort in it since its 2wd.

No room for debate on that one.

I drove my 72 F-250 2wd for 16 years in Alaska. The only 2 times I ever needed pulled out, 4wd wouldn't have helped. It was plum worthless until I put limited slip in it though. With good tires and 500-600 pounds in the back, it would push through bumper deep snow no problem. Trouble with driving an old gas pickup truck nowdays is how fast they will slurk through $100 in gas.
The Aerostar is a little low and I worry about not having any skidplates. I did put 205 75 15s on mine so it sits up better than stock. It isn't an off road 4x4 but one of the best winter road vehicles I have ever owned.

nothing from pre 2000 is really worth spending a dime on--i have noticed a big change in the smell of gas--just the past few weeks--smells like it's loaded with acetone and fucking corn alcohol--read 'em and weep

Spart the oil companys have long been in the habit of changing the additive chemicals in gas for cold weather. It make gas more volatile at low temps. Back when throttle body injection first became popular the tow/road service guys quickly learned that if a buggy cranked a little slow and didn't fire on the first couple of revolutions they were gonna be changing plugs or dragging it back to the shop. My EFI 300 tends to eat a lot more gas when it's real cold.

tire size chart

http://www.tellico4x4.com/moreinfo/ratio.htm

According to that chart going with 31's and 3.73 would put the engine about where Id want it.

I didnt see where on the chart it would have said what engine type it was for though.

Since the chart is based on a 1:1 ratio in high gear it really wouldn't matter what type of engine it was as long as it can sustain the RPM.