06XLT4x4

Hello,

Before I start my question, here is my current set up on my truck:

2006 F150 XLT 5.4
6" RCX lift
ATX Artillery 18x9 -12mm offset
35/12.50/18 Trail Grapplers

I'm planning a 3-4 hour road trip here in a few months and I'm trying to get prepared. I currently have the STOCK 17" steel wheel underneath my bed with the factory tire, I believe 265/60/17 or something similar. I know the stock 17" wheels won't fit on my truck because the RCX lift requires a minimum of 0mm offset up to -12mm, so the spare is pointless.

I got a good deal on one rim and one tire. The rim size is exactly the same size and offset as my ATX (18x9 -12mm offset). And the tire is a little over 32", 275/65/18 to be exact.

Here is my question: In the event I do get a flat, will the 32" tire work as my spare? I know it won't look pretty and I believe the 32" has to be in the front and not the back right, as the rear must have matching tire/wheel size, right?

Also, will that wheel/tire set up fit underneath my bed? Or do I now need to keep my spare inside the bed of my truck?

Thank you for your time.

zimmer0

iTrader: (1)

i would scavenge CL or local tire shop for a used tire to throw on that wheel closer to a 35". I know some shops around here basically give them away.
Correct on putting the spare on the front. The 32" tire will work in the event of a flat but i would not be running 70+ on mismatched sized tires as a precaution.

06XLT4x4

Yeah, I've been searching my local CL and calling tire shops around my town with no luck, the 32" is the closest I've found, but I'll keep searching. Thank you for your input though.

FjacobXsmith4

X2 on trying to find a 35" tore instead. And to answer your other question I think a larger tire can fit under the truck. Raptor's have almost 35" spares under there so I'm sure you could make it fit with slight modifications. Although if you just spent some extra to get a matching spare it'd look pretty sick in the bed

uzikaduzi

what about putting a 35 inch tire on the factor spare rim... it won't work on the front because of the lift like you said but if you got a flat on the front you could put the spare on the back and move the good back tire to the front?

zimmer0

iTrader: (1)

Thats is a possibility uzikaduzi. Pretty sure the new fabtech kits come with a 1/4" Spacer in case of getting a flat and need to run a stock wheel as a spare. I know this to be true atleast for the GM kits.

uzikaduzi

i contacted rough country and they said i would need 1.5 to 2 inch spacers for the factory wheels... I know the knuckles are all different since some rancho kits that still replaced the knuckles still allowed for stock wheel backspacing.

06XLT4x4

That's a good idea, I happen to have one stock 18" fx4 rim sitting up in my attic. So if I buy a 1.5" wheel spacer and install it with my stock fx4 rims (with 35") it will work right?

zimmer0

iTrader: (1)

Yes

uzikaduzi

that will work... but, the money you're gonna spend on a good 1.5 inch spacer is going to be as much as a rim that will work... i don't really love the idea of spacers but i've looked into it a few times and a pair (never seen them sold separately) of good hub-centric spacers are minimum $300 (the cheap ones likely aren't hub centric and try to avoid aluminum if you go this route). If it were me I'd either find a 35 inch tire to mount to the stock rim and run it on the rear if i get a flat (no spacer) or I'd buy a new rim that will work since a spacer is going to be a similar price. I guess you'd really only be using the spacer in an emergency but i don't see the point if you can just skip it altogether and run the stock rim on the rear.