Modest Wheels and tires
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Central Ohio
Modest Wheels and tires
Just about to pick-up a '09 FX-4 SCAB. I'm new to F150s and pick-ups in general. I would like to do a leveling lift on the front end, and add a larger tire on 20" wheels. I would like to keep the tire size modest. This truck will spend most of its life on paved roads, but we do get a decent winter here to deal with. I would like a semi-aggressive tread pattern that won't be too loud, yet still offer decent winter traction. What do you guys suggest? I might add some +1" fender flares as well. Does anyone know of a web site that shows what the truck looks like with flares installed? Similar to the way Tire Rack's site shows what the wheels look like on the vehicle.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Member
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Lakewood, CA
Welcome to the club!
Two tires seem to fit your profile and you will hear folks swear by both of them:
1. Nitto Terra grappler
2. Cooper zeon LTZ
Most popular size for your setup and modesty appears to be the 275/60r20(33") or the 305/55/r20(also 33") if you want a wider tire...run a few searches and you find a plenty of info, advise and pics on those two tires and setup.
Two tires seem to fit your profile and you will hear folks swear by both of them:
1. Nitto Terra grappler
2. Cooper zeon LTZ
Most popular size for your setup and modesty appears to be the 275/60r20(33") or the 305/55/r20(also 33") if you want a wider tire...run a few searches and you find a plenty of info, advise and pics on those two tires and setup.
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 252
From: Central California
Here's a cut and paste...this guy nailed it. Re-read all the vibration and balancing issues threads with 20s before you opt for them.
After a lot of deliberation and research, I finally settled on new tires for my truck, replacing the OEM tires.
As we all know, tire choice is a very personal decision based on not only one’s personal taste and how we want our truck to look, but also the driving environment the truck will be used in; including how much true off road use vs. on-highway miles we each drive, what we like to do for recreation, as well as the weather conditions in the geographic region where we each reside. And, as always for many of us, cost is also a consideration.
In my research over the past several months, I observed/read a lot of questions and debate (in multiple forums) over the largest size which would fit this truck, without the tire rubbing or necessitating cutting of body parts in and around the tire well, or installing a full lift kit. With regard to the rubbing issue, it is not only a factor of tire height, but also tire width. Then there was consideration over tread, be it an A/T or M/T type tread pattern. Personally, I wanted to retain my stock factory 18” chrome rims. Additionally, for my taste, I did not want the tires extending out past the fender lines of the vehicle and I also wanted to increase the overall vehicle height.
I researched multiple tire brands and found that in the 18” wheel size there were not as many options as there were for those who might have 16” or 17” wheels on their vehicle. While there were many popular tire brands which I would have liked to consider; the size range which I had in mind, was not offered for the 18" wheel size.
While some talked of replacing the stock 32” diameter tires with 33’s or maybe 34’s, I focused on the 35” size as I wanted the tallest tire possible (fill the wheel well) without any negative issues such as rubbing on full lock to lock turns. In this regard, I did find some positive comments from other owners on various forums, that with the 2” leveling kit installed, there were no adverse issues with the 35” (34.8) tire height, as long as the tire was not too wide. In my case, I did not want a very wide (over stock) tire but thought that if I had to go up just one size in width, I could still have a good look, but not run the risk of having rubbing or other tire contact issues. I also desired taller rubber on the sidewall (larger profile), so as not to be always banging/scraping my wheels on rocks when off the paved road, which can be problematic with the wheel exposure in the larger rim sizes.
Therefore, in my situation, and for the 'look' I wanted to achieve, coupled with my range of many long highway/freeway trips each month and frequently mountain roads and trails on weekends, as well as with some significant snow in the winter, I decided on the A/T in size 285/75/18. With only a few brand options available in this size, I looked closely at the Toyo’s as they were rated high (user surveys) and had excellent advanced design features in how they were constructed. While price was a factor, I had it at the bottom of my list; however, I did find them on sale at Les Schwab, a large western states tire company.
I have had them on the truck for about 5,000 miles and they seem to be wearing well, track excellently at freeway speeds, and have provided excellent traction in both heavy rain, and most recently up in the mountain snow this past week. These tires are also really quiet for their size. It is interesting, as another concern I had was potential loss of performance (impact on rear gear ratio) with the much taller tires, in that I have the middle of the road 3.55's in the rear end. In that regard, I have not noticed an appreciable difference in performance. The ‘snap’ off the line and the long hill climb acceleration on the highway seems about the same and is very good. It might be that the combo of the 5.4 L motor coupled with the wide range of the six speed trans’, is off-setting that common loss of power with installation of larger tires; but who knows, I am not an automotive engineer. All I know is, they work/perform well, they look great and I am a happy-camper. One last edit to this: The tire store put 40lbs of air in each tire. I noticed that the ride was a lot harder than the OE tires; so they reduced the air to 35lbs and that made a great difference. They told me it should not affect the wear pattern to any degree, 40 vs. 35. I will rotate them and rebalance the fronts, each 5,000 miles.
BTW, I also thought the M/T version of this Toyo Open Country tire looked awesome. They were not on sale and completely out of stock this go-round. Hope this info helps some of you on the fence, especially about what size will fit without having to guess, before buying.
The bottom line, if your truck came equipped with 18" wheels, the 285/75/18 tire at 35" tall and 11" wide, will fit perfectly in conjunction with installation of a 2” leveling kit.
I LOVE my F150.
TOYO Open Country AT LT285 75R18 129S E10 BLK
Overall Diameter: 34.8"
Overall Width: 11.3"
Approved Rim Width: 7.5-8.0-9.0
Item #:300420
Overall Width: 11.3"
Approved Rim Width: 7.5-8.0-9.0
Item #:300420
As we all know, tire choice is a very personal decision based on not only one’s personal taste and how we want our truck to look, but also the driving environment the truck will be used in; including how much true off road use vs. on-highway miles we each drive, what we like to do for recreation, as well as the weather conditions in the geographic region where we each reside. And, as always for many of us, cost is also a consideration.
In my research over the past several months, I observed/read a lot of questions and debate (in multiple forums) over the largest size which would fit this truck, without the tire rubbing or necessitating cutting of body parts in and around the tire well, or installing a full lift kit. With regard to the rubbing issue, it is not only a factor of tire height, but also tire width. Then there was consideration over tread, be it an A/T or M/T type tread pattern. Personally, I wanted to retain my stock factory 18” chrome rims. Additionally, for my taste, I did not want the tires extending out past the fender lines of the vehicle and I also wanted to increase the overall vehicle height.
I researched multiple tire brands and found that in the 18” wheel size there were not as many options as there were for those who might have 16” or 17” wheels on their vehicle. While there were many popular tire brands which I would have liked to consider; the size range which I had in mind, was not offered for the 18" wheel size.
While some talked of replacing the stock 32” diameter tires with 33’s or maybe 34’s, I focused on the 35” size as I wanted the tallest tire possible (fill the wheel well) without any negative issues such as rubbing on full lock to lock turns. In this regard, I did find some positive comments from other owners on various forums, that with the 2” leveling kit installed, there were no adverse issues with the 35” (34.8) tire height, as long as the tire was not too wide. In my case, I did not want a very wide (over stock) tire but thought that if I had to go up just one size in width, I could still have a good look, but not run the risk of having rubbing or other tire contact issues. I also desired taller rubber on the sidewall (larger profile), so as not to be always banging/scraping my wheels on rocks when off the paved road, which can be problematic with the wheel exposure in the larger rim sizes.
Therefore, in my situation, and for the 'look' I wanted to achieve, coupled with my range of many long highway/freeway trips each month and frequently mountain roads and trails on weekends, as well as with some significant snow in the winter, I decided on the A/T in size 285/75/18. With only a few brand options available in this size, I looked closely at the Toyo’s as they were rated high (user surveys) and had excellent advanced design features in how they were constructed. While price was a factor, I had it at the bottom of my list; however, I did find them on sale at Les Schwab, a large western states tire company.
I have had them on the truck for about 5,000 miles and they seem to be wearing well, track excellently at freeway speeds, and have provided excellent traction in both heavy rain, and most recently up in the mountain snow this past week. These tires are also really quiet for their size. It is interesting, as another concern I had was potential loss of performance (impact on rear gear ratio) with the much taller tires, in that I have the middle of the road 3.55's in the rear end. In that regard, I have not noticed an appreciable difference in performance. The ‘snap’ off the line and the long hill climb acceleration on the highway seems about the same and is very good. It might be that the combo of the 5.4 L motor coupled with the wide range of the six speed trans’, is off-setting that common loss of power with installation of larger tires; but who knows, I am not an automotive engineer. All I know is, they work/perform well, they look great and I am a happy-camper. One last edit to this: The tire store put 40lbs of air in each tire. I noticed that the ride was a lot harder than the OE tires; so they reduced the air to 35lbs and that made a great difference. They told me it should not affect the wear pattern to any degree, 40 vs. 35. I will rotate them and rebalance the fronts, each 5,000 miles.
BTW, I also thought the M/T version of this Toyo Open Country tire looked awesome. They were not on sale and completely out of stock this go-round. Hope this info helps some of you on the fence, especially about what size will fit without having to guess, before buying.
The bottom line, if your truck came equipped with 18" wheels, the 285/75/18 tire at 35" tall and 11" wide, will fit perfectly in conjunction with installation of a 2” leveling kit.
I LOVE my F150.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Central Ohio
The truck already has factory 20" wheels. I've been searching and havn't found much on balancing/vibration.
Would I be better off replacing the wheels with 18" or 17"?
