Need opinions, pros - cons, experience with, etc... Tire size help. 1998 Dodge 2500.

[Alpine_Hobbits]

First, please don't flame me... I have a question regarding tire size, and a few points as to why I am concerned at all. If you'll hear me out, I will try and be to the point and focused.

* Back story, 1998 Dodge 2500, 5.9 "gasser", 4500, 241hd, 60's front and rear 3.55's, unit bearing delete- manual hub swap, 3 inches over stock, 265-75r16 toyo m55 tires... Just hit 120k. That being said, as my wife and I evolve in our traveling, we have decided we want to change a couple things on the pick up. We will be adding a 16k winch, flat bed, camper (undecided), ** Larger tires and arb lockers. This truck will no longer serve as a tow rig, it will carry some sort of camper or pop up, and be more set up for those little dirt trails that just sort of go... Exploring Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, etc.

* My question. What tire size, and why? I am hung up between 37 - 40". This is an issue for me, as I need to have an idea on final tire size before I can do the gears and flat bed, etc. I have read a thousand threads, and have gotten as far as knowing that is the size range I want to be in. I guess I am hoping maybe a couple of the dodge owners around here might have some good first hand, " this is what happened too me" kind of advice.

Sorry for the lame thread, I am really struggling with this choice for some reason. And honestly, this seemed like the most logical place to put it.

Cheers:coffeedrink:

 

[Scoutman]

So basically you have a 3/4 ton truck that you're wanting to make into a more dedicated backcounty rig. If I were in your spot I would stick closer to a 37" tire. It wouldn't be too big but there's still a number of options out there. My Dodge 1 ton is my daily driver and I upgraded tires a while back with no lift and run a 305-75-17 which is about 34" tall. If I were taking my truck to the next level I would run 37's, H1's (cause I have a set already), spacers, utility bed and a bolted down camper with no jacks. If the terrain you plan to do can justify the 40's then go for it but if not I'd stick to the smaller size that's a bit more practical.

 

[goodtimes]

The 33" tires on my '99 Dodge haven't stopped me from going anywhere I actually wanted to take it.

IMO - the truck + camper is too big and heavy to get into really rough terrain anyway, so I never felt the need for much lift or tires that big. But, as with all things, what you plan to do with it will be the driving force behind the decision. In general, I'd recommend "as small as possible, as big as necessary".

 

[Darwin]

I also would not get 37 to 40 inch tire for reasons outlined above, especially with the camper. Only as big as necessary and small as possible, especially for an overland vehicle. A rock crawler is a different story. I personally prefer 285/75/18 as they are 35 inches tall, narrow, and come with 4000 lb. load range which helps with the camper.

 

[98dango]

I'm a big tire guy I have 40s but I'm going down to 37 across the board on 4 out of trucks I own. Every thing but the wife's do will be on 37s by the end of this year.

Most on expo are not a fan of big rubber. In my life if you run a full size truck 35s are minimum. Your break over angle and ground clearance is key.

I am planning to order the 37 12.5 17 Cooper stt for my Super Duty and my wife's chevy my 88 idi f250 and ramcharger will get militarily take offs due to cost and that they will rot off before I where them out.

 

[cliniford]

I know someone who runs 40's with a full size camper off-road but mainly fire roads. Does just fine, however sticking with a 35-37" tire makes it a lot easier to find a replacement when off the well beaten path. A lot more options for tires in that range versus 40"+....

 

[ExpoMike]

Here's my '97 Dodge 2500 with a Cummins engine. I sit at about 8600 lbs and run a 285/75-16 tire and haven't had any place I have wanted to go, not able to.

Here's a video of going up Mengal Pass in Death Valley.


With a camper, I am not sure I would want any bigger then 35" but I don't really see the need for that big.

 

[redthies]

Blakeape's truck pictured below is a 2500 on 37s with a flat deck and pop up camper. You may want to check out his build thread:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/55446-1997-Cummins-Towho-Expo

 

[87GMCJimmy]

My vote would be for 37s. I have 37s on my 3/4 ton Dodge (2012 Power Wagon) with just a 2" lift. To me, they are the perfect balance between ground clearance, drivability, and practicality. I don't have a camper (though I would like one!) but, to my mind- 37s easily get me everywhere that I would feel comfortable going with a camper in the bed.

That being said- Honestly, I have been eyeballing 40s BUT, that's because the trips I take in my truck are typically shorter (typically sub 6 hour round trip), I don't have a camper, and the terrain I wheel on typically involves rock crawling with a Jeep club wherein most members are sitting on 37s and above. But, I really cannot justify them (40s) just for the off road performance as my truck does 90+% of what I ask of it fine on 37s.

Overall, I would have to say that I heartily recommend 37s for your application! Also, 37s are less stress on your driveline (a driveling that will already be taxed with hauling around all the weight of your camber setup) and less stress on your back whenever you have to change a flat!!! Also, unless you desire to do a LOT of cutting of front fenders, the lift height needed to clear 40s is going to be pretty high, not ideal for COG with a camper!!!

As for what 37" tire- I have had Cooper STT muds (on my 87 Jimmy) and loved them and I currently have Goodyear MTR Kevlars (on my Power Wagon) and love them except for the fact that after only 3000miles it would appear they need rebalanced (I have a mild frontend wobble that appeared after rotating my tires), with that exception they have worked VERY well so far! They have actually worked better than I had expected in a variety of terrain! I think though that my next set of tires may be Toyo Open Country muds as I have heard nothing but great things about them!!! I would be running them now except for two reasons: 1. I wanted to use my stock wheels and the Toyos are VERY wide! (37x13.50R17 measures at 14.6" wide! But now I am contemplating some aftermarket wheels when it comes time for new tires) and 2. The sale price on my MTRKs was too good to pass up!

 

[ZEVRO]

Hey Alpine,
MY wife and I are also building an overland truck to take around the world. 1998 Ram 2500 4x4 12V Cummins, Short Bed Quad Cab, NV4500, ARB`s front and rear. We will be going with Interco TrXus MT`s 37x12.50R16.5LT, P/N RXM-32, Wt. 77 lbs, Tread Ply 10, Side Wall Ply 3, Tread depth 21/32, Ht 37.2 Load Rating 3970. I have used the TRX tires on a couple of other rigs in the Pacific North West and have found them unstoppable. We will be getting six of them and rotate them out as needed to extend the life as much as possible. They have great street manners and grip wet roads and ice like a baby monkey to its mother. For the sand, air them down to 15 psi and you have a dune buggy. Rocks no issue. Mud no issue. With all that said Interco also has a 38.5x14.50R17LT with a 4200 lb load rating. However I would think it would be a bit too wide for an all around tire. Remember the wider the foot print the more rolling resistance you have thereby lowering your fuel mileage.

Hope this Helps

 

[Alpine_Hobbits]

Wow, thank you all for the responses. I see there is a fine split amongst the crowd, and justifiably so. I see now, there are many facts and details leading up to this that I have left out. Kind of vague in both my reasoning, expectations... I do that some times, I should apologize now. " The wife swears I have a.d.d. or some something or other... I like to blame it on the coffee." :sombrero:

Anyways, what "really happened"...

My wife and I grew bored with our average Joe lifestyle, we decided over Tequila that we would sell everything... Buy a trailer and hit the road. That was early 2010, we bought a new to us 28' bumper pull trailer. Although not a brand new trailer, it was the victim of a full refurbish the prior year. Needless to say, we were living our dream! The absolute freedom, we could just go anywhere. Well, that dream quickly turned into reality... The trailer was huge! What a hassle, seriously.... Everything was a chore. We towed that trailer around for a whole year( and given the chance, I wouldn't change it. ). But the time had come for an upgrade, we searched and re-searched... We asked anyone and everyone who would listen to us, what would they do, and why? After about 5 months of chatting, asking, snooping, and reading... We settled on a used Lance C/O hard side. It was nice, but even with the upgraded rear suspension, it was HEAVY. It was a nightmare, the wind, no off roading, no hills, and just not what we were looking for. It lived with us for exactly 36 days, 1 day short of 5 weeks. A fellow inquired about it at a fuel stop and owned it 1 hour and 16 minutes later, we broke dead even square on the deal.

Next venture was a hastily purchased slide in pop up, C/O version. It was a nice camper ( at one point in time... ), But by the time we acquired it the damage had been done. It needed work, and lots of it. We fought our losses and made the best of it for a few months in that set up, until what was left of the fabric lost its will to go on. Ok, Idaho in the winter time and our camper has now died. The joy right... Anyways, now I have an address.:wings: <~~~ Sarcasm and no worries, IT'S TEMPORARY!!!

The wife and I have decided it's time for an upgrade, change a few things on the truck to achieve a more tailored outcome. While the truck is down, we will be addressing a few of the issues that have shown their fangs over the last couple years. This truck will be heavy when it's done, and although not some kind of mega built 5 ton 6x6... It needs some love in the tire department. I am not one to rush out and throw huge amounts of money at the biggest lift and coolest new tires either... I LOVE my M55 Toyo's, but they just aren't big enough for what I am trying to do and where we try and drive... That's just the fact of this matter. At this point, we need bigger tires, gears and selectable lockers. Tires being one of our biggest limiting factors while exploring.

Next, storage space... We all know it's at a premium. I am working like a mad scientist to resolve at least part of that problem with our re-build. Basically, I am going to utilize- modify a standard 8' utility / service bed and mount a small 8' Coleman pop up trailer body on top of it. There are many reasons I am looking at this option, mostly because I have all the parts... But alongside that, storage space and configuration. Everyone is quick to point out the high C.O.G., and yeah... It's been thought about. But, relatively speaking... It's not that much more than our previous pop up, and with the additional storage space below the body... I will be able to offset the balance favorably and still be far south of the dry weight of the Lance. Keep in mind, this is a long way from anything amazing... I am still measuring and drawing, making plans etc. My wife has learned over the years to make sure I have acquired everything needed, before I get to start taking things apart.

...Squirrel


Anyways, that ways fun. So hopefully everyone has a better understanding of what fills my cornucopia of illusional delusions... Basically, I have convinced both my wife and myself that we need bigger tires. I mean, if nothing else... All the cool kids are doing it, right?

Once again with reality, if we were talking rock crawler or something... I would be comfy in my skin and follow my gut. This is slightly new to me still, and I am now looking for large tires that can not only perform off road, but also carry to some degree... an absurd amount of weight while doing it. Kind of why I am asking for opinions, facts, real world experience, this is what happened to me, etc. I don't have any kind of weights yet, or anything real world to go with... Just a basis of what I am after and some parts laying around taking up floor space. Once I can lock down a good well informed decision on tires, I can also address the gears and lockers... Once that's done, "Off with her bed!!" Then, and only then can I begin to attach the service bed to the dodge and get my little trailer mounted.

:coffeedrink: For those still here, thanks so much! I'm not real good at this whole writing and computer stuff. No need for lying either, I must be 12 cups deep...:coffeedrink::sombrero: Thanks again everyone. It's appreciated wholeheartedly. I will dig around and see what kind of pictures I can find, until next time. Wander on amigos!!

 

[Alpine_Hobbits]

Please forgive my ultra uncool paint drawing, but this would more or less account for the side profile of what I am trying to achieve. 8' bed / 8' pop up body, attached via a sub-frame inside the service body. Keeping it removable could help with maintenance etc... Using this idea, allows for a good deal of additional storage below the pop up body as well. Spare tires, fuel.... endless really.

That's where our heads are at. Enjoy, critique, thoughts, opinions, etc. I believe I will find what I am looking for in a 37" tire, at least more readily available than in a 40" tire. Time will be the ultimate deciding factor though. We are going to end up using what works the best for what we do. Hopefully I can find some pics to share. Thank you again for all the feed back, it all helps.

 

[ZEVRO]

Hey Alpine,

The truck tool bed is way cool. One thing you may wat to consider with the Pop-Up. Depending on where and when you go some where you will want to consider high winds. We were consider a Pop-Up as well until we saw half of a camper go into the air. You may want to make beef it up and use some good strong fabric. We decided on useing a full steel camper shell from Caravan Campers and then do a custom build for the inside. If you want check them out http://www.caravancamper.com/gallery/

Anyway best of luck on the build