The cost of big tires - Is it worth it?

[4x4junkie]

I concur with what many have said already, if bigger tires will make it much easier to get to the places you want to go, then yes, they are a very worthwhile investment.
I run 35x12.50 tires on my little BII... As ExplorerTom mentions, they make big rocks seem much smaller. If you don't encounter big rocks much in your travels, then the need for big tires becomes much less clear-cut.

Have you actually begun your research into what all it's going to cost you? Because your estimates seem quite a bit on the high-side to me...

A set of five 37x12.50R17 Toyos M/Ts on 8.5" alloys for example should not exceed $3000 (and that's by just looking at a couple advertisements in a magazine too... With a bit of shopping around, I'll bet $2500 may even be possible).

ARB lockers & gears would probably be a hair under $4000 if you're paying a shop to install them (DIY I suspect could knock off maybe $600 or so)

When it comes to suspension lifts, the shocks have by far the most significant effect on ride quality of anything. You should be able to get a good not-too-expensive lift sans shocks for ~ $1200-1400, then put the $$$ you saved into some higher-end shocks (Fox or King for example) for a total of maybe around $2000-2500.

So that's about $8500-9500 for all good stuff. not $12,000.

There are things you can do to help promote the longevity of parts with large tires too... One of the biggest strains comes not so much from a larger tire's diameter or weight, but rather from the wider wheel offset commonly chosen with bigger tires. If you can keep the offset of your new wheels to within an inch or so of what the stock wheel offset was, there likely won't be much impact on the life of things such as wheel bearings, ball joints, and the like (wider-offset wheels greatly increases the leverage put on those parts). Narrower wheels tend to be better in this regard (a 17x8.5" wheel is generally better than a 17x10" wheel, all else being the same).
The beefy solid axles under your F-250 should tolerate larger tires better than most as well, so you have that going for you too.


That said, larger tires and a lift indeed will hammer your MPG a good 10-20%. Running higher PSI in the tires will lessen this a small amount, as well as extend the mileage life of those pricier tires a bit too. The costs are of course a somewhat harsher ride, and less-even tire wear (the less-even wear can be mitigated somewhat if you do a lot of driving while aired down off road).

As for the rest of the stuff you mention (winch, bumpers, etc.), I think that just comes with the territory whether you run big tires or not. Infact, not having big tires could arguably make the need for having a winch greater, since you're more bound to get hung up on a particular trail with 265/75R16s and open diffs than you are with 37x12.50R17s and locked diffs. The other option is to limit the places you go... But what fun is there in that?

 

[kojackJKU]

Having had this same discussion on another Jeep form this week. I still stand by my position. 90% of people, going to a small 2" lift and 33/35" tires is all that is needed. I stick to 33's on all my 4x4 vehicles to increase range. 33's are lighter, You mess with gearing less, less rolling resistance etc which all mean more range. If you are a RAWK KRAWLER only...yep STUFF the biggest thing you can find in there and go bounce around all day on the pile of rocks. If you are more into adventure travel, seeing different places, and what not, then keep the tire size sane and go further.

Same goes for all other modifications as well. Most people don't need heavy *** bumpers. They buy them for the looks. I can mount a winch on my JK with the nice light factory bumpers. same goes for lockers. only a small percentage needs a full blown locker. most people will benefit from a true trac much more than a full locker if they drive their rigs a lot. THe true trac is seamless, and works exactly like a full locker but may not lock out if you have a wheel in the air depending on the rig your in. With the JK, I just engage the BLD, and away we go. the rest of the time its an open diff. NO extra wires, no air compressors to fiddle with etc. Just works.

 

[Korben]

Yes
.
Basically larger tires make everything else smaller, every bump and hole gets smaller, every mud hole shallower, every ditch narrower, etc. And the ground clearance that matters most is at the axle, the only thing that will increase that is a larger tire
.
Me, I do things on the cheap but installed large(37') tires that basically doubled my investment in my rig. Why, nothing short of the vehicle being able to go and stop is more important then tires, and if you're going to make any significant off-road investments/modifications first priority should be good tires and fourth should be large tires. Lockers then a winch being the items in between, but it's a might as well, if your going to buy tires, might as well buy larger ones and if your going to install lockers, might as well re-gear for larger tires.
.
If you skip anything skip the lift, I'm a fan of low and large that is large tires on a minimally lifted rig. Overall height is bad, it raises the center of gravity, ya hit more branches and such, and most of all its a daily PITA to get you and all your crap in and out of a tall rig. The height you need is ground clearance, tire clearance, and suspension travel. The first two can be had with larger tires and cutout fenders. As I said the ground clearance that matters most is at the axle, the only thing that will increase that is a larger tire, and lockers cut down on the need for suspension articulation.
.
I'm not a superduty expert, I prefer older Fords, but I think something like a 37x12.5 is a good size(common size as large tires go) and what I run on my older stock height F350. I think your rig should clear them just fine with the right backspacing and a little work up front, specifically a leveling kit and cutout flares.
.
Edit, consider not buying 5, most of all if going as large as 37s, pretty sure a 37 won't fit in the stock spare tire location(won't on mine and our frames are the same width) so now you have to put it somewhere else, which is a pain and always in the way. Consider 4 and some tire repair gear, a compressor, plug kit, tire slime or similar product, etc. And if you're not going to put the spare back under the bed it's a great place for a large(excursion) fuel tank. If you must buy more then 4 for spares, consider 6, if you can't put the spare in the stock location and have to do something like a bumper rack, might as well do 2, twice the backup and 2 will fit side by side. With the bonus that pairs rotate better.

 

[drewactual]

I run 37's.... Coop ST Pro's... because they look so friggin' cool on my 09 super duty.. and that is about it, with the exception that they're also redonkulously tough in the sidewall- which matters hugely to me in many situations and the reason I chose them over anything else (that armor whatever they call it). I also have a set of Geolanders in 37"x12.5"- it actually has only a 10.5" footprint, and they are a load index 121 D ply- they are only suited for highway use, in my opinion, on that heavy truck (usually north of 9k#)... mileage difference between the two is huge- I can tickle 20mpg's w/ the geo's (always 19, though), but only sniff 16.5 or so overall on the same 1400mile leg of a routine run. the geo's are paper thin in the sidewalls.

The geo's are okay in most highway conditions... the coops are too loud, and whatever is in front of them runs away before they get there, so I'm not certain how they do in similar conditions.

I've ran conti's and I've ran nitto in both dura grappler as well as terra grappler.. the dura was a 34" tire and around 11" wide- it had the less rolling resistance and best mileage, and I'd love to find it in a 37"- I'd snatch it in a heartbeat for long road treks and everyday use- though I may get stuck on a rain soaked entrance ramp; their traction leaves much to be desired....

that's all well and nice... but...

it comes down to impact of mods- what mods assist others and what mods detract- tires can get you into trouble where you press either the platform or another mod to the outside of the design parameter... lifts are nice- but if the only thing you gain is height (not extending travel) you're not doing yourself any favors. depending on the weight of the tire and the dish of the wheel (big negative offset) you may be hurting your wheel bearings, for one, or you may be straining your axles just regularly driving around- so how do you expect them to hold when you really stress them off-road? Was it worth 'looking cool'? and if you find yourself in dire need of an inch differential clearance over a stock rig, then the lift and tires may be worth it- that requires a 2" larger tire (actual measurements), and may require a lift......... for 2" clearance... where that obstacle could have been solved before you even got to it- as in 'on the approach'...

but I dang sure like the way it looks... so...

truth sux, but the truth is I dropped $2500 on wheels and tires (I mod on several forums, and got a discount code from one of the tire/wheel warehouses) to 'look' cool... You jerks made me think about that... so I got to come to terms with it... again....

 

[FordGuy1]

Superdutys do great leveled out with the right offset can run 35" no problem. 35x12.50 17" $1300.00. decent set of wheels $1200.00, Icon stage two kit with 2.5 shocks $2300.00 installed. You will spend $5000.00 and it will be worth every penny, the benefits of the clearance as said before, super tough side wall tires, way more flotation and shocks that don't play out after 3 miles of driving down a wash board road is money well spent. I have installed over 20 setups like this and have got very positive responses from my customers.

 

[kmlacroix]

There are a number of issue when going to larger tires, and big lifts. Mass is a big factor. More mass = more inertia. More inertia = more energy to change the state of an objects inertia. This generally equals more wear and tear.

 

[upcruiser]

You have to ask yourself what you want to do. What is the toughest terrain you plan to tackle than plan around that. If your emphasis is to travel, go with the smallest tire you can get away with. As you go bigger, fuel economy, handling, likely the ride, etc get worse along with drivetrain stress and obviously cost. The fact is, all the big tires, armor, bells and whistles that folks go nuts on to make their rigs look the part (yes some is super useful and even necessary but the majority of folks just hang to much crap on their trucks) make them less enjoyable to drive and spend time in. So decide what you need, make a plan and add what you need, and the hard part, decide what you don't need. Once you start building or modding a vehicle it is s slippery slope. The fact is, you can get to almost anywhere in the world in a stock 4wd vehicle with a good set of tires. Now, if you want to go wheeling and tackle the toughest optional routes along the way, obviously kitting out a truck more aggressively becomes necessary. As you do this though you start making it harder to find replacement parts for things that may break along the way. That's why most overland builds are smaller lifts with some sort of plus size tire but fairly minimalistic. Another point, as you go bigger with tires and lifts, navigating tough terrain becomes easier. If you enjoy driving technical terrain, having a smaller lift and tires makes more common obstacles more of s challenge and fun. Yeah, I think rigs with big tires and lifts look sweet like the next guy but when it comes to actually covering a lot of miles comfortably and reliably, keep it simple.

 

[gwittman]

My Ford Ranger came with 31" tires, which is the same tire size I ran on all my previous off-road vehicles. That includes a 73 FJ55 Landcruiser and I considered those relatively big tires back then. My goal is always to run the tallest tire I can without having to lift the vehicle. I use the tires as my lift.
With my current Ranger, I initially went to 32x11.5-15 tires for my off-road adventures. They worked very well for me and when they wore out, I went to 33x10.5-15 tires. I really like them and have no problem with rub but I did have to change differential gears to get better off-road drivability. While I was doing the gears I decided to install a front Torsen lsd to match the rear. That ended up costing me around $2800. That was money well spent and am not at all sorry I did it.
The only lift I did was a torsion bar crank at around 1.5" at no cost. I have helper air springs on the rear for towing and I can pump those up a little to lift the rear if needed. Many people would not consider that I have big tires but they do everything I ask of them and sometime I ask a lot. Many people don't like the looks of the thinner tires but I don't care about looks, I care about function. The 33x10.5-15 MT tires are my big tires. That's my story and I am sticking to it.
You need to determine why/if you need big tires and what you consider big tires. Then set up a budget for it and go for it.

 

[TommyG]

You have to take a hard look at how you intend to use your rig. You can go up slightly in tire size and have a pretty capable rig. I have a 4th Gen Power Wagon and drool over all the rigs I see with 37s and 40s. I really want to have a chance to drive on on an interstate and see how it handles. I don't want to suffer for 30 hours on the highway to have slightly increased capability when I get to the trail. (I must be getting old.)

I have settled on jumping up to 35s for now and am going to add a set of Crux Offroad extended bridging ladders to cheat over tough obstacles if I need too. If I get hung up too much then i'll jump up another step in suspension and tire size.

If you have unlimited funds and want to build a killer truck there is no reason not to. If you are on a budget take a real hard look at where and how you want to use your rig. Tires don't last long on these trucks. You will have a chance to go bigger real soon if you think you need to..

 

[Healeyjet]

Adam, I have to agree with Toymaster. It will depend on your eventual GVW. We had to go to the 41's because our GVW was that high and we wanted to go from DRW to SRW. I probably would have preferred a nice 37 inch tire if one was available for our weight but it isn't. The Continental MPT 81 - 275/80 R 20 - (10.5R20) is 37.5" tall and good for the GVW on an F250 but still needs a 20" wheel.
Ward

 

[gmacmt]

I run the 16.5" hmmwv wheels with BFG baja TA tires. The 3.73 gear ratio with the 7.3 behind it is enough to push the tire well but 4.10 would be better, and I have a 4" BDS lift from the previous owner that allows plenty of clearance.

My friend built wheel adapters to run 20" MRAP wheels with 41" continental MPT81's. Its really cool. But those tires only last ~25k miles and cost three thousand dollars for a set of five. I'm looking at a minimum of 6000 in wheels, tires and adapters to run those with a full size spare. Used michelin XZL's are a little cheaper.

Your 12,000 dollar figure is a little ridiculous. You dont need lockers with big tires. You also dont need to spend money on a selectable locker when a detroit will probably work just fine. But real question here, do you plan on wheeling the truck places where you need a locker?

Here is my dream plan for the truck (once the cabin is built) before we start driving south in two years. I am going to drive it with the leaf sprung front to see how it does before I fully commit, but my reason for wanting the 05+ front end is for the improved turning radius.

05+ axle swap ($2000)
Brand new old stock military 16.5" HMMWV wheels with 37" tires ($1000)
Wheel adapters ($500)
Carli pintop 2.5" lift or some equivalent ($4000)


So I am looking at about $7500, but you would be seeing something around $5500.

Because of the overall weight of my truck, I don't really have the option to run any large tires that are not made for military or heavy vehicles. But you are in an entirely different situation if you are staying light.

 

[gmacmt]

Thats my truck with 1500 dollars worth of wheels and tires. You could probably get them to clear on a 2.5" pintop lift if you were willing to do some trimming.

I post about these tires a lot, but only because I want other people to take advantage of this deal. You are basically getting a tax refund every time you buy military surplus tires. These things are more than 500/tire retail. If you have a gasser, it might be too much rotating mass, but for diesels its really not an issue.

 

[smlobx]

Thats my truck with 1500 dollars worth of wheels and tires. You could probably get them to clear on a 2.5" pintop lift if you were willing to do some trimming.

Can you share a source for those wheels no tires?

 

[dstn2bdoa]

Stock Power Wagon, that means ~2" lift and 33" BFG AT's. Not that hard core of a trail, just a steep roller here and I got high centered. Next set of tires are should be 35's perhaps 37's.

 

[gmacmt]

Can you share a source for those wheels no tires?

Feltz tire in Wisconsin is where I bought mine, but you can find military surplus tire distributors all across the country, definitely a few in your area. I believe my tires were significantly more than most because I wanted to buy the 'new' ones (spare tire takeoffs). $120/tire is more typical for 90%+ tread.

Stock Power Wagon, that means ~2" lift and 33" BFG AT's. Not that hard core of a trail, just a steep roller here and I got high centered. Next set of tires are should be 35's perhaps 37's.

It's amazing how much tire you need when you have such long wheelbase.