These 37" tires actually have a width of about 14.5" and a weight of 93 lbs, and I was wondering how many of you have them on your 2nd Gen Rams. The specific truck in this case is a 1997 Dodge Ram, reg cab, 4x4, 5 speed with the Cummins engine.
I was thinking of using take-off 3rd Gen aluminum wheels, but on second thought probably stronger (steel), larger width wheels with less backspacing would be better for this task. Also, 3rd Gen wheels would require I think 1.5" spacers, which probably are not such a good idea.
So, please share here any practical information you have...proper backspacing to be used, how much lift do you have with your 37x13.5/17 Toyos, have you moved the front axle forward to center the wheel, mods you have done to the suspension/steering system (strengthening for the larger/heavier tires), how much do you like them and would you do it again, what are the rims of your choice, etc....any practical information you can add to the subject of Toyo Open Country 37x13.50R17 M/T's on 2nd Gen Dodge Rams will be very much appreciated.

 

Stick with factory backspacing, it'll make your tires stick out further.... and you may need fender flares to remain legal (depending on local laws), but, it will help with keeping them away from the control arms.

You really want 10 to 12 inch wide wheels with those tires..... especially if you off-road with 'em, and/or air down your tires while doing so.

Since you have the cummins, I am assuming a 2500 or 3500, so, axle strength shouldn't be an issue. (depending on how exuberant you get. )

For 37" tires, you *might* be able to get away with 5" lift, probably 6 or 7" would be better. The kit will serve to make sure the axle is located properly. Just make sure you get a KIT, so you know you are getting everything you need.

 

HeyYou, thanks so much for your response! Yes, it is a Ram 2500, and by the way, it came with and currently has 4.10 gears. Actually, factory backspacing tends to tuck them in too much when it comes to tires this large, while rims with less BS would make the tires stick out farther, clearing the control arms better.
Toyo recommends in its Sizes and Specifications sheet 8.5"-11.0" rims for this tire, and this truck will not see any rock crawling, just country trails to (sometimes off-the-path) remote sites.
As to lifting the truck, the main thing is to properly center the front wheels under the wells, once you do that a 3"-4" lift seems to be enough according to what I have seen on various forums. I'd be interested to get some feedback from guys who have actually put these tires on their 2nd gen Cummins, especially in regard to their choice of rims and backspacing/offsetting.

 

We've been recommending 5" lift for 35's..... Couple members here run some pretty substantial tires on their rigs, hopefully, one of them will come by.

Ya don't wanna stuff your expensive tires into the fenders when the suspension compresses. 3-4 inches hardly seems like enough for tires that size.....

 

From everything that I have read lately, this seems correct.
The reason the stock suspension needs so much lift to fit 35" and bigger tires is self inflicted from the lift... it moves the axle back and causes clearance issues. I can also say that a 35x12.50-16 tire fits on a stock(ish) gasser 2500 4x4 from personal experience. Only rub I had was at full articulation with full turn. The tires just nipped the back of the fender well at that point.

With all that said, I don't have any real world experience to add with those big tires. If you get them on please post back here with the results. I'm looking to do something similar in the future. Big tire with low lift long arm setup.

 

Every lift kit I have seen that goes higher than 3", (and even some 3" kits....) comes with longer control arms to re-center the axle in the wells.....

I haven't personally done this either though..... so, it'll be interesting to see the results.

 

I purchased my rims from a gentleman running 35s on a 2500 at stock height.
I leveled my truck for the looks, and even with stock control arms (the axle IS shifted back a fraction of an inch) I clear 35's and have NEVER had contact, even with running boards bolted to the inner rear wheel lip. (I did trim the portion of my running boards that hung down and towards the wheel.)

I think that with longer control arms, I could probably fit a 37x12.5 in my wheel well with the 2.5" level I have, as it is the same width and would only add 1" to the radius of the tire. 5-7" is extreme for a 2500.

 

Right. 2500. I saw that, and then completely ignored it.

Yep, the heavier trucks sit higher from the factory stock. (I should have realized this, considering that there is one sitting out there in my driveway.....) So yep, you can get away with a LOT less lift, and still fit the big tires.

 

Yes, guys...

I've recently talked to a whole bunch of guys running *true* 37" tires like the Toyo M/T 37x13.50R17 (actual measurement mounted on the truck and under load: 37"x14.50" - these are monster 37" tires!) on 2nd Gen 12V Rams, and no more than a 3" lift (preferably with good quality parts, like a Carli or Thuren for instance) is needed for full articulation. Again, the most important factor is pushing the front axle forward, so that the tire is centered or almost centered in the wheel well. You don't want more than a 3" lift because you want to keep the COG reasonably down. The preferable wheel BS for these trucks and the big 37" tires is 5" backspacing.

Thanks for your responses, very much appreciated!

 

Awesome, concise info. Thank you for sharing.