I have the stock big horn 20" aluminum wheels on my '07 Ram 1500 QC and wanted to upgrade the tires to an off road/mud terrain type. I was hoping to save a bit of money by using the stock rims, butit doesn't really seem as though I will be able to. I actually had the local 4 wheel parts order a set of Toyo Open Country M/T's (33X12.50X20) but they could not fit them on the front rims due to clearance issues with the steering/control arms.

Does anyone know of any tire manufacturers (brand and model/style)that makes a narrower tire that would work on these rims?

Help!!

 

i thought the stock rims would clear them....... have you tryed it yet?

 

33's clear with no problem on the '02-'05 torsion front end trucks with stock rims. On the '06 & '07's you need an aftermarket wheel with more backspacing.

 

i just put on 305/55 x 20's on my 05 ram no clearance probs at all. the tires are 33" tall and tread width is 12". i put on the cooper zeon ltz.

 

so its not possible to put 33's on a 06?? damn i was looking at those toyo open country mt too. i was going to do a leveling kit to add a little more clearnace up front. but theres got to be an offroad tire that will fit stock 20 inch rims that will clear. please help the both of us

 

Two words: Level Kit...

 

305/50/20 is a 32 inch tire, not a 33. That's the size Cooper Zeons run on my truck and love 'em. I know they're not true "mud bogging" type tires but they're leagues ahead of the Goodyears that came on the truck!



FWIW, the stock 275/60/20 tires are 33 inches in diameter. Once of the reasons I chose the 305's is for the slight gearing advantage it'd give me over stock. Of course I corrected the speedo using the Superchips tuner for the ~ 2 mph difference it would have at 60. I realize the truck is now an half inch lower than stock but you sure can't tell it, and I like these Coopers so much!!

 

You really didn't like the stock Goodyears? How come? If you go to Tirerack.com they rate them pretty good. Thanks

 

Sorry if I confused anyone...the clearance issue I was having was with the width of the tire. The tire fitting in the wheel openingis not a problem (I also have a leveling kit). When the shop mounted the Toyo OC M/T'son the stock rims though and placed them on the truck, atmaximum turning radius, the tires rubbed on the control arms. Basically, the tires spill over the sides of the rim too much.

So, I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a mud tire that might be more narrow. So far I have not been able to find one that is really under 12" wide. I really amjust trying to avoid buying new rims and tires. I like the stock 20's and think they look pretty good?

 

Just some examples from the reviews of the stock tires on TireRack.com:

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"on wet roads you turn the wheel and you keep going straight, if your at a stop sign or a light on a slight uphill grade and the roads are wet, you just sit n spin. these tires are dangerous!"

"If you want the worst peice of rubber for your truck, this is it.... The wet traction is so horrible, I actually fear for my safety when the streets are wet"

From a 2004 Dodge Ram quad cab owner: "These have got to be the worst things that could fit on a 20" rim."

"These tires came stock on my Jeep and I hate them. ... They are noisy and do not do well in the rain. I have felt my Jeep starting to hydroplane while going only 50 miles per hour in a moderate rain."
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All of these echo my experience with the stock tires. Sure, they lasted over 50k miles, but who cares if they're 50k life-threatening miles? I want a tire that can grip and handle well in any condition. These were my first Coopers. I didn't get my usual Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo's because they don't make them in 20s.


cfraser - it must be the design of the tires because the 305s I have are also 12 inches (theoretically) wide. I don't know how close they are to rubbing though, so that 1/2 inch of sidewall may be why mine fit and yours don't.