So I was 17 inch steel rims are to heavy for our rack and pinion
Captain
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 732
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ive got black steelies, with 35s and no problems yet, knock on wood. no rubbin at all even at full lock and ive dont quite alot of offroading and no clearance issues. only problem is the wife thinks theres a helicopter following us cause of the tire hum
Site Moderator
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 9,657
Likes: 24
From: Louisville, Ky
If steelies were too heavy whyd they ever put them on our trucks???? Idon't see you having any troubles. Only thing Ive noticed is my front brakes squeal more with my 17s than with the aluminum 20s I had. The weight was about the same also, bout 70+ lbs if I remeber correctly, and thats with the tires on.
Cuz Dodge didn't put heavy 35" tires on them
Record Breaker
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,513
Likes: 2
You ARE asking your rack to do quite a bit of work.
Its common knowledge when you start running a heavier tire, with a heavier wheel, and a larger footprint on the road, that your rack is going to be working overtime.
The guys 100% right, and he is really giving you sound advice, and looking out for your wallet.
On top of all that, a torsion bar crank increases the tie rod angles, and makes it even tougher on the rack and pinion lol.
It's your truck, so do as you will, It could be fine for many years, I am no expert. The 3rd gen ram seems to have higher then average power steering rack issues anyway.
Got to weigh your pros and cons. If you need the larger tires, then I guess there is nothing to think about right? 35s are a hell of a lot of tire to be dragging around on a daily driver lol. I am sure its gonna look awesome though.
Its common knowledge when you start running a heavier tire, with a heavier wheel, and a larger footprint on the road, that your rack is going to be working overtime.
The guys 100% right, and he is really giving you sound advice, and looking out for your wallet.
On top of all that, a torsion bar crank increases the tie rod angles, and makes it even tougher on the rack and pinion lol.
It's your truck, so do as you will, It could be fine for many years, I am no expert. The 3rd gen ram seems to have higher then average power steering rack issues anyway.
Got to weigh your pros and cons. If you need the larger tires, then I guess there is nothing to think about right? 35s are a hell of a lot of tire to be dragging around on a daily driver lol. I am sure its gonna look awesome though.
Last edited by MonkeyWrench4000; Oct 2, 2009 at 02:28 PM.
All Star
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 878
Likes: 0
From: Ann Arbor, MI
I've always had an opinion on the 17" steel vs 20" aluminum topic, so I guess I'll throw my $.02 in here as well...
I don't think that either rim has much if any effect on the rack & pinion, but I do believe that they are harder on the ball joints. I see way more trucks with cupped tires that have the 20's vs the the 17's. I think that is due to the sidewall deflection in the tires being absorbed better by the 17's than the 20's which give a harsher ride.
One major reason I went away with the steel rims was the mud and snow that gets packed on the inside of the wheel causing an imbalance on the road. This imbalance could cause premature wear on the tie rods if it were for long periods of time.
This is why I went with some OEM offroad 17" aluminum rims. I couldn't be happier with them. I got them off ebay for $250 shipped.
Just my $.02
I don't think that either rim has much if any effect on the rack & pinion, but I do believe that they are harder on the ball joints. I see way more trucks with cupped tires that have the 20's vs the the 17's. I think that is due to the sidewall deflection in the tires being absorbed better by the 17's than the 20's which give a harsher ride.
One major reason I went away with the steel rims was the mud and snow that gets packed on the inside of the wheel causing an imbalance on the road. This imbalance could cause premature wear on the tie rods if it were for long periods of time.
This is why I went with some OEM offroad 17" aluminum rims. I couldn't be happier with them. I got them off ebay for $250 shipped.
Just my $.02