I am newer than new. I just bought my 1997 12v 4x4 5speed on Thursday night. I haven't even taken it anywhere since I brought her home, and never even owned a pickup truck before. The truck is awsome, and turbo makes it really haull a##.

I think I am going to need new tires and wheels. The guy gave me 16.5 rims with 33" "mud tires" that are kind of on the bald side.

But, dosn't this truck look kind of high, Is this stock?
He said it is not lifted, but he does have shocks in the back with srings on them.

So my questions are (as strange as it may sound) Can I lower it a little, and what tire / wheel combo do you-all recommend for best on-road performance and fuel efficiency? P.S. It says under the hood that it has a 3.5 rear.


OOPS, I could not find how to upload a picture, but there is about 10" of space between the top of the tire and the bottom of the front fenders, and about 12" above the rear wheels.

Thanks,

Mark

 

4x4's have always been kinda high. . .especialy with dodge. get yourself some good all terrain 245 70's or 265's and that will bring the height down a little. I think the 265 70's are a 32" tall tire where the 245's are around 30

dang it's hard to type when youve got a smashed hand[:@]

edit: I went to discount tire and it listed 245's as the tire that came on your truck stock

 

What happened to your hand Drew, did you get it caught in the cookie jar again ??

Welcome Aboard Mark !!!

 

Thanks Drew and "Mayfair"

It looks kind of like Mayfair's signiture picture, but slightly higher.

The offset of the current tires and wheels is kind of "off" as the tires hang out a couple of inches on the sides of the truck. They are 16.5 rims. I believe this size is pretty much obsolete, so I will probably get a new set of rims as well.

Mark

 

I've still got my old set of 16" rims. Perhaps you could buy them, and then maybe I'll buy Savage's set.

 

Maybe the stock 16's would be good. I saw there are still tires available for my 16.5's but the way they are currently offset and 12.5 wide, they hang over a couple of inches wider than the truck...is this legal? I am in New Jersey

Mark

 

In NJ your wheel has to be inside your wheel well. The offset is probably to keep the bigger tires from rubbing when you turn the wheel hard. Check around with your local truck accessory places. The ones around here always sell stock "take off" rims and tires that customers have traded in on new bigger stuff, or you could go with Mayfairs "take offs". Good luck and welcome to the club.

 

donnie. . .it would be rather hard to explain. . .but I was busting lug nuts loose with a 6 foot breaker bar. . .I'll leave it at that.

 

Wrench slip on a 6 foot cheater... that's gonna leave a mark!

 

it wasnt a slip. . .the nut busted loose but then froze back up. . .it was the torque me and another guy were putting on the bar. when the lug let loose all that weight went straight into my palm. . .yea, it still stings pretty good.