I've got an '04 2500 4x4 and was thinking about putting a leveling kit on the front and going with 305 tires the next go around. If anyone else has done this, how much is this going to affect performance? I thought it might possibly help milage at highway speed since it would be turning lower rpm's, but maybe I'm way off. Tell me your experience...please!

Oh...one draw back I see to this is raising the truck higher to the point the bed becomes hard to use. These trucks are high stock and reaching over in the bed after adding a few inches might be next to impossible without scratching the heck out of the paint!

 

i just went to a local tire shop and they said the 305 is the apsolute biggest tire i can put on a stock rim.... now i am not sure how true this is nor do i understand how tire sizes work but i know from seeing peoples post's in here that you can go bigger....

 

I'm running 35x12.5x17 on stock rim with leveling kit. Not sure about the mileage as I really don't keep track, but I would say I lost a little mileage but hopefully my new smarty helps with that. Just waiting for my gauges to come to give it a try.

 

Yeah the 35/12.5 I hear clears, thats what I plan on tossin on....I use my tailgate for everthing anyways, trucks black and shows scratches ya know....

 

Mileage will go down...more rubber to the road = more resistance. Mine went down by 2 or so.

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I'm gonna steal those rims one of these day, and you best believe I'll take the tires with it....

 

Tire sizes are as follows.... for example a 305/65r17 = width in mm(at widest point, not tread) / height(as apercent of the width) r wheel size

12.50 is as wide as most suggest you go on the stock 8" wide wheel or any 8" wide wheel. A 305 isabout 12.00wide, so you can go little wider if you wanted (315) and still fit on the wheel.

Asking whether or not a 305 will affect performance and mileage without giving the other two values (height percentage and wheels size) can't be answered very well. You did mention that t would raise the bed of your truck a few (3?) inches. To riase three inches you would need a 6" taller tire than stock, to this you would need to be at about 36"-37"dia so maybe you are talking about a 305/80r17?... probably not though since this would not clear in the front when turning.

 

Like icummins said, the added width of the 305 over stock width is prolly gonna drop your mileage no matter what dia you end up at. The lower RPM thing sounds good, but once you figure in rolling resistance, extra effort to get the heavier tiresrolling from a stop, the possiblity of being over geared and being bogged down (especially in the city), ect ect, italmost has to be less mileage. I lost about 2mpg with my 305/65r17, which is barely an inch taller than the stock tires, but definitely wider.

 

You know how many times I've heard that out on the street. I get worried cuz I've got a lot of thieves out here in Fresno, CA. They really want to steal them. lol

 

i got 35x11.5R16 on my truck,no lift kit at all yet and no rubbing after little trimming of the plastic wheel well..

since im dually its about 2 feet wide foot print back there 2 times :P
great to make trail in the snow or mud for follower

since i do mostly higway i gained about 60 mile out of a tank,im buzzing around 1800 instead of 2100 on freeway at 70mph