Hi all,
I know there are a few threads concerning similar questions, however i haven't really found one that answers my questions. I'm looking for some info on wheel fitment for my 1996 Ram B3500 van. the stock rims are 16x6.5 with the 8 lug pattern, and the wheel is a 245/75r16. i primarily want a wider tire, i was thinking a 275/65r16 which makes the tires slightly smaller but a bit wider. I'm also considering new rims, for the most part it seems like a 16x8 rim is the most common one to find in the 16" range (id like to keep 16" size rims) but where I'm getting lost is the offset and backspacing needed. my service manual doesnt provide the info on the stock setup, and I've read various setups online for the stock wheels. some say 10mm offset, others say 19mm offset, and a few have said 0. I'm not sure if my search is getting mixed with measurements for the 15" rims, or 5 lug rims, but they all just call it the stock setup for this van. Has anyone used a 16" wheel with these size tires? any suggestions on backspacing/offset for new 16x8 rims? Like i said, my main goal is to have a slightly wider tire, but id also like an offset that fills out the rear fender a little better, the 2" width difference between front and rear track looks silly to me and i don't really want to even it out with wheel spacers if i can avoid it lol.

 

You might try calling tire rack and see if they can give you any good information. I did the spacers on my E-350 and did have one issue which was pretty easy to alleviate. The stock studs were longer than the spacer so the wheel was bottomed on the studs rather than the spacer. It was maybe 1/4 inch at best and a little work with a cut off wheel and all was good. They did take care of the track difference which I really didn't like. Supposed to be a handling improvement, but that would only come into pay with a stiff crosswind. I think you would have to compare back to back to really be sure.

 

Somehow, 'better handling', and 'full-sized van', just don't seem to go well together. Now, if you were talking about a charger, or challenger, I could see going to the effort, but, your van is NEVER going to be anything even remotely resembling a 'back street weapon', when it comes to handling. So, it's more for esthetics, than and handling advantage. It's big, it's tall, it's wide, it's heavy, and there is a LOT of sail area there...... and as aerodynamic as a brick......

 

Better handling is relative to the way they were stock. I actually saw a magazine article where they compared before and after and there was an improvement, nothing drastic, but an improvement none the less.