I am new to trucks in general and am interested in getting bigger tires, I have the stock chrome/clad 17" wheel (04 dodge ram 1500 QC w/hemi) ( I traded the eclipse in for it )

Anyways for a bigger tire what is a good size (not oversized) but pretty big ( I want a little lift from it) also could someone explain truck tire size's to me, I know there not like my old mitsu (225/40zr18). Someone please help.

Also, how do I level out my front with my back, how much is that, where do I get it, what is a good brand?

Thanks for your help guys, I love my truck so far!!

Jason

 

Truck tires are sized the same way as car tires...only difference is some truck tires are LT instead of P.
That is, of course, as long as you dont go into flotation sizes (31x10.50LT15)

 

Thanks but what is flotation? and what are some recomendations, please see first post. Thanks

 

ok the 265/75R17 are 32.65". I had 285/75R17 on (33.83") I have heard people put on 315/75R17(35.6") but they cranked the torsion bars on the front 1 1/2". If you do decide to crank, you will need to get realigned afterwards. Which brings the way to raise the front end to level. The 1500's have the Independant Front Suspension(IFS). Makes a nice ride, but are more $$$ to do anything with. You can crank the bars, no more than 1 1/2" or you will be running into alighment probs, tierod and ball joint wear issues. Also you need to have the front wheels off the ground to do it, less stress on the tension bolts. The best way is to get a lift kit. They all run about $1500-$1800. Rancho has a 4.5" kit that dont require exhaust mods. There are a bunch of 6" kids that require some exhaust mods. If you have see the "leveling kits" for the 2500 and 3500's, they are spring spacers. They uses springs instead of the IFS. Hope this help some.

 

How many people actually do crank the torsion bars? Is this a normal way to level it out or will this create problems for me in the future. And most of all will this void my warrenty? Thanks for the help on the tires I think I might go with the 285/75r17. These will fit on my stock 17" wheels right??? Will I have to go get my speedo recalibrated? Thanks for the helpfull info, much appricatied.

 

If you have a 4x4, you can crank the torsion bars. The ride will be rougher than with the bars at their stock setting. Also, the stock shocks will be better off replaced. Most people go with either Ranchos or Bilsteins. Another approach is to lower the back end by a couple inches. There are shackle kits that will do this quite nicely. The shackle kits will work for either 4x4s or 4x2s. If you have a 4x2, you won't have torsion bars, and would have to go with a 2" front lift using coil spacers. Not my favorite option.

The stock tires on your Ram are either 245/70-17 or 265/70-17. The overall diameter of a 245/70-17 is 30.5" (calculated). The overall diameter of a 265/70-17 is 31.6" (calculated). If you went with a 285/70-17 (yes, it will fit the stock wheels), the overall diameter would be 32.7" (calculated). The computer has to be reset for the taller tires to keep the speedometer true, and you have to go to the dealership. However, the only tire sizes the dealer can program for are those that would be available stock. So you'll have to provide the dealership with the "revolutions per mile" for the tires you end up with. Most tire stores can provide this information for you when you purchase the tires. Otherwise, you can calculate it.

There are 5280 feet per mile. Mulitiplied by 12 inches, this yields 63,360 inches per mile.

Take the overall tire diameter in inches, and mulitply by pi (3.1416) to arrive at the tire's circumference in inches. Divide 63,360 by the tire's circumference to yield the tire's "revolutions per mile". So, for a 285/70-17 tire, the calculated "rpm" would be 617.

Will cranking the torsion bars void the warranty? It can. It depends on the dealership and how they deal with such issues. You can almost be certain it will void the warranty if you have front end wear on components following a torsion bar crank, or if one of the torsion bars snaps.

 

very interesting, how did you figure the tire sizes? I notice you put "calculated" after the size...

 

I was looking on Ebay and saw this product...... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33585
will this work? or something like it? What are some common issues with these types of leveling kits if any? Thanks for all the info.

 

Here's Tire Sizes 101:

Let's disect a 265/70-17 tire size spec.

The first number "265" is the tread width in millimeters (mm).

The second number "70" is known as the aspect ratio. When taken as a percentage of the tread width, the result is the sidewall height. In the example size, 265 mm x 0.70 = 185.5 mm. So the height of the sidewall from the ground to the wheel is 185.5 mm. To factor this into inches, you need to divide by 25.4. So 185.5 mm / 25.4 = 7.3"

The third number "17" is the wheel size.

So to determine the overall diameter of the tire in question, we take the sidewall height of 7.3" x 2 (since there's the sidewall height touching the pavement at the bottom of the wheel, and the sidewall height atop the wheel) and add the wheel diameter.

Hence: 7.3" x 2 + 17" = Overall Tire Diameter

14.6" + 17" = 31.6" Overall Tire Diameter

This is the "calculated" version, since the actual tire you choose may differ slightly. For example, a 265/70-17 tire made by Goodyear may differ from a 265/70-17 Cooper Tire. The variance is due to manufacturing processes, tire tread design, number of plys, etc.

 

Not true...the "265" is the section width, the widest part of the tire, not necessarily the tread. The tires tend to "balloon" out a bit when properly inflated, and the sidewall becomes a bit wider than the tread, and the section width is just measured by the widest part.