I own a 2000, Dodge Ram, 4x4, Quad Cab, 5.9L, Sport package, and I went from stock tires to 17 inch tires and rims that also have a wider tread. I have had the front end professionally aligned and the tires balanced. My problem is the handling is real bad, it feels like there is a lot of play and roll, and does not handle nearly as good as it did with stock tires and rims. Also, the other day I hit a small puddle of water at about 45 mph and I almost lost complete control. The vehicle shot straight towards the ditch and I very lucky to have got it back on the pavement. These are brand new TOYO tires. Every puddle I came to wanted to jerk the truck one way or the other. Any ideas? I have been thinking new sway bar or new shocks.......can anybody tell me what might be happening?

 

In the rain, your biggest issue is most likely the wider tires. You do not mention exactly how much wider they are, but wider tires always reduce your hydroplaning resistance somewhat. They also tend to "tramline" more, which means grabbing on/following cracks or grooves in the road.

Another thing to consider is wheel offset. A wheel that has lower offset (sits out further) exerts more leverage against the steering and suspension, which can lead to some of the unstable feeling you describe. Usually a few millimeters difference is no big deal, but if the offset is, say 20mm different from stock you can often feel a difference. A little bit of toe-in on the alignment can help straight line stability, but too much will cause premature tire wear.

If the new tires and wheels are taller, your center of gravity goes up so you may feel more sway and roll as well. Suspension modifications can help with this issue, but will not have much effect on the hydroplaning.

 

Ben, why would the wider tires and rims leave the vehicle more prone to hydroplaning? I was under the impression that the wider contact patch would provide better traction. Thanks!

 

The wider the tire is, the more water the tire has to move to get down to the pavement. Think of the tire hitting the puddle like a rock you throw at a lake or pond. If it's a wide, flat rock that lands flat side down, it can skip off the water (hydroplaning). If it goes in skinny edge first it will slice right into the water and sink. Wider contact patch gives more stability, and better cornering traction, but is not as good for hydroplaning or deep snow traction, where there is more tendency to float on top of the water or snow.