Do commercial grade tires offer additional safety that other road tires do not have? I'm considering moving to a 19.5" wheel (or 22.5" wheel if it'll fit with 4-6" lift) for trailering a drag car to / from the track. I have a SRW '05 2500HD and I'm particularly interested in a safer tire, esp. if I happen to pick up a roofing nail that is terribly common in my area where houses are going up all the time. Also, long road trips with my family could be a little more secure knowing that if I pick up a nail or something that the tire won't explode at interstate speeds. What is the best setup to suit my needs? The idea of "commercial grade" sounds very appealing if it works on these trucks (and while trailering), but wandering that cannot be ironed out with a good alignment doesn't sound good. So far my plans were to lift the truck 4-6" and go with a 19.5" (or 22.5" in 8-hole pattern from Brentz) and use the right tire. Ideally, this setup would look fantastic and give added safety and even give good mileage with better load rating. Suggestions are welcome! BTW, I only want a road tire (also good for all weather) and not an off-road tire, and I don't like the tires sticking out of the sides. I would be content with whatever width is necessary to prevent rubbing or sticking out.

How heavy is your trailer that you pull? That is the first question. Secondly, have you had issues with 16 inch tires in the past? The reason I ask this is because there are 16 inch tires out there the are built just like Semi truck tires. They wear good, and are built with all steel sidewalls like the big boys.

My concern is this: That truck is not designed for those big tires. They add an enormous amount of weight hanging off the end of those axles. Your suspension is not designed for that kind of weight. You will eat shocks and cause the truck to be very, very unstable on washboard roads and panic stops. If I were thinking safety for me and my family the absolute very last thing I would do, would be to put a lift kit under a truck and put tires on it that were not designed for it. Your center of gravity is way off for that width of vehicle. Not a good idea for saftey. If you had to make an ovasive manuever, you would be more likely to roll it.

You will also ruin your pulling power and fuel mileage, because you are gearing the truck so high, that it will not pull well at all. Instead of having 3.73 gears, you would have 2.75 gears. Also the added reciprocating mass of those tires would suck the power right out of it. You will not like the performance. Those tires are not forgiving enough for a pickup and will ride like a tank. They are made for heavy loads that you cannot put on them, so they will be very stiff. Plus the expense of that set up will set you back a bunch.

If you want a tough durable highway tread, then you should go with the Michelin XPS Rib. That tire is all steel in the sidewall and tread. Almost all other tires out there have a fabric, or nylon sidewall. Even other Michelin light truck tires are not steel, only the XPS Ribs, and Tractions are all steel. They make a traction version as well. Those tires are tough and can handle harsh conditions. They are designed to be commercial light truck tires. In fact that is their description.

If saftey for you and your family is your big concern, then I would stick with the 16 inch tires. Putting 19.5's and raising the truck are two of the most unsafe things you can do to that truck. If you want a truck that big, then buy one that is designed for it, like a Kodiak, or Top Kick.

Good Luck.

Duromax04,

Thanks for the good advice. Regarding lift, etc., after speaking to a guy yesterday, I was considering the 6" lift with upgraded front suspension and steering and 19.5" wheels from Brentz and a 34" tire with a load capacity of 4000# or better.

I know about the rotational mass and performance trade-offs, but would try to get a little of that back with a Banks setup. My trailer with race car gross weight would only be about 6000 - 7500 pounds total. My main reason for the "commercial grade" wheel and tire would mainly be for added safety in case I pick up something on the road. My biggest fear is a blowout that would lead to a roll-over. I know the lift is not good for that, but I wouldn't mind the truck at least having a more balanced stance to it instead of a low, squatty look with little tires. A lot of guys go overboard on tire size and lift, but I would try to stay on the more conservative side of that.

If I wanted to improve the stance of the truck a little more while staying safe, would you recommend going with a non-commercial size like an 18"-20" wheel or something and trying the XPS Rib tire and keeping the lift less than 6"?... Or should I achieve the lift simply by replacing my stock tires with a taller XPS Rib tire? (Your advice is appreciated.)

Well, the XPS Rib and Traction are truly "Commercial Tire", so with that, they only come in a few standard sizes. I know they will not come in 18 inch or higher, but they may have made a 17 inch by now. I wouldn't be worried near as much about blowing a tire as I would be unstable when some moron pulls out in front of you with your trailer on, and you have to swerve to miss him and things start tipping over.

The key is to check air pressure before you leave for a race or trip of any kind. Make sure you have a good guage and if you find one of your tires is more than 5psi different than the others, then you need to find out why. Be proactive and not reactive. Remember, a nail gone undetected on a 19.5 tire will cause the tire to self destruct just as easily as a 16 inch tire. And, the ramifications are far worse. If you blow a tire like that, you rip the fender off like a NASCAR Stock car does when they blow one.

If you were going to use this truck just to look cool and show off, then it wouldn't be a big deal. But, what I read in your message is that you were thinking safety first and less probability of downtime second. I have been in the tire business for 15 years and I sold commercial truck tires most of that time, and I can tell you that gone undetected, those tires are not safer than a good all steel Lt Truck Tire. The key is, check your tires and make sure they are good to go for the trip. Best 10 minutes you will spend all day.

As far as a lift goes, I think these trucks are to tall now. I about have to jump to get in the darn thing as it is. I have a regular cab long bed, so it is somewhat short and sits up really high. I have never lifted a truck. The only thing I have done is to raise the front by twisting the torsion bars. I am more about horsepower and going fast. If I am going to accesserise, I am going to program it and open it up some and let the tires smoke and the exhaust smoke and let it rip.

Good Luck.

Thanks about that tire tip. I'll start looking for tires sizes for my stock 16" wheels and go from there. I really enjoy the responsiveness these lighter weight stock wheels / tires give.

Another safety issue would be braking. If you're gonna go bigger tires/wheels, and tow a load, you need to worry about stopping. More added rotational mass/inertia, larger overall diameter lead to less stopping power. Better upgrade the rotors and calipers.

Of course, I run 285's myself, so maybe I should listen to my own advice.

Go to the Rickson website, http://www.ricksontruck.com/, they make 19.5 rims and also sell the tires. Call and ask them any question you may have that isn't answered from their FAQ. You're not the only one, many, many people who haul big loads make the pricey jump to 19.5 rims and commercial tires. Go to RV.net and look at the truck camper forum. Almost 60% of the guys are running them because of the large payloads truck campers put on the rear axles. You'd be suprised how many guys are over grossed running down the road, especially with those wimpy 245s GM puts on the 3/4tons.

I heard that 19.5" tires are not too great in the wet and that there is a great tire selection for the 20". I'm beginning to lean toward the 20" tires now due to better wet-weather handling. For safety, the chances of hydroplaning are far greater than picking up a roofing nail, etc.

I called Rickson a few times already (a few months ago) and they recommend using the 225 series tire for their 19.5" rim.

225/70R19.5's will ride like a lumber wagon. You shake the truck apart with those on there. They will carry an enormous load, but you can't legally haul that much on a 3/4 ton truck anyway, so why would you want that. The ticket you get from the DOT would not be worth it. You are right, they would be horrible in wet weather with that light of truck.

If you go to 20 inch rim, and LT truck tire, be sure it will carry what you want. I have not seen a lot of those that have high load ratings.
They are not steel sidewall tires either like the 16 inch all steel MX XPS. If safety is the issue.

I'm on my second set of XPS Ribs (must stop doing burn-outs) Great tire.Like the ride quality and quiet!

I am considering the Cooper this go around strictkly price (I can't stop doing burn-outs) SRM II Rib.

What is your thoughts tire guy? Give it to me straight! :)

I can get 6 235/85's for less then the price of 4 French'es.

Well, I can't tell you one way or another on the cooper tires, as I have had no experience with them. I will say that at one time, as a company, I think they were doing a pretty good job, but I am not so sure now. There is an old saying that goes something like you get what you pay for, at least most of the time. I would think this applies here as well.

From a durability standpoint, I don't think there is a better tire than the XPS Rib or Traction. They are expensive, that is for sure. But they are for a reason. They have steel sidewalls instead of nylon as all other tires have. They are using almost all natural rubber compounds which is more expensive than synthetic rubber, but much more consistant and longer lasting.
The traction version has anti-chip compound in it to resist chipping on gravel roads. Basically, they are made for hard commercial LT truck use.

By the way, I know what you mean about heavy on the foot feet. I have that problem myself.

Brentz Wheels makes their 20" wheel with a 4500# load rating. I'd like to get a 33" tall tire mainly to enhance the look of the truck to give it a better stance. If I'm making these truck payments it might as well look nice (to me), but without going overboard on the lift and wheel/tire weight.

Okay, I've thought it through and I enjoy the truck too much as it is with 16" wheels (better acceleration and handling). I will plan on getting a set of the XPS Ribs from Michelin. You mention the "Traction" as if it were like the XPS Rib but is it actually an off-road tire? A great all-weather road tire would be best for me so I don't have to change tires to visit family when it snows up North (or the threat of snow / shush). Is the XPS Rib good for this, too?

Found it! I did a google search and found everything I need about the XPS Traction. I looks aggressive. I think the XPS Rib would be best for me, though, unless I can get an extra set of wheels and mount the Traction on my stock rims and mount the Ribs on a new set of rims. What do you think?

I'm on my second set of XPS Ribs (must stop doing burn-outs) Great tire.Like the ride quality and quiet!

I am considering the Cooper this go around strictkly price (I can't stop doing burn-outs) SRM II Rib.

What is your thoughts tire guy? Give it to me straight! :)

I can get 6 235/85's for less then the price of 4 French'es.

Try 235/85R16's in a 14-ply.

Where I used to work we sold LT235/85R16 G-rated 14-ply tires for truck and heavy equipment trailer commercial use. Customer rigs would come in all the time with nails all through those tires but they still held 110psi. I'm not sure if it was the belting or the 14-ply, but going with a heavy tire in a standard 16" tire would be the way to go. Here's the tire:

http://img239.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tireright33tu.jpg

Doug

Since you are in Florida, I would probably go with the ribs as well. No real need for the traction. I think that is the wise choice. Your truck will like it as well.

Take Care,

Duromax04,

Okay, last question (I think): The 32"-tall Ribs has thicker tread and better load rating than the shorter 29.4"-tall tire. Would there be any bennefit to getting the 32"-tall?

If we go one step further (as a last ditch effort to improve the truck's looks), what about using the 32" Rib and doing a 2" body lift? Do you think that would improve the stance of the truck a little more (from an aesthetics perspective) and having a stronger tire at the same time?

Not sure about the thicker tread, but it does carry more weight at max load than the 225 does. The 245/75R16 is 30.6 tall and should be what came on your truck. A 225 is 29.4. The 235/85R16 is the one that is 32 tall. It and the 245 have the exact same load capacity. The only difference is do you want a taller skinnier tire vs a little bit wider smaller one.

I can't tell you on body lift, because I have never messed with that. I would probably just level the front to the back and call it good and drive it. The XPS tires are truely commercial/work type tires. They don't have white letters on them or anything, but they are very durable and wear good.