How tall of tire can I fit without a lift?

Saskredneck · Jan 10, 2014

Picking up my 86 F250 4x4 this weekend, tires are pretty much shot so I need to put some used ones on for now. Lots of used 16" mud tires forsale around here I could easily run stock size but running the truck on the lake fishing with the snow we have stock tires dont have much clearance. I am going to install a 4" lift in the summer and install new tires then but for now what's the biggest tire a guy can stuff under a bullnose? Would 33's fit? I know 33's fit on a stock obs f250 I put 33" mud grapplers on the fiancé's truck.

vegas39 · Jan 10, 2014

Saskredneck said:
Picking up my 86 F250 4x4 this weekend, tires are pretty much shot so I need to put some used ones on for now. Lots of used 16" mud tires forsale around here I could easily run stock size but running the truck on the lake fishing with the snow we have stock tires dont have much clearance. I am going to install a 4" lift in the summer and install new tires then but for now what's the biggest tire a guy can stuff under a bullnose? Would 33's fit? I know 33's fit on a stock obs f250 I put 33" mud grapplers on the fiancé's truck.

I was at a tire shop yesterday and they told me there isnt much choice for big tires in a 16" rim size, especially for the "E" rated tires that our trucks use.
They told me if I wanted to go big, I would have to move up to a bigger rim size and that aint gonna happen right now.
I have heard recently that 16" tires are not so popular anymore, so I can see where choices are limited for size.

firehawk · Jan 10, 2014

33 is all that will fit without rubbing at lock. Looking at the 33" on mine, a 35" would rub. As for the load range, look at the weight it is rated for, not the letter. Some tires with a lower load range rating (D vs E) have a higher weight capacity. Tire Rack has a nice tire spec chart for each brand of tire so you can compare each one.

blue67chero · Jan 10, 2014

305/70/16(I think that's correct?) = 33x12.50/16 lots of companies out there make e rated tires are that size still. Pro comp has an all terrain tire that lasts about 50-60k miles on heavier trucks.

Saskredneck · Jan 10, 2014

Thanks for the conformation I will only be able to fit 33's until the lift. Probably end up with nitro mud grapplers again, have 70,000km on the ones on my 2006 F150 and their not quite worn out yet.

that stinky ford · Jan 10, 2014

I have a stock height 83 F250 4x4 and I have Hankook 33"s. My front springs are REALLY tired out, and the left front rubs just a hair at full left lock. But it only rubs on the plastic inner fender, which gives a little bit. I'm not too worried about it.

jaluhn83 · Jan 10, 2014

I'm running 33x12.50r16.5s on mine with no issues. However, I have rims with some pretty good backspacing - the outer edge of the tire is probably 2" beyond the outside of the fender. On my 2wd I had issues with 265/75r16's rubbing on the frame rail, so it's not just tire size, but also what rims you use.

franklin2 · Jan 10, 2014

Everything is fine until you put a big load of firewood in it and are crawling over rocks and tree roots in the woods. That's when things start to rub. If it's only a street truck, sure you can run a 33" tire with no lift. Everything is relative.

wh1056 · Jan 10, 2014

The 235/85-16 Cooper Discoverer AT3 tires I just put on my truck are 33.5" tall - taller than the semi-worn 33/12.50-16.5 tires by over an inch.

jaluhn83 · Jan 10, 2014

Franklin has a good point. I can say that I've had my rig loaded heavy (at or slightly over GVW) with no issues, but I have seen trucks where everything seems fine until you have a heavy load and then you start finding the rubbing - usually in a very inconvenient way.

kc0stp · Jan 10, 2014

Umm you guys do realize 33" is stock size right? Pending on brands spec and actual measurements put the stock 235/85/16s at 29.7'-33.6"

Saskredneck · Jan 10, 2014

There's no way 235's are stock size. I had a 3" lag bolt in one rear tire and only had two spares that were 235's. installed them just to run from work to the tire shop at lunch then pick up tires and reinstall after work. My speedometer went from 5km fast to 25km fast. Tires on my 2wd are 275's

Boltgun · Jan 10, 2014

I ran 34x10.50x16s with no lift. Didn't rub even when loaded down. With a 4" lift I'm running 37's with just a hint of rubbing at full lock. Haven't put much weight on it since the lift though.

kc0stp · Jan 11, 2014

Saskredneck said:
There's no way 235's are stock size. I had a 3" lag bolt in one rear tire and only had two spares that were 235's. installed them just to run from work to the tire shop at lunch then pick up tires and reinstall after work. My speedometer went from 5km fast to 25km fast. Tires on my 2wd are 275's

Someone changed your tires, all 83-97 trucks came with 235/85/16 for 4wd and 215/85/16 for 2wd.

that stinky ford · Jan 11, 2014

^^^ for some reason, my speedometer reads dead-on accurate at 65 mph, even with 33" A/Ts

How tall of tire can I fit without a lift?

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