YACT: Changing tire sizes

[upsciLLion]

I have a '92 Ford Ranger 4.0L V6 4x4 pickup. I want to get tires that are going to last me more than 24,000 miles this time. Am I going to lose a lot of power by going to an LT235 from a P215?

<edit> She's a 5 speed manual if that makes any difference. </edit>

Thanks guys!

ups

 

[CraigRT]

as long as it will fit the rim, should be fine

the speedo may be a tad off though

there is a tire size calculator online you can use even

 

[dman]

You won't lose power, you might lose some traction.

Treadwear is the key for you. You can find 235 series tires with higher and lower treadwear ratings. And then following the recommended rotate and balance intervals you might get closer to 50-60K than you have been.

Note that a 60K Mile tire is not going to last 60K miles if you never rotate / balance them.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

If the rim is too narrow for the tire, the center of the tire will run proud of the sides and wear quickly.

TireRack has a list of recommendations. Go with the preferred tire size for your rims.

 

[upsciLLion]

I'm pretty certain the new tires will fit the rims. I'm going from Wild Country P215 75R15 to hopefully BFG All Terrain LT235 75R15.

I've not heard anything bad about BFGs except that they have no mileage warranty.

ups

 

[Zenmervolt]

Go with LT tires if you can find them in your size. P tires are for passenger cars and not for light trucks as LT tires are. 235 is only the section width. That doesn't change the sidewall height directly. An LT 235/60 should be close to the same diameter as a P 215/65. Basically, if you have 215 series tires on the truck now, subtract five from the denominator to find a 235 series tire that will fit. (e.g. 215/65 is about the same diameter as 235/60) That's just a rough guide though. Talk to the people at the tire store and ask for "plus-zero" tire sizes for your current vehicle.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
I'm pretty certain the new tires will fit the rims. I'm going from Wild Country P215 75R15 to hopefully BFG All Terrain LT235 75R15.

I've not heard anything bad about BFGs except that they have no mileage warranty.

ups

Do NOT get 235/75 size tires, you will throw your speedometer off severely. You need to get 235/70's to keep it close to accurate, and it will still be reading low even there (but it will read too high if you step down again to 235/65 size so go with the 235/70's).

ZV

 

[Fingers]

the allterrains are a pretty good offroad tire especally the ta ko series, and should last a little better than what you currently have, but pavement butchers these tires. For lite truck tires, the shop I work at (we don't do a whole lot of tire, but do plenty enough for me) we recoment the michelin ltx for most lite trucks and they have an AT version that is better for offroad and has a little bit more of an aggressive look, although not near as nice looking as the allterrains. Tire rack has a pretty good selection and is very helpfull in picking out an apropriate tire even if you don't buy from them. as far as how the tires will wear being a concern air pressure is key I've seen some pretty wide tires on some skinny rims and vice versa. you should be fine as long as you set them so that they look like they are ridding well.

 

[Fingers]

Do NOT get 235/75 size tires, you will throw your speedometer off severely. You need to get 235/70's to keep it close to accurate, and it will still be reading low even there (but it will read too high if you step down again to 235/65 size so go with the 235/70's).

just make the needle not go so far to the right

with a larger sidewall you have the advantage of having a little more ground clearance and a smoother ride. plus speedometers can always be calibrated for a reasonable cost.

edit: I probably should mention some downsides to bigger tires, the bigger you go the more wear you will have on many components. go big enough and you won't be able to keep your ball joint's past 20,000 miles. pretty much all of your front end components will dies very quickly and I dunno what you budget is, but it can get very costly. Plus if I remember right it is a real bitch to get the rack and pinion out of the older rangers.

 

[upsciLLion]

So would these work? I don't mind if I have to have my speedometer recalibrated. Any personal/cosmetic opinions?

ups

 

[Fingers]

Yeah, those are great tires for off roading, more than most people will ever need. I know your worried about tread wear and to be honest they arn't the best for pavement, but should certainly outlast your last set of tires. just make sure you have enough clearence so that they won't rub your wheel wells when turning hard, these tires are gonna be roughly 2cm wider and and 3cm taller, so you might want to take a tape measure to your truck. Good luck with the purchase, and hope everything goes well.

edited for speeling