Another question about tires...

[Lefty]

yes on mine the 265/75R15 steel belted with white outline letters is oem, Ford says so ("Research Team") also Oasis report says so.
I'm missing door sticker too and have all the info to re-create it except the spring codes and front/rear grosses and reserves.
But the spare is 235/75R15 that's normal, the larger tire doesn't fit under the truck, at least Ford says so also people have confirmed this.
What size is your spare that -might- infer what was oem size on your truck since chances are if they were oem 225's they wouldn't have put a 235 under neath, it'd be a 225 (probably) if that was oem size.
It doesn't really matter.... just saying.
Well it matters if the tires are different diameter and you put the spare on the front and are in 4x4 because it will wreck things in pretty short order but you don't have 4x4.
I'm not totally clear what the issue is, but it's something to do with the front/rear binding.
If you aren't in 4x4 then spare on front is fine, or on back, but on back I think eventually it would wear out LSD, but obviously you can drive it some distance otherwise they wouldn't have put different sizes.
However, to mention, if you are in 4x4 chances are the tires can slip/drag (gravel, dirt, mud) so actually you can be in 4x4 with different tire sizes, just, don't drive on dry pavement in 4x4 like that.
Others know more....

Well said. I don't have 4WD or limited slip, so I keep the smaller stock tire as a spare.

When I asked my local Ford parts sales guy if I could get a new door jamb sticker, he told me yes, but Ford would have to fly someone out before a new one could be placed on order.

 

[James Morse]

Fly someone out? Seriously?
That's still better luck than I had. Ford "research team" was of limited help. I got a lot more info from the Oasis which a guy here on TRS ran for me (Ford wouldn't).
I'm surprised you got even that offer. What do they want you to do, pay to fly someone? Sounds kind of weird.
Sometime I'm going to where it was purchased (about 30 miles away) maybe they have some old records on it but I kind of doubt it.

 

[Lefty]

Fly someone out? Seriously?
That's still better luck than I had. Ford "research team" was of limited help. I got a lot more info from the Oasis which a guy here on TRS ran for me (Ford wouldn't).
I'm surprised you got even that offer. What do they want you to do, pay to fly someone? Sounds kind of weird.
Sometime I'm going to where it was purchased (about 30 miles away) maybe they have some old records on it but I kind of doubt it.

I don't think they were serious. We all still have a vin number of course. The parts guy can always take it from there. That door jamb sticker is just there for quick references. A few may be skeptical if they were to notice should you sell your car.

 

[James Morse]

About selling, yes, if ever, but also I just like to set anything not oem back to oem which so far seems like the tires and the door sticker, everything else is stock.
Not to say I wouldn't change some things, like I want a front hitch and I want a good back hitch that I can winch from. I guess that's adding, not changing.
I considered changing out the rear bumper, still might, but I don't think it's necessary if the hitch is a good one and mounted right. D-rings on an aftermarket bumper are cool, but to pull with them you need to upgrade the bumper mounts, so it starts getting a little more complicated, and if I have a winch mount (hitch) it seems like having D-rings is mostly cool and maybe good in some situations but not necessary to pull myself out of stuck (which maybe never happens anyway).
I'd change the hubs to manuals, which is still kind of oem since you could have got them. You could even go to manual xfr case and still be oem (in the sense, they had them), but I probably wouldn't do that.
There's an old Bronco down the street for sale, it has auto trans and manual xfr case so there were different combinations. I think in my year you only got the manual transfer case and hubs with manual trans.
But most people say auto trans is nicer for off road so go figure.

 

[Lefty]

About selling, yes, if ever, but also I just like to set anything not oem back to oem which so far seems like the tires and the door sticker, everything else is stock.
Not to say I wouldn't change some things, like I want a front hitch and I want a good back hitch that I can winch from. I guess that's adding, not changing.
I considered changing out the rear bumper, still might, but I don't think it's necessary if the hitch is a good one and mounted right. D-rings on an aftermarket bumper are cool, but to pull with them you need to upgrade the bumper mounts, so it starts getting a little more complicated, and if I have a winch mount (hitch) it seems like having D-rings is mostly cool and maybe good in some situations but not necessary to pull myself out of stuck (which maybe never happens anyway).
I'd change the hubs to manuals, which is still kind of oem since you could have got them. You could even go to manual xfr case and still be oem (in the sense, they had them), but I probably wouldn't do that.
There's an old Bronco down the street for sale, it has auto trans and manual xfr case so there were different combinations. I think in my year you only got the manual transfer case and hubs with manual trans.
But most people say auto trans is nicer for off road so go figure.

I tend to agree with you. I really love to see others do radical modifications, but I also like the look of stock with a few smaller, more subtle modifications. I put in dual exhausts on the back and custom fabricated my own grill for the front. I've been working on installing an oak pickup bed. I think first restore then modify or upgrade.

 

[sgtsandman]

yes on mine the 265/75R15 steel belted with white outline letters is oem, Ford says so ("Research Team") also Oasis report says so.
I'm missing door sticker too and have all the info to re-create it except the spring codes and front/rear grosses and reserves.
But the spare is 235/75R15 that's normal, the larger tire doesn't fit under the truck, at least Ford says so also people have confirmed this.
What size is your spare that -might- infer what was oem size on your truck since chances are if they were oem 225's they wouldn't have put a 235 under neath, it'd be a 225 (probably) if that was oem size.
It doesn't really matter.... just saying.
Well it matters if the tires are different diameter and you put the spare on the front and are in 4x4 because it will wreck things in pretty short order but you don't have 4x4.
I'm not totally clear what the issue is, but it's something to do with the front/rear binding.
If you aren't in 4x4 then spare on front is fine, or on back, but on back I think eventually it would wear out LSD, but obviously you can drive it some distance otherwise they wouldn't have put different sizes.
However, to mention, if you are in 4x4 chances are the tires can slip/drag (gravel, dirt, mud) so actually you can be in 4x4 with different tire sizes, just, don't drive on dry pavement in 4x4 like that.
Others know more....

A 31" tire will fit in the spare carrier but only just. As the tread wears down over time, it's fitting better. But 31" with the cable lift style carrier is going to be the maximum you can stuff under there.

 

[Lefty]

A 31" tire will fit in the spare carrier but only just. As the tread wears down over time, it's fitting better. But 31" with the cable lift style carrier is going to be the maximum you can stuff under there.

31" is good. In fact, it seems that many forum members are very happy with that number. I chose a smaller number only because my wife complained about how difficult it was for her to climb on board.

My friend chose to go in an entirely different direction, purchasing 17" wheels with spacers and Falken tires so big that they barely clear the fender wells. If I remember correctly he had to crank the torsion bars a little and also had to get out the grinder. I really like the look. It really grabs the road. The downside is that he cannot store a spare inside the well under the bed. So he's got a stock tire spare and 4WD.

My truck is raised but looks small next to his.

 

[sgtsandman]

31" is good. In fact, it seems that many forum members are very happy with that number. I chose a smaller number only because my wife complained about how difficult it was for her to climb on board.

My friend chose to go in an entirely different direction, purchasing 17" wheels with spacers and Falken tires so big that they barely clear the fender wells. If I remember correctly he had to crank the torsion bars a little and also had to get out the grinder. I really like the look. It really grabs the road. The downside is that he cannot store a spare inside the well under the bed. So he's got a stock tire spare and 4WD.

My truck is raised but looks small next to his.

Opinions vary on tire and wheel size. I think 31" is the perfect balance for the size of the Ranger as far as a "big" tire for general and off road driving but that is my opinion. If I still had the '98, I would have stuck to the factory 225/70R14 as close possible since it was a four banger with RWD. Everyone is different and has different tastes and uses for their trucks. I prefer the utilitarian side of things, others want a bit of show in some form or another.

Now, I did have to "lift" the truck to get those 31" tires to work. In 2008, they dropped the ride height of the 4X4 and Edge style trucks for better fuel economy numbers. I had to install torsion keys and axle blocks from a 2007 Ranger to eliminate most of the rubbing issues. Otherwise, 30" would have been the limit or just put up with the tires rubbing on the fender liners.

 

[James Morse]

My g/f hypothesized that my '97 has 235's because they didn't use 4x4 and it made it lower because she says it's hard to get in/out (which will be worse when I go to 31").
I'm surprised about 31" fitting in the carrier. But I took a look at mine and seems I have ab out 1.5" side clearance to the carrier, in the rear, none, but it could be more forward so long as it doesn't get too close to diff.
For a while I considered an aftermarket rear bumper with a tire carrier, which are cool, but then you have to open it to open the tailgate or use the step bumper to get in the bed. Also it puts weight further back which isn't good. On one hand I'd say for real serious off-road (where you could be in a situation where you had to use the spare, but you still need to be in 4x4), you do want the same size spare - if it (31") fits under the truck that would be fantastic. Shop manual says 225/65R15 is the max but I see space there. I could try a 31" once I get them and if it does fit, maybe I'd get a 5th tire. Might get 5th good wheel as well (the deep dish alloys). I guess one big advantage of the bumper-mount spare is if you have to get under the truck to get the spare you might be in mud etc. Plus you might have to put the flat in the carrier, which seems like technically according to Ford you wouldn't be able to do but maybe if it's flat you can.

My truck will look better with the 31" because it's a mild case of "shoes too small" appearance now. Plus I'll gain at least an inch in ground clearance which is really important, every inch counts there. Besides which the Coopers are pretty worn, I got about 5mm tread, it's not hard to fishtail the thing in the rain. 4.0L is gutsy. I made a lot of noise about it needing tires when I bought it, that helped in getting the price down (per advice TRS).
And not to forget it says in multiple places in the booklets and shop manuals, the size of tire is matched to the model of the truck and you should always use oem spec tire because that's how the truck was optimized.
Which I say of course with a grain of salt because if you have well thought out why am I going not-oem, and what are the effects, then sure, go to a non-oem-spec tire.

You had to lift your '98 but I should have zero issues on my '97 because 31" is how it came from the factory so the chance they won't fit is zero (in theory). It has 2" lift between the rear axle and the springs and it has the fender flares so it was set up for the bigger tire. Plus, the speedo reads significantly high vs gps so it should be close(r) to true speed with the correct tires.

I didn't have much fixing to do on the truck so really I haven't done much except used and shined it. The first thing I want to do is find the vents for the trans etc and run tubes up higher because the places I go 4x4 I'm in water a lot. Then I'd consider changing out the auto hubs. I really don't think the previous owners used 4x4 much if at all so they are probably fine, but here's the thing even Ford says these are not for your heavy duty off road, if you are doing that you should be using manual hubs. Past that I want front and rear hitches and a winch and then I think I'm good to go. With the right tires the truck has a lot of ground clearance, certainly as much or more than most stock pickups I see. I don't get the draw of big trucks for off road, seems to me you're better off with a smaller more maneuverable and lighter vehicle. In my limited off road experience what stood out to me is the common obstacle is rocks sticking up where you want to drive and worries about high centering, most likely on the differential, probably the back one. There's no solution to get higher up other than bigger tires and at 31" I'm at the limit of what would fit well without mods. Which I'm not ruling out, maybe later.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I don't think they were serious. We all still have a vin number of course. The parts guy can always take it from there. That door jamb sticker is just there for quick references. A few may be skeptical if they were to notice should you sell your car.

It is a bigger thing to replace, not sure if it has to be physically inspected but it is not like ordering a new fender badge.

https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/owner-resources/vehicle-documents/what-is-the-door-jamb-safety-compliance-certification-label/

Note they want an undamaged one to copy there.

 

[sgtsandman]

Every location you mount a spare on a truck is a compromise. Under the truck, you might be playing in the mud or can't even get at it, depending on the situation. In the bed up by the cab, the load balance is better but you lose storage capacity in the bed. And like you said, a bumper/tail gate mount, you have to move the thing out of the way to access the bed and it can create a blind spot. One just has to decide which negative aspect they are willing to deal with.

If your truck is like mine, with 235/75R15 tires, the speedometer reads about 2 mph fast. With 31" tires, it will read about 2 +/- slow. So, it will be easier for you to get busted for speeding with the 31" tires if you aren't aware of the indication discrepancy. 30" tires should read dead on or pretty close to it. Again, where do you want to compromise? I believe the 1997 can be regeared at the transmission input to correct for that. The 1999 uses an electronic signal that might be reprogram able by a dealership if you really want to spend the money. I just made sure I knew the indication difference and adjust my speed accordingly. Sticking to the speed limit according to the speedometer hasn't raised a speeding ticket issue. Most police are looking for people driving 5 or more mph over the speed limit rather than on 2 +/- mph over. Heck, on the highways today, you could probably drive 10 mph over and still be good with the way people drive. Sometimes, I find myself driving 5 over just to make sure "Speed Racer" doesn't rear end me.

 

[James Morse]

It's only for 5 yrs from Ford then they steer you to their partners.
Really it's kind of dumb because it's like, hey, if I had the thing to show you, I wouldn't need it, right?
They way I see it is, there are any number of companies that can print these on sticky paper and laminate it with plastic on top. Or you can do it yourself if you want to mess with the fonts and position etc.
The only hard part is you have to know what you are putting on there is the right thing, otherwise you might as well just put anything. VIN only tells you certain things about the truck there is a whole lot more info on the sticker and some of it isn't very easy to figure out. But once you know, the making of it isn't a big deal.
And actually, let's say you were off 10 lbs on "Front Reserve" and called it 103 when it should have been 113. I'd say that doesn't really affect anything because, who even knows what that number means? I don't. I know what would be typical from looking at a bunch of stickers. You could actually say the same thing about Front and Rear gross because how often is it you are going to weigh a truck only the front then only the rear? It would almost never happen. The actual total gross for sure you do want to know (and I do know that). So, again, let's say you were off on your Front and Rear gross, does that actually affect anything? I just can't think of an instance where that is going to cause a problem. There has to be some algorithm how they come up with these numbers but I have no idea what it is. If I had these last pieces of the puzzle I'd go ahead with the thing. Need spring code too but I think I'll be able to figure that out.

 

[James Morse]

The '97 is running 235's only because somebody put them on but it's not its oem tire according to Ford and Oasis.
My speedo is way high like 5 or 6mph high at 60 (reads 60, but true speed is 54). 50mph (reading) is like 45-46 mph actual. The speedo gear is matched to the 31" not to the tires on there now.
That's a good example where not having a door sticker sucks. I thought I was going to be messing with the speedo gear until I found out, hey, the thing has the wrong size tires on it.
Speedo on the Mazda is pretty much right on but it's running oem size tires so that would make sense.
The shop manual for the '97 has the tests for checking if speedo is in spec. There's some latitude.
Tires wear, and so there has to be a bit of over/under... so if it reads dead on with brand new tires, it'll only read higher as they wear (in other words you become less likely to be speeding).

And yes you're right the speedo gear isn't all that hard to swap out, if one has to do so, at least it looks from the shop manual not horrible. But I shouldn't have to mess with it.

 

[James Morse]

Turns out there's no way a 31" tire will fit in my tire carrier. Right now it has the oem 225/75(or 70)R15. The transverse carrier bar is actually pressing into the sidewall of the tire. So the issue isn't so much the diameter of the spare (I have a little clearance there), it's the width of the tire; a 265/75R15 would never fit, not even close. So the shop manual is right, there's a max size that fits and it's in there now.
Trying to change to 265 would add about 1.5" in section width so no way it would fit (diameter aside) because there's already less than zero clearance.
Even if you slotted the transverse bar (or make a new bigger one)

to add width there, it looks like at the rear mount there's nothing you could do to make it bigger absent altering something. It probably could be done but it would take messing with it, assuming it's possible.

 

[sgtsandman]

That was why I was careful to specify the cable winch carrier. I suspected the type shown above would have a tighter fit but was not sure about that and I didn't know what year that style of carrier stopped being used.

So, it seems if you are going to go with a full service spare, you will need to bed mount or tailgate mount it.

If you have an open differential, having a different sized spare isn't a big deal, other than being annoying to drive. Now if you have a limited slip or a locker, a different sized spare is going to be a show stopper. Bad things will happen then.