Oversize A/T Tire Experience

[CamTheHedgehog]

I have a 1998 Ford Ranger XL, 4x4, automatic transmission, 3.0 Liter V6. It has the stock tire size 235-75R-15, Walmart specials. Just looking a the rig, it's obvious that the tires are undersized for the wheel wells. So I'm considering buying a set of bigger A/T tires, either 30x9.5R 15 or 31x10.5R 15.

I'm looking to do mild off-roading on the forest roads here in the Seattle area. Not rock-crawling. I'm looking to keep the Ranger stock otherwise.

If you've installed oversize A/T tires on a similar Ranger, I'd appreciate hearing about your experience. Good, bad, unexpected, or quirky.

Thanks

PNW Ranger

Here's my $0.02. I have an '03 EDGE- with the evidently uncommon 16" wheels. Stock size for it is 245/65R16. I did some digging on here and elsewhere, as well as my own internal database (I work at discount tire) and found that 265/75R16 was the largest "common" size that would fit. Didn't need a torsion bar crank, but did one down the read anyway. They dont rub at all- HOWEVER the funny rubber flap things attached to the wheel wells are long gone on my truck so they may rub on that, I dunno.
Went with BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2s and couldn't be happier!

I love my 31's... do confirm your gear ratio.

Factory 4.10's are almost too good to be true, Ford was really stingy with them and it kind of makes me suspicious.

I dunno- I have 4.10s and the limited slip in my truck, but it is the already more uncommon Edge Plus package so I dunno- did nab a 4.10 front diff out of a junkyard ranger tho so not *too* rare...

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Argh. Guys…

235/75-15 tires typically get re-labeled as 30x9.50-15, so yeah.

31x10.50-15 tires will fit and work on a stock height Ranger or cranked T-bars and shackle lift. They rub, however, when you lower 4-ish inches.

3.0 is fine with either with 4.10 gears. There is, however, two other places to give some attention. The computer needs to be edited for tire size changes with an automatic for sure. Makes a big difference in performance. You can do it yourself with Forscan or get someone to do it. The other big one is the transmission, a shift kit will make a huge difference too.

Oh? I wasn't aware you could tweak it, I've just accepted the speedo being off.

Yeah a shift kit is on my list too.... along with 384 other things

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I dunno- I have 4.10s and the limited slip in my truck, but it is the already more uncommon Edge Plus package so I dunno- did nab a 4.10 front diff out of a junkyard ranger tho so not *too* rare...

Yeah, not super common.

 

[00t444e]

4.10 gears and factory 16" wheels are both pretty common on 01 and newer 4x4 Rangers.

 

[superj]

i think on higher trims than the edge models. my edge has the 4.10s but 15 inch wheels and maybe @Lefty too?

 

[sgtsandman]

i think on higher trims than the edge models. my edge has the 4.10s but 15 inch wheels and maybe @Lefty too?

The 15" and 16" rims seems to be a mixed bag. According to just about everyone one, my 2011 XLT is supposed to have 16" rims but it came with 15" straight off the dealer lot.

I couldn't tell you on the 4.10s. My truck would have benefited having them but it came with 3.73s.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Thanks for your reply. Can you provide more information about the transmission shift kit.
Thanks again
PNW Ranger
Alan C.

Your transmission is probably a 4R55 or 5R55, you’ll have to check. I haven’t done one of those yet, but I have done the older A4LD. There’s more mods for the older ones, but they’re also more problematic. Yours should be fine with just doing a TransGo shift kit. You have to drop the pan and remove the valve body and the shift kit modifies the valve body by changing some valves and sometimes having you drill holes. It’s a messy and tedious process because you have to be careful not to scratch things, but super worth the end result.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Oh? I wasn't aware you could tweak it, I've just accepted the speedo being off.

Yeah a shift kit is on my list too.... along with 384 other things

Yeah, I should probably do a video on it. The thing is, the computer accepts tire size only as revolutions per mile, so realistically you need to know the exact tire diameter from the manufacturer to be most accurate. I was in a hurry when I did it and just used the number for a 31” tire. It’s still slightly off, so I know that wasn’t the exact tire size, but it’s close enough for my purposes for now. I’m not sure when that started, but I know that the 98+ Rangers all have tire size as a parameter in the computer, at least for the automatics, I haven’t plugged into a manual transmission truck yet with Forscan.

 

[superj]

thats the full forscan or can you do that in lite?

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Yeah, I should probably do a video on it. The thing is, the computer accepts tire size only as revolutions per mile, so realistically you need to know the exact tire diameter from the manufacturer to be most accurate. I was in a hurry when I did it and just used the number for a 31” tire. It’s still slightly off, so I know that wasn’t the exact tire size, but it’s close enough for my purposes for now. I’m not sure when that started, but I know that the 98+ Rangers all have tire size as a parameter in the computer, at least for the automatics, I haven’t plugged into a manual transmission truck yet with Forscan.

So with the forscan you just do the math to find revolutions per mile and then plunk that number in?

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So with the forscan you just do the math to find revolutions per mile and then plunk that number in?

Yup, pretty much

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

Time to get forscan!

 

[superj]

Did you guys say full version or lite version of forscan?

Probably full, huh?

 

[sgtsandman]

Did you guys say full version or lite version of forscan?

Probably full, huh?

My understanding is that the platform you use to run Forscan is going to dictate which version you can run. Lite seems to be the only version available for Android phones and tablets. If I remember correctly, only the full version is available for a Windows laptop. It seems that both do the same job from what little reading I've done on it. But they are different versions. So, there has to be some differences between the two.

 

[superj]

I will have to search. My son has the full version on his laptop but i have never messed with it. He has done some stuff on his focus st with it