Smalller tires...

[Geeshik]

I know people are usually looking for larger tires, but i have some aftermarket tires and rims that are a tad to extreme for my needs most of the time: 245/75 16 BFG All Terrains - Load range E. They are in good shape and i would like to keep them for fun stuff and hauling heavy loads, but i want a smaller set too.

I have some older 14" ranger 4x4 rims and i was wondering what the factory tire size was for them. They are steel wheels with the trim ring from a 1990.

I no longer know my trucks recommended tire size because it was repainted and the door sticker was removed. My truck is a '93 4x4; 3:73 gears and a 3.0 5-speed. What is the best tire size for the gears???

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I know people are usually looking for larger tires, but i have some aftermarket tires and rims that are a tad to extreme for my needs most of the time: 245/75 16 BFG All Terrains - Load range E. They are in good shape and i would like to keep them for fun stuff and hauling heavy loads, but i want a smaller set too.

I have some older 14" ranger 4x4 rims and i was wondering what the factory tire size was for them. They are steel wheels with the trim ring from a 1990.

I no longer know my trucks recommended tire size because it was repainted and the door sticker was removed. My truck is a '93 4x4; 3:73 gears and a 3.0 5-speed. What is the best tire size for the gears???

Well all 4x4's had 15" rims not 14's, those are from a 2wd. And factory size can range anywhere from 205/75/15 stock on my old 84 to 225/75/15 on my 99.

I would guess either 225/75/15's or 235/75/15's are your best bet. I would get 235's they are an extremely common size (I should know I have picked up over 5 sets for free.)

 

[Frank The Tank]

I don't understand how those tires are too extreme.......... I have a set on factory 16's, they ride great, look decent.... I don't know the drawbacks that they would represent, I guess is what I'm trying to understand.

Frank

 

[Geeshik]

Well for starters, my fuel mileage is around 12mpg and that is with the rear tires at 65 and the fronts about 35PSI.

Second, highway driving is not the greatest. At 65 on the highway i have to keep it in fourth because when i shift into fifth, as soon as i come to a slight grade increase, i have to downshift to keep it at 65. The truck won't go much faster than that.

Offroad, i'm sure they are great, but i don't offroad much.

Third, i know my 90 has 14 inch wheels. That's what they came off of. It's my dad's parts truck right now. I guess i could check the door sticker on that.

 

[kunar]

i dont think the 14" wheels will fit over your front brakes. check them before you go spending money on tires. other than that, i agree with the 235/75/15 recommendation. it's a pretty standard size for lots of trucks. could even go 215/75/15 if you wanted. i dont know how much difference you will see though because your current tire size isnt all that big.

 

[Duke]

The stock tire sizes in 14" for 93 are 195/70-14, 215/70-14 and 225/70-14. You can find this on tirerack.com. For 1990 they had all these sizes plus 205/70-14s. My 2wd, 5spd, reg cab, long box, 3.0, 91 came with 14 inch aluminum rims and had 205/70-14s from the factory.
Why do you have 65psi in the rear tire and 35psi in the front? That seems too drastically different to me.

 

[Geeshik]

65 in the rear because i was hauling concrete, sand, and gravel for a while. Air in tires is what carries the weight, and if you are hauling large amounts of weight, you need higher air pressure. It also keeps the tire temperatures lower by lowering the rolling resistance.

These tires are capable of having up to 80PSI, but that is for hauling more payload than the Ranger (and the rims) can safely handle. Basically, you need to watch the sidewall of the tire when it is loaded to determine the proper pressure.

Most 3/4 and 1 ton trucks have load range E tires and have recommended tire pressures for the rear at about 65psi.

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Thats probably part of the problem... Load E tires are way heavier than 6ply and standard load tires.You might have some problems with the engine if your only getting 12mpgs and slow down on even slight inclines... I just pulled off 25mpgs averaging 65 mph with 3.73's and 31's on my 3.0L going up some big hills... Tune up?

 

[Duke]

I am not trying to start an argument, but instead would like for everyone to help each other out.
When you put more air pressure in your tires you shouldn't go by what the max is on the tire. You should go by what the max on what the manufacturer recommends for the vehicle, but never go over on either. If you put what the max tire pressure is from what the manufacturer says then your tires will be ready to haul its max capacity. Airing up your tires that high in the back and that low in the front should cause your tires to wear funny. You could either be wearing the inside of the rear tires, the outside of the front tires or possibly both. Both my Ranger and my Explorer say the max psi I should put in is 35.

 

[strvger]

I am not trying to start an argument, but instead would like for everyone to help each other out.
When you put more air pressure in your tires you shouldn't go by what the max is on the tire. You should go by what the max on what the manufacturer recommends for the vehicle, but never go over on either. If you put what the max tire pressure is from what the manufacturer says then your tires will be ready to haul its max capacity. Airing up your tires that high in the back and that low in the front should cause your tires to wear funny. You could either be wearing the inside of the rear tires, the outside of the front tires or possibly both. Both my Ranger and my Explorer say the max psi I should put in is 35.

that is what got Ford into trouble with the Explorers. tire mfg. said one pressure, Ford changed it to a different pressure and... KABOOM!! they tried to make the ride better by using different tire pressure instead of correcting the suspension. Bridgestone got all the press because Ford settled out of court on all those rollovers.
i look at my tires and go by the tire mfg's recommendations. better safe than sorry! just my $.02.

 

[Geeshik]

Right. That's part of my problem... My truck doesn't have the tire sticker in the door anymore and i'm not sure the recommended size/pressure.

Also, Rangers don't really have suspensions designed for load range E tires because they are engineered to have some sidewall flex in a lighter tire, but someone put them on my truck. Since they are on there, i will use them for work, but i want a regular tire/rim for driving. The BFG's are wearing fine, except the pass front because it had a bad R/A bushing for a while. It's fixed now though.

I also found out the rims on my parts truck were 15's. They just looked like a set of 14's i've seen, so i assumed they were 14's. But it's all good. The stock tire size on that truck was 215/75R15. I'll just find a good pair of 15's between 215 and 235.

 

[Geeshik]

A guy I work with sold me a set of jeep wheels with decent 235 tires on them for $40. They hub hole is a little more snug in front, and i had to buy new acorn lug nuts because these wheels are thinner steel than the aftermarket ones but it bolts on tight. I'll paint them up and use them. The new rotors and pads in front make it stop really nice now; no pulsating pedal at all. The lift coils are in, the front axle has been gone through, and now all i need is the new bushings and the alignment. It seems to ride so much smoother now too.

 

[strvger]

wow! that's great! can't wait to see the pics!