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FAQ Wheels & Tires FAQ's


Jim Oaks

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Age
57
City
Nocona
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TX - USA
Other
2005 Jaguar XJ8
Vehicle Year
2021
Vehicle
Ford Ranger
Drive
4WD
Engine
2.3 EcoBoost
Transmission
Automatic
Total Lift
3.5-inches
Tire Size
295/70/17
Tech Library's:
Tires:
Wheels:
Tech Library
Don't forget to check out the Tire / Wheel / Brake section of the Tech Library.

What's The Largest Tire I Can Fit On My Ford Ranger/Explorer/Bronco II?

Stock 2019-2023 Ford Ranger


You can fit a 265/70/17 tire on a stock 2019-2023 Ford Ranger

Stock 4x4 1983-2011 Ford Rangers 1984-1990 Ford Bronco II / 1990-2001 Ford Explorer:

For 1983-1992 4x4 Rangers and all Bronco II, you can fit up to a 30x9.50R15 or 235/75R15 using the stock rims.

On 1993-2010 4x4 Rangers (and all Edge/Trailhead models), a 31x10.50R15 or a 265/75R16 will fit, depending on if you have the 15" or 16" stock wheels (16s are common on 1998-2010). There is some variation in torsion bar settings from the factory and some trucks sag in the front after a while so you may need to turn the torsion bars up to level. 2008+ Rangers have lower torsion bar keys and rear blocks from the factory and larger tires might rub slightly.

On 1998-2010 4wd Rangers a 32" or narrow 33" can be fit with a 1.5" torsion bar twist. 33x10.50-15 BFG or 285/75-16 will fit on the stock rims with slight rubbing on the inside.

On 1995-2001 Explorers and '01-'05 Sport Tracs you can fit a 32" or narrow 33" with a 1.5" torsion twist and Warrior #WAR-153 1.25" rear shackles. A 265/75-16 will fit fine, a 285/75-16 will fit with 1.0"-1.25" spacers on the rear wheels.

1991-2001 Explorers (all) should be able to accommodate a 31x10.50R15 or 265/75R16 on stock rims.

Stock 2WD 1983-2010 Ford Ranger:

1983-1992: 225/75R15 will fit using a 15x7" wheel with a stock 4.0" backspace. Some reports of 235/75R15 fitting have also been posted.
For stock 14" wheels, a 27x8.50R14 or 225/70R14 will fit.

1993-2010: 235/75R15 will fit on the same wheel described above. 28x8.50R14 or 235/75R14 for 14" wheels. 225/70-15 tires were standard on many 98+ 2wd Rangers.

235/70-16s on any 16 inch ranger, explorer or mustang rim will fit. Stick with a ranger or explorer rim though because with the mustang rims it will rub the back a little. Other then that clearance is fine and it will sit you a good 3" over stock.

Lifted Trucks:

Tire fitment on lifted trucks can vary due to actual lift height and wheel size used.

In general, a 31x10.50R15 will fit on '83-'92 4x4 models with 3" lift, 33x12.50s with 6" lift.

On 1993-2010 4x4 models, 33x12.50 will fit with 3-4" lift. 35x12.50R15 will fit with a 6" lift. Slight rubbing may still occur with 35x12.50 when offroad, however. Very slight fender trimming can eliminate it.

Generally, a narrower rim (15x7 or 15X8) will let you fit a larger diameter tire than a wide one (15x10).

For lifted 2WD Rangers, 31x10.50 will fit with 3" lift. With 5.5-6" lift, a 33x12.50 will fit 1993-2008 models.

These figures are somewhat on the conservative side. You may be able to go up one size larger than described here if you don't mind a little bit of tire rub. Some forum users here run 32x11.50s or 33x10.50s on their stock '93-'97 models, and 285/75R16 on '98-'10 models without problems.

What Size Wheels Do I Need For_____?

Many wheel questions for the 1983-2011 Ford Ranger can be answered HERE.

Many older 2wd Rangers were equipped with 14" wheels. Any Ranger or Explorer 15" or 16" wheel will fit on a 2wd but most of the 14" rims will not fit over the front hub on a 4wd. Also it is getting harder to find 14" tires and not really any cheaper when you do. Consider buying some used 15" rims and you will have a much wider choice when it comes to buying tires.

31x10.50-15, 32x11.50-15 will fit on a 15x7 or 15x8 rim. A 15x10 is really too wide. A 33x12.50-15 will fit on a 15x8 or 15x10, a 15x7 is doable but really too narrow for a 12.50 tire.

A common issue concerning aftermarket 16"-and-up rims is that most of them have a GM-type positive offset (even if they have a Ford bolt pattern) and the tires may rub on the inside. Depending on the tire size you don't want more than 4.5" backspace at most and usually less than that.


If anyone knows of any forum threads that should be linked here, please let me know.
 
Last edited:
All Terrain VS Rugged Terrain VS Mud Terrain, Off-Road Tire Buying Guide for Beginners

From @sgtsandman:


I've found this guy to be a pretty good source on tires. He geeks out on them.

In any case, he does a good run down on the types of tires, what they are good for, and when you want them.



 

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