Upgrades and Aftermarket - GeneralUpgrading and adding aftermarket equipment to your 1999-2007 Super Duty. Please confine discussion of topics in this forum to those items that are not engine-specific.
I have a 99 F350 2WD crew cab dually. I hated the look of the small 16" wheels and tires that came stock on the truck. I really wanted to upgrade to 19.5's but it just wasn't in my budget. So I did my research on this board and asked a lot of question. I wanted to know what was the largest tire I could mount on my stock rims. A couple of members suggested 235/85R16's. I decided that is what I was going to do. Along the way I was able to pickup a set or new Weld Racing Evolution EVO Velocity 16" Wheels. I had the tires mounted yesterday. A friend of mine gave me 2 brand new Falken tires and I was able to buy 4 more to have a matching set of 6. I don't know much about the Falken's except they are a highway tread and seem to ride nice so far. I can tell the difference in gearing from the 215's. My speedo is off about 4.5 mpg. I noticed a 250 - 300 RPM drop at 55 mph. I'll let you know about the fuel economy, I haven't run a full tank through the new tires yet. I though I would post a couple of pics so anyone thinking about doing this upgrade can see the difference it makes. I'm very happy with the size of the 235's and they way they fill out the wheel well. I have more pics for anyone that is interested, just email me. Next upgrade is a leveling kit, I'll post pics of that after I install it. Thanks to everyone who helped me make this decision.
I'm really not the one to ask about 265's. I know they won't fit ona 2WD truck without a lift and probably spacers on the rear. There are a lot of very knowledgable people here that will be able to point your in the right directionn.
Will I have any problems going up to 265s? Is there anything different suspension wise or anything with the Lariats that make the 265s standard?
Bad info in this thread.
You have a DRW but folks are takling about tires for SRWs.
No, you cannot mount 265s on your truck without breaking the rules. Those who are discussing 265s are discussing F-250s, not DRWs.
Trim level has nothing to do with which tire you should run. The confusion is caused by Ford's upgrading the tires on later model F-250s (not '99s) that had either 4x4 or Lariat trim. But XL and XLT trim on F-250 4x2s still had LT235/85R16 tires as standard for a few more years. There was no difference in suspension or anything else except tire size. You pay more money for fancy trim or 4x4 drivetrain and Ford throws in some bigger tires.
But forget all that. You don't have an F-250.
'99 F-350 DRW 4x2 came stock with LT215/85R16 tires. LT235/85R16 was optional on 4x2s and standard on 4x4s.
Your problem is wheel width.
Stock '99-'04 dually wheels are 6" wide. The biggest tire you can run on 6" wide rims is LT235/85R16.
Rob's new Weld custom wheels are 6.5" wide. The biggest tire he can run on 6.5" wide rims is LT255/85R16.
'99 -'04 F-250s and F-350 SRWs came with 7" wide wheels, so they can run bigger tires than you can. But that's okay. You can haul a lot more payload than they can.
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
Last edited by SmokeyWren : 10-05-2008 at 09:58 PM.
I upped my tires to 235's also, but on mine it made the speedo right on according to gps.
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You have a DRW but folks are takling about tires for SRWs.
No, you cannot mount 265s on your truck without breaking the rules. Those who are discussing 265s are discussing F-250s, not DRWs.
Trim level has nothing to do with which tire you should run. The confusion is caused by Ford's upgrading the tires on later model F-250s (not '99s) that had either 4x4 or Lariat trim. But XL and XLT trim on F-250 4x2s still had LT235/85R16 tires as standard for a few more years. There was no difference in suspension or anything else except tire size. You pay more money for fancy trim or 4x4 drivetrain and Ford throws in some bigger tires.
But forget all that. You don't have an F-250.
'99 F-350 DRW 4x2 came stock with LT215/85R16 tires. LT235/85R16 was optional on 4x2s and standard on 4x4s.
Your problem is wheel width.
Stock '99-'04 dually wheels are 6" wide. The biggest tire you can run on 6" wide rims is LT235/85R16.
Rob's new Weld custom wheels are 6.5" wide. The biggest tire he can run on 6.5" wide rims is LT255/85R16.
'99 -'04 F-250s and F-350 SRWs came with 7" wide wheels, so they can run bigger tires than you can. But that's okay. You can haul a lot more payload than they can.
Thanks for the info.
With that said can anyone recommend a good tire. I go threw a lot of wet grass fields and not too deep mud. I was considering going back to the stock general ameritrac trs but some have questioned quality of the tire. Personally 4 are well worn and have probably been on the truck most of it's life. Two Firestone Transforce HTs that are 3/4 worn in less time then the generals.
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2003 Ford F-350 Crew Cab L/B/Dually XLT FX4 7.3L/Auto- Gooseneck Hitch Fifth Wheel Rails, Firestone Air Bags/ Toolbox
With that said can anyone recommend a good tire. I go threw a lot of wet grass fields and not too deep mud.
The "best" tire for your dually is also the most expensive. Michelin XPS in size LT235/85R16E. They come in two treads, highway rib and traction. For your use, you probably need tractions on the rear axle. But like most "big trucks", you might want highway ribs on the steer axle. Michelin XPS Traction
Move down a notch to save a few bucks, and the Michelin LTX is an excellent tire for your needs. It's still a premium-priced tire, but it has lots of fans. It comes in different treads, including A/S, A/T, and M/T. Here's the A/T: Michelin LTX A/T 2
If you're in need of a bargain, a really good but less expensive tire for your needs is the BFGoodrich Commercial T/A. Those come with A/S or A/T treads. The A/S may be just what you need for all 6 tires. BFGoodrich Commercial T/A All-Season
You can't just go by brand of tire these days. Consumer Reports latest issue (November) includes tires for SUVs. General Grabber HTS rated highest of all A/S tires. But General Grabber AT2 rated worst of all A/T tires.
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My Sierra Blanca is a '99.5 PSD CrewCab hot-rod Towing Machine! BTS tranny; TurboRamAir intake and 4" stainless turbo-back exhaust; DP-Tuner tunes flashed into an Edge Evolution tuner; ISSPRO EV gauges and TTM; AIC; SP-Diesel exhaust brake and torque converter controller. I special-ordered it new and plan to drive it until it quits.
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Upgraded to 235/85R16's on my 99 DRW 2WD
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