Towing stability with 19.5s

[Stewey]

Going to be looking at new tires soon and want to find a better matched wheel for my 285 75/16s, which means going to at least an 8" wheel. For those of you who tow, and went with 19.5" wheels, what kind of improvement did you see in towing stability?

[RajinCajun]

I love my 19.5's, they have less sidewall flex and tend to slide while steering v/s rolling under the wheel. The ride is a little rougher, but I am driving a tow rig, it should be rough

[Stewey]

Where did you get your 19.5s? Rickson just quoted an astronomical price.

[F350R]

I have 19.5 M/S Hankook's G rated on my dually they are great for stability and traction. During the winter when I am not towing I air them down a lot so they ride as nice as to old 16's. Even in the summer when aired up for carrying ATV's and a trailer they don't don't ride all that rough as long as you don't use more pressure than you really need. These are tough tires you don't have to over inflate them for the job you are doing. For what I carry the standard 80psi in them its perfect, if you inflate them to the max you will hate them and besides that would give you way more carrying capacity than what these trucks are rated to carry anyway. I put Dynabeads in them for balancing, I wouldn't do it any other way in tire balancing is the way to go. I went with American Force rims they are a nice looking direct bolt on rim, they don't have a lot of choices for styles but that didn't matter to me I like the standard holes anyway. The clear coat finish on American Force is in my opinion junk. Just get it over with and strip it off then polish them they look way better than new and once done it doesn't take any longer to keep them clean and shiny. As you found out Rickson is extremely proud of their products. I found a local tire wholesaler that was willing to sell to the public and was able to get a great deal on the tires. All said and done I have about 3K invested in six tires and wheels. I have just shy of 40K miles on them with 5/8 tread new I am down to about 1/2 inch now they wear really nice.

By the way it would be easier to strip the clear coat before you mount the tires but you can do it like I did after two years with them mounted, paint stripper doesn't hurt the tires at all.

I have read a few posts about H rated tires many say they ride pretty harsh, but then I have no idea what they inflate them to, over inflating them makes a huge difference.

[RajinCajun]

Originally Posted by Stewey

Where did you get your 19.5s? Rickson just quoted an astronomical price.

Sorry, mine came on the truck from Ford Would hate to drop the coin at once to get wheels and tires.... hell 4 drive tires cost me about $1400, mounted, balanced, and ready to roll.. They even put equal power in and it rides like a champ.

[Texascadillac42]

Rickson 19.5s, Michelin 245 tires, load range H, running about 80-90 psi. They are wearing like iron, I am at 88k miles, with plenty of tread life left. I will easily see 100k on this set. When towing heavy, they is no other option in my opinion. I have never experienced any sort of squirming or odd feelings, even with a GCW of 35k lbs.