19.5's on Dually

[TMRoper1669]

I was thinking of installing a set of 19. 5's on my MC dually anyone done this and how is the ride? Is it worth it?

 

[FFeiller]

would they be equipped with F rated tires as is used on the 4500 and 5500? i think they contribute to the roughess of my ride in the 5500.

 

[CUMMINZ]

2007. 5 Dodge RAM 3500 6. 7L Cummins Diesel - 245x70x19. 5 wheels





Great investment and they do ride rougher but worth it.

 

[TMRoper1669]

I posted this question in the 3rd gen and got some feedback but I am looking for a little more incite. Thanks cumminz I'M really nervous about the investment if the ride gets rougher.

 

[Curious Dave]

The 19. 5's don't contribute to the stiffness. The tire reinforcement does. The F's are stiffer than the E's and the G's are even worse. The extra weight of the wheels is harder on the suspension and the steering. The safety factor and the reliability are nice though. The sway and lean is reduced when stepping up also. . but that is due to the tire reinforcement also, has nothing to do with the suspension. There are no really agressive tread patterns for 19. 5's either. If you start seeing cupping on the front treads, more so than with your stockers... Odds are it is due to the added weight of the wheels and has nothing to do with your alignment.

How do I know??? I went thru all of this. I now run 17's and will use my 19'. 5. s on a custom 2wd. It is amazing how ignorant 99% of the tire shops are. Don't let anyone tell you/convince you that your tires wear poorly because it is a Dodge, dually, diesel, heavy truck, or anything else stupid. There are reasons.

 

[Barry]

I just installed Rickson 19. 5s on my '06 3500 SRW. For the moment, I am running Good for a year 225/70/19. 5 Load G (its what came on the wheels)

If and when I ever wear out the Goodyears, after doing much research, I think I want to go to Bridgestone 245/70/19. 5 Load F. Max pressure is 95lbs and over 4000 lbs. load per tire. But based on the inflation charts, most of the time I would run them at 70F/80R like I do the Goodyears.

If you are going to get max miles out of the 19. 5s, you cannot run them at high pressure unless loaded heavy.

One more thing... ... I am running steel wheels. Tire and wheel... ... ..... 130 lbs. each!

I am in Florida. Don't even think about getting of pavement with them. They are not meant to be used in the sand.

Ride a little stiffer... ... ... ... ... ..... perhaps.

Peace of mind... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Priceless!Oo.

 

[jam1on1]

i have 19. 5 on my mega i can send pictures if you want to see them

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I am looking for a little more incite

Looks like a flame war about to flare up:-laf. So, I'll throw in my . 02. I had a set of 19. 5s on the 04 and 97 dually. I ran Hankook DH0? tires and was plumb happy with the tires, traction in WY winters, and the ride was ok. I made the decision to swap back to OEMs because I was primarily concerned with developing suspension-steering problems over the long haul. The death wobble specter is always lurking abouts and I have no desire to be visited by this goblin.



Now if I was always running heavy, e. g. a welding rig. Or constantly pulling a gooseneck or 5er it might be a different story. But then I'd also be driving a 4500-5500 CC, flatbed, and Aisin auto. But then again, I'd be rich and famous too. In my dreams, perhaps.

 

[Barry]

Forgot to mention... ... ... .



Be aware of speed restrictions. Some 19. 5 tires are speed rated at 65 mph.



Some are rated at 75 which is another reason why I will go to Bridgestones when I wear out the Goodyears.



And yes, I run heavy at times. Delivering a big horse trailer with a pin weight of 3 or 4 thousand pounds can really push the OEMs beyond their limits.



Also, I run 50K to 60K a year. I am hoping the 19. 5s will run for 2 years between tire changes.

 

[FFeiller]

this is why the 5500 is limited to 75mph. the truck tires and my dump trailer 17. 5" H rated tires are both limited to 75mph.

 

[Barry]

Somewhere in the cob webs of my mind, I remember the speed rating is "The maximum speed at which the tire can sustain for 10 minutes and maintain its shape".



Sumatomos where highly recommended to me but after a little research, I discovered they are speed rated for 65 mph.



When deadheading, we run 68 to 72. So a 75 speed rating works for us.

 

[Lurch]

Speed ratings are for tires operating at full load. Something to consider.

 

[jelag]

I have 19. 5 tires on all my trucks and made the switch when we found that we got great mileage on some 225/70/19. 5 tires on an F550 ford... That Ford is now gone but we've installed 19. 5" on (3) 3500 dually's

We run new Michelin's or Bridgestones on the front... and Bandag retreads on the rear... Our tire cost is less than 17" tires and we seem to get close to 100K miles... we get more load capacity, and have never had a blow out in at least a million miles between our trucks... some flats as usual but no separations or blowouts...

We are using the same tire retreader that UPS uses here in town and the same all season tire... . Very happy at around $100 per tire as I remember...

There is a harder ride... . and the new 5500 is a bear when it's empty, which I think is a combination of both the tire and the way its sprung.....

We have just plain steel wheels we had made for the trucks... . nothing fancy...

 

[CUMMINZ]

One of the reasons I went with direct bolt 19. 5x6. 75" wheels in the brand I purchased is that I run six aluminum wheels on the ground. They are rated at 4k per wheel and lighter than steel wheels. Less strain on the suspension.



#ad

 

[Barry]

Lurch,



Thanx for the insight on the speed ratings... ... ... ... . that is a new wrinkle.

 

[TMRoper1669]

Wow there is a lot of information on here now, Well Damn I am still kind of stuck, I don't drive the truck a lot unless it's hooked to a trailer, I do however enjoy the ride, and I do not want any extra problems from running different then OEM stuff, however I look at the price difference and the mileage difference and wonder hummm. I think the only way to do it right is to have all 6 rims aluminum right?

 

[Curious Dave]

If you go with all aluminum rims... you will most likely have to get longer rear axle/lug studs. Don't forget about the mpg decrease, and don't get your hopes up about getting alot of miles out of the tires. I suppose if all you did was highway driving and hot shotting... you would get the increased miles re: wear. But if you didn't keep your speed down you would see a big drop in mpg. I lost 2 mpg overall with my 19. 5's. The mileage was only @ 40k for a set also. But I see a lot of gravel roads too. More cutting going on there.

 

[THoltz]

How much would the larger wheels/tires affect the final gear ratio?

 

[Barry]

Go to ricksontruck.com They have this cool calculator where you can enter the size of the tire you have now and the size you are wanting to go to and it will calculate the speedo error and ratio.



It's slick!!

 

[TMRoper1669]

I've seen the calculators they are nice, there is also one that will tell you the actual height difference between tire/rim sizes. Curious dave , thanks for the input I do drive on dirt roads,thanks to living where I do , so I will have to keep that in mind, I am beginning to think that the best solution to this problem is to keep the original rims and tires. Doesn't sound like it would be worth it in my situation.