Biggest 2WD Tires

[MDW]

I have a nephew who likes to go "muddin" and wants to put the biggest tire on his 2WD truck.

He's talking about just for the rear but I would think he could use something on the front as well.

Whats your thoughts??



Thanks for your help.

Michael

 

[Duluth Diesel]

Its 2wd. Fix that first.



I guess if it were me, I'd get some real aggressive mud tires in back and some basic steering tires up front. Big knobby tires up front on an undriven axle are going to just slow you down. Think about a 2wd tractor. Agricultural tread in back, simple ribbed steering tires up front.

 

[Duluth Diesel]

As for tire size, get out a tape measure and see what size radius tire will fit. Measure from the hub to the fender edge. Let's say you measure that and come up with 18 inches. That times 2 is 36. A 36 inch tire would rub, so you want to drop down to somewhere around 33 inchs diameter. Also keep in mind that when the suspension articulates, that 33 inch tire is going to have to stuff up in the wheel well without hitting the sheetmetal. Most 33 inch tires and about 12. 5 to 13 inches wide.



The rear end is easier to fit large tires on than the front because the rear don't steer! Just make some measurements, look at tire specifications, and go with it. Make sure the tires will clear the sheet metal and are not too wide to fit on the rims you have. If you're going for cheap mud tires, find a Fleet Farm store. Other budget mud tires I would look at would be the Cooper Discoverer STT.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Big tires on the back and small on the front will make it drive like crap on the pavement. But its all a tradeoff. I'd suggest upping the fronts some with a wide tire to help float the front some more.



I've done this with my old 2wd Dakota.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

what kind of truck?



I hope you're not talking about a cummins... these things'll get stuck on wet grass! LOL!



Forrest

 

[Ncostello]

LT265-75R-16. Anything bigger on a 2WD is going to look terrible and going bigger will only get you about 2 ft further down the muddy trail. Thats after only going about 10 feet total through any depth of mud.



The weight on the driven front tires of a 4x4 Cummins really makes the difference. There is no comparison in mud (or snow)... more so on these trucks. I can get hung up in 1" deep mud while 4x4's simply act like its not there.



Imagine the embarassment at Scheids when we all lined up for a photo shoot on wet grass and soft topsoil last year... and everyone pulls away afterwards and I'm sitting there stuck in 1/2" of mud. Makes you really want 4x4.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Neil, I woulda been right there w/ ya... my truck has an OPEN DIFF!!! LOL!



Forrest

 

[Ncostello]

I have an open diff too!! I recently went to Kumho KL41 all terrains in 245 size. They made a huge difference in snow which is where I worry. I stay out of mud. 2WD's cannot cope with soft dirt no matter the tire. Then again even if I had a 4x4 I wouldn't go muddin. I wouldn't want to dirty up an immaculate truck. I've got an old beater for that kind of fun!

 

[Forrest Nearing]

that's kinda how I see it... being 2wd keeps me out of trouble that I might be otherwise tempted to get into...



if I want to go offroad, I'll get an old Jeep or something.

 

[Cummins Pilot]

Yeah the extra weight from the Cummins sitting on top helps with traction sometimes. It also makes it dig to China faster than you can believe. And it about 10 times tougher to drag it back out.



A heavy diesel truck will never be a good mud rig. Lightness is the key.



The best part about driving a 2wd is that it really teaches you how to drive on less than perfect traction surfaces. Thats all I had to start out with. I can out drive a lot of people with 4x4's and I leave mine in 2wd. Theres an art to the throttle and brake.



BTW, what kind of truck are we talking about anyways?

 

[MDW]

Thanks for the responses.



I understand that a 2wd shouldn't go muddin but he's young and going to do it anyway so can someone answer the question as to how big a tire will fit?



The truck is a 94' 2500 5spd, 3. 54, open diff , about 420hp, reg cab, long bed.

 

[Ncostello]

I believe a 33" should fit. Just go to a tire shop and roll some up next to the truck. Since the rear axle isnt steering... you can come pretty close to the fender w/o any problems.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

my 265/75's are almost 32" tall. I bet you could put a 35 back there without too much trouble.



Forrest

 

[vssman]

A 255/85 is about 33. 5" tall and slightly narrower than stock so offset shouldn't be a problem. You have to check for rubbing on the fenders.