Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) High Speed travel with 19.5's

[hammersley]

Ok - I hear conflicting stories about travelling extended speeds over say 70MPH with the 19. 5 tires. I don't worry anout my existing tires BUT I may currently have the exact situation and am ignorant of it..... Thoughts.....

 

[SRadke]

Most 19. 5's are not rated at faster speeds than 65 mph. But, yes there is a but, that rating is based on travel under full load on a hot day. There is no way you will be able to get a set of 19. 5's up to their rated load on a pickup and thereby get them hot enough to come apart at 70 mph with the proper inflation. JMHO.



-Scott

 

[americana]

as i recall most are rated to 75mph plus or minus. my goodyear G-124's are rated for 5000lbs each. i know our rams are tough, but that's a big "but". if you are running around with 10klbs in the bed of your truck, maybe you need to start thinking F-650 or FL6070 with a cummins.



i routinely run 70-75mph commuting empty. this is my second set of 19. 5's. the first set was an almost bald (when i got 'em) set of michelin XZA's and i ran them the same way including light (5,000lbs) towing and light bed load (500lbs) not at the same time.



i do remember earthroamer nuking a set of 16" michelins by doing 68mph(?). i can't remember what his gross was, but i am certain the situation would have been better if he was running 19. 5's

 

[pgleavitt]

My company truck for 4 years was a F4504x4 with 19. 5 tires and I drove 80 mph all the time between Las Vegas and L. A. throu the desert in summer heat. As long as they had the proper inflation,I never had a problem. I more than I would like to admit overloaded the truck(flatbed)with drilling equipment as much as 5,000lbs and then drove it at 65mph and still no problems. I also always ran the max pressure the tires called for and still got 70,000-80,000 miles out of them. Also the truck gross was 13,000lbs with what I carried every day(welder,bottles, tools,fuel and my fat ass)

 

[Midnite]

Originally posted by americana



i do remember earthroamer nuking a set of 16" michelins by doing 68mph(?). i can't remember what his gross was, but i am certain the situation would have been better if he was running 19. 5's

Bill was running Michelin XZL military/off-road tires which are speed rated at 62mph. Those are totally different than your typical consumer-grade 16" tires.



In one of his articles, I think Bill mentioned that the 19. 5" setup he went with allowed him greater speed by increasing his tire pressure by 10psi over the max sidewall pressure. If I remember right, that was told to him by the tire manufacturer.



Mike