Questions for Dually owners with 19.5" wheels

[JJ Jackson]

I was thinking of getting some new rims and tires to dress up the truck, but my concern would be the flotation factor when I air down to tow through deep sand like Pismo Beach. I know duallys are not the best for towing in the sand, but will I be making the problem worse by switching to 19. 5"s?

Thanks... ... ..... Jim

 

[edgerat]

unless you have a ton of weight on the back of your truck I wouldnt count on the 19. 5's to float too much when you air them down. Go to a local tire shop that carries the 19. 5's and try and compress them OFF the wheel... they no move. This is just what I have seen with my own eyes I havent tried to drive on the sand with them, I do know that sand up here in the NW is not quite as soft and I watched a feller air down to 10lbs and still get stuck with a set of the michelin knobby looking 19. 5's on his 2500.

 

[RMcCulloch]

I was thinking of getting some new rims and tires to dress up the truck, but my concern would be the flotation factor when I air down to tow through deep sand like Pismo Beach. I know duallys are not the best for towing in the sand, but will I be making the problem worse by switching to 19. 5"s?

Thanks... ... ..... Jim

If it's a 2WD then taking that dually to the beach may prove embarrasing unless you'll be pulling something with a heavy hitch weight and you stay on damp sand.



If you're really wanting to do something fancy, why not pick up a pair of extra-wide custom rims and extra-wide tires? [Think "SuperSingle"]

 

[JJ Jackson]

No, its 4x4. But I took your advice and looked up super singles. I found what's called " floats". www.chromewheel.com/gallerypages/vanwinklef350.htm . Anyone do this with a 2nd Gen?

 

[Peter Campbell]

The 19. 5's are not meant to be aired down. The bead retaining is a lot looser? on the comercial tires than LT and passenger tires. They depend more on the inflation and sidewall stiffness to keep the beads seated. You can see this by looking at steel rims for stock LT tires and the 19. 5's. Stock there is a real deep "gutter" to hold the bead the 19. 5 rims looks like an afterthought of an indent. At 80 PSI minimum and 105 maximum there is not a lot of allowable range in the 19. 5's but a lot of pressure. -- My 1998. 5 2500 has the ricksons. Just regrooved them.

 

[TKingsbury]

All of the ". 5" size tires have beveled beads instead of safety beads. These would be 14. 5, 16. 5, 17. 5, and 19. 5. Airing any of these tires down is asking for a bead to come off, especially with a heavy rig. If you need to air down, stick with 16s.

Travis. .

 

[JJ Jackson]

Thanks guys. So having tires like those are pretty much useless for off roading on a light truck, unless your truck weighs 20,000 lbs. I mean towing through sloppy mud or deep sand. Its too bad, because I really like that look.