Towing with 35's

[JCasper]

I am trying to make a decision on tire size. I will have to buy some new tires at the end of next month and have been thinking about doing a leveling kit and putting on some 35" Toyo M/T's. I am currently running 33" tires now, and was wondering what kind of changes I will notice.



Next spring I will be purchasing a fifth wheel or travel trailer and was wanting to know if I should stick with a smaller tire. I plan on adding airbags when I get a trailer to keep the truck level when I have a load since I am going to add a leveling kit to the front.



I think with the six speed I will still have enough gears to handle the difference.



I appreciate all your responses,



Thanks



Joe

 

[sarj]

I think 8000 will be the cut off range of it making a difference. I pull 22 ft @5400# fully loaded with the same truck and a 48RE with 315's and you hardly noticed there's anything behind me. A six speed would be a walk in the park. I've heard of bed rail clearance issues with a 5'er and 35's so you might want to watch that. It's a fun truck to drive with a good suspension and 35's.

 

[bjonesAZ]

I've learned with 5th wheels that the trailers need an axle flip with Dodge 4x4s. With hitch weights in the 2800# area, tires that inflate to 75psi give best stability; so my 305x70x16 were replaced with 10ply 265s. The 2001 HO six-speed w/3. 55 gears pulled the 14,500#+ 5er okay with the 305s; but there was too much tire sidewall flex at 55psi.



Going from 305s to 265s is a one gear difference pulling hard uphill; same with descents and strong head winds. With 265s, fourth gear compares with 3rd gear 305s and the tire heigth difference is very noticable pulling off the line uphill in first gear.



My 2500 doesn't need a leveling kit as the stock springs are quite a bit stouter than the Ford and Chevy springs pulling comparable loads.



If I had found some 10ply 285s that could inflate to the 75-80psi range; I would have purchased them instead of the 265s.



Bob

 

[JCasper]

I will probably be going to 35" Toyo M/T's which are 10 Ply E rated tires. I believe they are rated at around 3600lbs per tire at 65 PSI. I don't want a tire that feels unsafe when loaded. I have hauled heavy loads of hay with my current set up and felt fine. Just a little worried knowing that the tires were overloaded.

 

[RonCar]

I recently switched from a BFG 315 to my Toyos. HUGE difference in the spongy feel that the BFG's had. Now even in the wind I feel hardly any sidewal flex. Great tire for towing if you can fit it under your 5er...

 

[MRosinski]

I have a 24' enclosed trailer that is 9' tall. The 35's are bad w/an automatic. EGT's get real hot. At 70mph which is 1950rpm i'll have about no power and 1400*+ egt's trying to pull up a i-80 hill in iowa. Moving a 10K pound brick takes higher rpm's at lower speed. Also theres way too much sidewall sway. With the 265's I could run that same load up to 90+mph on the same roads with only 1300*egt's. (dont go that fast ever, just did it once to test the new truck )

 

[JCasper]

If I had found some 10ply 285s that could inflate to the 75-80psi range; I would have purchased them instead of the 265s.



Bob[/QUOTE]



Check Les Schwab. They have a 285/70/17 Open Country A/T that is E rated, 3750lbs per tire. Should be 80PSI. I am still considering these, Not sure if I want a 35" tire if I am going to be hauling a fifth wheel around.

 

[Paul Johnson]

I tow with 35" Toyo MT's, my trailer has a total wt of about 10,000lb. I have no complaints at all with tires, but my trans(G56) is geared lower then yours.

 

[JCasper]

I tow with 35" Toyo MT's, my trailer has a total wt of about 10,000lb. I have no complaints at all with tires, but my trans(G56) is geared lower then yours.

What is the gearing differences between the NV5600 and the G56. It can't be that much. I assume the fifth wheel or travel trailer I buy will be around that weight. Are the tires pretty stable when towing?

 

[backroad]

I've been towing a 27 ft fifth wheel with my Ford/Cummin and 35" tires with an 8 ply rating and it works really well. I don't have any issure with egt's but on the hills, even with downshifting, my transmission temp gets up there a bit. I do plan on adding another transmission cooler.

On a different dually ('93 Dodge), I had installed 10 ply tires. The truck rode so bad, I took them off within 1000 miles and went to 8 plys. They also were a Michelin tire. I think I'd only consider the 10 ply tires if'n I were going to run loaded ALL the time. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[JCasper]

I recently switched from a BFG 315 to my Toyos. HUGE difference in the spongy feel that the BFG's had. Now even in the wind I feel hardly any sidewal flex. Great tire for towing if you can fit it under your 5er...

What Toyos are you running?

 

[GWBourne]

you have a six speed... . your gear choices are much better for a 35 inch tires, you can always downshift if it starts to lug. i see you have 3. 73's, not a big deal... again, you have a 6 speed... the shift points are when you want them to be.



8000lbs will be nothing for it still. i tow 17k+ on 34. 5 inch tall tires. only difference between your truck and mine is the 4. 10's in mine. on the highway i dont come out of 6th unless the hill has slowed me down by 5mph or more, then i downshift to 5th and bring it back up. i could leave it there and keep going at the set speed of 60... but i choose to put it back into 6th on most hills unless its a LONG hill.



you will be fine, and i think you could even tow around 11 or 12k and be fine before you start hitting 4th in some areas.

Grant

 

[Boondocker]

What is the gearing differences between the NV5600 and the G56. It can't be that much. I assume the fifth wheel or travel trailer I buy will be around that weight. Are the tires pretty stable when towing?

A 10,000lb TT and 10,000lb 5th wheel are not the same weight where your tires are concerned. The 5th wheel has a much higher percentage of it's weight over your axle, hence more load on the tires. That plus bed height to trailer clearance make make taller tires a less attractive proposition for 5th wheel towing. Add the taller gearing factor and there is simply no benefit.



Sure people tow 5ths with 35's, but their towing ability is compromised. All they can say is that there may be enough margin that you can get away with it. Nothing about it is an improvement where towing is concerned. Bigger tires look pretty cool though.



Neil

 

[GWBourne]

Sure people tow 5ths with 35's, but their towing ability is compromised. All they can say is that there may be enough margin that you can get away with it. Nothing about it is an improvement where towing is concerned. Bigger tires look pretty cool though.



Neil

true to a point... it depends on waht kind of 35 inch tire you go with...



mine tow just fine and measure in loaded at a taller heigh than the 315-70-17 BFG's i have run... i tow a goose, so i can get away with it a bit more, bed to trailer issues can be solved with trailer mods, that can be expensive, but are not a show stoper. they can make the trailer handle like poo, but thats one choice you have to make... if you stick with a D rated 35 inch tire with a load rating of 3195lbs, yes, it is going to handle funny loaded or unloaded. different is a better word than funny...



the problem i see most is people with lifts and large 8 ply tires speeding down the highway like they are not going to get where they are going on time. you can to with a D rated tire thats rated at the same 3195lbs safe if you slow down. slow down even more so through the turns as well...

 

[JCasper]

Sure people tow 5ths with 35's, but their towing ability is compromised. All they can say is that there may be enough margin that you can get away with it. Nothing about it is an improvement where towing is concerned. Bigger tires look pretty cool though.



Neil[/QUOTE]





I understand I will have less braking and power. Maybe even a little more sidewall flex. But I am buying an E Rated 35" tire. Rated at 3600lbs at 65 PSI. I am always very aware of what is going on around me. If I choose to put on the 35's instead of the 295's I am doing it because it looks better, if I don't feel safe when I am towing I will downsize.



However I think that the E rated 35's will feel more stable then the D Rated 315 BFG's that a lot of people are running.



Joe

 

[GWBourne]

I am trying to make a decision on tire size. I will have to buy some new tires at the end of next month and have been thinking about doing a leveling kit and putting on some 35" Toyo M/T's. I am currently running 33" tires now, and was wondering what kind of changes I will notice.



Next spring I will be purchasing a fifth wheel or travel trailer and was wanting to know if I should stick with a smaller tire. I plan on adding airbags when I get a trailer to keep the truck level when I have a load since I am going to add a leveling kit to the front.



I think with the six speed I will still have enough gears to handle the difference.



I appreciate all your responses,



Thanks



Joe

oh, and think about getting an exhaust brake of one brand or another... . it will make wear on your brakes with the larger meats and the larger trailer a lot less, and a safer tow rig from the get go. i also love the way mine reacts when stoping empty... its stops NICE and fast when i need it to(empty or full)... .

Grant

 

[JCasper]

oh, and think about getting an exhaust brake of one brand or another... . it will make wear on your brakes with the larger meats and the larger trailer a lot less, and a safer tow rig from the get go. i also love the way mine reacts when stoping empty... its stops NICE and fast when i need it to(empty or full)... .

Grant

I would like to. It will all depend on how much I am towing, and what kind of deal I can find on one. I may save that mod for a couple years down the road, maybe I will sell this truck and upgrade to a 3500.

 

[Boondocker]

If I bought a new truck tomorrow, an exhaust brake would be my first mod.

 

[GWBourne]

If I bought a new truck tomorrow, an exhaust brake would be my first mod.

i love mine that much as well, and i would get something that has an aircompressor as part of the system... i like my jake, but i want air... . why spend the money twice? lol

 

[Paul Johnson]

What is the gearing differences between the NV5600 and the G56. It can't be that much. I assume the fifth wheel or travel trailer I buy will be around that weight. Are the tires pretty stable when towing?

From what I understand the G56 with 3:73s is about the same gearing as the NV5600 with 4:10s. That is why they don't offer 4:10s with the G56. Yes the tires are very stable when towing. I tow with them at 62psi. Regular driving 42psi front 38psi rear. Offroad 18-20psi.