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Biggest off road tire size

44K views 47 replies 14 participants last post by  T-Axle 
#1 ·
So with winter coming around I'm looking to get some aggressive offload/winter tires and rims.. I'm gonna go to a 17 inch rim(stock is 19). I'm looking to put a 245/70/17 on the car.. They say a 235/65/17 will fit with no rubbing.. But the tire I want is only available the bigger size.. Anyone run these sizes or use spacers to make a bigger tire fit?

I don't want a winter tire as I would like to use the off road tires when I'm up in the mountains..
 
#3 ·
Thanks my friend but I'm not buying a dedicated winter tire... The offroad tire I would like to buy outperformed many winter tires and it also is studable..

I am curious to know if anyone has run a 245/70/17 without any problems..
 
#4 ·
I have never run that size but being narrower than standard assures it will fit width wise.

Although the diameter of the 245/70R17 is about 30.5" as against 29" for standard 255/55R18 & 255/50R19, the arc on the front wheels is the grey area.

But once again due to the width reduction, they should just sqeeze in. Worst case scenario, you might have to modify the wheel arch liner. The guards will certainly be clear.

Rear is no problem.
 
#5 ·
Do you think a 5mm spacer will help so rubbing will occur.. As for as modifying the liner can you be more specific? You mean cut some plastic out?

The the smaller size tire I have mentioned above is no way near as agreesive tread wise that why I am stuck wanting the bigger size.

Bigger size
http://www.generaltire.com/tires/light-truck-crossover-suv/grabber-at2l
 
#6 ·
Actually a spacer will make it worse. IF there is a problem, it will be the outside edge of the tyre rubbing on the front or rear surface of the liner.

I am not saying there will be a problem, that I do not know. So do not cut anything until you try it. I only suggest that as an easy fix to the problem.

I actually suspect it will fit okay.

Regarding the Generals, I am running the Grabber UHP. Great tyre but a little noisy. The AT2 looks like a better tyre for on & off road use.
 
#8 ·
Personally for me when I used to do alot of offroading in a jeep I found the following to be true.

Wider tire for grass, dirt, moist ground

Thinner tire for Mud, water

now when it comes to snow and ice that is a different story, the following is only what I prefer and why, while some of you may disagree.

Snow- Thin tires slice thru it much better

sparse light snow- not much slicing to do, wider tire give me more contact patch

ice - wider tire, since your not going to slice thru ice, you want as much contact as possible. There is also a debate on this issue, saying that thinner tires have less of a contact patch, thus put more friction due to vehicle weight in one spot of the tire, causing more heat, causing the ice to melt as you drive over it and thus causing slippery hydroplaning conditions. But of course that is only theory.
 
#9 ·
My personal theory, is diameter wins always. There may be arguments both ways about width, and no one is perfectly correct.

I used to have a Nissan Patrol (Safari) with 315/75R16 tyres and beadlocks.
Thsoe 35" tyres at 5psi would bag out and give flotation over more than a metre of soft snow, or any gumbo mud whilst keeping the diffs of the ground.

Thin tyres might tend to dig in and grip stuff underneath, but you cannot bulldoze a metre of snow.

Those tyres cannot be fitted to an ML, but any step towards them is a step in the right direction. :thumbsup:
 
#10 ·
Well I just orderd 2 sets of rims for thundertank... One set is a 17 inch rims with the 245/70/17 with the general at2 grabber that can be studded if I need too..

The other set is 20 inch ris with 275/45/20 gerpneral grabber hts... I get the offroad tires this Friday hopefully and the other next weeks.. Both set have tps sensors on them..

Will posts pics once I get the first pair installed and tell ya guys how everything fits...
 
#13 ·
Well I just got my rims and tires just too find out one of the tires had a hole in it... So discount tire direct did right and their next day shipping me out another tire and rim, I hope they put a tps sensor in it...

Pictures wil be up I promise...
 
#14 · (Edited)
Ok we'll I got the rims and tires all mounted on the truck and they look real nice... The tires actually fit pretty good a little rubbing when the wheel if fully turned but I can live with that...

Here's the good part I get in the car and go to take off and I hear a grinding noise so I stop.. Get out and look at the tires and their not rubbing and the grinding noise sounds like metal.. I get under the car and look closer at the calipers are their rubbing all the way in the back of the rim....

So anyway here are some pictures of the car with the rims.. Discount tire is gonna do good and triple check for other rims for me to choose from.. Hopefully the next shipment will be the last and I will repost the pics.
 

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#19 ·
Lol yup I know for sure now that these are the biggest tire you can put on the car with a 17 inch rim... The rims is actually going to be changed out to another 17 inch, but the tires will stay.. I gues you can say I'm going really overhead for the winter but my I got a 6 month old baby and I need to make sure THUNDERTANK is ready for the winter and of coarse a little off road fun too..
 
#20 ·
Well I wanted to give everyone a heads up n my offroad tire package.. The tires rub by a hair and that is fine with my, they only rub when the wheels are full turned. Now as far as the rim the rub on the caliper, but on the inside of the rim opposite the spoke... Here's some picture
 

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#22 ·
And finally the caliper.. You can see where it is rubbing on the back side of the caliper.. So it was a calculation mistake on their side so im getting new rims and tires shipped to me.. Hopefully the new rims will clear.. I am the first person to experience this cause tsw(those are the rims) say this is the first.. Both front calipers rub just a faction..

Sorry for the delay I had to run out the house before..
 

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