Preferred rim width for a 285?

MountainBikeRoamer · 09-10-2016, 11:47 AM

Hi, wheel question for you guys.
Will be sizing-up on tires for my 2WD E250 RB soon (planning a lift and a rear locker of some kind), and will be opting for a 285 width.

Currently the options being shopped are both 17-inch and 16-inch options (my van is a '95 E250, so no worries about clearing brake rotors.) In general, it seems that the tire manufacturers recommend a range of 7.5" - 9" for most of the tires I'm currently considering. (BFG KO2, Cooper AT3 and Cooper ST/Maxx). So it's looking like it will be either 16x8's....or 17x9's.

So - question:
What are your general opinions on ideal rim width for 285 width tires? Do most of you prefer to keep the rims on the narrower end of the scale (8"), and allow a bit more sidewall bulge (and wheel protection)? Or is there a good bit of preference to go as wide as possible with the rim (9") for a given tire width, providing more stability to the ride?

Ideally, I ***think*** I would like to have a 9-inch-wide rim (currently I have 245's on the manufacturer-recommended-widest-possible 8-inch rims, and think they ride/handle/look pretty great.) But no such 9-inch-wide option seems to exist in 16-inch wheels.....only in 17's. Is it worth going to a 17-inch wheel just to be able to get a 9-inch width? Or is that...as is quite possible in my case....just being obsessive?

Thanks so much guys!

rallypanam · 09-10-2016, 12:42 PM

8"

-----------

shenrie · 09-10-2016, 12:56 PM

Tire manufactures generally have charts that go over rim width range recommended. That said I have 285's on my 16x8's on the van. I have 205's on my 16x8's on our car. It's all relative to what you want out of your tires. The only real pro I can think of with the 8" wide wheel and a 285 tire is it will act as a rim protector. On 9" wheel the rim will be a bit more exposed. Some tires have built in rim protection...was surprised my new ko2's didn't have that incorporated into them, my at2's did. Also keep in mind there is no universal standard with tires. One companies 285 may be wider than another's, so whatever tires your interested in check their charts for recommended rim widths as they may vary.

Handling and ride would be a variable if this decision was for a car. On the van and how tall of a sidewall most van owners use, I don't think it's really a consideration. With e rated tires it will be hard to tell the difference between rim widths.

boywonder · 09-10-2016, 02:48 PM

FWIW I have 17X8 wheels with 285/70-17's ........no complaints.....although I don't think I had a width choice with the original ATX Mojaves.

As you are aware, 17's give you more brake options....I know you are not worried about it now, but maybe with larger wheels, etc. I was planning on upgrading my brakes before I bought wheels.

MountainBikeRoamer · 09-10-2016, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shenrie

Handling and ride would be a variable if this decision was for a car. On the van and how tall of a sidewall most van owners use, I don't think it's really a consideration. With e rated tires it will be hard to tell the difference between rim widths.

Thanks for all the advice guys. Based on your feedback (and upon scouting many people's wheel/tire choices on the forum), it sounds like an 8" wide rim has been judged by a lot of you (in a variety of situations) as being a totally adequate/appropriate width for these vans with 285 tires.

I think Shenrie's comments here (above) reflect closest what I was wondering about --- that a wider rim would (in theory) have less lateral (side-to-side) deflection (or shimmy) when subjected to cornering forces. (The table with wider legs is more stable than the one with narrow ones, etc...)

If most of the quality E-rated tires' thick sidewalls more than make up for any slightly-narrow rim width, that's awesome.

(FWIW, I'm perhaps extra wary of this quality, only because I had a terrible experience with brand-new E-rated Dunlop Rovers on the rear of the van when I first got it. They had crazy/dangerous amounts of side-to-side "sway" on the freeway. The Cooper AT3's (on wider rims!) that I picked up to replace them however totally fixed that! (Thanks to SMBF member BrianBlair for recommending those btw!))

Again, thanks tons guys.

MountainBikeRoamer · 10-20-2016, 04:45 PM

Okay, reviving this thread again......to ask general sentiment around going with either 16" or 17" wheels, all other things being equal.

I'm getting my 2WD RB E250 lifted soon, and am attempting to choose between two tire size options:

285/75R16
or
285/70R17.

(these both yield almost exactly the same OD, but the 17" rims have slightly shorter sidewall (shorter by 1/2".)

Question/Poll:
Given a choice between 16" or 17" for a wheel size, if you *weren't concerned with clearing brakes*, which do most of you prefer?

(I am 99.9 percent sure I won't be upgrading my brakes on this particular van in the future, so the 16" vs. 17" size won't be driven by trying to "future proof" my options....I'm only trying to pick a rim/tire combo that will yield the best balance of "on the highway ride/stability" *and* off-road performance.

Is it worth going with the 17" rims just to get a slightly less "squirmy" steering feel/response on the freeway?

Thanks for your opinions and experience everyone!

Flux · 10-20-2016, 05:00 PM

16", more tire choices and less money. You will save 50 per wheel and 16" tires are typically rated stronger.

Now I could be wrong about some of this as I am biasing my decision based on the wheels and tires I kind of want. I run BFG KO2's and they have a few more choices in 16 and stronger tires as well by about 500 lbs per tire. All of this is overkill for what I will do, so it's mostly an observation. All my rim choices are 16x8

and all of this is as you say, without any worry of brake upgrades etc.

86Scotty · 10-20-2016, 05:09 PM

16"s for me too. I just like em. 285s on 16"s with a 6" lift max is a great look for a van IMO.

shenrie · 10-20-2016, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flux

16", more tire choices and less money.

^^^ that.

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

gcvt · 10-20-2016, 05:41 PM

When I did my lift kit and was shopping around for wheels and tires, I found 16" tires to be about 15% less than 17's..and 16" wheels to be almost 20% less than 17's. And, as mentioned above, better selection in the 16's