Tire size upgrade and 4x4 alignment question

[Whistler40]

Hmmm looks like a lot of things to consider....when I got my van from randy he said 285 would not be a problem for clearance but I guess it won't hurt to double check again with him directly. I must say I m not at all mechanically inclined. Thanks or the tip n the axle placement I will check it .

For the spare I will just have them install it nice front and rear to test and see if it fits.

I am glad braking power is nt an issue. Somebody mention gear ratio? Is this because the larger tire is harder on the transmission?

I may just go with he 265's as it seems that is the lowest to stock that doesn't make the car look silly.

I assume the 265 would also b a bit better on gas

[redrock]

I had my van converted by Advanced in June. Just swapped out the stock wheels and tires a few weeks ago. I used 285/75-16 Toyo M/Ts.

I've been 4-wheeling with it once since the new tires/wheels. (A few times prior, but kept it pretty tame because of the stock tires.) It rock-crawls pretty well. I did actually get myself into something that made me glad I had Randy install lockers. With all the movement of the suspension, I did notice the slightest of rubbing up front, but nothing I'm worried about. This particular run had some pretty tight maneuvers over some rough stuff.

So, in case our installations are the same, the tires size above should be fine. Also, visually I wouldn't mind if they were bigger. Which isn't going to happen. But I definitely would not prefer to go smaller.

(BTW, I found it kind of a hassle to find wheels that I liked and that would fit the bolt pattern and the backspace. In case it saves you some hassle, I got Ultra Crusher 195SB in 16x8. Here's an example of availability, with a pic: http://www.performanceplustire.com/prod ... ?size=16x8 I bought mine from a local Discount Tire.)


Also, re adjusting the speedo/odo - first, the new tires have really made a ridiculous difference. For instance, if the GPS says I'm going 55, the speedo reads 47. The Ford dealer wants $125 to reset the computer. But I think I found somewhere on the forums here that said that the 5-star tune can readjust the tire size in the computer. So that makes the 5-star tunes $125 cheaper bringing the net price to $264 for the tuner. I'll be calling them this week to verify.

[Whistler40]

Thanks RedRock!...thats excellent feedback...I after lots of research but limited knowledge of wheels ended up buying the Mojave wheels...correct lug pattern, but I had not taken into account this whole backspace issue which is I believe why I ended up needing the spacers...kinda kicking myself for not figuring that out after spending HOURS researching wheels and what others put on their vans...Grrrrr

I am super happy with my advance 4x4 conversion. I doubt I will ever get into serious rock crawling, but we use the van to shuttle for DH mountain bike rides and I have taken on some serious fieroad drives with ditches that would swallow some regular pick-ups....and even with the puny tires she did well...just always super worried I will slash a tire...the new E rated biggies should help with that...

Hope to have her on new shoes next week. I'm having them installed at Discount tires. They have both sizes on hand and said we can check it out when onsite to make the final call....

Cheers
Chantal

[Whistler40]

PS let me know what you find out about the 5 tune- I had been thinking about that as well...

[redrock]

Whistler40 -

The thread regarding the 5-star tune setting the correct tire size is the one pinned at the top of this 4x4 section.


I gather that we need to tell 5-star Tuning our axle gear ratios for this as well. I think, but can't find it in my notes, that Randy said it was 3.55. Do you know?

At any rate, I'll report back on what I learn.



Tire choice is apparently a religious issue, so you'll no doubt have your personal favorites. The Toyo M/T made it onto my rig because it's E-rated and supposedly has strong sidewalls. They probably aren't the best riding tires on the highway (though really they're not bad), but I'm trying to ensure as little hassle on the trail as possible. Dealing with jacking up the van and changing an 80lb tire/wheel on rough terrain just sounds like an unbelievable drag.

Which reminds me, I'm trying to figure out where to mount a Hi-Lift before I buy one.



And on the subject of the new tires, I have a pretty high-quality sound pressure level (SPL) meter and I measured the noise in the van at every 10mph increment from 0-60 on a smooth low-traffic rural highway with the original Michelin LTX and with the Toyos. I can't say that I got a significant change in readings between the two sets of tires. Maybe 1 dB. Maybe. Subject to interpretation and the phase of the moon. That's the quantitative side. Qualitatively, the Toyos do have a tread noise. Not quite a whine. But not quite a soothing aaahhh... either.



This spacer issue -- did you get 2" spacers for the rear axle so it will have the same track as the front axle?

[BMWBILO]

Originally Posted by carringb

Spare 16" wheel will not fit over the front brake caliper. 285's are well within the range of tire sizes offered stock by Ford for the F-series. E-series rear brakes are just as big as F-series, and now you have an F front end.

If you aren't happy with braking, you can swap to Napa Premium pads. Michigan state police tested them against Ford Emergency Vehicle spec pads, and the Napa improved stopping distance and can do more 100 to 0 stops without fade.

You biggest enemy for bigger tires is probably your axle ratio. 4.10 would about the highest I would want for 285s. 3.55s I wouldn't go more than a 245 tire.

Unless Advanced has changed since I had my van cobbled together there
he didn't get a Ford front axle. Advanced put together their own goofy
axle usually some sort of Dana 44 and stuck the stock brakes from the
van on their axle. Like I said that was what was done to my van, can't
speak for what they do now.

[BIGVANS]

"Unless Advanced has changed since I had my van cobbled together there
he didn't get a Ford front axle. Advanced put together their own goofy
axle usually some sort of Dana 44 and stuck the stock brakes from the
van on their axle. Like I said that was what was done to my van, can't
speak for what they do now."

He uses Dana 60's now-a-days, sounds like you had that done back in the "Pathfinder" days.

[Whistler40]

My car has a Dana 60 and its not at all cobbled together.The spacer wasn't because of randy's work; but my silly wheel order. But the boys made it work and I haven't had any issues.

My brakes work great, don't even have to use engine braking on steep long hills- I was just asking about the impact of adding bigger tires as this is something that is mentioned on the online tire sales pages.

I have had the car now over a year since converted and its my regular car- done about 20k miles on it without any issues ...Happy as can be with the conversion....

Just overwhelmed with all the mechanical details...Randy has been great before and after conversion for any questions I had; but I hate to constantly bug him, especially as there is a great group of enthusiast here that are not only a great resource but also provide a sounding board for all silly things I can come up with ...

Thanks for all the advice guys!!!....I'm gonna get new tires next week and then go to the dealer and have them reset my speedo...I anyway was due for a visit to a dealer as I'm just a few miles shy from running over the dreaded 100 and better get it checked for any potential warranty fixes before that clock runs out

[Gnarvan]

Be sure to let us know which tires you decide on. And of course, POST PICTURES!

[Ford_6L_E350]

Originally Posted by BIGVANS

"Unless Advanced has changed since I had my van cobbled together there
he didn't get a Ford front axle. Advanced put together their own goofy
axle usually some sort of Dana 44 and stuck the stock brakes from the
van on their axle. Like I said that was what was done to my van, can't
speak for what they do now."

He uses Dana 60's now-a-days, sounds like you had that done back in the "Pathfinder" days.

In 2010 we met a couple at Toroweap that had a new Advanced 4x4 van, and they had a Dana 50 front axle. So, he was still using 50's 2 years ago. I was surprised when I looked at their van. I must admit it was a lightweight van with a gas engine and not a Sportsmobile conversion.

Mike