Tire question again for Voltage 3600
Posted last yr about going to FL and back on oem tires and had no problems. Fast forward to this yr and we have a trip planned for SC which will be about 1000 miles round trip. Still have the origin...
Forum Discussion
Jim makes some good points .
CLEARANCE will be a major issue with a 265/75R16E.
The critical dimension will be the additional section width of the 265/75 replacement versus a 235/80 stock tire .
The inside clearance between the wheel well and the 265 will be the most critical .
The outside clearance can be modified by trimming the skirt .
There are millions of 265/75r16 tires mounted on 6.5" factory GM wheels since the late 1990's .
I have been mounting my studded 265/75 snow tires on the factory 6.5 inch width GM wheels since 1997 .
265/75r16 is a very common replacement mounted on the 6.5 " wheel by Les Schwab tire chain ( World Headquarters , Bend Oregon ) .
My guess is that 20 % plus have done this upgrade .
265/75 mounted on a 6.5" wheel is not an issue at all , it is a time proven upgrade .
As to bearings the larger 265 tire spreads its load equally to each side of the tire .
So no additional bearing loads that way .
As to scrubbing : It is not ideal .
But scrubbing takes place at very low speeds .
We all cringe when backing up and seeing our tires flexed to the max when we are backing in to a very tight camp spot .
But this occurs for a few yards instead of thousands of miles .
This is bad for bearings but is limited in duration and speed .
The 265/75 tires have exactly the same loading per square inch as the 235/80 tires .
That is to say the contact patch is exactly the same for each tire .
For example a tire that has a 2400 # load on it will have a contact area of 30 square inches ( 2400 divided by 80 ) no matter whether it is a 265 or 235 .
The 265 spreads that load more over the width of the tire and less over the length of the contact patch .
That is why a 235 looks more " flat " under the same load .
In the end the scrubbing has a negligible difference between a 265 and 235 .
SO , the biggest problem is : DO MY WHEEL WELLS HAVE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ?
If you have a tire shop ( say LS ) that is willing to mount up a couple of 265/75R16E on your current trailer wheels you will get your answer early .
You will not have an inch . But you might have 3 /8 of an inch .
CLEARANCE will be a major issue with a 265/75R16E.
The critical dimension will be the additional section width of the 265/75 replacement versus a 235/80 stock tire .
The inside clearance between the wheel well and the 265 will be the most critical .
The outside clearance can be modified by trimming the skirt .
There are millions of 265/75r16 tires mounted on 6.5" factory GM wheels since the late 1990's .
I have been mounting my studded 265/75 snow tires on the factory 6.5 inch width GM wheels since 1997 .
265/75r16 is a very common replacement mounted on the 6.5 " wheel by Les Schwab tire chain ( World Headquarters , Bend Oregon ) .
My guess is that 20 % plus have done this upgrade .
265/75 mounted on a 6.5" wheel is not an issue at all , it is a time proven upgrade .
As to bearings the larger 265 tire spreads its load equally to each side of the tire .
So no additional bearing loads that way .
As to scrubbing : It is not ideal .
But scrubbing takes place at very low speeds .
We all cringe when backing up and seeing our tires flexed to the max when we are backing in to a very tight camp spot .
But this occurs for a few yards instead of thousands of miles .
This is bad for bearings but is limited in duration and speed .
The 265/75 tires have exactly the same loading per square inch as the 235/80 tires .
That is to say the contact patch is exactly the same for each tire .
For example a tire that has a 2400 # load on it will have a contact area of 30 square inches ( 2400 divided by 80 ) no matter whether it is a 265 or 235 .
The 265 spreads that load more over the width of the tire and less over the length of the contact patch .
That is why a 235 looks more " flat " under the same load .
In the end the scrubbing has a negligible difference between a 265 and 235 .
SO , the biggest problem is : DO MY WHEEL WELLS HAVE ADEQUATE CLEARANCE ?
If you have a tire shop ( say LS ) that is willing to mount up a couple of 265/75R16E on your current trailer wheels you will get your answer early .
You will not have an inch . But you might have 3 /8 of an inch .
