Changing wheel sizes - advice welcome!
Our current TV is a 2010 Chevrolet Express G3500 12-passenger van. It started as a basic fleet white van and we've slowly upgraded a few things over the last year to help it look more like a private ...
Forum Discussion
Look at some custom rims, prefer aluminum myself, as they will be lighter, less unsprung wt, so better performance etc. If you do go up into a say 17" size, a 245-70-17 should be the same diam, not effect ride height, gearing etc. If you go aluminum with the rim, you my still go a bit lighter overall in tire/rim wt, and be better off performance wise in more ways than one also.
70 series tires of the same width etc than a 75 series, ie the two sizes I have used in the 16 and 17", the 17's will stop sooner, have less sidewall flex when taking off, roll easier, so mpg should go up some. Probably less than .5 mpg. but assuming the same tire brand, type etc. This along with bigger brakes on trucks is the reason you are seeing many rigs with 17 and 18" sizes. MOST are the same diam.
The real issue frankly, is the 16" 245 will carry more than a 17" size will, as there is less air in the tire/rim. I know in the 265 width 75-16 vs 70-16, and LR E 16 will carry 3400 lbs, and 17 about 3200 IIRC. So as long as you are not running down the road at max axel wt/tire ratings currently, going to a 17" 245 would not be a big deal.
Marty
70 series tires of the same width etc than a 75 series, ie the two sizes I have used in the 16 and 17", the 17's will stop sooner, have less sidewall flex when taking off, roll easier, so mpg should go up some. Probably less than .5 mpg. but assuming the same tire brand, type etc. This along with bigger brakes on trucks is the reason you are seeing many rigs with 17 and 18" sizes. MOST are the same diam.
The real issue frankly, is the 16" 245 will carry more than a 17" size will, as there is less air in the tire/rim. I know in the 265 width 75-16 vs 70-16, and LR E 16 will carry 3400 lbs, and 17 about 3200 IIRC. So as long as you are not running down the road at max axel wt/tire ratings currently, going to a 17" 245 would not be a big deal.
Marty
