19.5" Tire Comparisons

[n0arp]

I've been running a DRW for the last couple years, and prior to that had a SRW with 19.5s on it. I'm looking at possibly upgrading the DRW to 19.5s in the near future.

Currently running OE size 235/80r17 Goodyear Duratrac tires.

I ran Michelin XDS2 245/70r19.5 tires on my old truck, which were great on the road, but somewhat lackluster off pavement. A decent AT. I'm currently looking at the Toyo M608Z, Cooper RM253, and Goodyear G622 RSD tires, as well as considering any others I see with more aggressive treads.

We bought the truck camper to take further off the beaten path than we were going in our fifth wheel, and don't want to lose a bunch of that ability due to tire choice. Having run them before, I'm aware of the limitations that these have and understand that there will be compromises. I just want to minimize them.

For those of you who have 19.5s, what tires are you running, how do you use them, and what are your thoughts on them? There are a lot of reviews out there, but very few that I can find that actually discuss tire performance specifically in loose dirt (not sand that would require airing down), mud, and snow.

As an aside, I added Supersprings SSA24 leafs to my truck yesterday, and now the ride height with the truck camper is the same as the unloaded height before. A bit higher than I was going for, but I'll take it. Haven't driven it yet... The AirLift 7500XL bags could barely lift the camper and are still in place, but now can lift it with ease. Don't waste your money on those, except maybe to use for side to side leveling. Blargh.

Edit - I'm also strongly considering a larger LRE tire, such as 275/65r20 or 295/65r20 Cooper STT Pros on aftermarket DDC wheels. The wheels would be the limit then, with the fronts @3,500lbs/ea compared to the 3,085lb load rating of the factory tire size. The main concern with 275+ tires is fitting between the jacks of the camper.

[n0arp]

I ended up cancelling the order because the original lead time was 2-3 weeks and they just doubled that to 4-6 weeks -- off to find another vendor, or back to the drawing board.

[Kayteg1]

mkirsch wrote:


Unpopular sizes are the first ones to get discontinued too. So next time you need new tires, you get the wonderful news that your size of choice is no longer made.

But with some good luck, you still might get them after a week wait.

[mkirsch]

Grit dog wrote:
275-65-20 is a great combination of larger diameter, not so wide and good load rating.
Bonus is, they are not as popular of a size, so the prices are comparatively cheaper than similar load rating wider tires.

Unpopular sizes are the first ones to get discontinued too. So next time you need new tires, you get the wonderful news that your size of choice is no longer made.

[n0arp]

Bert the Welder wrote:
Wow. That is quiet the rear tread. Thought the first pic was the drive until I scrolled down. Interested to here your experience on the noise from them.

Yeah, I was going to run them all around but was worried about them on the steer axle - talked to a tire shop that deals with these, and this was his recommendation based on experience. Makes sense to me. As I think I mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I used Michelin XDS2 tires on my last truck, and these Hybrid HD3 tires look to be very similar.

[Bert_the_Welder]

Wow. That is quiet the rear tread. Thought the first pic was the drive until I scrolled down. Interested to here your experience on the noise from them.

[n0arp]

Ended up 245/70r19.5 tires and wheels today.

Chose Continental Hybrid HD3 steers and Continental Terra HD3 drives.

If anyone is interested in the combination, I can post feedback/reviews later.

The steers are a fairly conventional 19.5" drive tire like most people who go 19.5s end up with -- I believe they may be the OE AT option on F-450s?



The drives are definitely more aggressive - but potentially too aggressive for the front, and no siping.

[Kayteg1]

I had 19.5 wheels in my F450 that I drove a lot.
Hankook's lasted over 100,000 miles and I had to replace them due to age.
Than I bought Chinese Sailung (?) and got honest 60k miles from them

[n0arp]

I never really did anything on this, timing just hasn't been right with everything being backordered and us pouring money into other projects.

I found a new 19.5" tire to add to my list. Has anyone run them?

Manufacturer web page
Youtube off-road demonstration w/ F-450

[Grit_dog]

275-65-20 is a great combination of larger diameter, not so wide and good load rating.
Bonus is, they are not as popular of a size, so the prices are comparatively cheaper than similar load rating wider tires.

[n0arp]

Grit dog wrote:
Sorry, this is off topic from the 19.5s.

I've already taken the whole thread off-topic, seriously looking at 275s on 20s now. That would provide more capacity than the front wheel ratings, which are 3500lb/ea, for 7K front axle tire capacity (up from 6170).

I considered looking at staggering tire sizes but I think this provides all the additional capacity I'm looking for.

For the spare, looking at mounting a cheap 255/80r17 on the factory spare rim, because it's only 3% smaller in diameter than 275/65r20, so close enough to limp by on.

[Grit_dog]

Makes sense, you’re need more capacity up front for your application.
And can’t go hog wild in back due to jack clearance and you really don’t want to widen your rear stance on a dually for off the beaten path, possibly tighter conditions.
Agree, 20s might be the best of both worlds. If you’re already going to invest a significant amount into aftermarket wheels, maybe consider removing the front dually adapter and running a matching conventional rim up front like a srw truck. Then you could effectively maximize the tread width/tire capacity up front and run skinnier but same diameter tires in the back.

Sorry, this is off topic from the 19.5s.

[n0arp]

I called DDC wheels and they said it should measure 102.75" wide with a 11.5" tire. I think that's going to be a no go, but I need to measure.

Edit - 104" between the jacks and about 98" between the outer tire sidewalls as it sits now, so we have 3" on each side to work with. Cooper STT Pro 275/65r20 tires have a 10.9" section width, so those may be the way to go.

[jimh406]

I edited my post since I left out Super Singles.

[n0arp]

jimh425 wrote:
I wouldn’t change to 19.5s to go offroad. I think you’d be better off with a 20 conversion since there are far more options for tires, and they can be aired down, or simply stay with 17s. Generally smaller rims are better offroad with more sidewall.

I’ve run Hankook DH01s and Bridgestone 724s. My next tires will probably be Toyo M655s.

Yeah, i've been strongly considering converting to 20s and running a 275 or 295 tire. I edited my post to reflect that and my concerns with doing so. With a 500lb winch bumper, backseat full of tools, and heavy camper, we're asking a lot of the front tires and I want a larger buffer there. I need to get to the scales, but I'm sure we're close to or over the limit.

[jimh406]

I wouldn’t change to 19.5s to go offroad. I think you’d be better off with a 20 conversion since there are far more options for tires, and they can be aired down, or simply stay with 17s. Generally smaller rims are better offroad with more sidewall. You may need to add spacers for the rear.

You could also consider Super Singles.

I’ve run Hankook DH01s and Bridgestone M724s. My next tires will probably be Toyo M655s.