Quote:
Originally Posted by MrTriVan
All other things being equal, is there an advantage in handling, traction, etc... with larger tires on a TV? I'm looking at a TV that has the option of 17 or 19" tires, and am wondering if upgrading to the larger tires can be justified by any towing advantages they provide.
|
The jump from 14 to 15 that you read about on the TM is a valid change, more so for load capabilities and broader tire selection.
On a TV, increasing the "rim" size without increasing the OD (outside diameter) of the tire doesn't necessarily reap benefit. In most cases the change is done for looks only and it's actually detrimental to other things such as handling, load capabilities, tire wear, etc. You are basically putting less rubber between the rim and the road... not a good thing if you're looking for load carrying abilities. This also has no effect on the tire patch (the amount of tire making contact on the road.).
Now if you increase the rim size, while increasing OD of the tire, this will increase tire patch and usually increase load carrying capabilities. You could possibly reap the same benefits by simply increasing the OD of the tire withOUT increasing the rim size. Be aware that both of these changes will change the final gearing of your TV. It will make the gears "taller", which is NOT good for towing. You can have a shop change out the gears in your rear axle to restore your final gear ratio to being usable.
Unless you are going to be off-road a lot, I would probably avoid all of the above.
Basically there is a fine line of rim size/tire OD that you need to balance, and you need to be fully aware of what happens when you change any of them.
In the old days, there were prettying much just a few common size rims; 14 (small car), 15 (reg car), 16 (GM truck), & 16.5 (Ford truck).
Does size matter (of TV tires)?
Linear Mode
