Truck tires

Leroy · Jul 27, 2015

Getting time for new tires on my 2000 Dodge Dakota truck. The door post says 215-75R-15 and that size is getting hard to find. It called for a 7" rim with that tire. Previous owner put 235-70R-15 on it and 8" wide rims. Current tires have no traction at all, get stuck on grass with trailer. And truck is loaded. I want to go back to the 215 tire so my question is with these 8" rims will it work or do I need to get the 7" rim.

jimg.allentown · Jul 27, 2015

They should work OK. The 215 in the size is the width of the tire in millimeters. At 25.4 mm to the inch, a 215 would be about 8-1/2 inches wide. That is acceptable but probably a bit wider on the rim than recommended. Keep in mind that the narrower tread will not increase traction. Less tread contacting the ground. You might want to think about a better traction rating or more aggressive tread pattern on the replacement tires. That would help more than changing sizes.

Leroy · Jul 27, 2015

I am going for an agressive type tread. And on 2 previous trucks I had the 215-75R-15 tires and they would go thru the snow without just trying to push it ahead of the tire as these do. As wide as these things are I think it is harder on the steering as well. And what was on when I bought it I called racing slicks. I think the OEM size will be better.

ss55 · Jul 27, 2015

All manufactures list a recommended range of rim widths for each size of their tires, usually about 3 widths. Most retailers will supply that info or list it online, it's pretty easy to find.

4play · Jul 28, 2015

Between those two sizes the 235 is a little over an inch taller and less than an inch wider. I don't really think you would notice a significance difference in traction if the tread patterns were the same. A narrower tire would have a heavier footprint on the ground which could help or hurt you in some situations but they still are not that much different.

rbhuntn · Jul 28, 2015

(quoted from post at 19:06:35 07/27/15) Getting time for new tires on my 2000 Dodge Dakota truck. The door post says 215-75R-15 and that size is getting hard to find. It called for a 7" rim with that tire. Previous owner put 235-70R-15 on it and 8" wide rims. Current tires have no traction at all, get stuck on grass with trailer. And truck is loaded. I want to go back to the 215 tire so my question is with these 8" rims will it work or do I need to get the 7" rim.

I recently bought some 215-75R-15 tires. These were the Firestone Destination AT's. You can get these are Firestone and Tires Plus.

I have used these on various trucks over the years and never had any issues with traction.

Use them on my Jeep Cherokee and could go through some muddy places that other were struggling or getting stuck in truck with other tires. I will admit that the Jeep is much lighter though.

Leroy · Jul 28, 2015

My previous trucks used a 6" rim for the 215-75R-15 tires and to me the sidewalls looked correct on that width. This truck used a 7" rim for that size so it should work OK but now I have an 8" rim and my current tires that look small narrow on that rim to me the tires have a section width of 9.25" so putting a tire with a section width of 8.46" on that 8" wide rim I just thing it might be spreading the bead way to much, would make the total width of the rim wider than the tire and I think that would make problems down the road. This truck and these tires will have to last me the rest of my life. The only 2 sizes that come close in diameter are the 215-75R-15 at 27.7" and the 235-70R-15 at 27.95 diameter. And I do not want to go larger and cut my pulling power. Over half the miles on the truck are pulling a trailer. The truck has the 3.55 axle and going larger diameter would be like putting the 3.21 axle in that they only offered with the manual and not the automatic and I have done way to much clutch work to ever want a stick.

Leroy · Jul 28, 2015

I think that is one I am looking at.

NoNewParts · Jul 28, 2015

while the 8's would probably work, I'd go back to the 7's.
Shouldn't be hard or expensive to find.

trailer? ok, I'd want my gear ratio the way it was designed, so 215's.
trailer weight, I'd want the optimum size rim for my tire, so the 7's.

and yes, if you are talking snow, narrower is better with the same tread pattern.

and while I modify....everything...in this case I'd give a nod to the design engineers..smart fellas

sotxbill · Jul 28, 2015

(quoted from post at 21:43:45 07/27/15) They should work OK. The 215 in the size is the width of the tire in millimeters. At 25.4 mm to the inch, a 215 would be about 8-1/2 inches wide. That is acceptable but probably a bit wider on the rim than recommended. Keep in mind that the narrower tread will not increase traction. Less tread contacting the ground. You might want to think about a better traction rating or more aggressive tread pattern on the replacement tires. That would help more than changing sizes.

Actually,, wider tread can decrease traction. Michelin has an article on that where especially in snow and slick conditions, too wide of a tire will not have enough weight on the pattern and spin more. too narrow will can sink and if mud go too deep, so there is a balance. too wide will also make the truck jump sideways when hitting bumps. Small ford rangers and sporttracs were the topic in the article.

If it were all dry asphalt, its a different story.

dhermesc · Jul 28, 2015

Agreed. Wide tires on soft or wet surface with a hard base (like snow on pavement or wet grass) will give you less traction. But I would want wide tires if I was going across a worked field with wet spots (no hard bottom).

JRSutton · Jul 28, 2015

ha - I hear you on not wanting a stick!

ericlb · Jul 28, 2015

i too would go back to the 215's but more important than that is the selection of tread, while you don't need a monster mudder tread pattern you don't want a close tread pattern either, get something open , and with the outside tread blocks open too, some are closed, leaving a solid band of rubber at the outer edge of the tread pattern, these type will not self clean, [ remember the closed center tractor tires of the 1950's, thats why they quit making them], once it makes a revolution or 2 in the soft mud or snow, you have a drag slick i found some tires at my local western auto that are labeled mud and snow, there not a tractor type tread like the older ones were but they are chunky they dont sing noticeably on the highway either, the truck there on is my farm winch truck and it has to go back in the remote reaches frequently to check stock tanks ect sometimes the roads arnt rough, they dont exist at all, so far these tires have worked great, price wasnt bad either something like 139 each for 235-75-16

Leroy · Jul 28, 2015

Talked with tire dealer todauy asnd the 215 is approved for rim widths of 5.5 to 7" and mounting on an 8" would probably void the warenty. So I just got 2 7" rims and looking for more. Thinking I am going with a Gereral tire, more mud snow grip looks like.

Truck tires

Leroy

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jimg.allentown

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Leroy

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ss55

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4play

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rbhuntn

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Leroy

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Leroy

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NoNewParts

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sotxbill

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