17" wheels on DRW - is it worth replacing them with 19.5"?

[adamboyd]

For those of you with 1 ton trucks with 17" DRW's, how do you notice them performing and do you or have you thought about converting to 19.5" wheels.

[3_tons]

Kayteg1 wrote:

3 tons wrote:
For all but the heaviest of loads 19.5’s are not necessary on a DRW one ton truck (nowadays rated at 14k GVWR), but then you’d likely be over GVWR anyway - if they were necessary they’d come stock...

Maybe with Dodge dually.
My 2017 F350 with diesel and 6400 lb of TC load - scales at 13,800 lb.

Means little, since I believe ford has an aluminum body, eh?.. My EC is at about 5k lbs wet and loaded, and I barely perceive it’s in the truck bed... Two Drw’s, 175k mi with camper aboard, zero issues period...Even drove100mi with outside dually flat and didn’t know it - but I’m still waiting for the boogie man to raise his head...

[Kayteg1]

bighatnohorse wrote:

Kayteg1 wrote:

My 2017 F350 with diesel and 6400 lb of TC load - scales at 13,800 lb.

Those numbers put your truck weight at 7400 pounds.
My '15 F350 diesel dually scales at 8840 (with tailgate on)

That's what it is with aluminium bed.
The tailgate is like 40 lb.

[bighatnohorse]

Kayteg1 wrote:

My 2017 F350 with diesel and 6400 lb of TC load - scales at 13,800 lb.

Those numbers put your truck weight at 7400 pounds.
My '15 F350 diesel dually scales at 8840 (with tailgate on)

[twodownzero]

dirtyhandz wrote:

twodownzero wrote:
19.5s ride like ****, beat the hell out of your wheel bearings and balljoints, and have inferior traction on soft surfaces. If you don't need the weight capacity (which you don't on a 1 ton truck), they are not something I'd want.

But they look really cool!

There's a lot of tires and wheels that look really cool, but I still wouldn't put them on my truck. E.g., the Michelin XL that comes on the HEMTT military truck is one of the coolest looking tires. It also probably rides like it's square. It doesn't stop me from admiring them though...from a distance.

[NRALIFR]

dirtyhandz wrote:

twodownzero wrote:
19.5s ride like ****, beat the hell out of your wheel bearings and balljoints, and have inferior traction on soft surfaces. If you don't need the weight capacity (which you don't on a 1 ton truck), they are not something I'd want.

But they look really cool!

I guess I have the best of both worlds then. None of 2D0’s stated down-sides, all of the coolness. :C

:):)

[dirtyhandz]

twodownzero wrote:
19.5s ride like ****, beat the hell out of your wheel bearings and balljoints, and have inferior traction on soft surfaces. If you don't need the weight capacity (which you don't on a 1 ton truck), they are not something I'd want.

But they look really cool!

[Kayteg1]

3 tons wrote:
For all but the heaviest of loads 19.5’s are not necessary on a DRW one ton truck (nowadays rated at 14k GVWR), but then you’d likely be over GVWR anyway - if they were necessary they’d come stock...

Maybe with Dodge dually.
My 2017 F350 with diesel and 6400 lb of TC load - scales at 13,800 lb.

[Lancey]

I'll weigh in.
I used to own a 2008 f450, now I run a 2008 Silverado drw with 16" rims even and I'll say this.

The 19.5s are worth it when they come stock on medium duty trucks because you also get bigger brakes, tighter turning radius and wider stance and bigger axles/bearings and other componants to go along with them.

Now, putting 19.5's on a regular drw truck gives you a rougher ride, less traction and a higher cost of replacement when worn out or damaged and will prematurely wear out front end parts, all while not gaining alot in overall load capacity.

I do miss the look of the 19.5 and I liked the robustness of the side walls, but I'm happy not to deal with some of the draw backs that come along with them.

[3_tons]

For all but the heaviest of loads 19.5’s are not necessary on a DRW one ton truck (nowadays rated at 14k GVWR), but then you’d likely be over GVWR anyway - if they were necessary they’d come stock...

[hedgehopper]

adamboyd wrote:
For those of you with 1 ton trucks with 17" DRW's, how do you notice them performing and do you or have you thought about converting to 19.5" wheels.

We have 16" DRWs on our Dodge and they perform just fine. And, No, I have never thought about converting to 19.5" wheels.

[jimh406]

Kayteg1 wrote:
In cars 18 or 19" rim means the tire is going to be slightly above 1" tall, so the little rubber will give crispy handling, but lousy bump protection.

Uh, no. I was pretty specific. Go look at 19/20 tires/rims on a Mustang. You are off by a lot. Not surprising since I’m talking about my real experience with my Mustang and TC with 19.5s, and you are guessing.

[Kayteg1]

Tire choice is always about compromise, but comparing truck tires to car tires is like comparing TC to DP.
In cars 18 or 19" rim means the tire is going to be slightly above 1" tall, so the little rubber will give crispy handling, but lousy bump protection.
For years cars have been coming with 16" rims and very seldom owner had damaged wheels.
Now new cars come on 18" rims and owners visit rim repair shop 3 or more times a year.
In trucks - 19.5 wheels will have bigger diameter, so still plenty of rubber for potholes taking, but higher "ply" number will make them stiffer.
Still empty truck is teeth-grinder no matter wheel size due suspension design for a ton, or 4 load on it.
From my experience 19.5 wheels are the cheapest when you drive a lot.
I had good brand 19.5 lasting 100k miles, when cheap Chinese still deliver honest 60k miles.
You want to carry bulldozer on your dually - get 19.5.
For TC no need for such extremes.

[jimh406]

My 19.5s ride fine btw but my truck was designed for them, too. I have Bilsteins and you’d never know they were 19.5s if I didn’t tell you.

19.5s have a stiffer side wall for the same diameter because the tire is equivalent more ply but also because the side wall is shorter. That means they don’t give as much as 17s/16s. Kind of like putting 19/20s on a Mustang to replace the stock 17s. They handle significantly better with less side wall give. You pay for that with ride quality on rough roads and gain 95% of the time on the paved roads.

225s which are about the same diameter as the normal 17s generally don’t have that much capacity compared to the larger sizes. Sure a bit more than 17s, but not that much.

My 19.5s are dramatically more aggressive and dramatically better traction than the standard M+S you see on 17 shod DRWs, so the inferior traction couldn’t be further from the truth. However, I can’t air them down very much either since the beads are a different style and most don’t recommend going below 60-70 PSI which is about the starting point for 17s.

Personally, I wanted 19.5s for the superior strength tire, but got them stock on my F450. If you want 19.5s, that’s a worthwhile upgrade that will give you a stronger rear axle, better brakes, and dramatically better turn radius.

[twodownzero]

19.5s ride like ****, beat the hell out of your wheel bearings and balljoints, and have inferior traction on soft surfaces. If you don't need the weight capacity (which you don't on a 1 ton truck), they are not something I'd want.