[bosssho]

Ok, I am new to the site, and have a massive dillema on my hands. My wife and I just got an 07 Armada LE with the 18" Chrome Rims, and while nice, I could not pass up a deal on line for some barely used 2008 Titan 20" rims. The rims, as most of you probably know are 8" wide. Hence my dilemma.

Not knowing what I was going to run into b/c my 03 Sierra Denali, with 17 x 7.5" rims easily takes 285/60 17 Pirelli Scorpion tires...but for some crazy reason this has not been easy.

My tire search, after 3 hrs, came down to Toyo Proxes STs and Hankook Ventus ST RHO6. My optimal size is 295/50R20 b/c, compared to the stock 18s or 20s, it's 3-3.2% different, and on the smaller side, but Hankooks website says a minimum rim width of 8.5" is recommended...while Falken says 8" would fit one of their tires of the same size.

So, my wife is scared the tires will fall off, I don't want her worrying, and if I can't get that size I have to either get a 285/50 R20, which is more of a difference on the small size, or a 275/55 R20 which is not any wider than the stock 20s that come on the Armada and Titan which would really suck...so please...can anyone safely confirm 10s of thousands of miles on a tire this wide while on an 8" rim? Thanks so much.

 

[bosssho]

Hi CA.I found a exrtremely useful site for calculating proper rim sizes, includung offsets as well as tires that will match up to factory specs. It even tells you the speed differences and warns you if the wheels/tires you are looking at will be unsafe.The site is 1010tires.com. Go to the tech section and get yourself hooked up. I've used it for my benzes and beamers as well as my mada with great (and foolproff) sucess when changing rim/tire sizes.CA, the best club on the web!

Earl,

Were you replying to me? I am confused by the CA you reference in your post.

 

[bosssho]

Thanks man...this is so frustrating trying to figure out which tire to get...

 

[bosssho]

Yeah, I know that site...it is very good as far as helpful info, but where I am at is one site from Falken will say you can run a 295/50-20 on an 8" wide rim, but Hankook's site recommends an 8.5" wide rim for that tire...so I can't go to 1010.com to get help on that so I really need to appeal to you guys/girls to find out if someone is running this size tire or an ever bigger 305 tire on an OEM Titan or Armada 8" wide rim. I hope that all makes sense.

 

[bosssho]

It doesn't. The makers really specify what rims you should and shouldn't run. Each tire is constructed differently. Two tires of the same size may fit different rims due to their construction. There are guys running 295/70r17 on stock 17s. One of them was on a dirt road, pretty tame, and he blew the bead between the rim and tire. Next thing you know he's plowing into an embankment. Sure you can do it, but I wouldn't. And most places won't mount them due to the liability. Besides, that size is 1.25" shorter than stock. It's small. 305/50r20 is also small but at least in the ballpark. I have 305/55-R20 on 9" wide rims. They fit and work well. I only got these rims because it allowed me to go as wide as I wanted. I would have rather stuck with stock 18" or even 17" rims but I couldn't go wide with those.

No worries anyway b/c I ended up getting 275/55 20s b/c the 295s are on national back order...and yes, I realized that the Hankooks are constructed wider than most so the 275s are not only wider than the OEM 265s on the 18s, but they will ride like most manufacturer's 285s which is more than wide enough for me. So all is good and within specs and these tires are VERY close in diameter to stock. Thanks again for the follow up.

 

[bosssho]

Cooper Discoverer STTs all the way. I am on my third set. Had em on my old Sierra Denalil. Have em on my 2008 Titan Pro4x and just got another set for my 1998 Z71 that I keep at my house up north.

 

[bosssho]

NEVER get only 2 winter tires. It does not work. You push, but can't steer or stop evenly/correctly/safely.

If you are going with studded, which I am doing for my Sierra Denali which is AWD, I would get the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 5 SUVs. If not studded, the best bang for the buck are the Hankooks you mentioned. Both of these are in 18 and 20 inch tires which you should have one or the other. Also, the best way to do this is get a second set of wheels...what you spend will be FREE b/c you don't have to pay twice a year to dismount and mount and balance....plus you get the extended life of each set of tires.