305/65/R18 on stock 18x8" rim?

[NY2LA]

So I am breaking my New Year's Resolution not to start another tire post already. But if you started a diet 5 days ago and already broke it off, or something like that, you are just as guilty as me and can't blame me.

I've got my Dobinson MRA suspension and UCAs for a 1.5 - 1.75" lift on the way, and now the endless torture of deciding on a tire continues. I had settled on LT285/70/18 [Corrected from 285/65], but the only good option in that size would be Ridge Grapplers, which I am learning might be too stiff for my objectives. Then I saw @alta's and @19LC200's 305/65/18's and really loved how they look. I think the added width would be helpful to my purpose too. And there's just something about this tire that intuitively calls to me; and at the end of the day, I'm a gut-instinct kind of guy when it comes to decisions. So my question is this:

Can the 305/65/18s be put on my Heritage 18x8" rims? The tire is specifed for a minimum of 8.5" wheel width, but I really love my Heritage rims too and don't want to replace them.

I already know @gaijin will not approve of this combination, but am hoping to get a variety of perspectives on this. In my online research of others running this combo, everyone who runs it reports that it works just fine. All the naysayers and doomsday forecasters are people who don't actually run the combo. That leaves me to think it would be ok, but I'm not sure.

 

[TeCKis300]

I'm an advocate for this tire size.

Big Fat Tires - 305/65/18s

I posted the below buried deep in a thread. But I believe it warrants its own. Bringing attention to 305/65R18's. Surprised this size is not well represented on the boards. On paper, this would be the ideal aggressive fitment, without needing drastic cutting or clearancing. ~33.6" x 12"...

forum.ih8mud.com

To your question - can you mount on an underspec'd wheel width? Yes. Should you?

I've mounted 305/60R18s in a similar situation on my previous 100-series, using a half inch than narrower 18x8 wheel than approved rim widths. 40k miles later, the tires were great, with even wear, and no untoward issues. I understand this is anecdotal, but yes, many have done this and have been fine. Not unlike how many of us fit 34s and 35s to the 200-series, which is outside of factory approved fitments.

Understand what you might be giving up - no warranty, no mileage guarantee or any guarantees, etc. But we're probably more concerned with integrity and safety right?

My opinion is that for a taller profile tire, this would be fine, as it gives more compliance for the sidewall and internal structures to be used a bit outside of its approved range with less stresses. The tire in question is LR-E I believe so it has load margin well above what the 200-series needs even in a non-ideal application. I'm no where near the authority on this, but in my judgement, I would be comfortable using this fitment in my own rig.

Some possible advantages
- better bead retention when airing down
- better wheel face protection being more inset
- better ride comfort and compliance with more buldged sidewall geometry

 

[DJCloz]

I would think you will rub the UCA's without wheel spacers. The tire on the rim shouldn't be a problem at all. I ran 33/12.5/18 km3's on 2016+ stocks. I have ran 305's on stock 100 series 8'' wide rims too. I never ran my KM3's without wheel spacers to confirm if they hit the UCA or not. I now run 275/70/18 ko2's......... too skinny visually for my taste, I just had 2 practically new tires I had laying around I put to use. I'm kicking my ass now for not going wider. I may switch to a 305 or 33/12.5 again soon. the 285/65 is a great tire size too, it just depends what you want to go with.

 

[Fishinsea]

Have you considered a 295/65/18 ?

 

[gaijin]

So my question is this:

Can the 305/65/18s be put on my Heritage 18x8" rims? The tire is specifed for a minimum of 8.5" wheel width, but I really love my Heritage rims too and don't want to replace them.

I already know @gaijin will not approve of this combination, but am hoping to get a variety of perspectives on this. In my online research of others running this combo, everyone who runs it reports that it works just fine. All the naysayers and doomsday forecasters are people who don't actually run the combo. That leaves me to think it would be ok, but I'm not sure.

Folks run all kinds of tire/wheel combos with varying degrees of success. Whether I approve or not is never a question - all I can do is recommend a Cold Tire Pressure once a tire size is decided, and offer opinions about industry established performance boundaries that might help someone decide if their choice is prudent.

For the sake of this discussion, let's take as a given that you will use 305/65R18 tires on your stock 8" rims.

First point I would raise is that in that size you are talking about an LT-Metric tire, LT305/65R18, which is only available in Load Range E or F. The lowest allowable tire pressure for ANY LT-Metric tire for highway use, as established by tire manufacturers and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, is 35psi. The RCTIP for an LT305/65R18 tire on an LC200 is 35psi F/R. So if you are looking for a more compliant tire, such as would be found in a lower Load Range LT-Metric tire or a P=Metric tire, then these would not be it.

Second point, as already mentioned, is you would be using a wheel that is 0.5" less than the minimum specified by the tire manufacturer. Wheel width specsd are not just made up numbers, so operating outside the specified limits will always carry some degree of risk. Whether this is acceptable or not, is entirely up to you.

If you decide to go forward, please keep us posted - it's always good to get real world experiences on various tire/wheel combos from folks who actually run and mount them.

HTH

 

[NY2LA]

I'm an advocate for this tire size.

Big Fat Tires - 305/65/18s

I posted the below buried deep in a thread. But I believe it warrants its own. Bringing attention to 305/65R18's. Surprised this size is not well represented on the boards. On paper, this would be the ideal aggressive fitment, without needing drastic cutting or clearancing. ~33.6" x 12"...

forum.ih8mud.com

To your question - can you mount on an underspec'd wheel width? Yes. Should you?

I've mounted 305/60R18s in a similar situation on my previous 100-series, using a half inch than narrower 18x8 wheel than approved rim widths. 40k miles later, the tires were great, with even wear, and no untoward issues. I understand this is anecdotal, but yes, many have done this and have been fine. Not unlike how many of us fit 34s and 35s to the 200-series, which is outside of factory approved fitments.

Understand what you might be giving up - no warranty, no mileage guarantee or any guarantees, etc. But we're probably more concerned with integrity and safety right?

My opinion is that for a taller profile tire, this would be fine, as it gives more compliance for the sidewall and internal structures to be used a bit outside of its approved range with less stresses. The tire in question is LR-E I believe so it has load margin well above what the 200-series needs even in a non-ideal application. I'm no where near the authority on this, but in my judgement, I would be comfortable using this fitment in my own rig.

Some possible advantages
- better bead retention when airing down
- better wheel face protection being more inset
- better ride comfort and compliance with more buldged sidewall geometry

Great to hear someone else has done just this! Interesting to hear about the even wear too, because one of the theoretical concerns that always pops up on Internet discussions outside this forum is center-biased wear.

Any issues when cornering at high speed on the highway or airing down off road? Ever feel as if the tire wanted to push off the rim?

 

[catastrofe]

So I am breaking my New Year's Resolution not to start another tire post already. But if you started a diet 5 days ago and already broke it off, or something like that, you are just as guilty as me and can't blame me.

I've got my Dobinson MRA suspension and UCAs for a 1.5 - 1.75" lift on the way, and now the endless torture of deciding on a tire continues. I had settled on LT285/65/18, but the only good option in that size would be Ridge Grapplers, which I am learning might be too stiff for my objectives. Then I saw @alta's and @19LC200's 305/65/18's and really loved how they look. I think the added width would be helpful to my purpose too. And there's just something about this tire that intuitively calls to me; and at the end of the day, I'm a gut-instinct kind of guy when it comes to decisions. So my question is this:

Can the 305/65/18s be put on my Heritage 18x8" rims? The tire is specifed for a minimum of 8.5" wheel width, but I really love my Heritage rims too and don't want to replace them.

I already know @gaijin will not approve of this combination, but am hoping to get a variety of perspectives on this. In my online research of others running this combo, everyone who runs it reports that it works just fine. All the naysayers and doomsday forecasters are people who don't actually run the combo. That leaves me to think it would be ok, but I'm not sure.

I'm curious as to why Ridge Grapplers are the only "good option" in LT285/65/18. There are a number of choices in this size, and if looking for something a little more compliant, the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo III might be a good fit. It's lighter than most other "E" rated LTs in the same size, and has a 50,000 mile warranty. I'm running Falken Wildpeaks now, but come replacement time I'll probably go Bridgestone. They make a quality tire. . .they're just not a "fanboy" brand.

All-Terrain Truck Tire | Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3

Bridgestone's Dueler A/T Revo 3 is an all-terrain tire built for SUVs and trucks. Learn more about the features of the Dueler A/T Revo 3 here.

www.bridgestonetire.com

 

[NY2LA]

Folks run all kinds of tire/wheel combos with varying degrees of success. Whether I approve or not is never a question - all I can do is recommend a Cold Tire Pressure once a tire size is decided, and offer opinions about industry established performance boundaries that might help someone decide if their choice is prudent.

For the sake of this discussion, let's take as a given that you will use 305/65R18 tires on your stock 8" rims.

First point I would raise is that in that size you are talking about an LT-Metric tire, LT305/65R18, which is only available in Load Range E or F. The lowest allowable tire pressure for ANY LT-Metric tire for highway use, as established by tire manufacturers and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, is 35psi. The RCTIP for an LT305/65R18 tire on an LC200 is 35psi F/R. So if you are looking for a more compliant tire, such as would be found in a lower Load Range LT-Metric tire or a P=Metric tire, then these would not be it.

Second point, as already mentioned, is you would be using a wheel that is 0.5" less than the minimum specified by the tire manufacturer. Wheel width specsd are not just made up numbers, so operating outside the specified limits will always carry some degree of risk. Whether this is acceptable or not, is entirely up to you.

If you decide to go forward, please keep us posted - it's always good to get real world experiences on various tire/wheel combos from folks who actually run and mount them.

HTH

Thank you, Gaijin. Before putting on Blizzaks temporarily, I was on LT285/60 KO2s at 46PSI. I found that if I aired them down beyond anything reasonable for on-road use to about 38PSI, they became much better for me. So I think a much larger tire running at 35PSI, combined with my incoming 3-way customizable Dobinsons, should work for me.

 

[NY2LA]

I'm curious as to why Ridge Grapplers are the only "good option" in LT285/65/18. There are a number of choices in this size, and if looking for something a little more compliant, the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo III might be a good fit. It's lighter than most other "E" rated LTs in the same size, and has a 50,000 mile warranty. I'm running Falken Wildpeaks now, but come replacement time I'll probably go Bridgestone. They make a quality tire. . .they're just not a "fanboy" brand.

All-Terrain Truck Tire | Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo 3

Bridgestone's Dueler A/T Revo 3 is an all-terrain tire built for SUVs and trucks. Learn more about the features of the Dueler A/T Revo 3 here.

www.bridgestonetire.com

My bad. I meant 285/70. I'm aiming for 33.4 to 34." Original post updated.

 

[TLC2013]

My bad. I meant 285/70. I'm aiming for 33.4 to 34." Original post updated.

The easy option for stock wheel offset would be lt285/65r18 or Lt275/70r18. Without spacers Id imagine anything wider then 285 will rub the UCA. Previously I was running lt285/65r18 general grabber ATX Tires and they were close, like finger width close to rubbing the UCA. I have since switched to kenda klever RTs in Lt275/70r18. They run tall and wide for a 275/70 and measure 33.43” and 11.22” wide. Very pleased with this tire and size. I was initially also set on lt285/70r18 but didn’t want to open another can of worms in regards to KDSS sway bar rubbing.

 

[radman]

Can the 305/65/18s be put on my Heritage 18x8" rims?

I’m running LT305/70/18 on black BBS wheels, same as your heritage.... so the 65 would be no problemo

 

[TeCKis300]

Great to hear someone else has done just this! Interesting to hear about the even wear too, because one of the theoretical concerns that always pops up on Internet discussions outside this forum is center-biased wear.

Any issues when cornering at high speed on the highway or airing down off road? Ever feel as if the tire wanted to push off the rim?

Nope. No fitment related issue that I could see, other than the solid service of the tire that I expected. On-road cornering was stable. Airing down off-road was just fine. I really like how the fitment looked with an aggressive sidewall bulge and stance.

 

[ton504]

305/65/18 KO2 on 18x8 BBS TRD PROs. 1.25" spacers. Stock besides fender liner/mud guard mods.

It looks great but as my DD, it's terrible. Did I mention it looks great though? LOL. I knew what I signed up for.

 

[DJCloz]

@ton504 can you elaborate on what makes it terrible?

 

[NY2LA]

Nope. There's was no fitment related issue that I could see, other than the solid service of the tire that I expected. On-road cornering was stable. Airing down off-road was just fine. I really like how the fitment looked with an aggressive sidewall bulge and stance.

Do you recall any issues with the tire hitting the fender lip when fully compressed?

 

[NY2LA]

305/65/18 KO2 on 18x8 BBS TRD PROs. 1.25" spacers. Stock besides fender liner/mud guard mods.

It looks great but as my DD, it's terrible. Did I mention it looks great though? LOL. I knew what I signed up for.

View attachment 2546146

Looks great! Any issues with those hitting the fender when compressed?

 

[bwell]

@ton504 can you elaborate on what makes it terrible?

I'm guessing he took a 3mpg hit if he drives conservative, possibly more.

Huge fan of this size, but it has its trade off imo.

 

[ton504]

@DJCloz The tire is heavy and taller. It took a small hit in the acceleration and braking department. The actual ride is still good though. For those that actually needs the additional ground clearance, it's a great trade off.

 

[ton504]

Do you recall any issues with the tire hitting the fender lip when fully compressed?

No issues driving around town lol. But seriously, I don't take this one off road to flex it any so I can't say.

 

[TeCKis300]

Do you recall any issues with the tire hitting the fender lip when fully compressed?

You'll ideally want to aim for an offset of +30-35mm. Which with stock wheels is about a 1" or 1.25" spacer. With a more aggressive tire, particularly those with a more squared off or larger side lugs, lean towards +35mm. From a suspension geometry standpoint, scrub radius, +35mm is also more optimal to avoid any pulling in the steering and better cornering traciton.

UCAs may change clearance a bit so let other weigh in on that.