biggest tire size?

[VX KAT]

Don't forget the profile of the tire's edge if you're really close. A more rounded edge will be more forgiving than a very square one, and a lot of M/T tires have a very square edge. Going with a slightly less aggressive tire may make the difference between trimming or not.

That's exactly what happened with my Nitto Terra Grapplers on my GX470, so I got a slightly less aggressive A/T tire, same size, but with a more rounded shoulder and no more rubbing (and no more shimmy). And the best part is I transferred the NTGs to the VX.......so everything is good now!

[drowd]

Ok, so I think I understand about the swing arc. I still have trouble understanding how offsets work, but that basically has to do with how far the tires/wheels stick out from the car, right? I guess I don't understand how it affects the arc, though.

So I think the wheels are American Racing Fuel 18x8. Will that wheel coupled with 265/65-18 tires likely result in rubbing between the cladding and the tire (assuming a more aggressive tire, I suppose).

It seems like while there are some maths involved, there is also a fair bit of try-it-on-and-see. So if I order these tires, I'm assuming I will find out pretty quickly if I need to trim the cladding. In the event that that occurs, how trivial a feat is it to shave some of that off?

Thanks everyone for the responses!

[VX KAT]

Here's some pics that should help you see the difference. The first 4 pics are the Nitto Terra Grappler, they have very square shoulder design....meaning the shoulder is closer to a 90 degree angle (tread are to side area).
By contrast, look at the Yokohoma Geolander AT/S and you can see the shoulder is more rounded.

If you think of that tire turning, you'll see that one of the first areas where a tire is going to rub something within the wheel well is the tire shoulder area. The shoulder is the tread blocks on the outer most ring of the tire. The NTGs have quite square outer tread blocks, and thus, a square shoulder.


Also, here's a really helpful tire/wheel size calculator that shows a grea t visual of the tire/rims size, offset, etc...
http://www.rimsntires.com/specs.jsp

Plug in your OEM specs (245/60-18), then your proposed size. You'll need to get "OFFSET" number for this to be valid. The RED center wheel in the diagram shows you how offset affects how far out the rim is specific to your proposed rim. If you think about it, the further out the tires are, the more likely they are to hit the cladding on the swing arc (when turning). For reference out OEM rims are +38 offset.












Here's some visual help. These are my Cooper Zeon LTZ 285/60-18s front driver's tire turning, you can see where the "shoulder" would be the first to rub the cladding on the swing arc. Thees tires have fairly square shoulders, but not as much as the NTGs.


So, to solve that, I cut a small triangle shaped piece from the FRONT, OUTER section, and that's all it took to prevent the rubbing. It's VERY VERY easy to cut the plastic cladding, especially in a straight line. A sawzall works, and so does a Dremel.



There really is a ton of threads on this topic, you might try the search function and see if you can dig up some of them for reference.
HTH!
Good luck to you.

[Ldub]

Ok, so I think I understand about the swing arc. I still have trouble understanding how offsets work, but that basically has to do with how far the tires/wheels stick out from the car, right?

[drowd]

thanks everyone for the help, you guys are awesome!

[vt_maverick]

Regarding how offset affects the swing arc, you're correct in that the offset determines how far the wheel (and therefore the tire) sticks out from the axle/body of the truck. You can visualize how that affects the swing arc as a Venn diagram, with two circles basically overlapping. The more negative the offset the farther the tire sticks out, which results in a different positioned circle.

[Riff Raff]

Drowd--- Hmmm, it sounds like you may be encountering the exact same issues as VX members "ScottinMA" and "Mile High VX" once experienced in the past. Both of these members have non-lifted stock VX's and have wider offset aftermarket rims and wanted to minimize rubbing when it came to tire replacement.

In the end after much intensive research and various fitment auditions, they both decided that the Yokohama - A/T-S in 275/60R18 (31" O.D./42 lbs) with its rounded smooth tire tread edge was the only available A/T tire that solved their rubbing interference problems.

This particular Yokohama tire is the only true A/T made in this unique rare size of 275/60R18 in the world, and I highly recommend it for your specific situation. Please read the below threads in explicit detail for more information on this rare sized tire:


http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...-s+275%2F60R18


http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...-s+275%2F60R18

[drowd]

Thanks a ton! This might be just the tire I was looking for, this forum is really unmatched with how helpful and friendly it is. Thanks all!

[Ldub]

Thanks a ton! This might be just the tire I was looking for, this forum is really unmatched with how helpful and friendly it is. Thanks all!

LOL...

You should see us in action during election time every four years...

Or when a ref makes a bad call...like 7 yrs ago...

It can get stupid ugly...

[Cobrajet]

Thanks a ton! This might be just the tire I was looking for, this forum is really unmatched with how helpful and friendly it is. Thanks all!

LOL...

You should see us in action during election time every four years...

Or when a ref makes a bad call...like 7 yrs ago...

It can get stupid ugly...

And don't forget the color of our cladding (it IS gray!!)

[TEXAGGIE-VX-01]

I'm wanting to know if the Nitto Terra Grapplers 275/6518 will fit

[VX KAT]

I'm wanting to know if the Nitto Terra Grapplers 275/6518 will fit

Did you review and read THIS thread from the beginning? That size is dicsussed, as well as 285/16-18, so you can compare those specs, plus I give a reference to a tire size calculator to help you figure it out, in post #7 and #23, Dub gave a tire size diagram, and I attached a picture showing exactly what may need to be trimmed....

Remember, the search function is your friend....especially with a VERY common question like this.

[TEXAGGIE-VX-01]

They ended up fitting with minor trimming to the front. These are the 275/65R18's

[VXCanada]

Yokohama 280/60R18 Geolander AT/S on 18x8.0 wheels require a bit of trim on the front. Very minor.



T.

[vx1999]

Try this tire size calculator to compare what you have to alternatives:

http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.do