hello,i recently installed 245/70r19.5 tires and wheels on my 1997 ford f350 cc psd,and we have a af 990 tc and also pull a 5ft trailer.i installed the tires with weight capacity in mind ,i work for a large tire retailer in the pacific n.w. so recently we started our vacation down i-5 to northern california and driving this set-up was like driving on black ice.....it was white knuckle the whole way ,then to top it off i lost my transmission just over grants pass oregon,buts thats another story. i tried lowering air pressures seemed to help a little ,but when you lower air pressure your also lower load capacity of the tires wich defeats the purpose of the 19.5s,so im going to 285/70r17 load range e and i can run max air and not have this truck float all over the road ,,,sorry im not impressed at all with the 19.5 tires crappy ride noisey and also to tall ,,scary to unload camper at rv park..taller tires af campers are tall aleady...just my 2 cents anyone else with 19.5 problems or do you like them? p.s im selling my 19.5 vision wheels if anyone is curios great deal...
I guess it is important to make sure the tire compound is not a long mileage tire - but a softer compound that will wear off faster, but provide more traction along the way.
Never thought of this before you posted the harsh and slick as ice ride.
I made the mistake of installing polyester sidewall tires on my motorhome, and had to replace the 500 mile old tires with steel sidewall tires shortly there after. They polyester sidewalls where much softer than the steel sidewalls, and make the rear end wiggle quite a bit. Perhaps you can find a tire with a softer compound, for greater traction.
The 2005 and 2006 F-350 uses 18" rims with some super tire capacity in them. Perhaps you can find some take-offs. I don't know if they changed the center pilot hole size or bolt pattern from the early years. I bet they did just to keep people from using the lighter rated 3,050 pound rims on the new trucks.
I used to live in Grants Pass from 71 - 75. Hope that you found a good place to repair your truck.
Not sure if you can buy them through your store, but Rod Hall Racing sells a wheel that comes in 17" or 18" with a 4500# weight rating. They are made for hummer H2's, so they have an 8/6.5 bolt pattern and should fit your older Ford. I found out they are made by Prime Wheels exclusively for Rod Hall Racing. Tires can be found in the 3750# rating in that size, but wheels have always been hard to find with a matching weight capacity, seems most aftermarket wheels max out at 3200-3400#'s.
Just a side note, you might want to post what brand 19.5 tire you are running, as some have had similar complaints from 19.5's and traded for a different brand tire and solved the problem.
2000 Arctic Fox 1150// '04.5 CHEVROLET 3500 SRW CC LB 4X4 D'MAX/ALLI.
FIRESTONE BAGS w/in cab controller and air fill tank kit
RANCHO 9000's // LANCE brand cab over struts/stabilizers
Happijac tie downs w/guides.
Goodyear 275/65-20's rated at #3750 ea.
Whizbang nailed it. You have to let these tires break in. Initially they will feel very mushy, then they settle and are a dream. Dont buy the Michelins and if you did take them back.
2005 2500HD D/A
2006 Lance MAX 881 Loaded, Supersprings, Air Lift air bags, Vision type 81 wheels, Dunlop Sp-431 245/70/19.5 load range "H"
"Dont buy the Michelins and if you did take them back."
I installed the Toyo 19.5" tires on my rig and after 10000 miles I had them removed and installed the Michelin's. The Toyos never did stop the over steer and bad tracking. They improved some over time,but not enough. The minute I drove the rig with the Michelin's there was a big improvement to the handling. I have about 7500 miles on them now and they are as good as the original tires were for handling. YMMV Jim
Snowriver 10'2"
Dmax/Ali
Vision 19.5 wheels.
245/70R-19.5, Michelin XZE
It ain't what a man knows that gets him in trouble. It's what he thinks he knows, but just ain't so!" Will Rogers.
hey dmax camper,how does your truck handle withn your tire/wheel set up ,the package that i am going to use has the same weight capacity as yours,and your camper is larger than mine ....i have rancho 9000 and air bags ,i guess the only thing im concerend about is weight capacity and tire failure ....
Sooty1234, Hope you took my reply with a grain of salt. When i was researching tires i was told by several people not to buy the Michelins due to the road noise which tiremike was not happy about. I run Michelins on all of our cars and love them. Rhonda at Rickson said they were not happy with the mileage people were getting out of them and turned me off of them and on to the Dunlops. Curious to know what you think of the noise at highway speeds and how many miles you have on them?
2IVSWO wrote: Sooty1234, Hope you took my reply with a grain of salt. When i was researching tires i was told by several people not to buy the Michelins due to the road noise which tiremike was not happy about. I run Michelins on all of our cars and love them. Rhonda at Rickson said they were not happy with the mileage people were getting out of them and turned me off of them and on to the Dunlops. Curious to know what you think of the noise at highway speeds and how many miles you have on them?
The Michelin XZE is a commercial tread pattern for hwy us and as such do not have a lugged pattern, they only have the rain groves. Do a goggle search for them and take a look at the tread design. They are noise free if there is such a thing. As I stated above I have about 7500 miles on them and yes the rubber compound is softer than the Toyo's which will give you less tire mileage,but results in better drivability, so the dealer tells me. Also the profile of the tire and width is different than the Toyo's. Mine have worn down on the rear tires about 1/16" and no apparent wear on the front tires in the 7500 miles. With proper rotation based on my observation, I should get over 100000 miles on these tires. Jim
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