How big?

The stock tires on my truck were 275/55r20, and were about 31.2″ in diameter. My goal was to increase tire diameter without going so far as to need lots of modifications for fitment. In the end, I went with a goal of ~33″ in diameter, while maintaining the same width as stock (275mm). I picked this based on research across the internet, which honestly was a bit inconsistent. Essentially, wheel offset, tire width, and tire diameter all work in conjunction and if not properly accounted for can causing rubbing when turning or compressing the suspension. There are solutions such as lifting the truck more and even trimming material from impact bars and plastic trim to compensate.

Even with my small increase in tire diameter, many sources of information recommended “leveling” the truck. This basically means lifting the front of the vehicle so that it is roughly level with the rear, as many trucks come stock with a “rake – the front being noticeably lower than the back. This creates more space for larger tires up front. The back already has enough space for the size of tire I want.

The other things to consider:

Tire Types

• Mud – Great for primary off-road activities, not great for a lot of road use due to noise and vibration
• All Terrain – The “do it all” of truck tires, blending All Season road comfort with some added off-road ability
• All Season – Great for on road in all weather conditions
• Hybrid – A blend between All Terrain and Mud

I went with All Terrain – Hoping it would still be nice on the road, but give me extra traction in bad weather and when I take a path less traveled.

Load Rating

There are several ratings for load capacity based on intended use. Being this is an F150, and I tend to carry fairly light loads and spend most time on paved surfaces, I only needed a standard load rating. Here is one of many resources available on the topic: https://www.worktruckonline.com/329088/how-to-understand-truck-tires-load-ratings-sizes-more

Speed Rating

Simply put, how much of a lead foot are you. :). This is a truck, buuuuuuut I still like to get where I am going. T rating (118MPH) seemed like a safe bet. Here is one of many resources available on the topic: https://www.tiresplus.com/tires/tire-buying-guide/tire-speed-rating/

There are other factors to consider, such as what the tires look like!

My short list:

….and the one I chose:

Specifically the 275/60r20 is my tire of choice, and they are 33.1″ in diameter. So far, I am happy with my choice. Ride comfort is still good, and while road noise has increased, it’s actually a little less than I anticipated for an All Terrain. Only time will tell how it holds up, but for the first 2,000 miles, they’ve been great.

Diameter and Width – My stock wheels are 20” in diameter, and 8.5” in width. These measurements are key, as they relate directly to the tire options. Tires are made in many sizes and widths, but they must be matched to compatible wheel. I knew that I wanted to stick with a 20” diameter, and stay around 9” in width so I could run a pretty standard width tire (as the truck spends most of its time on the road), but a slightly larger outer diameter. My stock tires are 275mm in width (275/55R20). They are about 31” in outside diameter. There is another post on tires coming soon!

Offset – Refers to the variance in the mounting position from center and affects the position of wheel. Often, aftermarket wheels have near zero or negative offsets to make them sit further out and have a more prominent or aggressive stance. Stock wheels on the F150 are classified as +44, so the wheels and tires tend to sit hidden completely under the wheel well. My goal was to move the wheel position slightly outward to have a more flush look than stock. So, I needed to stay somewhere in the + offset territory.

There are a number of other factors to be aware of, such as:

Load rating (how heavy is the truck and how much weight do you tend to carry)
Bolt Pattern (the size and spacing of holes for mounting – can be specific to brands/models of truck)

Here was my short list of wheels:

….and the one I picked!

These wheels are awesome! Weighing in @ 43.5lbs, and a load rating of 2500lbs each, they are solid. The blue is even better in person, as there is a bit of a metallic shimmer, and overall glossy look:

I once owned a Mazda B3000 4×4, something like:

After many years, and many cars and SUVs, I decided to finally move back to a truck. And this time around, I will be customizing to my desire. I’m pretty excited to get started, making changes a little at a time, such as wheels, tires, suspension, etc. My goal is to do as much of the work myself, and log my progress in posts on this site.