As in, the stock wheels? They should be a 16x7" wheel with 30mm offset, which equates to 5.25" backspacing if you do the math. Although when I measured my stock wheels (SV wheels, supposedly the same specs as the Pro-4X wheels just a different design) I came up with 5.0" backspacing. The bolt pattern is 6x4.5" which is different from the 6x5.5" bolt pattern that is so common, hence aftermarket wheel choices are limited.

As far as the Rugged Fail tires go... some folks get decent mileage out of them but the traction is very lacking so a lot of guys (myself included) sell them on craigslist and buy decent tires regardless of whether they are "needed" or not.

 

Thanks for that info. Exactly what I was looking for.

And you're reading my mind about the OEM tires. Looking for an excuse to replace them. ;-)

 

My excuse came at 5k miles when I had flat tire.

 

I've learned the stock wheels are 16" x 7.5" with 5.25" backspacing (30mm offset). Bolt pattern is 6x4.5" (6x114.3).

I'm staying with stock wheels. There's still a chance I'll need a spare set of wheels to swap between dedicated wheeling and road tires, but I have a line on a set.

I've had 255/85R16 tires on my most recent rigs (Ram and T4R) and like the size a lot. My search for tires has thus far concentrated on that size. And since I've had great experiences with Discount Tire (aka America's Tire), my latest info has been restricted to what they offer. PMs with the DT guy on CF indicated DT doesn't carry anything in that size other than the BFG MT. However, the local store showed me a screen full of options, including the Cooper S/T and S/T Maxx.

Being an Excel dork, I took to spreadsheeting to help with my decision...

I pulled data directly from each manufacturer to build the spreadsheet. The stock tire is shown across the top and used for comparisons.

I've included the previously mentioned BFG MT, Cooper S/T, and S/T Maxx, as well as the ubiquitous BFG AT. I focused on the three dimensions most important to me: 1) sidewall height; 2) diameter; 3) width.
Looking at the "VERSUS STOCK" data, I color coded with dark green being most preferable and lighter green preferable to stock. Then in the "Sizes" columns I coded them dark green if two or three of the dimensions rated dark green, and lighter green if all dimensions rated at least light green.

I also eliminated (highlighted and hid) problematic sizes (e.g. stock wheels too narrow) and clearly undesirable sizes to finish with the illustration above.

Note: Oddly, the S/T Maxx 255/85R16 is shorter than the 285/75R16. This is the first tire I've found to be this way. Most 255/85R16 tires are solidly over 33".

Stepping away from the dimensional data...
I've read and watched a lot talking about the latest AT tires being so much quieter than in the past. In particular, the S/T Maxx is supposed to be quite tolerable.

So my decision is narrowed to either the BFG MT at 255/85R16 at a pretty good price from DT or the Cooper S/T Maxx at 285/75R16 at a good bit more cost (but not crazy). Although I've had a complete extra set of wheels for both of my previous rigs, I'd rather not bother with it if I don't have to. And I end up running the better looking tire more than I should anyway. The more expensive S/T Maxx may actually save me money over having to buy a spare set of wheels, and they'd look really good on a DD.

I think it's time for that lift so I can get myself some new tires!

 

When I replaced my essentially brand new stock 265/75-16 BFG Rugged Trails with S/T Maxx of the same size and mileage (each set had about 1k miles) the Coopers were definitely bigger - they rubbed where the BFGs didn't. I didn't get a specific measurement but I know I had about 1/4" of space at the front valence with the BFGs where the Coopers ended up rubbing. Odd that your sizing research puts the 255 as smaller than expected. Just based on what happened with my swap I'd maybe take that online sizing spec with a grain of salt.

 

Oops, I had the stock tire wrong.

It's fixed here:

BTW, I have the full Excel spreadsheet including other wheel sizes if anyone wants a copy.

Thx,
Jon

 

illzoni’s new tires

After (too) much thought, I decided on the Cooper Discoverer S/T MAXX in 255/85R16:
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company - Discoverer S/T MAXX

Here are some before and after pics:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

I had intended to go with ORWL and probably paint the wheels, and was somewhat disappointed I had to settle with the blackwalls on my chosen tire, but darn if they don’t look good! And I don’t need to paint the wheels. ;-)

 

I noticed the front mud flaps came off. How was the fit with them on, and is there any rubbing?

 

If you increase the tire size above 275/75R16, you'll have to modify things a bit.

The tires didn't go on until after I installed a NissTec mini kit (2-1/2" front spacers, adjustable (1-1/2") rear shackle).

I had to remove the front mud flaps and perform the Melt Mod:
http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f78/melt-mod-201913/

Also, I was getting tire rub on the front air spoilers and initially meld mod'd them, but then trimmed them:
http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f10/front-air-spoiler-mod-eliminate-tire-rub-206690/