I want bigger tires & rims for my Sprinter...

Old Master

New member
My '04 Sprinter traveler/camper is a work in progress, and I'm progressing on several fronts. Now I want tires that are a bit larger than the stock tires that came with the van. No special reason, I simply want the look I would get with bigger tires. I'm not seeking better performance, or better handling...just the appearance. The tires I want could be wider, could be another inch or two in diameter, or both. I'm getting black rims; I think black will go with the overall appearance of the van. I'm not looking for "fancy" or "extreme" tires and rims...just a standard tire, only bigger.

So I'm asking...can I do this? Any of y'all done this? Would a wider/bigger diameter tire rub when the front wheels turn...I'm seeking info like that. I am seeking advice from an expert, or someone who has actually installed larger tires.

Thanks for the help.
 

Altered Sprinter

Happy Little Vegemite
Hello Old Master
In the first instance you have two Dodge options for rims and tires! One being the standard 15' rim with tires rated c eight ply for commercial weight configuration, the second being 16 by 6.5' similar tire slightly wider etc, there are now 17' rims for your units via MB but could you afford the mortgage that goes with the rim? The Dodge is an unusual beat in it's configuration, that being it's of German origin, one of German manufactures favorite tricks is to change the off sets that no one else has to lessen competition as such festool a high quality manufacture of building related power tools is to change diameters by one decimal point right through the entire range of products, this method employed guarantees you will come back for originals OEM parts.
The Dodge Sprinter has so many similar tactics within this vehicle, so it has limited your choice of after market add-on's as the rim must stand up to OEM specifications and original offset sets or you may have issues with cracked rims , splitting or blown bearings due to the rim not being to the manufactures specifications etc. the same also equally applies to the tire, as it needs to be able to hold the weight that it carries , which is the reason for the rating of the said tire,that must meet the specifications for safety reasons.
Adding a wider rim steel on the back is not an issue as there is room enough to do it , but the front will be where you have a problem with over width tires as the turning circle increases form left to right, you will have very little room to spare at the front bumper section and the rear of the tire facing the back cargo section, most likely will catch on that part of the inner wheel wall.
There are many types of rims that could be made to fit? but beware of the set up working under load.
Richard.
PS: The 17' tire is a lower profile Ronal make them For Mercedes as to the re badged Dodge/Freightliner vehicles it's a new rim and I can not see it on Ronol web site if your close to a center or distributor ! Quote the MB Number and they will be able to trace this rim down on their data bank
Mercedes Alloy rims.jpg
 

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Scott_Mc

Sprintering Since Aug/02
.....I'm not seeking better performance, or better handling...
That's good because you won't be getting it! Worse if anything!

So I'm asking...can I do this? Any of y'all done this? Would a wider/bigger diameter tire rub when the front wheels turn....
I do know that the front bumper is different for the 118 to the 140. If you put a 118 bumper on a 140 the factory tires will rub. I'd say the best approach would be to cut your fronts all the way and look underneath/measure clearance. That'll give you a rough idea. Also, you've also got to mantain the same diameter front to rear or you'll illuminate the ABS light!

Being a camper, do you really want to raise the step in height? Something to consider.
 

sikwan

06 Tin Can
See YahooSprinterVan Post 27302 for 245/70R17 Pirelli Scorpion ATRs (on AT Italia S5 17" rims) at http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprintervan/messages/27302
Here's a snip-it of the full entry:

OK, I know by now is early morning instead of yesterday night (as
promissed), but this are the hours that I can call 'mine'...:o)

As stated in the previous post, the handling with the 245/70R17
Pirelli Scorpion ATRs (on AT Italia S5 17" rims) is impressive. The
full 10.1" of tread width makes an even greater difference considering
that the rim pushes this width about 3/4 of an inch out on each side.
So, overall I widened my rubber print about 1.5" and I have a full 1"
wider grip on each tire.

On the mileage/speedo side the 682 RP1Mi (rotations per 1 mile) versus
the 709 RP1Mi that the OE Michelins (225/75R16) brings the speedometer
very close to the GPS readings for speed (less than 1MPH offset – on
the low side). Now, the other story is that the Odometer is about 4%
off – to be exact 3.9589% – for each 100 Miles clocked by the odometer
I really travel 103.96 Miles… This does not bother me a bit, if you
know what I mean...

To get this setup to work I had to trim the front plastic lower lip of
the bumper, the rubber mud flaps and some of the lower corner of the
joint between outer and inner fender metal sheets right behind the
front wheels. If you have the front mud flaps is the metal corner
sticking through the rubber of the mud flaps, if you don't the
pictures that I posted in the Photos under TVFlorin folder will make
it clear. Once the metal was removed, I treated the fresh cut and rust
proofed the steel, than some body filler (that auto body shops use)
filled the gap and tapered the edges. A can of primer and the Mopar
matching paint spray can finished the touch. With a rubber mallet, I
bent the bottom side of the fender edge, about 2.5 inches – exactly
where the screw facing the tire is – in order to change the angle of
the rubber mud flap – it was sticking to much towards the tire.

Once all I described above was done I was left with about 1/5 of an
inch ( about 5 mm) clearance from the front fender and the mud flap in
the worst case when the wheel is in turn at the edges of the `wide'
tire tread. Pictures show the little `fuzzies' that a new tire has
barely touching in both cases (`fuzzies' are about 7 mm long - for
reference)

This setup – with just the mods that I made - is not for driving in
the mud or thick snow tracks, but with some more work can be adapted
for aggressive off-roading . As for us – living in sunny So Cal these
tires will see the most `off-roading' when we hit the downtown LA pot
holes…

Just an observation: I used to have to slow down when cruising at 75
MPH and the wind was 20 MPH with gusts above 25 MPH… Not anymore.
Yesterday we had in the usually sunny LA area, rain and wind gusts up
to 25 MPH and I was `flying' at 80 MPH (real 80 on the GPS and
Speedometer!) with almost no sway due to the wind gusts. It felt as if
the van had double wheels on all four corners...

Now, enjoy the pictures that I posted and if interested I can give
more details on how I did it.

In the same folder I posted also the pics of the 16" rims and tires
that came off the van (all 5 including the spare). Since I do not need
them anymore, I offer them for sale, "on the first come first serve
basis", first to this group, and if nobody is interested I'll put them
on eBay (in about a week). The rims are in PRISTINE condition – no
scratches or dents. The tires have 90% thread left on them for the
ones on the aluminum rims (I had 9,850 miles on the ODO when I removed
them and these tires are known to last in excess of 90K miles if
properly rotated and balanced – I rotated and balanced mine at 5500
miles) and 100% on the spare – this was never used. I prefer to not
ship them – local pick up would be my first choice, but I will assist
with shipping if somebody outside the area is interested. The price
for all five would be $1200 - firm. Considering that only the
aluminum rims (4 only) are listed on eBay at over $700.00 and
tirerack.com sells the gums for $142.00 a tire, this set of five that
I have for sale is a bargain. All the lugs are included – the 20 long
ones for the aluminum and the 5 short for the spare (these will cost
you at the dealer some $$$). Interested parties can email me at "tudor
@ ieee . org" (skip the spaces please, I put them to get around yahoo
stripping the email tail of it)

Enjoy,
Florin

P.S. BTW tirerack.com is fresh out of AT Italia S5s … Boy, I almost
missed them – now that I'm thinking… THANK YOU MIKE H. for the heads
up on the clearance!
and related pictures of the modifications required at

http://autos.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/sprintervan/photos/browse/75ea

Note that you must be signed into YahooSprinterVan to use these links.
A couple pictures...

Front
front.jpg

Rear
rear.jpg
 

Scott_Mc

Sprintering Since Aug/02
Maybe just semantics but Old Master did say bigger TIRES, maybe he meant WHEELS? The bigger TIRES only question was what my initial response was based upon...
:D Clarification please :thinking: !
 

ipolyi

New member
My '04 Sprinter traveler/camper is a work in progress, and I'm progressing on several fronts. Now I want tires that are a bit larger than the stock tires that came with the van.

I'm not looking for "fancy" or "extreme" tires and rims...just a standard tire, only bigger.

So I'm asking...can I do this? Any of y'all done this? Would a wider/bigger diameter tire rub when the front wheels turn...I'm seeking info like that. I am seeking advice from an expert, or someone who has actually installed larger tires.

Thanks for the help.
just to answer your basic question, I went with bigger tires on the 16" rims with no problems, see:

http://homepage.mac.com/ipolyi/Lola/AI/20050507/tirechangeout.html

also, my odometer error page:

http://homepage.mac.com/ipolyi/Lola/AI/20050507/tirecorr.html

my reason was not appearance but safety - the larger tires are rated for heavier loads - see charts at bottom of first referenced page ...

the added ground clearance and tougher sidewalls keep you from getting into trouble like these folks http://homepage.mac.com/ipolyi/Lola/AI/20061010b/flat.JPG who were traveling on the lava-rock road with low-profile tires in Death Valley on the way to Racetrack Playa http://homepage.mac.com/ipolyi/Lola/AI/20061010b/index.html
 
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Old Master

New member
Awesome response! An avalanche...

...of information in response to my inquiry about bigger tires for my Sprinter. I'm impressed with this site. Thanks so much to all who wrote. :thumbup:
 

ObiWanJak

GS Hauler
ipoly,
can you confirm that you have no rubbing issues (even at full steering lock) with this size tire? thanks.

loren
 

piskot

New member
I am just about to get me bigger tires for my 2006 Sprinter 2500 (long) Van. I currently have the Michelin LTX A/S 225/75/16 and am going to change it to Big-O-Tires Bigfoot H/T 245/75/16.

I was researching a ton and even tried it on yesterday with a same size tire (the 245/75/16). I only tried it on the front - did some clearance testing and in my opinion it passed. I may trim the front edge of the fender to give me more clearance in the future. Also, plan to go easy when turning sharply (esp. over a bump).

The benefits (I think) are worth it. They look more up to par with the Large Van - they look awesome was my initial thought. The weight distribution should also be better. The tires support loads up to 3,042lbs; load range E but more like F! This was my problem with the back tires - the Michelins were just barely supporting it (early tire wear, under-inflated even with 80psi). The extra clearance it gives me going over elevations in ground etc is to worth meantioning. The tire thread depth 15/32 is something else too - did consider 18" G-wagon rims but that would leave me with choice of Continental garbage tires 255/55/18 with thread depth of 10/32 and problems with load rating.
The only thing that is worse compare to the Michelins (other than the reputation of the brand itself) i the speed rating. Michelin = R (up to 106mph) & the Bigfoot N = (up to 87mph). Knowing that my Sprinter has the governor set (at around 86mph) it does not bother me.

Well, these are my thoughts to those interested - I just wanted to contribute to this great site and hope somebody will respond in any way. Any info/sharing will be great.

I will post some pics when they are mounted on and also some pics of before. It just may be a bust but I have a feeling that I am onto something.
 

220629

Well-known member
...

The only thing that is worse compared to the Michelins (other than the reputation of the brand itself) is the speed rating.
Well Young Grasshopper you are stepping on a bunch of toes with that comment. There are many here who swear by Michelins, not at them. I believe quite a few of those are expediters who sometimes have many hours (unfortunately for their wallets) to sit around and discuss things like tires with other professionals in truck stops.

Given we have a speed limiter as you point out, the higher top speed rating truly is a moot point. I think if you check speed by using a GPS you will find you're limited to more like 83 mph actual. That will go up a bit with larger diameter tires though.

Well, these are my thoughts to those interested - I just wanted to contribute to this great site and hope somebody will respond in any way. Any info/sharing will be great.
...
First let me extend you a hale and hearty welcome to the forum.

If looks are a priority then it sounds like you're on the right track. I suspect your mileage will suffer with the greater rolling resistance of the larger tire? Thanks for the input. Have fun. vic
 
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Ogre

New member
Piskot, it sounds like your early tire wear with your michelins on the rear is caused by over loading your van.

I am one of those expediters that folks talk about that swear by my Michelins. The factory A/S 's lasted me 146K miles, the replacement M/S's lasted me 165K miles with not rotation and barely checking pressures. My third set of Michelins were Warretied off @ about 35K miles cause of a factory defect. My fourth set is currently @ 50K miles with 11/32 tread in the rear and 12/32 tread up front, now lets remember that New M/S's come with 15/32 tread from the factory. The only thing I am doing different with this last set is I am getting them rotated Every 10-12K miles and keeping on to of the Air pressure which is 70 psi in front and 80 psi in the rear.

One more quick note, the heaviest thing I haul is 2800 lbs. Almost all those miles are highway miles. I guess in my type of business longevity is the key with everything. My goal with this set of tires is to see if I can hit the 200K mile mark before I have to retire them @ 4/32 tread depth.
 

piskot

New member
Wow! I am impressed! I too love the Michelins, don't take me wrong.

I bought the van in late 2007 from a guy in Bend, OR and it had the original Michelin A/S tires - at that time I did not pay much attention to the thread wear/depth (It had 17,000 miles on it). Since than I put on 20,000 miles. It is the long version 2006 Sprinter Adventurous (Road Trek). We take on trips with my wife and 4 kids Spring/Summer/Fall.

My freeway driving is usually 75mph but on our last trip to North Dakota I was following a family member and so we were going like 85mph the whole way there and back. Other than that I keep the pressures at 80 front and back.

I have started to notice small cracks all over the side of the tires (front and back) and the rear tires got more wear than the fronts. We travel loaded but I try to empty and refill as much as possible. Over the winter I got the van in a garage that I built last year.

Well, my State and emission inspections were pass due since December, and we had good weather, I decided to get it done. Before I went I measured the tire thread. Front: 9/32 Rear: 2/32! I have been also noticing a sag in the rear tires since 2010 and had the feeling that they are not supporting the weight as well any more.

So, I started checking around for other tires. I have a friend that has the long Sprinter made like the Brian Lopez Sprinter and he replaced the rims with the G-wagon wheels - looks very good. So I was aiming this way until I found out that there aren't too many tires that would give me the necessary load specs.

After that I was trying to just get a little bigger tires on the same rims but 235/75/16 tires don't have the load specs I was looking for. I was set on buying the Big-O-Tire Bigfoot H/T 225/75/16 and treat them better (lower speeds, more frequent rotations, less load, avoid too long sun exposure). When I was in the Big-o-tire store I just asked if I could try to put on the bigger ones (245/75/16) and to my surprise they did not rub in front and they looked SOOO Right! I don't know... I will find out soon.

What could I have done better with my old tires to extend their life? Thanks guys
 

sailquik

Well-known member
Hi Piskot,
Next time you are out in the Adventurous with everything loaded to your normal
max. (i.e. people, luggage, food, ice, propane, fuel, bikes, coolers etc. on the back)
it might make sense to stop at a J-Scale or Cat Scale and weigh your RV.
You may be very surprised at how much all the "camping gear" adds to the
weight of the vehicle and what the rear axle weight can get up to.
You may have the rear somewhat overloaded.
How did you get your van to go 85 mph
It's limited to about 83 max. (or it should be).
Of course the speedo reads 3 mph fast (most of them do anyway)
so you may have been indicating 85-86 MPH but only actually
doing 80-83 MPH.
Roger
 

piskot

New member
Sailquik, you may be right about me overloading. Thinking about it I do occasionally take my Suzuki DRZ400 on a hydraulic hitch. That bike is like 400lbs and is loading up the rear pretty good. I'll try to figure out some other way to haul it.
I am also removing the spare tire since I now got bigger tires (245/75/16) which should take some weight off of the back. The larger tire that I considered for a spare does not fit in the spare basket so I may just go without.
By the way, the larger tires do not rub anywhere if anybody wanted to know a they feel really good. The rear is well supported on just 75psi and the front turns well with 70psi. I will try to keep on schedule with rotation, balance and proper inflation and hopefully will get over 50K miles on them. If they don't work out I will buy the Michellin M/S next time.
 

Ricksan

Rick
OK I have a dumb Nu-b question. :thinking: Is the quest mostly due to the desire for taller tires or is it the difficulty of obtaining the stock size tires.

The LS guys told me that the stock Continental Vanco tires are on national back order (what ever that means) and would cost about $118 each if you could get them. They said that Good Year has the stock sizes available but at a cost of more that $200 each.

For us, the smaller 15 inch wheels are a good fit (old folks with short legs) :smirk:

Rick
Oak Harbor. WA
 

bignose13

New member
Sailquik, you may be right about me overloading. Thinking about it I do occasionally take my Suzuki DRZ400 on a hydraulic hitch. That bike is like 400lbs and is loading up the rear pretty good. I'll try to figure out some other way to haul it.
I am also removing the spare tire since I now got bigger tires (245/75/16) which should take some weight off of the back. The larger tire that I considered for a spare does not fit in the spare basket so I may just go without.
By the way, the larger tires do not rub anywhere if anybody wanted to know a they feel really good. The rear is well supported on just 75psi and the front turns well with 70psi. I will try to keep on schedule with rotation, balance and proper inflation and hopefully will get over 50K miles on them. If they don't work out I will buy the Michellin M/S next time.
How are the tires working out for? did you ever take any photo's?
 

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