Mismatching front and rear tire sizes with 4x4

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AuroraGirl

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Can I find a tire with the same height as a 265/75/16 which is about 31.6 inches from a quick search but go narrower than the rear? Or narrower than the front if I buy new tires? That shouldn’t cause any issues to drivetrain?

I need two tires and want to open up to more used and new options. I would be matching the two tires to an axle so tread difference shouldn’t be an issue to drivetrain.

Winter is coming and my local searches for 2657516 are unfortunately scant with the cost being pretty much just buy new at that point. But if I’m utilizing for snow I may want a narrower profile or a snow tire if I could find an equivalent height

off-road use if it matters, so no or minimal pavement involved.
 

TubeTruck

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The width doesn't matter, just the height. Driving on dirt will relieve that a little as long as you have some slip in traction.

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If it were me I'd go with the 285/70 above and put them in the rear. Wider (and taller) tires in the rear always look better than in the front. And then you're only 0.3-0.5 taller depending on current tire wear which is small enough you shouldn't have any issues. It would take 300ish revolutions of the new tire to make the old tire turn 301 revolutions.
 

AuroraGirl

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I’ve decided to try and find 2358516 as shown above. And good to hear it shouldn’t affect. If I go new route I will put them on rear as dumb as it may look lol. Most traction. But I found a set of ko2 in that size which would at least match my set now and just be different size and has about half tread life. If I can get them they would be perfect on front and would be pleasing to look at. Hopefully I can snag them
 

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If it were me I'd go with the 285/70 above and put them in the rear. Wider (and taller) tires in the rear always look better than in the front. And then you're only 0.3-0.5 taller depending on current tire wear which is small enough you shouldn't have any issues. It would take 300ish revolutions of the new tire to make the old tire turn 301 revolutions.
Would I need a wider wheel for such a large tire? I probably won’t go wider because I’m looking for snow traction but I’m also cheap and a good deal or near free would outweigh that for me. So I will look for some of those. I was gonna call a used tire place tomorrow amd see what they have with that whole list as tube posted.

my wheel being ford and gm 8 lug from the era.
 

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On pavement, rear tires narrower than front tires will increase over steer. How much? I don't know but it's there. Also would look stupid as **** oh well..
 

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On pavement, rear tires narrower than front tires will increase over steer. How much? I don't know but it's there. Also would look stupid as **** oh well..
Oh yeah I’m hoping to avoid it. Luckily it’s not as likely being 345 for 2 snow tires. If I get a great deal I may get a set of 4 used In narrower size
 

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Depends how wide your rims are, but for what you’re doing even 285s on 6.5” rims is fine. Hell that’s what folks run on the old GM 8 lug wheels from the early 2000s.
And you now know, only height matters to the drivetrain, but even then, if they’re off even an inch or so in diameter, it won’t matter as long as you don’t wind up the drivetrain in 4wd on dry pavement. Plowing the driveway won’t hurt a thing with mismatched height.
 

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235/86-16E is a very standard size for HD trucks, and standard size tires are usually cheaper and easier to find. If you have a junkyard near you they might have a wrecked newer truck with a full set of tires that size.

Bruce
 

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235/86-16E is a very standard size for HD trucks, and standard size tires are usually cheaper and easier to find. If you have a junkyard near you they might have a wrecked newer truck with a full set of tires that size.

Bruce
I unfortunately have burned bridge with local junkyard. He is a crazy wombat. I domt do business with children let’s just say. But that is a great idea I forgot about the junkyards all an hour plus away that all sell used tires. Forgot all about that. 2 of hem have their yard where they block up the cars and go through all the tires amd wheels. None of them let you walk their yard but I def should try calling about tires and maybe even for a few steel wheels. If I could get the tires on wheels for cheap I wouldn’t even have to go to a shop.
 

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I’ve decided to try and find 2358516 as shown above. And good to hear it shouldn’t affect. If I go new route I will put them on rear as dumb as it may look lol. Most traction. But I found a set of ko2 in that size which would at least match my set now and just be different size and has about half tread life. If I can get them they would be perfect on front and would be pleasing to look at. Hopefully I can snag them
I like that tire size. It's what's on my C20. They are taller but narrow. Better for mpg with less friction to the pavement but yet has some height to them.
 

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Oh yeah I’m hoping to avoid it. Luckily it’s not as likely being 345 for 2 snow tires. If I get a great deal I may get a set of 4 used In narrower size
$345 for 2 new tires? Start shopping elsewhere.
$100-150/ea on Amazon, delivered to your door give you the choice of about 30 different brands and types.
 

AuroraGirl

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$345 for 2 new tires? Start shopping elsewhere.
$100-150/ea on Amazon, delivered to your door give you the choice of about 30 different brands and types.
I was talking the 2 snow tires. Most of the tire options are really basic block HT tires in that price range. I did go that route for my f150 for rear tires. I got 2 decent AT tires for 95 each in falken wildpeak. Im open to getting AT tires was just hoping lol. Junkyards were closed today but one is open tomorrow was gonna give them a call
 

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AuroraGirl,
Believe it or not if you go to the Walmart site and go through the whole thing you will find some incredibly cheap tire prices. I have 235 70 15 on my truck all around and I pay $78-82 a tire. And they are all weird Chinese brands I never heard of. But no matter the ones I have on my truck are 70K mile tires I think they are 700 or 800 tread wear. Most tires these days are all "mud and snow" tread.

They being Chinese is of no concern because ALL tires coming into the US have to meet rigorous DOT specs. for construction due to the high safety regs. for things like that. I've been running these tires for many years and have never had a problem,i.e. delamination, bubbles, chunks breaking off, etc. Hell, I've spent good money for B.F. Goodrich and Firestone's and they were crap, and expensive as hell like $158 to $185 a tire. Okay, that's a lot of money for me. I know there are Goodyear's out there that are over $200 a tire. Well, I'll put those Chinese tires up against any Goodyear any time.
 

Raider L

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AuroraGirl,

I just realized something. You're in fricking Wisconsin!!! The damn 50 degrees below zero country!!

Now, we've had some cold Winters down here in Louisiana where it has got down to 5 degrees and snowed ten inches for a week, but we don't know cold from nothing compared to where you are from. We haven't had a winter in the last two or three years down here. I think last winter the coldest it got was 38 for a day or two and then it went back up to 60 something. The bad part about that is it won't get cold enough to kill all the bugs off and then next Summer they eat us alive.

So when you are looking for tires you're talking about "boggers" or big tread tires. We don't put screws in our tires down here, ha, ha, ha.
 

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