How Big Of Tires Can I Fit On My F150? [Correct Answer]

One way to improve both the appearance and functionality of your Ford F-150 is to install a bigger set of tires. But before you do so, you’ll need to know what is the biggest tire size you can fit on an F-150.

Generally speaking, with most models of F-150 you can safely install a tire that is 1-2 inches larger than your current set. Since tire sizes vary from model to model, and are affected by features like ground clearance mods and fenders, this number will depend on the specs of your vehicle.

Beyond calculating the size of your tires, there are many factors and steps to consider with installing a larger set of tires.

Steps to Add Larger Tires to your Ford F-150

There is more to getting a new set of tires than just figuring out what size you need, as you still need to find, buy, and install your larger tires.

What are the standard/stock F150 tire sizes? Measure your Current Tires

Tires are measured with three criteria: width, sidewall height, and the size of rim the tire will fit against, with the standard F-150 fitting a 265/70/17 tire. In order to calculate what size tires, you have and what size you need, you will need to find the values on your current tires and find the values for your new ones.

• The three values for a tire’s measurements are listed on the outer sidewall of the tire, along with other values like how the tire was constructed and its weight limit.
• The height and width values for the tire are listed in millimeters, but the rim value only indicates what type of car rim the tire is designed to connect with.
• You will need to convert milimeters to inches in order to measure tire sizes while also keeping rim size into account.

It is best to bring a calculator or a notepad when looking for tires to make sure you can calculate both your old and new tires’ sizes.

Consider What you are Looking For in Bigger Tires

There are many reasons to get larger tires for your vehicle as increasing your tire size has many benefits. But larger tires can have some drawbacks, so you need to carefully consider why you are investing in bigger tires before you put the time, money, and materials into upgrading your current set. Some common reasons for increasing your tire size include:

• Increasing your ground clearing for off-road driving
• Boost your handling with larger, wider tires
• Buying larger, specialty tires for driving in different conditions
• Raising your vehicle’s overall profile for a more striking appearance
• More responsive braking due to tires having more contact with the road

There are other reasons for investing in bigger tires, but these are the most common and the most practical since they offer benefits to your driving. Some of these reasons also require special types of tires with different tread patterns or widths, so keep those factors in mind when looking for tires.

Look for Tires That Meet your Needs

Once you have settled on why you are looking for new tires, you will need to find a set of tires that meet your specifications. There are a number of places you can find tires depending on where you live and what stores you have access to, so be sure to look at multiple sources to find the best option for you.

• Most major retailers now carry tires and other car parts.
• Auto part stores and tire retailers can also help.
• Some mechanic services also run shops that sell spare parts like tires.
• Some online retailers sell a wide range of tires.

Be sure to examine the specifications of any tires you plan on buying, especially with online retailers where you can’t physically examine the tires. There are ways to help tires fit onto a vehicle but they are not perfect or universal, so double checking the dimensions of your tires is critical.

Install Your New Tires

After getting your new tires the process of installing them is extremely simple and you should have all the materials you’ll need with your vehicle already, as long as it has a spare tire kit. For reference, all you will need are a jack to lift the tire you want to replace off the ground and a tire iron to remove the bolts from your wheels.

• Step 1: Go to the first tire you want to remove and use the jack to raise if off the ground. Make sure you raise the vehicle higher than the new tires you want to install.
• Step 2: Use the tire iron to detach the bolts from your current wheel, then remove the wheel from the vehicle.
• Step 3: Slide your new wheel into place and use the tire iron to secure the bolts on the new tire.
• Step 4: Repeat with each tire until you have replaced all of them.

Make sure your bolts are tightened before you try to drive your vehicle, as loose bolts can damage your wheels or cause them to come loose and fall off.

Conclusion

By following these simple tips and steps you can not only figure out the largest set of tires you can fit, but buy and install them too.

How to Install Big Tires When They Don’t Fit

When looking to buy larger ties, there is always a chance that you will buy a set of tires that do not fit to your wheels properly for one reason or another. They may not connect to the rotor properly or they may scrape against the inside of the wheel well, but in either case there are ways to help install larger tires if they don’t fit properly.

• Use wheel adapters and spacers to improve the connection between the tire and the rotor.
• Install a lift kit or suspension spacers in your car to increase the ground clearance and help the larger tires fit better.
• Remove the fenders and flares from the wheel well in order to create more space for your wheels.
• You can also cut the lining out of the wheel well to add more space for your tires, but this will leave parts of your wheel and drive systems exposed.

You can combine some of these methods if you are trying to install an extremely large set of tires, but if none of these methods help then you should try looking for smaller tires. Also, modifying the structure of your wheel well and rotors can cause problems if modifications are not made carefully.

How to Increase the Ground Clearance of your Ford

One way to not only increase the amount of space you have for newer, larger tires is to increase the ground clearance of your vehicle. The higher your vehicle sits off the ground, the less risk there is of tires grinding or scraping against the inside of the wheel well, especially on bumps or rough terrain. There are many ways to increase your ground clearance:

• Using a leveling kit to make your truck sit higher and more evenly on its suspension.
• Installing body lifts to raise the vehicle more on its axels.
• Reinforcing or replacing the suspension system with stronger springs.
• Insert height spacers into your suspension springs.

Each of these methods will give you a small boost to ground clearance and many of these methods cannot be combined since they involve modifying the same part of a vehicle. If you want to get the most ground clearance out of one of these methods you should combine it with larger tires for a greater height increase.

There are also a variety of benefits and drawbacks that come with having higher ground clearance, the most important being handling and stability. Cars with higher ground clearance are better at tackling off-road terrain and uneven ground but shake more violently when rolling over rough ground or getting caught in high winds.

What Changes with Larger Tires?

A larger set of tires can be both a benefit and a problem for any vehicle since they change a number of factors about how the car behaves on the road. If you are considering getting bigger tires for your vehicle you should keep these changes in mind before you commit to a new set of bigger tires.

Braking and acceleration change. Larger tires provide more surface area to grip the road, making it faster and easier to brake, but at the same time bigger tires are harder to get rolling so acceleration will suffer. You can counteract the acceleration issue by either increasing the power of your engine with mods or making your car lighter overall.

Your ground clearance will increase. Having big tires will naturally raise your car more off the ground, but this has a number of different effects on how a vehicle handles. More ground clearance makes off-roading easier but it can decrease stability, especially with weak suspension, and it can be harder to climb into a vehicle that is higher off the ground.

Costs are increased across the board. Larger tires tend to be more expensive, so you will have to pay more than usual both for your initial tires and any replacements you get. Heavier tires also need more power from your engine to move, so expect to burn more fuel than before when using larger tires.

Wrap Up

If you are looking to change the size of your F-150’s tires, it is important to know the size limits of your vehicle. By calculating based on the size of your current tires and not going over two extra inches of width or height, you can find tires that work for you. If you have any questions about car tires, comment with them below.