12.5 or 13.5 tires and why?

StrikezoneNJ

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I have decided on Black Rhino Arsenal with 37s Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Thinking +12 offset with Carli Pintop full package 3.5” (confirming from @BLACKCHERRY that it will fit with no run) Trying to decide on 12.5 vs 13.5 leaning towards 13.5 but I notice most choose 12.5. Why did you choose 12.5 or 13.5 and why.
 
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I have pintop waiting for the truck also. 17” methods and 37x12.50. I went 12.50 for two reasons. One I feared the 13.50 on the narrower than spec wheel would make the sidewall look “poochy”. And on that same thread. I did not want more sticking out past fenders than necessary
 
I went 12.5 because I’m not a fan of tire poke. I was also mildly concerned about rubbing on the stock radius arms. I went with a +18mm
offset wheel. The actual tire I ended up with (my third choice, thanks COVID) is 12.9” wide but I’m really close to flush which was my goal.

Edit: Corrected wheel offset
 
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13.5 will look better, even more so on a 37.

12.5 will score better in nearly every other category.
 
I went 12.5 because I’m not a fan of tire poke. I was also mildly concerned about rubbing on the stock radius arms. I went with a +12mm offset wheel. The actual tire I ended up with (my third choice, thanks COVID) is 12.9” wide but I’m really close to flush which was my goal.

WILDPEAK A/T3W?​

That 12.9 wide doesn’t rub at all on the stock radius arms with +12 offset?

Can you please share a photo of how flush 12.9 wide looks on +12 offset wheel.
 

WILDPEAK A/T3W?​

That 12.9 wide doesn’t rub at all on the stock radius arms with +12 offset?

Can you please share a photo of how flush 12.9 wide looks on +12 offset wheel.


Yes. It appears that I deleted my example photos from my phone but below are a couple from a post I made in a different thread.
Method Mesh 18x9 +18 with 37x12.5r18 Falken wildpeak AT3W. I wanted Nitto Ridge Grapplers but you get what you get… The Falken tires are almost 13” wide. I didn’t want any tire poke and I found this setup satisfactory.
View attachment 39348View attachment 39347View attachment 39349
 
Mine is levelled with factory mud flaps and run 18 offset 20in Method's. I use the 13.50 for the simple reason I need the width. I do not care about mall crawling and run the 35's vs 37's (Ridge Grapplers) because I use my suspension completely articulated and do not want or need fouling. Have had that problem in the past with 37's (even with lifted trucks) and have learned as I have gotten older that function is better than looking cool. ;)

All of that being said if you do not have to use your suspension completely articulated then the 37's may just work out for you.
 
@CalTremor2020 thank you for that. Pleasantly surprised that you can fit 12.9 (13 essentially) wide tire on a +18 offset wheel without any rubbing. And all while still looking very flush. If i follow the math, zero offset wheel should be able to clear 13.5 tire at the radius arms.

As you mentioned, wilpeak at3 is usually most third choice behind nitto ridge grapplers and toyo at3s, but they do look pretty aggressive and that near 13 inch stance does give them a certain advantage. Assuming you’re happy with them now?
 
For me depends on the wheel if you went with 9” wides then 12.50’s if 10”wides then 13.50’s
 
Mine is levelled with factory mud flaps and run 18 offset 20in Method's. I use the 13.50 for the simple reason I need the width. I do not care about mall crawling and run the 35's vs 37's (Ridge Grapplers) because I use my suspension completely articulated and do not want or need fouling. Have had that problem in the past with 37's (even with lifted trucks) and have learned as I have gotten older that function is better than looking cool. ;)

All of that being said if you do not have to use your suspension completely articulated then the 37's may just work out for you.
Are you saying that you’re clearing 13.50s with +18 offset wheel and no rubbing? Would the same width clear if you were on 37s and not 35s?
 
Are you saying that you’re clearing 13.50s with +18 offset wheel and no rubbing? Would the same width clear if you were on 37s and not 35s?
No, they would not based on my visual observation last week at the ranch when I got out and looked with the wheels up close to full turn as I could get going down a steep embankment with the front right wheel on the bottom of the creek bed. They were within a .5in of touching then.

Been doing this a looong time and know how to test trucks so my alligator mouth does not overload my hummingbird azz when specing out my mods for new trucks. ;)

Some people have tires sticking out several inches past the fenders with some aggressive wheel off sets. Where I have to drive that will just result in sand/rock blasted paint. Do not ask me how I know...:mad:
 
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@CalTremor2020 thank you for that. Pleasantly surprised that you can fit 12.9 (13 essentially) wide tire on a +18 offset wheel without any rubbing. And all while still looking very flush. If i follow the math, zero offset wheel should be able to clear 13.5 tire at the radius arms.

As you mentioned, wilpeak at3 is usually most third choice behind nitto ridge grapplers and toyo at3s, but they do look pretty aggressive and that near 13 inch stance does give them a certain advantage. Assuming you’re happy with them now?

I didn’t mention on there that I also have a Carli commuter kit.

Yes those were my first two choices. I waited too late to order the tires and it was going to be 5 weeks plus at the time to get them.

I haven’t found any rubbing on major components. When I first had the lift/tires installed, I had removed the factory front mud flaps. Didn’t hear any rubbing and found no marks indicating contact. I also did a static check and didn’t find contact. When I put the factory mud flaps back on, I only have contact in one scenario so far. At medium speed approaching a corner (maybe 10 mph, taking a 90 degree turn, slight braking) I do get contact on the mud flap on the compressed side. I can eliminate this by going extra slow for sharp corners. Just to reiterate though, I found no contact on any component before reinstalling the front mud flaps. I haven’t done any hard off-roading. Just standard dirt roads and potholes.

The tires have been good so far. I didn’t notice a substantial increase in tire noise over the stock duratracs in daily use. I already accelerate like a grandma (my dog gets car sick easily) so there wasn’t a big hit to fuel economy. I recently took a long road trip and they performed well. They do get a bit noisy if you exceed 85mph.

FB5005E8-4C7E-429F-9EDA-0EED36E1AA76.jpeg
 
I didn’t mention on there that I also have a Carli commuter kit.

Yes those were my first two choices. I waited too late to order the tires and it was going to be 5 weeks plus at the time to get them.

I haven’t found any rubbing on major components. When I first had the lift/tires installed, I had removed the factory front mud flaps. Didn’t hear any rubbing and found no marks indicating contact. I also did a static check and didn’t find contact. When I put the factory mud flaps back on, I only have contact in one scenario so far. At medium speed approaching a corner (maybe 10 mph, taking a 90 degree turn, slight braking) I do get contact on the mud flap on the compressed side. I can eliminate this by going extra slow for sharp corners. Just to reiterate though, I found no contact on any component before reinstalling the front mud flaps. I haven’t done any hard off-roading. Just standard dirt roads and potholes.

The tires have been good so far. I didn’t notice a substantial increase in tire noise over the stock duratracs in daily use. I already accelerate like a grandma (my dog gets car sick easily) so there wasn’t a big hit to fuel economy. I recently took a long road trip and they performed well. They do get a bit noisy if you exceed 85mph.

View attachment 42968
any updates?
have you had any rubbing on the radius arms?
 
any updates?
have you had any rubbing on the radius arms?
TL;DR: Not really on radius arms. A bit on the mud flaps.

Maybe? I have circled areas that might be wear on the radius arms but nothing has actually worn through the outer coating so I can’t be certain. The mud flaps have more clear wear. The drivers side has a couple of potential wear marks around the clip but nothing definitive. The passengers side flap has somewhat heavy wear and the clip is missing (happened before any off-roading). I imagine this is where my rubbing noise on turns is coming from. Now that I’m thinking about it, all the “medium speed corners” I was talking about above were right hand turns which would make sense.

Driving notes: I’ve driven around 12k miles since the switch. The most aggressive off-roading I’ve done is Gemini bridges road (from highway 313 to the bridges) and Potash Road (from Moab to the ponds). I wanted to go further down the trails but my GSD was getting sick…

Drivers side:
20BBC9AB-1F95-4BFF-B092-6F3F4D1B15FB.jpeg

EF039D9A-F63E-47CA-B967-FA0D90B7FBE3.jpeg


Passengers side:
94A95D07-5067-4B82-ACE0-C5D7FE4B7EC9.jpeg

37AAFAFC-E406-4597-976E-95FD7D2270B6.jpeg
 
I have decided on Black Rhino Arsenal with 37s Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Thinking +12 offset with Carli Pintop full package 3.5” (confirming from @BLACKCHERRY that it will fit with no run) Trying to decide on 12.5 vs 13.5 leaning towards 13.5 but I notice most choose 12.5. Why did you choose 12.5 or 13.5 and why.
Go 38x13.5
 
Anyone know if 37x13.50 will work with -12 wheels? I know that no matter what I'll need to do some fender trimming. Just wondering if it's going to be worth it over 12.50s
 
Im running a 6mm offset on 17x.5 wheels with a 5” backspace and 37x12.50 falken wildpeak mt’s on a full pintop level kit and i cant make anything rub anywhere yet. Ive taken it over terraced fields and the bodywork cracks and pops as it articulates but the tires do not contact anything anywhere. Ive twisted it up pretty good and you can see the shock shafts were I have gotten full compression because the whole shaft is wiped clean. Not sure how much more it can move if the sock is bottomed out, so I think im good on rub.
 
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