Big tire upgrades are one of the most popular upgrades done on almost all makes of pickups, so this article will clear up the most commonly asked question, what is the biggest tire I can fit on my truck.
Let’s find out what the maximum size tire you can fit on a Ram 2500 with and without a lift!
The biggest tire you can fit on a Ram 2500 is a 35×12.5”. This will allow full lock-to-lock turning abilities without rubbing as well as full articulation and droop for off-road applications.
The above-mentioned tire is for the radius arm Ram trucks from 2014 to present 2500’s and 2013 to present 3500. The fitment guide in this article is not to determine how much you can get away with, however, it’s aimed at fitting the biggest tire possible without losing any practical application on the truck.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the technical requirements next.
Table of Contents
Biggest Tires on Stock Ram 2500 (Without a Lift)
When you do a big tire upgrade, you want to enhance the capabilities of the truck, so hard use should be made easier. Your truck should still be able to do an overland trip or a Baha rock crawling adventure. You want to be able to maintain full articulation as well as droop when doing any off-road driving.
Biggest Tire on Stock Suspension
So the biggest tire you can fit on the stock Ram 2500 wheels is a 35-inch tire x 12.5” width. This requires no rubbing or trimming. This is the easiest and hassle-free tire option without additional modifications. This will work the same on the Power Wagon, 2500, and 3500 Ram trucks. This tire choice offers a nice balance between street, off-road, and towing.
What if you want to go more aggressive on the tire and are prepared to do additional modifications to make it fit on a stock suspension?
Let’s find out!
Maximum Tire size on the stock Ram 2500 suspension with some modifications
So this section is to determine the absolute maximum tire size you can get away with on the stock wheels and stock suspension.
Take note that in order to make the biggest wheel fit, you’ll have to accept there will be some light rubbing on the radius arm fastener, as well as wheel rub on the sway bar. You should be prepared to do some trimming on the inside of the wheel fender liner. You can go as big as a 37×12.5” tire on the factory stock wheels. This will be the same for 2500, 3500 as well as Power Wagons on stock wheels. The wider offset factory wheel on the power wagon is actually going to make this easier and with possibly fewer modifications.
Maximum Tire size on the stock Ram 2500 suspension + Aftermarket wheels
Now if you’re prepared to spend a bit more and do the modification a lot better, then you should really opt for an aftermarket wheel with the correct offset. This will negate the need to do much trimming and cutting of the wheel fender liner and will look so much better. In this instance, you can push the upper limits of 35” tires.
The main thing here is the offset of the aftermarket wheel. Understanding offset is quite simple.
In short, the more (-) negative the wheel offset, the further out the wheel sticks out (Show truck style). The more positive the offset the more flush the outside of the wheel sits relative to the wheel hub. In other words, a negative offset wheel moves the centerline towards the inboard side of the rim, thus pushing your tires further out. Offset is the distance from the wheel mating surface to the center of the tire tread.
Hope that helps!
The maximum tire you can fit with an aftermarket wheel would be a 37×14.5” fitted on a wheel with an offset between +18mm and +27mm. Avoid all zero (0) offset rims and anything with a negative offset.
Biggest Tires on Stock Ram 2500 (With a Lift)
When you go bigger than 37” you’ll need to add some length to the rear control arms to accommodate the bigger tires. You might even need to extend the driveshaft when you run such a big tire. So there’s a lot more work involved in fitting 39” or 40’s on a lifted truck. All the above-mentioned tire sizes right up to the 37” with aftermarket wheels are applicable from stock suspension up to 3” lift.
If you want to fit 40’s on your 2500 Ram, you’ll need a bigger lift than 3”. Here we’re talking 6” combined with fender flairs, extended control arms extended driveshafts.
Biggest Tires On Stock 2019 Ram 1500 4wd
Keep in mind once you fit a larger tire on your stock suspension and later decide to upgrade the suspension you won’t need to change anything in terms of bump stops, levels, wheel spacers, or make any wheel well modifications.
Will 35 Inch Tires Fit Dodge Ram 1500?
This is a hassle-free upgrade that allows for a wider and longer footprint, enhancing the truck’s off-road capability while still taking advantage of its suspension travel.
So, the biggest tire recommended for a Ram 1500 with factory stock suspension is 35” x12.50 on factory stock rims.
This allows you full wheel lock without any trimming, rub, grinding away body panels, or adjustment of suspension components. This is a straight bolt-on-and-go tire option with only a speedometer adjustment needed to calibrate the reading.
Will 33’s Fit on Stock Dodge Ram 1500?
The simple answer is, yes. As mentioned above, the 35” x12.5 is the biggest wheel you can fit without hampering off-road performance or any body-panel trimming required to make them fit on the stock wheels.
So with a 33” tire, it will definitely fit provided it has the correct offset to clear the brake calipers. The more positive the offset, the closer the inside of the wheel is aligned with the centerline of the tire.
Below are some measurements to help you understand the differences between a 33” and 35”
Measurement | 33-Inch | 35-inch | Difference |
Diameter | 285/75/17 | 305/75/17 | +7% |
Width | 11.2” | 12” | +7.1” |
Sidewall | 7.9” | 9” | 13.9” |
Circumference | 102.7” | 109.9” | +7% |
Revs/Mile | 617 | 576 | -41 |
I find this tool very useful when determining tire size differences and what effect it has on your truck:
Next, let’s investigate the biggest tires you can possibly squeeze on a Ram 1500 with a stock suspension.
Biggest Tire Size on Stock Ram 1500
So this is probably one of the most commonly asked questions on all discussion forums and FB groups. Every guy wants to know what the biggest tires are he can get away with on a factory stock suspension and stock wheels.
If you are prepared to live with the following:
- Rub on the sway bar
- Rub on the radius bar fastener
- Light trimming inside the wheel well liner
The biggest tire you can fit on a Ram 1500 with stock rims are 37”x12.5
As mentioned, you will need to do a little bit of trimming on the inside fender liner. This applies to 2500, 3500, and Power Wagon stock wheels. The Power Wagon wheel has a slight advantage since it has a wider offset wheel in stock form, meaning there is a bit more backspace clearance.
Will 35” Tires Fit Stock Dodge Ram 3500 Dually (FITMENT GUIDE)
Larger tire upgrades are one of the most common upgrades most truck owners do. Not only does it enhance the appearance of the truck, but also allows you to haul heavy loads with more ease as well as improve your towing abilities. If you’d like to know what is required to fit 35’s to a 3500 Ram Dually, then this article is definitely for you.
In order to fit 35” tires to a Ram Dually, you’ll need a minimum 2” front leveling kit combined with well-engineered hub-centric ¼” steel spacers between the duals, running 35×12.5 tires.
The above setup will offer sufficient clearance to prevent rubbing and scrubbing at full lock. Always make sure you opt for high-grade quality steel spacers, and not cheap aluminum versions. Make sure you fit a 1/4″ spacer on the rear to prevent the tire chaffing on the rear leaf packs.
Running 35 inch tires on a Ram Dually (Spacers vs Aftermarket rims)
When doing any big tire upgrade, there’s always the inexpensive method and then there’s the correct method. With this being said, there are many Dually owners who’ve opted for spacers instead of fitting an aftermarket rim without any hassles at all.
However, if you really want to run 35’s on the dually, if possible, invest in a set of rims that do not require wheel spacers. You are far better off going with a wider wheel with the correct width and offset. This will allow you to maintain the carrying capacity of the truck since they are properly sized and designed for the larger tires you intend to run. Just make sure you find a decent aftermarket set that doesn’t look tacky.
Conclusion
Going bigger tires might look awesome, however, you want to limit how big you go, especially if you still want to maintain the full functionality of your truck. Bigger isn’t always better since the bigger you go, the more modifications you’ll need to make as well as adjusting your speedometer reading. For the best all-around upgrade, we recommend not going bigger than 37”