Hi guys, I currently have 16.5 rims with 38" Mudders,the tires are aged have a lot of good tread left tread but showing signs of dry rot.I know the 16.5 are about nill these days.and i want to get away from the mudders & go with an all terrain type tread,but keep in the ballpark of 38" tire..the truck wont see any major off road use,some light duty hauling & sunny weather cruising.I really dont want to go used on the tires maybe the rims if decent,just not sure what to go to.what says you> thanks!

Edit, the truck has 9" of lift so it is setup for the larger tire..79 f 250 4x4 Skyjacker suspension lift & 3" Body lift

Id go with 18s maybe 20s

16's or 17's is the route I'd go if you're looking for a change...but even 16's seem to be where 16.5's were a decade ago, and becoming obsolete. As far as tires are concerned...Dick Cepek, BFG and Toyo should have a tire that suits you.

18" or 20's out of the question,I want to stick with in stock paramiters,17's I think i can deal with..i just gotta get these 14" wide rims off this thing asap to reduce wheel weight with stock axles with 3:56 gears, total overkill of a rim,dont know what the guy who had this before me was thinking.even 38's are questionable with this setup i know,but i dont launch the truck hard so i should be fine with the 17's as Ben suggested with the 38"All Terain tire.the truck has plenty of power at takeoff and the 3:56 gears give me good rpm's at cruising speeds for economy with the 460 2,000 rpms at 55-60mph.Thanks for the input

UTfball68 said:

16's or 17's is the route I'd go if you're looking for a change...but even 16's seem to be where 16.5's were a decade ago, and becoming obsolete. As far as tires are concerned...Dick Cepek, BFG and Toyo should have a tire that suits you.

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This is sad. I hate the look of the bigger rims, espcially on our rigs. I can't stand how some new vehicles are coming with 18" or 20" wheels that size from the factory.

I love my original Ford 16" wagon wheels. I little more attractive than the base wheels, but still OEM.

I hear ya Steve..but i dont think a 17" will make much of a difference from a 16.5 imo.Dont worry man i am going to be very selective in my choice of a wheel that wont drastically change the appearance of an old school look.this will also open up different tire selections as well,not many selections with the 16.5 rim.as i stated above the rims on it now are way to wide and to heavy they must go.I dont drive the rig that much cause of praticality,so i am not going to rush into anything drastic till i find what fits the vehicle that suits the look i want.

edit, i am looking into 17" to see if i like what is offered,however i am not set on anything as of yet. It will be ok my Ford friend i understand where your coming from!

Really, I think 17's are a good choice. You're right, 1" won't make that noticeable of a difference (or a 1/2" in your case) and it could mean more of a variety of tires will be available to you. With the dwindling selections of 16.5's, you gotta do something.

Hi guys,I am starting to get serious on rim & tire combos for my 79 F250 4x4.currently i am looking at a Dick Cepeck "Classic Lock polished Rim that i think would look rather well on an old school rig.Now the rim is available in 16" or 17" and it is recommended that i go 10" wide to accomodate the 38x12.50 tire.the 16" rim comes in 10" width,the 17 only comes in a 9".back spacing is 4&1/2"for both 16 &17" rims. My wagon wheels are 5" back spacing and are 16.5.Now some of you stated the 16" should fit but does the 1/2"less back spacing make a difference? I do have the stock disc brakes, dual piston calipars up front.Another issue im running into is finding an on /off road tire in a 38x12.50x16 or 17.They dont exist from Summits catalog in any brand.Any suggestions would be help full.I dont want Mudders if at all possible,and i realy dont want to drop from a 38 due to the vehicles lift,so im kind of stuck here.thanks guys!!

hey buzz i dont think it makes much of a difference. my truck had 16.5 on it from factory. the other owner took them off and put a 16' white spoke wheel on it. its not 38s but i have no problem with the brakes or anything. Can u find them in a 35 or tried a tire website like tiremart or tirerack. what size lift do u have to have the need for 38s

Hi 71,The truck has 9" of lift,6" suspension,3"body(pics of the rig in my gallery)....just not sure if a 35" would fill the wheel well like the 38".if memory serves me well,I dont believe Tire Rack had any options either..but i will take another look.All in all i would like to find a dealer in my area (if possible) where i could purchase rims for a trial fit and tires all in one shot.(once their mounted up their mine if they fit or not) and see what possible deals i can get on them.I do know this is going to be costly for i need 5 as i have no spare at the current time so i want to be smart and look for the best possible deal.There is just not many aftermarket dealers around here any more that specialize in lifted rigs.Gonna hit it hard next week as it is the weekend and i am limited right now because of that.

Well i did find a possibility on Tire Mart....BF Goodrich All Terrains 37x12.50x17.Grant it,it is a drop in size from the 38..but going up to a 17" rim may just give me what im looking for....what do you guys think?

There are some Super Swamper M16, and TrXus STS radials in 16, 16.5, and 17" in the general size range you`re looking for on www.4wheelparts.com.

Thanks all...decisions..decisions......lol