Community Forums

Okplowboy · 02-22-2018, 06:36 AM

Vehicle: 2017 Ram Dually. Recommended tire rotation is at 5000 miles. Proper sequence calls for 1) inside dually to the front, 2) front to outside dually, and 3) outside dually to inside. This currently requires changing tires to different rims because inside wheel rims are steel and outsides are aluminum. Ram dealer says that front rim and rear rims have different part numbers but is not sure they are really different. Replacement rims (alumimum) are available at $1050/pair. It currently costs about $75 per tire rotation. The break even point is 14 tire rotations or about 70K miles. Makes sense IF the rims are the same. Any help would be appreciated.

LJowdy · 02-22-2018, 06:49 AM

All my friends with dual wheel Pick up trucks don't bother with tire rotation and most get around 60 to 70 thousand miles from their tires.

Additionally, the mounting surface (where the stud holes are located) is usually quite a bit thicker with aluminum wheels as opposed to steel wheels. If you choose to go the aluminum wheel route, measure your rear wheel studs and make sure that the lug nuts have enough exposed thread to properly secure the wheels.

keymastr · 02-22-2018, 06:54 AM

I wouldn't bother. The break even point is past the "needs replaced" point by quite a bit in my opinion.

SmokeyWren · 02-22-2018, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Okplowboy

Vehicle: 2017 Ram Dually. Recommended tire rotation is at 5000 miles. Proper sequence calls for 1) inside dually to the front, 2) front to outside dually, and 3) outside dually to inside. This currently requires changing tires to different rims because inside wheel rims are steel and outsides are aluminum.

The "proper sequence" assumes standard steel rims all around, as delivered on work trucks. If your dually has aluminum wheels, they are not intended to be rotated using the same sequence.

The fancy alloy wheels are thicker than steel wheels, so two alloy wheels will not properly fit on the rear drum. More than just the length of the lug bolts is involved. Look up "hub centric".

As LJowdy mentioned, most folks with alloy wheels on dually trucks don't rotate the tires. At most, they will rotate the front tires side to side, but leave the rear tires alone. Rotating the steel wheels with alloy wheels requires dismounting, remounting, and rebalancing 4 of the tires each 5k miles, and that is not a cost-effective procedure.

Cost effective? Big words used by MBAs to explain that something is not worth what it costs.

Okplowboy · 02-22-2018, 11:37 AM

Thanks for all the help! I appreciate it.

khuffmanjr · 02-22-2018, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Cost effective? Big words used by MBAs to explain that something is not worth what it costs.

LOL, like this quote.

But I have a follow-up question. I just bought my first dually, a 2018 Laramie RAM 3500 DRW with the shiny wheels. I was wondering about changing tires and wheel offsets. Will the spare fit anywhere on the truck? When you start looking at aftermarket wheels it seems everyone sells fronts and rears with different offsets. So if the spare is meant to fit anywhere, what offset does it have and how long should one drive on a spare before fixing the original issue.

There is nothing the documentation that came with the truck. Hell, looking through the manuals just retaught me how to change a tire, which by the way, i couldn't forget how to do if I had amnesia! So I was wondering what the collective forum wisdom could teach me.

Thanks!
Ken

wingnut60 · 02-27-2018, 08:05 AM

The trucks are set up so that any wheel will run in any position--it will just look funky with the steel wheels on the front with alloys on the rear.
As mentioned, two alloys on the rear will cut into available lug threads due to thickness of the alloy wheels--I don't know if the mfgs allow for this. If you run the polished side of an alloy wheel to the inside, you aren't going to be happy when you want to turn it around to face out...
My practice on 450s has been to swap at +/-20k miles--this involves dismount/remount of some tires. Inside R dual to LF/LF to inside R dual; Inside L dual to RF/RF to inside L dual. Swap outside duals side x side. Next 20K--similar swaps. Have been getting around 80k miles when the tires are worn to the point of traction loss on wet asphalt.
A rotation with this method costs me about $70-80 every 20k miles.
I have found that some shops cannot/will not mess with the 19.5s, so have to look around some. Discount Tire has corporate policy against working on them, not sure about WalMart. Big O will work on them.
Not sure how the tire wear would be with the 17" tires on the 350/3500s.