Lariat Ground Clearance 1" higher?

[Kansas Mavs]

Since the Lariat comes with 1" bigger wheels, will it have a 1" higher ground clearance?

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[mamboman777]

Since the Lariat comes with 1" bigger wheels, will it have a 1" higher ground clearance?

I don't think that's the case. I think the tire size is the same. So, one inch bigger rims, one inch smaller sidewalls.

 

[Darnon]

No. The tires for the 18" wheels are lower aspect ratio so shorter sidewalls. The 225/60R18 comes out to nominally a whole .05 inch taller.

 

[Erwin_R]

Also a one inch taller wheel will raise the height by 1/2 inch.

 

[JASmith]

I thought before that it was 8.2" for FWD models and 8.6" for AWD models, but turns out its 8.6" only with the optional FX4 wheel package.

 

[Jim1984]

I thought before that it was 8.2" for FWD models and 8.6" for AWD models, but turns out its 8.6" only with the optional FX4 wheel package.
[/QUOTE
That's what I thought to. Where did you see that only the FX4 had more ground clearance?

 

[Jim1984]

No. The tires for the 18" wheels are lower aspect ratio so shorter sidewalls. The 225/60R18 comes out to nominally a whole .05 inch taller.

So is shorter sidewalls a bad thing?

 

[Darnon]

So is shorter sidewalls a bad thing?

Shorter sidewalls ride a bit stiffer and increase the risk of wheel damage from hitting potholes/obstructions. The performance advantage being less flex under cornering forces. Otherwise larger wheels and slimmer tires is regarded as looking sportier or fancier.

 

[notfast]

So is shorter sidewalls a bad thing?

It'll give improved cornering feel due to less sidewall flex, but you also have an increased chance of damaging a wheel from a pothole or something since there's less tire sidewall to cushion any hits. And the NVH (noise, vibration harshness) will probably be marginally worse for the same reason. You could also curb-rash the wheels easier.

If you want to get into the real nitty gritty, you'll technically wear out suspension and steering parts faster, but it's probably negligible. Since there's less tire to compress and absorb any road imperfections, they will be transferred to the bushings/ball joints/shocks/springs instead.

I went with an SEL when I bought my Ford Edge because I didn't want the 20" wheels on the Limited. Dunno if the fatter tires saved the suspension to a significant degree, but I was on the original suspension for 170k miles of Los Angeles' crappy roads until I sold the car.

No leaky shocks, ripped bushings, broken sway bar links, worn ball joints, or anything. I inspected the car once a year (I was a suspension/steering/brakes tech) and got it aligned by another tech who verified that everything was tight as a drum.

 

[Dandylion]

So is shorter sidewalls a bad thing?

Many like the looks of larger wheels with less sidewall, and also the sharper/sportier handling, but at the cost of sometimes a rougher ride. Those that go a bit off-road/rough-road often like smaller wheels with larger tires (more rubber sidewall). Some people also like the smoother more-cushioned ride.

 

[MLowe05]

It's not like 18" rims are gigantic or anything. I found the Lariat rims to look.. appropriate.. for it. Our Forte has 18" rims and is quite a bit smaller overall than a Maverick. Our Genesis has 19" staggered rims, Pilot 4S tires, and still rides quite well.. but that's a different price point.

I just want the Maverick to ride like a crossover, not like a truck. From what I'm hearing, that's how it is.

 

[Patrickever]

Wheels and tires must be inversely proportional, if increasing the size of the wheel by 1 inch, the thickness of the tire must be reduced by 1 inch. At that time, thin and wide tires increase the contact area of the wheel and the road surface to help your car have better traction.
In addition, if the overall outside diameter of the tire increases too much, the tire may now touch the wheel cavity, the outer diameter being too small will reduce the ground clearance.

 

[MakinDoForNow]

I thought before that it was 8.2" for FWD models and 8.6" for AWD models, but turns out its 8.6" only with the optional FX4 wheel package.

I think the 0.4" taller is because of 235 instead of 225 tire size although I would expect it would be a push for 235. Does FX4 come with 245's. Also expect some if not all difference would be in suspension!

 

[Springboks]

So related... what tire size will is the max you can put on the 17 FX4 wheels that will raise the ride height? Apologies.. but not only am I complete truck newb, but I am a tire newb too.

I did do some reading. So if stock FX4 tires are 225/65, that means section height is 146.25mm or 5.75". If I wanted to give the truck an aggressive stance with wide tall tires, without doing a lift.. what are the largest? E.g here are 255/80

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=255/&ratio=80&diameter=17

So 204mm section height or 8".

Does this mean that my truck will be raised 3" higher, and if so will they fit the Maverick. If it helps any... here are all the possible 17" tire sizes//

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/sizes/results.jsp?diameter=17

 

[raymaines]

Apologies.. but not only am I complete truck newb, but I am a tire newb too.

Here is a fun tool for you to play with.

tiresize.com/comparison/

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