Low profile tires for tow vehicle - bad idea?

[NG]

I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on a used tow vehicle. The SUV has custom 22" rims with low profile tires, the previous owner did not use it for towing anything. I don't have any experience with this type of tire, will I have any problems towing my Ranger bass boat? Will I be at greater risk for a blowout? Thanks for your insight.

[mark poulson]

Low profile tires are not as flexible as regular tire, because they don't have as much sidewall "cushion" to absorb impacts from bumps in the road. They are for show, not for go.
I think you should swap them out for regular tires and rims.
Ask a local tire shop.

[DAKINE198]

While 22 may look cool. The load range may not be acceptable for towing. Some people go cheap when replacing 22 so check the UTCG and load range on your specific tires. There are a few manuf. that offer 22 with the correct load range capable of towing but they arent cheap even at my cost. Also if the previous owner never intend it for towing he probably did not have a tow package at the time of purchase. The one thing I would recommend adding if it does not have is a trans cooler and if it's an import Suv a power steering cooler.

[Brian Linehan]

I have 22's on my Tahoe and it does fine.

[DAKINE198]

What tires do you run Brian?

[offduty]

I am running 33" tires on 20" rims and they do fine. They are a stiffer ride than the 33" tire I had on 15" rims. Currently I have 6.5" of side wall. My experience has been the 15" rims and 33" tires had to much sidewall and allowed the truck to be harder to control in corners, though they were a softer ride. The newer 33" on 20" handle much better but this is on a Bronco with a short wheel base. It has an excellent turning radius but the trailer wagged a little easy due to the short wheel base and tall tires. Different tires and rims fixed that and softer springs softened the ride back up. All in all I would want 5" to 7.5" of sidewall for the best ride.

[elfish16]

My old tow vehicle was an Expedition and had 22" with the low pros on it and it did fine. Never had any issues while towing. I used Goodyears(despite) being expensive as hell!

[yjjustforme]

? About low pros on tow vehicles just look at icconelli and ish they both run em as a matter of fact they match the tires and wheels on there trailers as well. So it cant be too bad. Would I, no because of the fact that if you get a flat out in the middle of nowhere how easy do you think its gonna be to find a spare 22 inch low pro tire lying around?

[Terry Smith]

DAKINE198 hit it on the head!!!! Some people go cheap when replacing 22 so check the UTCG and load range on your specific tires. There are a few manuf. that offer 22 with the correct load range capable of towing.

Thats all you need to do, Terry

[D.SAIKI]

I have Lincoln Navigator with 22" rims with low profile tires for the last 9 years and have not had one problem with them. And I use to fish 4 to 6 days a week from so cal to nor cal! As long as you rotate your tires and balance them every so often your good..I perfer the Toyo 's little pricey but worth it in the long run. The only thing is when your towing your boat and you hit some pot holes at 55 to 65 mph you hold your breath for about 10 seconds hoping you didnt puncture your sidewalls of your tires. 22" rims only look good with low pro tires!

[Leon Pugh]

There is something else to consider also, it may have has a lift kit installed as well. Not all lift kits, butt most change the front geometry in negative ways that cause the vehicle handle and or ride poorly and some will never align properly. For a tow vehicle I would take that into consideration.

[Tony Lain]

Looks cool and performs cool!! I have 24" wheels on my tow vehicle and 20" wheels on my Ranger trailer. After two years, towing from So. Cal to Shasta, Clear Lake, Delta and deep Arizona lakes, no issues. Trailer performs great, just avoid smacking pot holes too hard... "Team Bling"!!!

[calfisher71]

22" tires can work just fine on a tow vehicle, most manufactures make all the new 22" tires in extra load and should handle your weight just fine.

Yes they do have a better chance for blowouts since they have smaller sidewalls.

These tires are truely made for performance sport trucks I would not expect long wear from low pro's.
They have a shallow tread depth to eliminate squirm for better handeling.

What I would be most concernd with is the brand!

There are many low cost 22" in the market and they are cheap for a reason,"poor construction" "poor Quality"

Stick with better branded Tires in 22" like

Bridgestone
Goodyear
Toyo
Nitto


Tires to stay away from are
Wanli
Sunny
Sunew


On the other hand I do not like low pro trailer tires and wheels since trailers have no shocks to absorb any impacts they take.
This makes low pro trailer tires "more likely" to encure sidewall breaks.
Doesnt mean they wont work or handle the load.

Bottom line! Buy quality and you will avoid issues!
40,50,60k boats...
Protect your truck and boat investments!
buy good tires!

http://www.tirebuyer.com

[Paul935]

I have a 2012 Ford Flex with 255/45/ZR20 tyres on it with a max load capacity of 825kg (1819 pounds). My little 13 foot camper weighs roughly 900-1000 pounds , should I get a second set of wheels and tyres say around the 16 or 17" mark with a taller sidewall than a 45% for towing my little camper?

[WRB]

Take aloof at Ish's tow vehicle.
Tom

[toddmc]

It's comical to see the "ballers on a budget" on the side of the road fixing flat tires on their 26" wheels because they can't afford a decent tire, and their wheels cost more than their truck.
I have a 2015 Tahoe with 20" wheels and BF Goodrich All Terrain KO 275-55-R20 tires. The older Bf Goodrich All-Terrain tires didn't have such a bulked up off road sidewall. They had a softer ride for potholes, but the KO's handle better on turns, and also tow well. I had the BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires on my last Tahoe with 18" wheels. I think they rode a lot smoother at speed on CA's bumpy freeways because of the extra sidewall height.
Many of the all-terrain tires are available in 22" sizes, and they make durable and good braking tow vehicle tire. If you want a softer ride, go for the Goodyear Eagles, or one of the other quality tires that come standard on many of the newer full-size truck and SUV's that come with 22" wheels. Buy some 18" wheels if you want the best compromise of cushion and sidewall stiffness.

[SpookFreak]

A bigger wheel is way harder on your brakes as well. Let alone towing a 4000lbs boat.

[biteme]

I towed for years on 24's on my ram. Never one issue. Make sure you stay away from forged rims because they will bend. Cast will break but they are a lot harder.
When I ran a wheel shop MOST of the time the rim was the issue. That and crappy driving lol. No you cant go over a curb with a low profile tire hahaha.

[Marc]

I tow my Ranger Z20 with a 2013 Yukon Denali Hybrid, stock with 22" wheels. Have 135,000 miles and no problems towing.

Potholes are deadly on these wheels whether towing or not. Ruined several tires from California potholes, but not while towing. Suggest getting road hazard coverage when buying 22" tires because of tire cost and ease of damage. Still, I would not shy away from 22" wheels if you like the vehicle.

Now that I learned the dangers, I pay more attention to road hazards to prevent damage, and with my warranty for road hazard I don't worry about the cost if I have damage.

Ciao,
Marc

[fastcat]

Looks good rides like rock. Remember that side wall acts like a shock absorber as well.

[Phillip G Ordonez]

Lol. A little over paranoia in this tread .. I have a lowered 04 Silverado with 305/45/22 Falcon Ziex . 200,000+ miles and I pull a 22’ ski boat typically loaded down the back of my truck bed when camping. No problem at all towing .

[jiggin4bass]

I guess i better not tow my 20' bassboat with my Yugo anymore load range on the tire might not match what in towing.