Overview
I choose Alcoa forged 16x8 wheels and 16x9 tires because I wanted to run tall, narrow tires, and still have sufficient tire clearance with a moderate lift. With a heavy vehicle, tall narrow tires work best in muddy conditions and snow because the tire doesn't have to displace as much mud or snow as a wider tire.
Michelin XZL Tires
I was originally running 255/86/16 (33.3 inches in diameter) BF Goodrich Mud Terrain tires. Even though they are rated for 3000 pounds, they wore out quickly on my 10,000 pound truck and I had several flats. In November 2000, I replaced the BFGs with Michelin XZL 16x9 military truck tires. These tires are rated for loads up to 3,750 pounds. They have four steel belts on the tread and one steel belt on the sidewall, and are 36.4 inches in diameter. They are tall, skinny, and heavy duty. I don't have many miles on them yet, but I expect that they will solve my flat tire and tire wear problems. With my truck suspension modifications, I have plenty of tire clearance.
Alcoa Hot Forged Aluminum Wheels
As you may have figured out if you read about my bumpers, I'm a big fan of aluminum, especially aircraft grade and forged aluminum. With excellent strength, light weight and good corrosion resistance, I use aluminum whenever possible on my truck.
On an expedition vehicle, weight is the enemy. I choose forged aluminum Alcoa 16x8 wheels because they are lighter, stronger, more resistant to corrosion and better looking than the stock steel wheels. These wheels are rated at 3,000 lbs. each. Their lighter weight is beneficial when changing tires, and a lower unsprung weight improves the ride.
SmarTire System
It's a big improvement in safety and convenience to be able to monitor tire pressure and temperature from the cab. Read more about the SmarTire system here.
Discount Tire
Besides having the lowest price I could find for both my tires and wheels, Discount Tire has always given me good service. I discovered them several years ago when I took a flat tire in for repair. Even though I hadn't bought the tire from them, they fixed it for free. I called several tire shops looking for the Michelin XZLs, but once again, Discount Tire was able to special order them and had the lowest price.
