Wheel/Tire Question Blue Bird tc1000

[Hutchy]

-Does anyone know if it's possible and or practical to go from the stock 19.5" wheels and tires that come on a tc1000 to 22.5"?
-2 things to consider are tire clearances, and the actual fitting of the wheel(stud pattern and number of studs etc.)
-Has anyone done this and have experience? Keep in mind no wheel humps just a flat floor.

[fo4imtippin]

$3000 of rubber plus $1500 of rims.


It's going to be a tight fit. I have a TC2000 with 22.5x7.5 rims and lo-pro tires. I had front wheel wells and I lifted the bus 3inches so that I could delete the wheel wells and fit slightly bigger tires.


Your bolt pattern should be a 10bolt hub pilot, so should bolt up fine. Maybe buy a used tire on a rim and bolt it up to test for first. You'll want to turn your steering wheel to check for interference and factor in the bump stops as well.

[Hutchy]

thanks, good advice.

[jimmy649]

If you have to change the hubs A more practical and cheaper approach would be to see if there are any 19.5" tires that are taller. Keep in mind that if you blow a tire, it's nice to have a tire that's easy to find. As for changing the hubs, it might be easier to just swap out the axles, if you can find the same width. Go to the scrap yard and see what you can find. Bribe the yard man $100 if he finds what you need. Then just pay scrap weight prices for your parts.

[Hutchy]

yeah, I'm not doing all that I'm just wondering if anyone has done this with a tc1000. If it's more than just changing the wheels and tires I don't think it would be worth it. I'm just thinking if I could get a little better mileage and lower rpm at cruising speed as well as a little more ground clearance without doing modifications it would be nice when I do need new tires anyway in a few years.

[LargeMargeInBaja]

Originally Posted by Hutchy

... if I could get a little better mileage and lower rpm at cruising speed as well as a little more ground clearance...

.
a)
How tall are your 19.5 tires?
How tall are your proposed 22.5 tires?
Example of ground-clearance gain:
On our ExpeditionVehicle, we went from standard street heavy-truck 22.5 to 50/50 on-/off-road high-profile logger-lug 24.5 wheels/tires for a difference of about three inches (about a fist).
.
To verify clearance:
We had the shop mount one 24.5 wheel/tire on a front axle end to check around suspension components and the fender...
... and...
...we were good.
.
How much does one 19.5 wheel/tire combination weigh?
How much does a 22.5 wheel/tire weigh?
.
My Opinion:
I think your brakes and suspension need to cope with the increased vertical and lateral gyroscopic forces.
I think your proposed swap moves the 'arm' significantly further from the hub, significantly increasing the leverage to those components.
.
Speaking of braking, your proposed increase in rotating mass is significant... and most of that mass is much further from the hub.
Fact, not opinion.
.
b)
I think your mpg will drop because you are turning greater resistance to change -- more weight further from the hub.
.
I think your top-end will suffer because your engine lacks the torque to spin that increased circumference.
The tire shop can compare the 'revolutions per mile' between your choices.
.
.
What could you gain?
A much better selection of sizes and tread patterns.

[Hutchy]

good thoughts, so I really need to consider weight and forces on brakes, suspension. Are the specs on that stuff on a tc1000 really that different from a tc2000 that runs the 22.5's? Makes me think it may be harder on the at545 pulling hills

[La Camioneta]

A 5/6 speed Allison swap fixes those 545 blues.

[Hutchy]

Originally Posted by La Camioneta

A 5/6 speed Allison swap fixes those 545 blues.

yes I would love to do the at545 to 1000 or 2000 series swap eventually

[La Camioneta]

I had it done, B700/5.9 12v is a totally different animal now. Can keep up with most semis on the interstate and pass some. Lockup converter is a helluva drug.