NT420S 305/40/22 vs NT420V 305/45/22 with 5/7 drop

[langsbr]

Is anyone running a 305/45/22 with a 5/7 drop? I have some rubbing already with a 305/40/22 and didn't want to make it worse, but apparently Nitto's "approved rim width" is 9.5 for the 45 series and 10" for the 40, despite the fact that I've been running 40s on a 9.5 wide wheel FOREVER.
I know they will be 1 inch taller, but how much worse rubbing can I expect since it pushes the sidewall out another half inch all the way around?

@NORCAL SS any suggestions here? If you couldn't go with a 305/40/22, what would you run, if not the 305/34/22?

 

[gat0r]

where are you rubbing? guessing liner & sway bar
going slightly taller may or may not help

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Regarding wheel/tire combinations that will fit your truck without rubbing, no 2 trucks and their suspensions are exactly alike, due to a number of factors including accumulated wear on the suspension components, so there is no guarantee that what fits with no rubbing on one truck will automatically fit with no rubbing on your truck. Other folks' experiences can guide you in one direction or another, but the final test will be when you mount the wheel/tire combination on your own truck.

To assist you in getting a good idea on whether or not specific alternate wheel/tire combinations 'may' fit your truck with no rubbing, I recommend that you use the wheel/tire comparison app at the URL listed below. You can use this app starting with your existing wheel/tire combination as a benchmark, assuming that there are currently no rubbing issues with it, and measure the actual critical fender and suspension component clearances as directed by this app. Then, you can enter alternate wheel/tire combinations, and this app will give you the projected changes in these critical fender and suspension component clearances.

https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/

I used this app for determining whether on not I could use my current alternate wheel/tire combination, and it accurately projected the changes in critical clearances. Again, the use of this app in not an absolute guarantee that an alternate wheel/tire combination will fit without rubbing, but it provides a much better assessment, or projection, than simply an educated guess on your part, or a statement from others that it worked on a truck other than yours.

 

[langsbr]

where are you rubbing? guessing liner & sway bar
going slightly taller may or may not help

I haven't noticed any rubbing on the sway bar, but on the front liner near the firewall - its pretty much rubbed the plastic away. It only happens on turns, and my fear is that going to a tire that is 1/2 taller sidewall will have it rub at even less steering angle.

I think the other option is 285/45/22 but wasn't sure how narrow that would look or if it would affect stability at all. Even it is a 1/4 inch taller sidewall, but with the tire being narrower, it may prevent rubbing at the same steering angle.

@Joseph Garcia thanks for the link - I'll check it out. My main concerns are wheelwell clearance and front and rear liner clearance as those are the ones with the least clearance right now. I don't think suspension clearance is an issue at all. Fender clearance is a concern as well but I figured staying 305, it wouldn't change.

 

[kbuskill]

What are you driving?

Got any pics of your truck?

My Burb is 4/6 dropped and I run 285/40/22s on my 9.5" wide wheels.

 

[langsbr]

What are you driving?

Got any pics of your truck?

My Burb is 4/6 dropped and I run 285/40/22s on my 9.5" wide wheels.

That looks great! Might have to move to a 285/40. I was concerned about ride quality going to a shorter sidewall - how is it? The 285/45 is even a bit taller than the 305/40 which I didn't care for. Here's the only pic I have of her truck right now - 2008 Escalade ESV

The wheels are 2Crave 22x9.5 but the wide lip makes it look like it's smaller than a 22 (to me at least.)

She just got some new wheels - Gima Warriors with a machined lip - still 22x9.5 tho. Hopefully these will clear the ZR1 calipers and 16" rotors.

 

[kbuskill]

That looks great! Might have to move to a 285/40. I was concerned about ride quality going to a shorter sidewall - how is it? The 285/45 is even a bit taller than the 305/40 which I didn't care for. Here's the only pic I have of her truck right now - 2008 Escalade ESV

The wheels are 2Crave 22x9.5 but the wide lip makes it look like it's smaller than a 22 (to me at least.)
View attachment 263182
She just got some new wheels - Gima Warriors with a machined lip - still 22x9.5 tho. Hopefully these will clear the ZR1 calipers and 16" rotors.

View attachment 263183

Thanks!

I think they ride about the same as my stock 275/55/20s. The 285/40 is only a 1/2" shorter sidewall than the 285/45 which is the stock size for 22s on the Esky.

Your wheel having the lip definitely makes them look smaller.

My Burb is an '08 as well.

Keep us posted on the updates. I want to see it with the new wheels and brakes.

 

[Jason in DLH]

Nice rides fellas! What offset are the 2Craves?

 

[langsbr]

They are +30 as well. From what I've found, +30 is what most of the aftermarket wheels run for GMT900s.

 

[langsbr]

The 285/40/22s worked out perfect. Having a shorter sidewall means it rubs less. Yes, they are a bit narrower than the 305s, but not enough to make much of a difference.

Had to get new wheels to fit the brakes

A 22" wheel makes any rotor look small but they are 16".

 

[langsbr]

On another note - the reason I got different tires was because Discount Tire said that the 305s were too big for a 9.5" wheel, despite having put 2 sets of them on the truck in the past. I had only called because their website wouldn't let me order them for an Escalade and I figured it was a way to prevent people from ordering the wrong tires, but no - they absolutely refused to order and install the 305s.

The manager called me a couple hours after I called to try and order them and apologized for the issue. He gave me a little spiel about it being unsafe enough that bad things have happened multiple times, etc. I did mention that they apparently only learned of this 'issue' since they had let me purchase no less than 2 sets of that exact tire previously. He agreed they made a mistake and for the trouble he comp'd me a full set of Nitto NT420V 285/40/22s. I was shocked and not expecting that at all. I've always had excellent service from Discount Tire and this was no different. The technicians took extreme care in mounting them (they are reverse mount so the face has to be down on the machine) and they were SUPER cautious and made sure there were no scratches. I cannot recommend Discount Tire enough.

 

[kbuskill]

On another note - the reason I got different tires was because Discount Tire said that the 305s were too big for a 9.5" wheel, despite having put 2 sets of them on the truck in the past. I had only called because their website wouldn't let me order them for an Escalade and I figured it was a way to prevent people from ordering the wrong tires, but no - they absolutely refused to order and install the 305s.

The manager called me a couple hours after I called to try and order them and apologized for the issue. He gave me a little spiel about it being unsafe enough that bad things have happened multiple times, etc. I did mention that they apparently only learned of this 'issue' since they had let me purchase no less than 2 sets of that exact tire previously. He agreed they made a mistake and for the trouble he comp'd me a full set of Nitto NT420V 285/40/22s. I was shocked and not expecting that at all. I've always had excellent service from Discount Tire and this was no different. The technicians took extreme care in mounting them (they are reverse mount so the face has to be down on the machine) and they were SUPER cautious and made sure there were no scratches. I cannot recommend Discount Tire enough.

I actually just got a set of Michelin 305/40/22s. I hope I don't regret changing sizes due to rubbing.

Michelin doesn't offer a 285/40/22 and the cost of the 295/40/22 was about twice that of the 305 for some reason.

 

[langsbr]

I actually just got a set of Michelin 305/40/22s. I hope I don't regret changing sizes due to rubbing.

Michelin doesn't offer a 285/40/22 and the cost of the 295/40/22 was about twice that of the 305 for some reason.

With the 305s, the truck had basically a half inch of travel before it would rub, and that is after cutting a good portion of the inner fender out. It would rub the firewall side well before full lock, and all the plastic is worn away. I have to spray some paint to cover the exposed metal periodically.

I think there is too much variation in brands of tires to know for sure if they are indeed the same size, but the 305s did fill the wheel well up a lot more. I'm glad to have the 285s since our roads suck so bad here it keeps from scraping much better now. I had considered 285/45/22 but if I recall, that had a taller sidewall than 305/40 and I didn't want to go any taller, so I' grateful for the half inch shorter sidewall of the 285/40s.