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Wheel and tire combo question for 2019 Citadel mild off road use

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Lauren Fanning

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Discussion starter · #1 · (Edited)
I just bought a 2019 Citadel Hemi with 20" wheels. This vehicle will be a grocery getter/kid hauler and weekend horse trailer hauler. The kind of off road use it will see if trying to pull a trailer on a hill on wet grass in a hay field or horse pasture (some muddy spots) with 6000lb trailer attached and pot hole filled gravel roads.

It has a substantial gouge in the side wall of the RF which I don't think will pass the MD inspection it needs in the next 2 weeks.

I'd like a bit softer ride as this thing will never corner faster than my car sick prone 5 year old will allow, and give me a bit more traction in the above conditions and occasional snow than a normal tire.

So I'm thinking of swapping out the 20's for 18's and getting a bit more aggressive tread but I don't exactly know what I should be looking for or what will fit. The brakes look like they might be a tight fit in a smaller rim. Can I keep the 20's and just get a taller tire for a bit more sidewall and what problems could that cause? Any suggestions?

110348
 
#2 ·
Brakes should fit with an OEM 18" rim (my GC has HD brakes and 18s). Aftermarket rims might need a fit check.

The 18s and 20s will have the same outside diameter, so the speedo will still read OK. If you go with a taller 20 you'll need to buy a tuner to get the speedometer to read correctly.

stick your VIN at the end of
https://www.dodge.com/webselfservice/BuildSheetServlet?vin=1J8HR58267C562191
to get your full equipment list.
 
#3 ·
There is no tuner currently available to adjust the speedometer for taller tires.

The 275/55/20 upsize results in a roughly 4% variance between indicated and actual speed.

The Nitto Terra Grappler G2 are a common all terrain tire upgrade as well.
 
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Discussion starter · #4 ·
CTHR said:
There is no tuner currently available to adjust the speedometer for taller tires.

The 275/55/20 upsize results in a roughly 4% variance between indicated and actual speed.

The Nitto Terra Grappler G2 are a common all terrain tire upgrade as well.
Click to expand...
Thanks! That Nitto looks really good. Just watched a video with it on a JGC and it was a nice balanced look. Not too aggressive.
 
#5 ·
I'm not sure how you get a softer ride with a more aggressive tread? A more off-road tire probably has a stiffer sidewall for impact protection. Certainly there will be more road noise with a more aggressive off-road tire than say a touring tire.
Going to 18" wheels should provide a softer ride as you will be able to have a taller tire, with more sidewall. Just don't get a high speed tire, so steer away from H-speed and higher as those will have stiffer sidewalls.
I think it will come down to how aggressive a tire you choose...and I'm not sure how much off-road type tread you really need for those conditions.
Hopefully some have some tire suggestions on how you can have your cake and eat it too.
 
#6 ·
CTHR said:
There is no tuner currently available to adjust the speedometer for taller tires.

The 275/55/20 upsize results in a roughly 4% variance between indicated and actual speed.

The Nitto Terra Grappler G2 are a common all terrain tire upgrade as well.
Click to expand...
What about the Tazer?

Tazer Accessories – Z Automotive

www.zautomotive.com www.zautomotive.com
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
Discussion starter · #10 · (Edited)
Chase300 said:
I'm not sure how you get a softer ride with a more aggressive tread? A more off-road tire probably has a stiffer sidewall for impact protection. Certainly there will be more road noise with a more aggressive off-road tire than say a touring tire.
Going to 18" wheels should provide a softer ride as you will be able to have a taller tire, with more sidewall. Just don't get a high speed tire, so steer away from H-speed and higher as those will have stiffer sidewalls.
I think it will come down to how aggressive a tire you choose...and I'm not sure how much off-road type tread you really need for those conditions.
Hopefully some have some tire suggestions on how you can have your cake and eat it too.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info on the speed ratings.

Yes, there is going to be a balance to strike here between ride quality and tread. Maybe having the additional sidewall height of 275/55-R20 would offset the aggressive tread? It has Bridgestone Ecopia 265/50-R20 on now. It's acceptable quality wise. Not worried about road noise.

I fox hunt and there are around 50 different fixtures we visit in a given year that require pulling off on the side of the road or into a field. After 30-70 trailers have pull off on the same patch of grass it can get to be a bit of a mud fest if the ground is wet. I've been towed out of one before and been nearly stuck another dozen times. The Pirelli Scorpion ATRs on my truck are not quite up to the task of pulling the barest of wet grassy hills let alone mud. The trailer weight makes a big difference and requires more traction.

Oh yeah, sometimes there's snow and ice on the ground, too. If it's really bad they switch to a fixture with better parking options but sometimes it's fine when you start and pouring or sleeting by the time you leave.
 
Discussion starter · #11 ·
Chase300 said:
I'd stick with stock 265/50/20 size, unless you need a bit additional ground clearance?
275/55/20 has 1.4" more diameter.
Click to expand...
More ground clearance sure wouldn't hurt. I'll be the lowest rig out there, might have to ask them to grade the entrance to the club trailer parking as it is, the ruts are so deep it'll be a close call.
 
#12 ·
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#13 ·
1.4" taller is just barely 3/4" more ground clearance.
I found it still helped on the rutted mountain roads I traveled. Then I lifted mine.
 
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#14 ·
Ground clearance is pretty good stock..but what hurts is the lower air dam under the front bumper...its probably 3". Might want to consider removing or just trimming that off...I would if going off road on even a semi-regular basis.
 
#16 ·
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#17 ·
Has anyone confirmed if the 31.9 inch tire for the 20 inch rim or the 32.1 inch tire for the 18 inch rim will also fit underneath for a same sized spare? If it does fit underneath, would it take away a tiny bit of ground clearance because it is a touch wider?
CTHR - How do you like your RRO 2.5 lift kit?
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
previousamigo said:
Has anyone confirmed if the 31.9 inch tire for the 20 inch rim or the 32.1 inch tire for the 18 inch rim will also fit underneath for a same sized spare? If it does fit underneath, would it take away a tiny bit of ground clearance because it is a touch wider?
CTHR - How do you like your RRO 2.5 lift kit?
Click to expand...
Measured my spare this morning and it looks like the hitch encroaches on the spare tire space more than the rest of the trim. Only about 1/2 inch of clearance there with the OEM spare of 31.1" There might be more room on vehicles without a hitch. OEM spare on mine is 255/65R18.
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
Thanks all for the suggestions. With your help on sizing and a few more Google searches I found a thread where @mrbrock72 talks about swapping to 275/55R20 Continental TerrainContact A/T with no rubbing and a softer ride. I have some on order to get put on next Thursday and will update with the results.
 
#20 ·
previousamigo said:
Has anyone confirmed if the 31.9 inch tire for the 20 inch rim or the 32.1 inch tire for the 18 inch rim will also fit underneath for a same sized spare? If it does fit underneath, would it take away a tiny bit of ground clearance because it is a touch wider?
CTHR - How do you like your RRO 2.5 lift kit?
Click to expand...
I like my RRO lift a lot. With the combination of the lift and tires I have gained about 4" of clearance. I can now drive over 8" ruts and not bottom out. Last week I parked on a 10" tall curb area without issue. The mountains I drive in didn't require it, but added a huge safety margin. The only down side of the lift and bigger tires is the gas mileage.
Stock I was getting 24mpg on the highway with the R/T AWD. Now I get about 18 highway and 16 mixed.
 
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Lauren Fanning
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