Anyone still running 24.5" wheels?

I've got 11R24.5 tires on my rig...4.17 rear gears and I'm contemplating swapping them up to 4.42. I do mostly local work, though....in & out of job sites, mines, quarries, etc...

4.17 gears with tall 24's is about the same as 3.73 gears with low-pro 22's.

Whether or not I'd spec a new truck this way or not depends upon which engine I'm getting under the hood and what all I intend to do with the truck. If it is made to run most efficiently in the 1500-1800 range, then yes....absolutely I would spec it this way if I was going to continue to do what I'm doing now. If the engine runs most efficiently down between 1100-1400, though, it would be foolish to do so.

You have to spec your ENTIRE drive train....engine, transmission, rear gears, tire size.....so that the engine is running in it's "optimum" range at your intended typical cruising speed, keeping in mind the type of work you are going to be doing so that you don't spec the wrong engine for the job.

What do I mean by that? If you are going in and out of job sites with soft, uneven ground, you don't want 2.xx rear gears....and if that is what is called for in order to have the engine running at its "optimum" while cruising down the highway, then you either need to choose a different transmission (one with an overdrive) or a different engine (with a higher "optimum" RPM).

Bottom line, the truck needs to be spec'd for what you intend to do with it. Just like I wouldn't want 2.xx gears on a vocational truck, I wouldn't spec an OTR truck with 4.xx gears. First decide what you are going to do with the truck...and then you can decide how to spec it.

 

Yes, I do. 11R24.5's with 3:55 rears and a 13 speed double-over (RTLO-16913A) with .73 final, which gives me 73 MPH @ 1500 RPM powered by an ISX 475. It's perfect for me... doesn't wind up too much at 80 MPH, and gets good fuel economy when I back down to 1400 RPM or so.

Here's a calculator to play around with. It will suggest which transmissions are applicable as you change the parameters of your inputs. http://www.roadranger.com/ecm/groups/public/@pub/@eaton/@roadranger/documents/content/ct_062746.swf

Also, a link to the most popular Road Ranger transmissions, with a ratio listing for each: http://www.roadranger.com/ecm/group...ger/documents/content/rr_rrsl-0001.pdf#page=8

 

Yes, 11R24.5.

As far as ratio, etc...."it depends" would be the answer.

 

I vote to dock Pedigree Bulldog's and Vision Logistics' posts. Good stuff for the guys that are contemplating buying a truck so they can do their homework an buy the right truck for the job they want to do.

 

Everybody knows that the vehicle with the biggest tires always has the right of way...

 

My truck had 24.5s 18spd and 3:55s when I bought it and with a 270 inch wheelbase I'd be scared to lower it with 22.5s.

 

Yep still have the 24.5 talls on my tractor and 24.5lp on my dads. My tractor is a 600 cat, 18spd (rtlo20918b), 3.42 gears cruise 1450 at. 73ish. Dads is a 550 cat 3.70 gears 18spd (rtlo18918b) u don't even wanna know his cruise rpms lol. We don't get much for casings and but I prefer the look of 24.5 rims and the taller rubber works better for cruise rpm as opposed to regearing. I'll probably go to falls on his truck when we put new rubber on it. Does become a pots when you hook up to a trailer with 22.5lp on it though looks goofy.

My truck has enough power to run the short ratio and still pull and get good fuel milage. Dads on the other hand his trucks geared way to slow. His motors a dog to begin with and even with 3.70s out back still won't pull hills worth a ####. It needs to be regeared to be honest and gone back to the factory 3.55s for fuel purposes. He can outrun most company trucks a few owner ops to the top of the hill after dropping half a gear but he burns half a tank on that hill. I would never throw a set of 3.90s or 4.10s in a truck that was pounding pavement 90% of the time rock truck or a log truck go right ahead but for something that's going to run pavement highest I'd run is a 3.70 and even with that is have an old 13 triple over (called a double over) in it. I know an old bullhauler from Iowa that's running a 13 double over on an old big can. He can cruise 75 and only turn 1300 on the tach...if he had the motor he'd have a 110mph truck easy! He said it runs out of motor at about 85 though.