[DogOnBoard]

We had pictures from Detroit. The show truck tires were Firestone Destination A/T 265/60R18s. Honda turned the raised white lettering to the inside, and you could see that the lettering was partly rubbed off. Joe said he was told by a Honda rep that was the largest tire size that would fit with the limited clearance, and even then there was some rubbing. He was also warned that different brands of tires in the same 265/60R18 size may not fit because the clearance was so tight that variances among tire manufacturers could be an issue. It was then that we learned the stock tire would be the same as the Pilot (245/60R18) and the hope of gaining some ground clearance with the Gen2 began to fade. For me, it was the day the music died -- I would have driven my Chevy to the levy but I don't own one.

 

[DogOnBoard]

...If you were to replace the factory wheels with a set with a +35 offset, that would push the wheel 2cm toward the outside of the vehicle. This would likely push the wider tire outside of the fender well and presumably lessen fuel economy as a result (and some states might make you get fender flares), but it seems like it also might keep it from rubbing. It would also change the contact patch of the tire in relation to the vehicle, which could cause a slight increase in tire wear while turning. What other potential problems might I be missing and how significant would any of them be?...

I'm no expert on tire swapping either, generally having not gone up more than one tire size on any truck I've owned. There are others here who have experience with these issues, but none with the G2 RL, so it's gonna take some experimenting to get those answers.

Your logic seems sound to me, and the idea of a wheel with more offset has been mentioned as a possible work-around for larger tires. There's a standard warning in the G2 owner's manual about mounting any tires other than the factory-recommended size. Both Vehicle Stability Assist and anti-lock braking could be affected. (If those are compromised, it seems like Honda Sensing safety features could also be in play.) Is that warning just liability protection for Honda? How much difference could a slightly taller/wider tire really make? Who knows, but pushing each tire out by 2cm (0.8") might be significant.

When Joe had connections with Honda insiders, he may have been able to get off-the-record advice regarding some of these issues. That seems unlikely now.

 

[DogOnBoard]

This seems somewhat hypocritical on Honda's part since they debuted the truck with larger than factory recommended tires.

I totally agree! And the only way for Honda to redeem itself is to give us a trim package (call it Sport-X, Adventure or something else if they're so adverse to "Off-Road") with the necessary tweaks for 265/60's and enough room for limited-clearance chains. We'd then have a respectable 8.4" of ground clearance. :act024:

Back to the real world. Honda will dismiss any criticism about putting those larger tires on the auto show trucks by saying those were pre-production vehicles not meant for use on public roads. There was no implied guarantee that the tire size would be correct. Any and all specifications are subject to change until they officially release them. So go shove it, you whiners! (snark...and sorry I broke my promise to stop ranting about this...I just gotta let it out once in awhile.)

 

[DogOnBoard]

Interesting discussion on related wheel thread:

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/138-second-generation-2017/139265-wheels-snow-tires.html

 

[DogOnBoard]

...Not many choices on All Terrain tires in 245 Or 255 60R 18.... I see Nitto Terra Grappler AT,, which has some side wall interest and aggress tread...Anyone else find anything in AT that looks nice an is not too noisy?

The 255/60X18's run about a half-inch taller than stock 245/60X18's and should fit in the G2 wheel well, but you probably won't have enough room to mount tire chains on them if you ever needed to. Just be sure your tire man will stand behind his promise that they'll work without any rubbing.

I've been cruisin' TireRack.com and I know what you mean about limited AT selection in those two sizes. The Hankook Dynapro AT-M is available in P255/60X18 and worked well for me when I had them on my Ranger. However, for off-pavement travel, I prefer the LT (10-ply) version of that tire, which isn't available in size 255/60X18. But if you don't really need the more aggressive tread and would prefer a smoother, quieter ride, the P-series Dynapro AT-M might be worth considering.

I have heard good things about the Terra Grappler ATs. Did you find them in 255/60X18 size? As noted, they're beefy and aggressive, so they'll likely be noisier and stiffer than the G2 RL's OEM Firestones. Good luck and please let us know what you decide and how they work out!

 

[DogOnBoard]

I see that now. I did a little comparison of these 18" tires:

OEM FS Destination 245/60 - 29.6" diam; 9.8" width; 105H (130 mph rated); no rubbing.

HK Dynapro AT-M 255/60 - 30.0" diam; 10.2" width; 107T (118 mph rated); probably won't rub.

NT Terra Grapplers 255/60 - 30.0" diam; 10.3" width; 112S (112 mph rated); probably won't rub.

Firestone Destination A/T 265/60s (on show trucks) - 30.5" diam; 10.7" width; 109TSL (118 mph rated); slight rubbing.

 

[DogOnBoard]

...Offset? You are going to be adding more weight and you are going to be carrying that farther out. It will definitely put more stress on suspension / components but who knows if this will really have much impact on longevity.

A lot of good points raised in your post...with many ROCers going the route of larger/heavier tires and less wheel offset, I think we are going to get an answer on the question of suspension/drivetrain stress. I'm hoping for mostly positive outcomes.