2500HD 2wd 4l60e tranny and meaty tires help needed

Question, I've got a 2005 Chevy 2500hd crew cab. It's a 2wd work truck with a 4.10 rear-end and a 4l60e tranny. It's got a 6.0L lq4. I was told that 35" tires is the biggest I can go with any 2500, but other info has me thinking this may not be so. I would like to try a set of 38's but dont want to waste the money if I have to pay for more than tires. Help Me!!!  

dudleydowright10:
Question, I've got a 2005 Chevy 2500hd crew cab. It's a 2wd work truck with a 4.10 rear-end and a 4l60e tranny. It's got a 6.0L lq4. I was told that 35" tires is the biggest I can go with any 2500, but other info has me thinking this may not be so. I would like to try a set of 38's but dont want to waste the money if I have to pay for more than tires. Help Me!!!

If you put 38s on the truck without regearing the axle that tranny will not last very long at all. I would say to go with 5.13 gears with 38s to be about where you are stock. If not, overdrive will have a hard time staying in gear and it will start out really sluggish. If it is 2WD atleast you only have one set of gears to buy  

I have a 2003 Chevy 2500 4x4 ext cab. The biggest tire you can get on front will be a 33" stock! The back is a different story. Anything bigger and you will need to lift,trim and regear.  

Well what would be the biggest I can go without re-gearing? How much would a 5.13 rear end cost if I did it myself?  

OK IM A CRAZY GEAR HEAD...I HAVE INSTALLED MY OWN TURBO UPGRADE,COLD AIR INTAKE,CONVERTED MY TWO WHEEL DRIVE F-250 TO A F-350 ONE TON FOUR WHEEL DRIVE,WELDED A STRAGHT PIPE TO MY TURBO BACK BUT ONE THING I WOULD NOT DO IS INSTALL MY OWN GEARS! THERE IS A MILLION WAYS TO INSTALL AND SINK THEM UP WRONG!AND ONE WAY TO DO THEM RIGHT.AND I HOPE OTHERS SUPPORT ME ON THIS STATEMENT! BUT YOU WONT PAY TOO MUCH SINCE YOU ONLY HAVE ONE AXLE TO DO(2WD)DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU GO TO TO A AFTER MARKET POSI TRAC UPGRADE? IT COST ME 900 PER AXLE BUT I WENT TO A AFTER MARKET POSI TRAC IN THE REAR WHICH WAS USED OUT OF A WRECKED TRUCK. I HAVE TO AGREE WITH 33s STOCK WHICH WOULDNT BE MUCH STRESS ON THE TRANNY SO NO NEED FOR GEARS! AND THEY SHOULD FIT WITH NO LIFT AND NOT RUB WHEN TURNING WHICH IS YOUR REAL PROBLEM! WITH A TWO WHEEL DRIVE AND A WANT FOR A MEAN LOOK I WOULD GO WITH 33s AND A BODY LIFT OF TWO INCHES AND USE A GAP HIDER KIT WHICH IS A GOOD WAY TO GO FOR A TWO WHEEL DRIVE.BUT IF BIG IS THE WAY YOU WANT TO GO 35s NEED A LIFT OF 4 INCHES,37s ALIFT OF 6 INCHES,38s-6 INCES LIFT AND 2 INCHES OF BODY OR 8 INCH SUS. LIFT ..........I HAVE A TEN INCH LIFT BY FABTECH AND I CANT EVEN USE MY DAMN BED! SO IF ITS YOUR WORK TRUCK DONT GET TOO CRAZY!!!!!I KNOW THE GEAR INSTALL DOESNT SOUND HARD BUT ITS REALLY COMPLICATED IF YOU HAVENT DONE A FEW WITH HELP FROM A PRO AND EACH APPLICATION IS A DIFFERENT PATTERN TO MATCH AND THEN THE RIGHT SPACEING IT GETS *** REAL QUICK..GOOD LUCK -DJ DIESEL  

P.S. IF YOUR GONNA GO WITH 38s YOURE GOING TO SPEND ALOT OF MONEY I SPENT 4,OOO ON MY LIFT KIT FOR MY 4X4 WITH TRACK BARS AND CUSTOM SHOCKS WITH RESI.FOR A LIFT OF 10 INCES AND ANOTHER 2,OOO FOR MY GEARS INCLU. INSTALL NOT TO MENTION TIRES & RIMS I HAVE SOME T.S.L. RADIAL SUPER SWAMPERS 37.12.5 ON 16 INCH RIMS WHICH WAS ANOTHER 800 USED. I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION YOUR BRAKES ARE GONNA HATE YOU! YOU WOULD HAVE OR SHOULD UPGRADE. I LUCKED OUT MY SUPER DUTY FORD CAME STOCK WITH LARGE DISK BRAKES FRONT AND REAR. I HAD AN 04 CHEV TWO WHEEL DRIVE AND WENT THROUGH WHAT YOU ARE BUT I LUCKED OUT AND WRECKED IT.  

Well I've got a 6inch fabtech lift, and a 3 inch performance accessories body lift. So I've got plenty of room, I just don't want to spend the money to regear for larger tires. I need to know what is the biggest I can go for tires without having to regear (33s are small as hell). It's a work truck by definition but I don't plan on using my bed. I'm almost 20g's into this truck already and regearing wouldn't be a problem if I had the cash, but unfortunately the green river has run dry.  

AAAAHHH GOT YA I DIDNT REALIZE YOU HAD THE LIFT ALREADY SO IM A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR URGE TO GO BIG... WHAT HAPPRNS WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRAN IS YOUR TRUCK WILL TAKE OFF ALOT SLOWER AND PUT STRESS ON THE BANDS AND WEAR THEM OUT QUICK....BANDS ARE BASICLY RINGS OF DOUBLE SIDED SAND PAPER THAT LOCK UP SLOWLY....MY BUDY AT THE TRANS REBUILD SHOP SAID ....35s ARE ABOUT THE MAX FOR YOUR SETUP WITHOUT WEARING OUT YOUR TRANNY(I DIDNT REALIZE YOU HAD A LIFT THATS WHY I SAID 33s ,WHICH ARE HELLA SMALL) NOW I HAVE FREINDS WHO HAVE PUT 37s ON WITH OUT REGEARING AND THE ONLY TROUBLE THEY HAVE HAD SO FAR IS TAKING OFF SLOW IN 1ST. GEAR AND LOST FUEL ECONOMY SO GO 35s BUT IF YOU MUST GO WITH 38s YOU WILL BREAK U JOINTS IF YOU OFF ROAD ROUFLY AND WEAR OUT YOUR TRANNY IN HALF THE TIME BUT PEOPLE DO IT AND REGEAR WHEN THEY GET THE MONEY...JUST DONT DO IT FOR LONG!        SO THE ANSWER IS 35s   OR    38s BUT REGEAR AS SOON AS YOU CAN AFORD TO WITH 38s !!  I KNOW IT SUCKS BUT I HAVE BEEN THERE! I WANTED JUST A 6 INCH LIFT NOW I GOT 10 AND AN ENDLESS MONEY PIT!!! GOOD LUCK!!