Ford Ranger Tyre & Wheel Guide: Sizes, Pressures, Spare, Costs and Best Replacements

The Ford Ranger has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle, which means more Ranger owners are asking the same tyre and wheel questions than for almost any other model. This guide pulls the essentials into one place: factory fitments by trim and generation, the right pressures, what spare you’ve got, what replacements cost, and which tyres suit how you actually use the ute. Every figure here is a 2026 guide — your vehicle’s tyre placard and owner’s handbook are always the final word.

In this guide

• What tyre size does a Ford Ranger use?
• How fitment changed across Ranger generations
• Wheel specs: PCD, offset and centre bore
• Ford Ranger tyre pressures
• Does the Ranger come with a spare?
• Towing, load rating and GVM
• What do replacement tyres cost?
• Best replacement tyres by use
• Rotation, alignment, balance and a care calendar
• Frequently asked questions

What tyre size does a Ford Ranger use?

It depends heavily on the trim and generation. The current T6.2 Ranger (from 2022) spans work-focused cab-chassis variants on small steel wheels through to big-alloy flagships. Here are the common Australian fitments. Confirm yours on the placard — Ford mixes sizes across the range and across model years.

The Wildtrak’s factory fitment is a 255/65R18 with a load index of 111 and an H speed rating on an 18 × 7.5-inch alloy. The Raptor is the outlier — it leaves the factory on genuine light-truck (LT) construction BFGoodrich all-terrains in LT285/70R17, matched to its heavier-duty role. The base work trims keep the wheels small (16 or 17 inch) on purpose: taller sidewalls ride better loaded, cost less to replace, and survive dirt roads better. If you’re reading your own sidewall for the first time, our guide to reading a tyre sidewall decodes every number, and the load index chart explains what “111” actually carries.

Can you go bigger on a Ranger?

Yes, within limits — a 2-inch lift and a jump to 285/70R17 (a nominal 33-inch tyre) is one of the most popular Ranger builds in the country. But it’s a trade: it affects your speedo accuracy, adds fuel cost, and can bring load-rating and GVM considerations into play. The key rule in Australia is rolling diameter: most states allow an increase of around 15mm in tyre diameter (or up to 50mm including a suspension lift under some state rules) before you need engineering approval — confirm your state’s limits. See our dedicated look at the best tyres for a 4WD with a two-inch lift before you commit.

How fitment changed across Ranger generations

If you’ve got an older Ranger, don’t assume current sizes apply. The PX-series Ranger (2011–2022, including PX, PX2 and PX3) and the current T6.2 (2022 on) share a lot but differ in details.

• PX / PX2 / PX3 (2011–2022): base and mid trims commonly ran 255/70R16 and 265/65R17; Wildtrak and higher trims used 265/60R18 on 18-inch alloys. The Raptor (from 2018) introduced the LT285/70R17 BFGoodrich fitment.
• T6.2 (2022 on): the Wildtrak moved to 255/65R18, work trims stayed on 16–17 inch, the Platinum pushed to 20-inch, and the Raptor kept its LT285/70R17 all-terrains.

This matters when you’re buying online or sourcing a second-hand set of wheels: a “Ranger wheel” from a PX3 Wildtrak carries a different tyre size to a T6.2 Wildtrak even though both fit. Always buy to your placard size, and if you’re shopping used rims, read our guide on what to inspect on second-hand wheels.

Wheel specs: PCD, offset and centre bore

Ranger wheels (PX and T6.2) use a 6×139.7mm bolt pattern (6 studs on a 139.7mm pitch circle diameter) — the common “6-stud 4WD” pattern shared with the Everest, many Toyotas and others. That’s why there’s such a huge aftermarket wheel range. Two numbers still need checking before you buy aftermarket:

• Offset: factory Ranger alloys run a positive offset in the region of +55mm. Aftermarket touring wheels often drop to around +20 to +38mm to clear bigger brakes and tuck tyres under guards; too little offset pushes the tyre out and can foul or breach guard-coverage rules. See wheel offset and backspacing.
• Centre bore: the Ranger hub is about 93.1mm. Aftermarket wheels with a larger bore need hub-centric rings to run true, or you’ll chase a vibration that no amount of balancing fixes.

Measuring your own fitment is straightforward once you know how — our bolt pattern and PCD guide walks through it.

Ford Ranger tyre pressures

The number that matters is on your tyre placard — usually on the driver’s door jamb — and it’s a cold pressure (set before driving or after the car’s sat for a few hours). For the 18-inch Ranger trims, placard pressures commonly sit around 2.6 bar (about 38 psi) front and rear unladen, rising at the rear to roughly 3.0 bar (about 44 psi) when fully laden or towing. Lighter, more car-like settings appear on some variants and markets, which is exactly why you follow the placard rather than a generic figure.

A few Ranger-specific pressure notes:

• Loaded or towing: pump the rears up to the placard’s laden figure. An overladen ute on unladen pressures runs hot and wears the shoulders — see what underinflation does.
• Off the blacktop: airing down for sand or corrugations transforms the ride and traction — then reinflate before you hit the highway.
• Heat: an Australian summer can add several psi to a hot tyre — always set pressures cold, and read how summer heat raises pressure.
• TPMS: many Rangers have tyre pressure monitoring; a light on cold mornings is usually just temperature, covered in why your pressure light comes on in the cold.

Does the Ford Ranger come with a spare?

Yes — the Ranger is one of the models that still ships with a full-size spare, slung under the rear tray, across the mainstream range. That’s a genuine advantage for remote travel, and part of why the Ranger is a favourite for touring. Three things to watch:

• The spare is often a steel wheel even on alloy-wheeled trims — perfectly fine as a get-you-home, but it may look odd and weighs a little more.
• If you’ve up-sized your four road tyres, your under-slung spare may no longer match — our guide on matching a spare to all-terrains covers this, and it’s why serious tourers often carry two matched spares for remote trips.
• Check the spare’s pressure regularly; it’s the number everyone forgets until they need it, and an under-slung spare is out of sight for years at a time.

Towing, load rating and GVM

The Ranger is one of Australia’s go-to tow vehicles (3,500 kg braked on most diesel variants), and that puts real load through the rear tyres. Two tyre points matter when you tow or load up:

• Load index: the factory 255/65R18 carries a load index of 111 (around 1,090 kg per tyre). If you fit replacements, don’t drop below the placard load index — it’s a legal and safety requirement. Our tyre rules for towing explains load ratings, GVM and GCM in plain English.
• Pressure: always set the rears to the laden placard figure when the tray’s full or the van’s on. This is the single most common towing tyre mistake.

If you’ve fitted a GVM upgrade, your tyres must be rated to carry the new higher mass — see load ratings after a GVM upgrade. Towing also shortens tyre life through heat and load, as covered in how towing shortens tyre life.

What do Ranger replacement tyres cost?

Prices move constantly, so treat these as 2026 ballpark figures per tyre, fitted and balanced — get a live quote for your exact size:

A full set of four plus a wheel alignment is the realistic spend — often $1,200–$2,500 all-in depending on tyre choice. To compare brands honestly, look at cost per kilometre rather than sticker price — a premium tyre that lasts 60,000 km can beat a cheap one that’s gone at 30,000. Online sellers like Tyroola and chains such as Bob Jane and Tyrepower are good starting points for quotes, and it pays to know the best time of year to buy.

Best replacement tyres for a Ford Ranger

Match the tyre to the job, not the badge. Here’s how the three main categories stack up for a Ranger.

Mostly bitumen (commuting, towing on-road)

A highway-terrain (H/T) tyre is quietest, most economical and longest-wearing. Strong picks in Ranger sizes include the Bridgestone Dueler H/T, Michelin LTX/Primacy SUV range, Goodyear Wrangler and Toyo Open Country H/T. If the Ranger is mostly a tow rig that lives on the highway, an H/T will out-last and out-quiet any all-terrain. If you tow, prioritise load rating and heat resistance — see best towing tyres for a dual-cab ute and best quiet tyres for a dual-cab ute.

Mixed road and dirt (the 80/20 Ranger)

An all-terrain (A/T) is the sweet spot for most touring Rangers. The BFGoodrich KO2/KO3, Toyo Open Country A/T III, Cooper Discoverer AT3 and Falken Wildpeak A/T all have strong followings here, balancing dirt-road durability with acceptable road manners. Our 80/20 road-dirt guide and the BFGoodrich KO3 vs Toyo A/T III shootout go deeper. For an A/T, consider stepping up to a light-truck (LT) construction for sidewall toughness if you tackle sharp rock or corrugations.

Serious off-road

Mud-terrains (M/T) only make sense if a real share of your driving is mud, rock or deep sand — they’re noisier, thirstier and less grippy on wet bitumen. For most owners an aggressive A/T is the smarter choice. Compare the big off-road names in A/T vs H/T vs M/T, and if you want three-ply toughness, read three-ply vs two-ply sidewalls.

Budget-conscious

If budget is tight, mid-tier names like Kumho Road Venture, Maxxis and Hankook offer honest value in Ranger sizes — but check wet-braking data before buying the very cheapest. See premium vs budget tyres for where the money actually goes.

Rotation, alignment, balance and a care calendar

Rangers are nose-heavy and (on the rear) lightly loaded when empty, so the front and rear wear at different rates — regular rotation evens that out. Follow the correct rotation pattern (watch for directional tyres) and have the alignment checked after any lift, heavy kerb strike, or new tyres. Wheel nut torque on the Ranger is in the region of 135 Nm — use a torque wrench, not a rattle gun, and re-torque after fitting.

A simple Ranger tyre calendar:

• Every fuel stop / fortnightly: eyeball for damage; check pressures monthly (cold).
• Every ~10,000 km: rotate tyres; check tread depth against the 1.5mm legal minimum (plan to replace by ~3mm).
• Each service / yearly: wheel alignment check; inspect the under-slung spare.
• Before any big trip: full tyre check, spare pressure, and reinflation gear if you’ll air down.

Comparison: Ranger wheel options at a glance

For touring, many Ranger owners drop down a wheel size (e.g. 18″ to 17″) to gain sidewall and cheaper, tougher tyres — see alloy vs steel wheels.

Common Ranger tyre mistakes to avoid

A handful of errors come up again and again with Ranger owners:

• Running laden on unladen pressures. A loaded tray or hitched van needs the higher rear placard figure — skip it and you’ll cook the rears and chew the shoulders.
• Buying the wrong-generation wheel or tyre online. A PX3 and T6.2 Wildtrak look similar but take different tyre sizes — order to your placard, not the model name.
• Dropping load rating to save money. Never fit below the placard load index; on a 3.5-tonne tow vehicle it’s both unsafe and illegal.
• Ignoring the under-slung spare for years. Check its pressure and age — a flat or decade-old spare is useless when you need it most.
• Big wheels for touring. 20-inch alloys look sharp but punish you on corrugations and potholes; 17s or 18s with more sidewall are the tourer’s friend.

For the full list across all 4WDs, see common 4WD tyre mistakes that cost people money.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard tyre size on a Ford Ranger Wildtrak?

The current (T6.2) Wildtrak runs 255/65R18 (load index 111, speed rating H) on an 18 × 7.5-inch alloy. The earlier PX3 Wildtrak used 265/60R18. Always confirm against your door placard, as fitments vary by model year.

What tyre pressure should I run in my Ranger?

Set the cold pressure shown on your tyre placard — commonly around 38 psi for the 18-inch trims unladen, with a higher rear figure (around 44 psi) when fully loaded or towing. The placard beats any generic number.

Does the Ford Ranger have a full-size spare?

Yes, the mainstream Ranger range carries a full-size under-slung spare. Check it’s inflated and, if you’ve up-sized, that it still matches your road tyres.

What is the bolt pattern (PCD) on a Ford Ranger?

6×139.7mm, with a hub centre bore around 93.1mm. It’s shared with the Ford Everest and many other 6-stud 4WDs, so the aftermarket wheel range is large.

Can I fit 33-inch tyres to my Ranger?

Many owners do, usually with a 2-inch lift and a move to 285/70R17. Mind speedo accuracy, fuel use, load rating and any engineering/GVM requirements for your state.

How much does it cost to replace all four Ranger tyres?

As a 2026 guide, budget roughly $200–$520 a corner for most sizes (more for Raptor LT rubber), plus fitting and an alignment — often $1,200–$2,500 all-in. Get a live quote for your exact size.

All sizes, pressures and prices are 2026 guides and vary by model year, trim and market. Confirm against your vehicle’s tyre placard and owner’s handbook, and get current pricing from a licensed fitter. Sources: CarExpert Ford Ranger specifications and published Ranger tyre-pressure data.

Related guides: Read your tyre placard · Best towing tyres for a dual-cab ute · A/T vs H/T vs M/T · Cost per kilometre · Spare tyre pressure · Tyre rules for towing · Toyota HiLux tyre & wheel guide