Upgraded Sprinter Van Wheels: Method Wheels & Nitto ATs

with 19 Comments

The one thing that had to go immediately on our 2016 Sprinter 144 2WD van was those stock wheels and tires. They not only make it look like an ugly delivery van, but the highway tires won’t do us any good once we start venturing off-road. We wanted a tire that would give us more traction in loose conditions, but also be quiet and last long on the highway.

SUPER STOCK

 

Wheel Choice: 17″ Method Race Wheels

We went with the Method MR301 wheels made specifically for the Sprinter van. They are 17×7.5″, have 6.2″ of backspacing with a 50mm offset, and are the Sprinter 2500 6x130mm lug pattern. I was happy to find out they come with lug bolts too so there was no guesswork as to which ones to buy. I purchased my wheels from 4 Wheel Parts. The wait time was forever because, at the time, Winnebago bought up a bunch of Method’s stock for their Revel conversions. Since buying them from 4WP, I have found them on Amazon so that may be a decent resource now.

Method 17×7.5″ MRWMR30177563550

 

Tire Choice: Nitto Terra Grappler G2

For tires, I went with what I knew worked well already, Nitto Terra Grapplers. I run these tires on my Z71 and have about 50,000 miles on them so far. They are quiet, ride great, and offer good off-road traction. The Terra Grappler G2s come with a 65,000-mile warranty and are reasonably priced. I usually buy all my tires from Discount Tire, but this time I decided to just buy them from Amazon. I avoided fees and taxes by mounting and balancing them myself with the help of a coworker. Although the new tires are not E-rated, they are rated at 2679 lbs each which puts them at 10,716 lbs, much higher than the GVWR of 8500.

Comparing Tire Sizes

Since the wheels are 17″ and I wanted one size taller than stock, we chose 265/70/17 tires. That makes these tires about 1″ taller and a little less than 1″ wider.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/

 

Off come the old wheels and tires…

 

Before and After. What a difference!

 

The Perfect Fit

The new size tires and wheels fit the van perfectly. There is zero rubbing and they have plenty of clearance even at full lock.

 

NOW it’s an adventure van!

 

Additional Photos

Updated photos after our build.

 

Wheels & Tires

Nitto Terra Grappler G2 | 265x70x17

Method MR301 wheels | 17×7.5″, 50mm offset, 6×130 Sprinter lug pattern

Comments

comments

Follow Pete:

Do more with less! That is my motto lately. I love getting outdoors and exploring new places, usually on my KTM motorcycle. My wife, Anna, and I recently bought and built out a Sprinter van to do more of the things we love. Traveling and seeing new places is always at the top of our to-do list.

19 Responses

  1. MXSteve
    | Reply

    That sure is a sweet van. I would love to have one.

  2. steve meerdink
    | Reply

    Hey Pete,

    Any issues getting your new Method tires/wheels into the spare tire carrier under the van? I’ve heard mixed reports about these larger tires not fitting. I will probably have snow tires on for winter. If needed, do you think rear chains would clear with these bigger tires?

    Thanks Pete!
    Steve

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Hey Steve. I just kept the stock spare. It isn’t that much different in size in the event of a flat. It wouldn’t cause any issues. I bet one of these 265/70/17s would squeeze in there though. There’s a little room to spare. Chains should clear as well on the rears.

  3. JJ
    | Reply

    Where did you buy the rims? Discount Tire?

    • Pete
      | Reply

      I bought them through 4 Wheel Parts. Last year around Black Friday they had a big sale.

  4. MCG
    | Reply

    Any update on the 17” wheels/tires!
    Would you do again?
    I have sprinter aluminum wheels and struggling with your setup vs keep my wheels with new tires (KO2’s)

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Yep! I love em and would go with them again in a heartbeat. Zero issues and I love the look.

  5. Will
    | Reply

    Pete, Nice job, what would you suggest on tire size if I were to keep the stock 16″ rims?
    WSC

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Thanks Will! If you wanted the same size in a 16″, you’ll want to run 265/75/16. You’ll have just a bit more sidewall, but the height and width will be the same.

  6. Mike
    | Reply

    Unfortunately these wheels no longer come with the required lug nuts. Anyone that orders these wheels will need to order 14mm x 1.5 thread pitch 40mm long tapered seat lug bolts QTY 24. Such a bummer!

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Awe man, that sucks. Thanks for the info update, Mike.

  7. Dirk Archer
    | Reply

    Any chance you have ran chains on the tires yet? I was reading that Utah can require chains on all 4 wheels even on 2WD vehicles.

    • Pete
      | Reply

      I have not. I try to avoid cold spots! haha It seems there is enough clearance though.

  8. Nicolas Torrent
    | Reply

    Hi Pete, I’m about to do the same to my sprinter. Question; did you have to have the tire pressure sensors swapped over?

    I’m going from 245/75/16 to 245/70/17

    Almost identical size tire.

    Cheers!

    • Pete
      | Reply

      I did swap them over but they are worthless because these tires run max at 44 rather than 80 psi, therefore, the tire light is always on. It’s not a big deal and doesn’t bother me though. Many Sprinter guys do the same. I even checked with the dealer and they can’t reprogram new max limits. Pretty dumb.

  9. Mark
    | Reply

    Hi Pete,
    Do the alloys weigh much less than those steel rims (I can’t find the weight of the steel rims anywhere). Interested if this helps with acceleration – I know your tires are +1 so not a direct comparison in your case.

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Hi Mark. I don’t know how much less, but I would say they are definitely lighter than those stock steel wheels. Those things are crazy heavy! I don’t think they play a role in better acceleration. Any time you go bigger you’re changing the gearing to a taller gearing, making acceleration slower but the top speed faster.

  10. Michael
    | Reply

    Pete,
    Really enjoy your posts. I like the look of your tires but don’t do too much off roading, mostly highway and some paved goat roads. Concerned about the tire road noise at speed on the highway. What would you suggest as an alternative in my case? Cheers, MB

    • Pete
      | Reply

      Maybe look at Cooper Discovery ATs then. They are slightly cheaper and less aggressive, however, the Nittos are very quiet on the highway. They are just now barely starting to make any noticeable noise after 25000+ miles.

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