Widest "safe tire width for 15 x 7 rims?

[reamer]

12.5 tire is too wide, correct?

 

[76YETI]

I've always heard max tire size is 2" wider than the rims.... I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I'm no expert !

 

[Wrightracing]

It changes depending on the tire shop and Tire manufacturer. For 15 years Discount Tire Installed BFG 33x12.50x15 AT's on my 15x7 Bronco wheels and then I ran 35x12.50x15 AT's for years from Discount Tire until out of the blue the manufacturer changed their minimum wheel size to a 15x8. Then Discount Tire would not install them anymore, even though I had been a customer buying the same size on the same rim for more than 20 + years. It is completely safe to run 15x7 rims with 12.5" wide tires and I even beat my Bronco to death in the hardest parts of Baja and in the Dunes of Glamis aired down to 10 psi a bit low, but normally around 15 psi.

It did tick me off and I found a tire shop that would still put tires on my 15x7's and I never went back to Discount again. I did get some 15x8 rims for the Bronco, just because the old ones were out dated and I got a great deal on new 15x8 Craiger Soft 8 for $35 each. So I got two sets, one to run and another, I might convert to beadlocks.

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[Yeller]

7's are fine, been being done for a few decades.

 

[DirtDonk]

I've always used a "4 inch wider tire" as my rule-of-thumb, but that did not mean it was not safe to go wider.
In fact the racers used to go wider all the time before beadlocks were more popular and easier to use. They would regularly put 12.50" tires on 7" wide wheels to help protect the rim edge from rock damage and to help keep the tire on the rim when either aired down, or running flat due to a puncture.
A wider tire can very easily peel itself off the wheel during normal use when the pressure gets low.

But as said, most larger tire chains go strictly by the manufacturer's recommendation now. And most of the manufacturers seem to have narrowed their recommendations down to 3" or less.

Paul
Paul

 

[Wrightracing]

Even on my F350 which I was running 16x7 wheels with the metric equivalent of a 35x12.50 BFG AT, Discount Tire would not replace the same worn-out tires they put on the truck in the first place. That just pissed me off even more, because it was my daily driver at the time. They wanted to sell me wheels. That was the only way they would sell me tires. I walked out. I ended up going to Humvee BFG 37"x12.50x16.50 Baja TA 24 Bolt Double beadlock tires. That was 5 year's ago and I'm glad I did, but to heavy of a rim for a Bronco. And the wheel is about 9" wide, but ok with a 37" tire.

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[pbwcr]

Yes 12.5 tire on typical Ford 7.5" rims is perfectly fine.
Been running that combo for 15 years and have no issue and tire wear has always been normal. I have a rig with 10"rims and 13.5" tires also works good.
I have always used the 4"rule like Paul said.
However I see some racers with even skinner rims with no issues.
Having said all the above if you are going road racing on pavement then wide rims are a benefit
To get tires mounted on rims that are less that the tire company recommendations you have to go to a mom and pop tire store - not the big chains.