how to know if there's TPMS sensors in used wheels?

[tobyd]

Hi All,

I'm looking at buying some used wheels to have for winter tires. I think these wheels fit (see pic) -- can anyone confirm? I have a 2015 Limited and would prefer 17s for snow assuming they fit.

The other key question is how to know if the wheels have their TPMS sensors in there? These are from a small private used car place, and they say they're not sure and don't know how to check. Could I just take them to a tire place and they run a reader over them?

Cheers,
Toby.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

The wheels should fit,, unless you have installed aftermarket brake calipers that are larger than stock..

You can take a handheld tpms machine and see if they will activate.

Remember ram used two different types of tpms sensors, so they might fire, but you also need to know frequency and if they will mate to your truck. The older sensors are 433 or 434 the new are 315 megahertz.

I suspect you will be buying sensors or dealing with a light during winter, if you aquire

 

[BWL]

A reader, pop a bead and look or mount them on the truck and drive a couple miles and see if the truck picks them up. Also, as mentioned before year matters as they changed the sensors I believe around 2014.

 

[tobyd]

The wheels should fit,, unless you have installed aftermarket brake calipers that are larger than stock..

You can take a handheld tpms machine and see if they will activate.

Remember ram used two different types of tpms sensors, so they might fire, but you also need to know frequency and if they will mate to your truck. The older sensors are 433 or 434 the new are 315 megahertz.

I suspect you will be buying sensors or dealing with a light during winter, if you aquire

I have not, although this truck is new to me. As far as I know, though, they're stock brakes.

A reader, pop a bead and look or mount them on the truck and drive a couple miles and see if the truck picks them up. Also, as mentioned before year matters as they changed the sensors I believe around 2014.

In that case they probably aren't going to work with my 2015. OK, a set of TPMS sensors is ~$100 on Amazon, I can live with that (these wheels + good tires are $300!)

 

[tobyd]

So maybe another question is -- should I run 17s? My truck currently has aftermarket 20s on it, and they're even taller than stock. I'm assuming it came stock with 20s, it's a Limited.


I guess stock is 275/60-20 and I have 295/60-20s -- which are 0.9" taller than stock. Going down to the 17s from current is dropping 2.3" in diameter and -7.3% on circumference. Other than the speedo being off and fuel consumption going up, are there any mechanical problems here?

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

I have not, although this truck is new to me. As far as I know, though, they're stock brakes.



In that case they probably aren't going to work with my 2015. OK, a set of TPMS sensors is ~$100 on Amazon, I can live with that (these wheels + good tires are $300!)

I'd stay away from Amazon tpms. I go factory or deal with the light. Ask me how I know.

 

[BWL]

So maybe another question is -- should I run 17s? My truck currently has aftermarket 20s on it, and they're even taller than stock. I'm assuming it came stock with 20s, it's a Limited.


I guess stock is 275/60-20 and I have 295/60-20s -- which are 0.9" taller than stock. Going down to the 17s from current is dropping 2.3" in diameter and -7.3% on circumference. Other than the speedo being off and fuel consumption going up, are there any mechanical problems here?

If the wheels are 2014 or newer then the tpms should work on yours if they are there. The stock 17s will fit just fine apart from speedo inaccuracy. The rim diameter doesn't matter for that though. Just the tire outside diameter. You can throw 35s on 17" rims. They're still 35" tires same as if they were on 20s. If those are 275/70-17 then they're 1" smaller than stock vs your 1" over at the moment. Not an issue.

 

[tobyd]

I'd stay away from Amazon tpms. I go factory or deal with the light. Ask me how I know.

Asking.

 

[BobSacomano]

There's no guarantee aftermarket TPMS are going to work with your truck, even if the seller says they will. You can buy OEM sensors on eBay for $100 or less. Got mine for $60 in 2020.

 

[GTyankee]

Drive your vehicle over to a Discount Tire or Firestone if you have one
just ask them to use their handheld reader to see if they currently have TPMS installed

When i had my 2009 Dodge Ram 1500, the TPMS used a frequency of 315Mhz

My current 2016 Ram uses 433 Mhz

Make:	RAM
Model:	1500
Model Year:	2019 - 2021
OE Sensor Manufacturer:	Schrader
OE Sensor Number:	68293199AA
Sensor Frequency:	433 MHz

OUCH, big & bright

 

[crash68]

I'm looking at buying some used wheels to have for winter tires. I think these wheels fit (see pic) -- can anyone confirm? I have a 2015 Limited and would prefer 17s for snow assuming they fit.

Those rims will fit but if those Yokohama tires are what your thinking of running for snow you might want to look for some rated for it. Look for tire with a three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) on them.

As for tire size, lots of people mount 285/70/17 on those stock rims without any problems. That size tire is close enough to the factory 275/60/20 that originally came on your truck that the speedo is within 1%

 

[tobyd]

Thanks everyone for the help. In the end I picked up some factory 20s off a 2017, so the TPMS sensors worked automatically.

They have the OEM tires on, which are close to trashed. I'm running them now just to see how they feel as my regular tires are 295/60-20s (pretty huge). The trick now is which Nokian tires to put on it (I have a thread going on that one over here).