16" tire for the rubicon. Suggestions?

[BIGdaddy]

Anyone thats taken their rig over the Rubicon (or similar) trail recently have suggestions?

Looking for this info:

-Tire size
-Load rating
-Lift required (I've got 2", will likely go a bit higher soon)
-Brand

Looking at something like a 31-32" - 9.5 or 10.5, which in a 16" tire would translate to a 245-85R16 if I'm not mistaken, right?

I don't want to have two sets of tires, so this would need to be a DD tire, too.

I'm thinking BFG A/T's are hard to beat, but open to suggestions. Maybe Goodyear MT/R's? Not sure of their road manners...

 

[jonwanner]

Almost no one makes a tire that size. Trying to stay that narrow a 255/85r16 is as close as you are going to get but its closer to a 33". Few manufactures offer that size. Bfg is about it and i beleive its an e rated tire. Going to a 265/75r16 is about 31.5" and offered by many more manufactures in both c and e rated.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Almost no one makes a tire that size. Trying to stay that narrow a 255/85r16 is as close as you are going to get but its closer to a 33". Few manufactures offer that size. Bfg is about it and i beleive its an e rated tire. Going to a 265/75r16 is about 31.5" and offered by many more manufactures in both c and e rated.

Thanks for that clarification. Yeah, not stuck on the specific size, just looking in that range, and wanting to stick to a narrower tire.

 

[206WJ]

Im on a wj, but I run the Goodyear mt/r's and love them. They handled rocks well at 8psi and I just tear through snow and mud too. This is currently my dd too, and very little road noise with them. With the Kevlar sidewall you can deflate the crap out of them when needed too.

 

[BIGdaddy]

Im on a wj, but I run the Goodyear mt/r's and love them. They handled rocks well at 8psi and I just tear through snow and mud too. This is currently my dd too, and very little road noise with them. With the Kevlar sidewall you can deflate the crap out of them when needed too.

Yeah, a couple XJ guys in my club just ran it with a mix of MT/R's, older bfg AT's, and the newer KM2's and because there was still some slush on the trail, the MT/R's did awesome according to his trip report.

What kind of mileage (tread wear) you getting, or expecting out of them?

 

[skysix]

Thanks for that clarification. Yeah, not stuck on the specific size, just looking in that range, and wanting to stick to a narrower tire.

235/85R16 come in load range E with strong sidewalls for rock scars - how heavy is your rig?

Military Michelin XL's (directional off road) come in a 7.50x16 which is about a 32", essentially a 190/100R16, used on Landrovers around the world. You might also look at their XZL (non directional, on/off road) you can get in 8.25x16 which is about 34", essentially a 210/100R16. The XZL pattern is also available (non-directional, on/off road).

 

[jscusmcvet]

I have just started running a new set of BFG KM2's. To be honest, I cannot see why anyone would run the all terrain BDG with this one available. Silent on road, so far great traction off road, although I have not had them in deep mud. I also ran a set of Grabber AT2 on the Land Rover I had and they were excellent on and off road.

Good luck.

John

 

[nwoods]

The KM2 is an impressive tire, but I think the MTR might be a bit better in snow. Brian, I had KM2's on my LJ for 20,000 miles with LOTS of really hard trail use, and the lugs looked new. My buddy runs them on his daily driver 4runner and gets about 50k miles per set (on his third set now). They stick like glue in the rocks, hold a bead well, and ride smooth and balance extremely well for such an Agressive tire.

I'm currently driving a 94 4Runner that I've put only about 1200 miles on this month, and it's running BFG AT's. I think they are way too stiff. I'm sure they are bulletproof, but I far prefer the ride of the KM2!

 

[brianjwilson]

The km2s are hard to beat. I just sold my f150 with 35" km2s that had about 47k miles on them, with a little under 1/4" tread depth. This is with 4.56 gears, a Detroit locker and very heavy right foot. They were smooth, quiet and worked great in virtually everything I threw at them, dry, wet, hot, cold, snow, ice, mud, sand, etc. They do have a softer carcass than the mtr but they are also lighter in most sizes and plenty pliable when aired down. I'm now running 35" km2s on the Jeep, and I think it's the first time I bought the same tire twice. Great all around tire.

 

[iMTB]

235/85R16 come in load range E with strong sidewalls for rock scars - how heavy is your rig?

Military Michelin XL's (directional off road) come in a 7.50x16 which is about a 32", essentially a 190/100R16, used on Landrovers around the world. You might also look at their XZL (non directional, on/off road) you can get in 8.25x16 which is about 34", essentially a 210/100R16. The XZL pattern is also available (non-directional, on/off road).

http://www.roversnorth.com/p-11066-tire-michelin-xzl-750-x-16-radial.aspx $366 a tire!!!

 

[BIGdaddy]

http://www.roversnorth.com/p-11066-tire-michelin-xzl-750-x-16-radial.aspx $366 a tire!!!

haha, yeah, THAT's a bit out of my price range.

 

[brianjwilson]

You could probably save a lot of money on rubber if you switch to 15" wheels. You may even pay the same for new 15" wheels and tires as you would for 16" tires alone. You'll also have more size options with lower weight ratings (31x10.50 or 33x10.50) rather than the E rated tires you're likely to find in a 245/75/16 or 255/85/16.

 

[dumprat]

For my money I would run a 235/85-16 E rated. Your XJ is quite a bit heavier than a standard tj. The 235 is a super common size of tire. If you damage one you can find replacements everywhere. An E rated tire will be a lot tougher on the side wall than a C rated tire. And if you run reasonable tire pressure 28-35 psi will ride just fine. Do you know how to "Chalk" a tire for contact patch? Most people run their tires at what ever max pressure is on the side wall which is incorrect.

 

[reece146]

BFG AT vs Duratrac I'd go Duratrac.

265/75-16 is roughly analogous to a 32x10.5x16.

 

[JIMBO]

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