Just put some 33x12.5 BFG Mud Terrains on my 96SR...not sure I like them..suggestion?

[KarmannMarco]

Hi guys.
Last year I put 31 x 10.5 General Grabbers on my 97LS.
I like them alot , quiet on the highway , great offroad.... no complaints. But I always wished I'd went with some 33 x 10.5 BGF ATs.
Couple of months ago I added a 96SR to the stable. Came with new but boring 254/75/15s and have been waiting for the right deal to come by for an upgrade.
Last Friday I got an amazing deal on a set of 33 x 12.5 BFG Mud Terrains on a set of Mickey Thompson 10.5" wheels.
Today I gave them a shot to see how they are and I'm not liking them too much.
Besides the noise (which I figured there would be) they look balloony and redneckish ( no offense to any rednecks on here lol )
Also at anything more then 50 mph i feel like the engine really struggles to turn these big tires and wheels. Even my under powered LS doesn't feel this weak with the 31s.
Since this SR is going to be my family driver I want to compromise....
Would a 33 x 10.5 BFG AT feel similar to these beasts as far as comfort/quietness goes ? Or would they be a good in between compromise?
I'm surprised there's such a huge difference between the 31x10.5s and the 33x12.5s.....
Excuse my newbness , these are the biggest tires I've had on a vehicle.
Here's pictures of how it looks.

 

[gaston7]

I've put a little over 1,500 miles on my new 33" X 10.5 X 15 BFG AT's and cannot say enough good things about them. No rub, super quiet, and only noticed a slight power difference. I do have them on my SR so the 3.4L helps. Here's a pic with them on.

Hope this helps.


1995 Montero SR
33"X10.5X15 BFG AT KO

You can always make more money, but you can't make more time. Get out there!

 

[plh]

I've got 33x10.5 on my '93 SR. Its a 3.0l and doesn't feel that sluggish. But not a race car by any means.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Hi guys.
Last year I put 31 x 10.5 General Grabbers on my 97LS.
I like them alot , quiet on the highway , great offroad.... no complaints. But I always wished I'd went with some 33 x 10.5 BGF ATs.
Couple of months ago I added a 96SR to the stable. Came with new but boring 254/75/15s and have been waiting for the right deal to come by for an upgrade.
Last Friday I got an amazing deal on a set of 33 x 12.5 BFG Mud Terrains on a set of Mickey Thompson 10.5" wheels.
Today I gave them a shot to see how they are and I'm not liking them too much.
Besides the noise (which I figured there would be) they look balloony and redneckish ( no offense to any rednecks on here lol )
Also at anything more then 50 mph i feel like the engine really struggles to turn these big tires and wheels. Even my under powered LS doesn't feel this weak with the 31s.
Since this SR is going to be my family driver I want to compromise....
Would a 33 x 10.5 BFG AT feel similar to these beasts as far as comfort/quietness goes ? Or would they be a good in between compromise?
I'm surprised there's such a huge difference between the 31x10.5s and the 33x12.5s.....
Excuse my newbness , these are the biggest tires I've had on a vehicle.
Here's pictures of how it looks.

View attachment 228946
View attachment 228948

In addition to a much higher rolling resistance and wind resistance you added about 30-40 pounds per corner, what did you expect the result would be? You can try airing them up to 35psi and see if it helps, but best bet would be swapping in 33x10.50 or 33x9.50 tires. The older KM's are noisier than the newer design, not to mention I would be worried about running tires that old on a family rig.

 

[KarmannMarco]

what did you expect the result would be?

I didn't expect anything given my limited large tire experience. I was just giving them a try because I got them for less then the price of one of my 31s.
I think I'll sell these and save my cash for a fresh set of skinnier 33 BFGs.
I've seen lots of great comments on the 33 x 10.5s BFGs and hoped these being only a bit wider they would not be so very different.
Thanks for the advice guys!

 

[nwoods]

I personally think the 10.5 width is the way to go. A lot less weight to rotate and motivate, less drag, better gas mileage and better weight distribution for traction on the trail (more pressure per square inch).

 

[JordanM/S]

Just put some 33x12.5 BFG Mud Terrains on my 96SR...not sure I like them..sug...

I'm glad you switched wheels, those silver Mickey thompsons? Looked horrid, the black wheels are looking pretty sexy though


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[jeep-N-montero]

I'm glad you switched wheels, those silver Mickey thompsons? Looked horrid, the black wheels are looking pretty sexy though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I think you are looking at 2 different Monteros.

 

[jdavis]

If the rig is going to be family driver why are you going with the 33's? As you found out, they are going to rob power, gas milage, etc... The 31s are great on road and have decent off-road manners, why not stick with them? Nothing is being gained by going larger.

I've run 31x10.50, 32x11.50 and 33x12.50 on my 94 SR for extended periods of time. Out the of the 3 sizes of tires I ran on the stock rims, my preference is the 32x11.50. The little wider stance felt more stable and comfortable on and off road. The 12.50s can make the steering a bit harder - I keep mine aired up to 35/38psi to counter.

As far as the tires looking "balloony and redneckish" a different set of rims will help that. I ran the 33x12.50s on stock rims and they were completely tucked into the wheelwell and looked rather small. Most folks did not believe they 33x 12.50 until they looked closely at them. I'm running 33x12.5 on 8 inch rims now and like the look. They fill the wheel nicely, rarely rub - especially since the 2" body lift was installed.

~ Jon

 

[KarmannMarco]

I've seen lots of family rigs on here with 33 x 10.5 and it seems everyone has nothing but good comments about them.
I was simply trying these 33 x 12.5 to see how they were not knowing what to expect.
I've already taken them off the truck.
I've got 31s on my Gen 2 LS. I do like them alot but I am selling that truck.
I also have an SR (the truck in question) and wanted to try something bigger because how well mannered the 31s are. I like the look of the 33s.

 

[PajEvo]

In addition to a much higher rolling resistance and wind resistance you added about 30-40 pounds per corner, what did you expect the result would be?

JeepNmontero, your subtlety is as refined on here as it is on the 'wire. LOL. :friday:

I've put about 200,000 kms on 33x1050s in the last 8 years. 100k or so on BFG AT's on my swb gen2 diesel (the smaller 2.5) and another 100k or so with BFG MT's on my LWB gen2 (larger 2.8) diesel. Neither of these engines has gobs of hp, but they did have the gearing to deal with the increased diameter. As far as 15" wheels go, I think they are the best compromise out there. I think all tires are a compromise of one sort or another, but these do much everything okay. Not that heavy compared to the wider ones, which improves acceleration, and especially braking.

My previous tires to these were 33x1250s behind a LWB 3.0L, and before that 33x950s on a SWB 3.0. 1250s were too heavy for my liking, and the 950s were too narrow IMHO. I once lost three beads in one hole. And that's with a 6" rim.

Anyways, back to the 33x1050s. If I had to choose, I'd probably give the AT's the nod for all around wear and performance, esp noise levels. But that depends on your needs. Offroad, the MT's were king. BUT overall, I am starting to think that a similar size in a 16" wheel is a better choice. I always felt the sidewall roll was excessive on the 33x1050s, as well as the bulge, no matter how much air you put in. In addition to that, they were never good balancing tires, on multiple rims. A 16" wheel would give you a very similar footprint (285 tires?) but with less sidewall to move around on you. Again, one guy's opinion... YMMV

Phil

 

[stioc]

I think the BFG AT 265/75/16 is a great tire/size for a dual purpose ExPO style truck. It's what comes from the factory on the Nissan Xterra OFFROAD edition and the FJ Cruiser's Trail Teams Edition. I wish I'd gone to that size on my truck too rather than the narrower 235/85/16 but at the time was on a 'I like them tall and skinny' kick lol.

 

[nwoods]

I think the BFG AT 265/75/16 is a great tire/size for a dual purpose ExPO style truck.

Careful Sarwat. You don't want to be accused of blasphemy. The BFG AT is officially out of favor now. You need to keep up with your reading! LOL

 

[stioc]

Careful Sarwat. You don't want to be accused of blasphemy. The BFG AT is officially out of favor now. You need to keep up with your reading! LOL

When can I borrow your issues to keep up with my reading :chowtime:

Speaking of which I need to return your book next I see you, thought you'd manage to make it to Monache on Jun 13th with us.

Sorry about the hijack guys, now back your regular programming...