17 inch vs 18 inch
- Thread starter Medracr
- Start date
dreadlocks
Well-known member
Go compare the sidewall of an unmounted all season vs an all terrain.. its like over 1/2in of rubber vs hardly 1/16in of rubber.. one easy going loose shale mountain pass can take out multiple all seasons, I've seen it happen.. last weekend in fact, to a friend of mine, took over 12h for the tow truck to haul him away.
When I took off a set of all seasons and put on my All Terrains the difference in sidewall was stunning, unmounted I could deform the all season sidewall with my thumb almost no force, the BFG KO2 I could put all my weight on a knuckle and the tire hardly recognized my existence.
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phsycle
Adventurer
I've seen sticks poke right through KO's as well. Just luck of the draw.
I'm not against A/T's. I have and use them. Just not for a car like an MDX. Which spends 99% of the miles on the road. Give me the more supple sidewalls. Carry a fullsize spare for the 1%.
roving1
Well-known member
Which would be relevant on a vehicle you take to track that otherwise has excellent suspension and a low C of G. On a 4wd vehicle loaded up for a trip? It's not making a significant difference.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
You can deflate the KO's as well and it'd be very unlucky to be taken out by a mere stick.. latest MDX dont even come w/a spare tire, nor did my friend who got 2 flats this weekend.
You dont know what OP's gonna do, I drive an Audi Q7, the supreme grocery getter.. and its been to more places than most of the mall crawlers around here.. not only have the AT's surely saved my ass numerous times, having real truck tires on an SUV has reduced my maintenance costs tremendously.. from $1200 All Seasons every 20-30k, to $700 All Terrains every 50-60k.
My Dad has KO2's on a Grand Caravan, like 80k miles on his tires and his minivan has seen more back country roads and poor weather conditions than >95% of the Jeeps on the road.. Dad took me on a 10k mile expo when I was 16yro in his Chevy Conversion Van w/Street tires, we had 6 flat tires that trip and it'd get stuck in wet grass.. learned young the value of having good tires when your in BFE, aint gonna catch me rolling a flat tire a dozen miles down a lonely badland road again.
phsycle
Adventurer
I think that argument has merit. Especially since we are talking about a sporty crossover, not a true 4WD. Even if we're talking 4WD, loaded for a trip, I'd want stiffer handling/less chance of rolling. But that could be mitigated by airing up as well.
In my opinion, slapping A/T's on a car like an MDX makes no sense as it lives on the road 99% of the time.
shade
Well-known member
Fortunately, there's a wide range of ATs available today, from the relatively lightweight Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac - Load C to a heavyweight like the Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx - Load E. OP can decide if the extra traction of an AT is what's needed, and if so, find one with the desired durability. I mentioned those two because I changed from the first to the second when I decided I needed the additional durability for the places I was going.
Properly inflated with a decent suspension, a good AT should work just fine on the road, with the only penalties being the potential drop in fuel economy and an increase in noise/vibration.
Properly inflated with a decent suspension, a good AT should work just fine on the road, with the only penalties being the potential drop in fuel economy and an increase in noise/vibration.
dreadlocks
Well-known member
One could argue the same thing for 99% of the Trucks and Jeeps w/AT's..
In my opinion, tires above all else dictate where you can and cannot go, not the vehicle.. Good Tires and reasonable clearance will get you further than all the 4x4, Low Range, Locking Diffs, Winches in the world.
I went from 20in All Seasons to 17in All Terrains, and my car is just as capable of smashing corners as it was before.. Ive got dynamic air suspension that drops my car to the ground and it lets me just destroy corners in ways you'd never expect a 2.5ton vehicle, a buddy in his A6 tried to chase me down a 20mile windy road last weekend, he couldn't keep up with me in the corners and his street tires.. Its not like its just going to ruin your handling unless you start upping the OD dramatically..
phsycle
Adventurer
That's true. There are hybrid AS/AT tires out there that may work. I wouldn't say DuraTrac's, but something like Michelin AT2's or something of that sort. My old Tacoma came stock with Goodyear Wrangler kevlars which I'd also say is more of a hybrid tire.
But nevertheless, people are quick to discount the capabilities of a good AS tire. Mine have gotten me to a lot of places (and back).
roving1
Well-known member
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Deleted member 9101
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rayra
Expedition Leader
More of a an issue for performance cars on streets, than off-roading vehicles. More sidewall more better for airing down and smoothing out a rough road. And if you have a roll problem off-road you need to either work on your gear stowage / center of gravity or slow the hell down.
rayra
Expedition Leader
That's basic physics / 'moment arm' and not a design flaw of the tire, as you seem to be thinking of it.
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Deleted member 9101
Guest
Dude, all I am saying is "more sidewall = more body roll." I never said that it was a design flaw. You can argue all the petty details until you turn blue in the face, still won't change the simple fact that what I posted was correct.
