"Skinny" tires on a Full-Size?

[crawler#976]

Way back in the 70's when I started my 4x4 experience, the best tires available were true pizza cutters. The standard was a bias ply L78-15LT for a half ton, or a 7.50-16LT for a 3/4 or 1T traction tire. I remember the first set of radial mudder's I ever saw - the ubiquitous BFG Mud Terrain. The difference in performance was huge, and over the years, I've had no reason to go back to the tall skinny type tire. But, in '12 I tried it on Miss Rubi, our JKUR - got a set of 255/80-17 BFG KM2's. They were only on it for a few thousand miles, went back to a standard 285/70-17. It didn't take me long to remember why I'd switched all those years ago. Guess I just like the wider foot print.

 

[98dango]

My dad has run Q 78 BuckShot tires almost my entire life. 35.5 tall 10" wide and they work for him me not so much. I have seen him run sand dunes all day with street pressure but my dad is 62 years old and he has run them my 32 years on this planet so he knows them. We will swap trucks on occasion with in 20 we are both wanting our own truck back. I love the narrow look and if there where more options my dd truck would have them in the winter.

 

[Stumpalump]

I ran BFG 255x85x16 MT for a while on the van. They did fine except for hi way but I'm heavy. I've since gone to Michelin 265's because I use it on the road.

 

[F350]

255 KM2's on my rig. They work well for what I do since I'm limited in options.... and no spacers needed.

 

[xbox73]

I run Toyo MTs in 17 x 13.5 x 37, Load range E, 10 ply, 4,350 lbs weight capacity per tire, on a lifted diesel Ford Excursion. 13.5" width corresponds to ~ 345 metric. Aired down to ~ 20 psi, they are probably closer to 400 metric wide, and I was able to climb the sand dune adjacent to Chocolate Thunder at KOH, in 4x4 low, with lockers front & rear. On road, I need to run the tire at max pressure = 65 psi to avoid tire squirm under hard braking at high speed, but at max pressure they perform well.

It all depends on the terrain. I live in SoCal, and for the street, and typical gravel & occasional sand we see around here, a wide tire is beneficial. If I lived in an area that frequently had snow, a thinner tire that could cut through the slush to the pavement below might be a better choice.

 

[HenryJ]

Tall and skinny works well around here. High mountain desert of the Owyhees and beyond. Just put a set of 285/75-17 Nitto Terra grapplers on my Avalanche tonight.

Smooth as glass. Balanced out perfectly with 7oz Dynabeads. Daytime shots tomorrow.

 

[bloodyWEST]

i run the same 34x11.5 17 Nittos on my 2500 dodge. it really seems to struggle in the sand, even at 20psi, but it drives great on the highway at 60-70psi

do you guys think the wider tires ride better(smoother) on gravel/choppy roads?

 

[COCHEV]

I put 238x85x16 Toyo ATs on my old burb last year. Resisted the urge for fat tires. Was using the truck for work only and driving a lot over the pass in the winter. This is the factory original size tire that the burb came with. Love them. They don't look as cool, but they do what they do excellent. Great in the rain, snow and ice. I started pulling my trailer with my 04 Tahoe now, so I'm thinking of swapping them over to that rig so I can "play" with the burb more...

 

[redthies]

Nice suburban Cochev. It's the perfect platform to "play with". You have owned it a long time? That makes it even better. I assume you have seen Larry's thread on his 350/465 burb?

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...-“Polar-Bear”-1989-V2500-Suburban

 

[COCHEV]

Thanks! I've only had it about 2 years. I'm the 4th owner. Its been an Oregon rig its whole life. Almost no rust. Its a stripped down model- no carpet, manual trans, windows etc.

And yes, Larry's rigs are awesome. We are both over on CK5 as well

 

[Townsend]

Loving all the photos and info guys. When the time comes, I'll likely be going with skinny tires on some powdercoated black steelies. Definitely my favorite look by far! Never seen it on a tahoe but I think it would look nice.

 

[HenryJ]

Daytime.

Measure 33" tall mounted. Finally got my speedometer calibrated and 33" is as close as it comes, so that agrees.
They look a little more aggressive than the photos reveal. Less so than the BFG TAKO they replaced perhaps. I am surprised that they actually ride and handle better. Still need to weigh the old BFGs and see what the difference might be there.

Thought I should link some other information relevant to "skinny tires" and tire selection:

Here is an article on expedition tires by Scott Brady of Expeditions West - Tire Selection for Expedition Travel- A white paper
Here is an article on airing down: Offroad Tire Pressure Guide
I goes through how to check for your optimum aired down pressure.

ARB USA - The Lowdown, Off Road Tire Pressures

Narrow tire:
Less rotating mass- Easier to start and stop
Less reciprocating mass- Easier to dampen
Less wind resistance- Better economy and range
Less rolling resistance- Better economy and range
Easier to fit a taller/narrower tire with less lift
Lighter spare
Lighter tire
Lighter wheel
Less unsprung weight
Less weight and leverage on steering components, bearings, etc.

In terrain:
1. Less frontal resistance in mud and sand. Where is most of the increased contact patch (for flotation) gained? In the length, not the width. Tall and narrow allows for more length and greater deformation with less resistance.

 

[Skwerly]

Cool thread.

So how big in inches are these tires? A 315 is about 35 inches? Following this subject closely lately for my Ramcharger.

 

[MT6bt]

Another options is Toyo mt/ or atII in a 285/75//18. They are 35 inches tall and fairly narrow, they also come with a 4000 lb. load range.

I am running this exact combo right now. I like how surprisingly light they are with my XD wheels. I mean, surprisingly light! Ride quality(well...it's a dodge...so..meh) is quite nice since there is so much sidewall. However, the tallness of the tires in combination with the 3.55 auto makes for an inefficient setup(I hit ideal RPMs in OD at 75mph. 1750 RPMs). Which is too much speed. On the other hand, I can cruise in DD at 52mph and still be below 2000 rpms.
Also, even though my truck weighs about 7500 lbs, I believe the 285s are still a little too wide when the truck is unloaded. However, when I have 2500 more lbs in the back, they're perfect!
Treadwear on the toyo ATs I'm not very impressed with. They seem to burn pretty fast. I am wondering if that is because of more weight displaced on less area?

 

[Townsend]

Cool thread.

So how big in inches are these tires? A 315 is about 35 inches? Following this subject closely lately for my Ramcharger.

255/85/16's and 255/80/17's are both going to run at around 33.3"-ish overall diameter and right around 10" wide. These are the exact specs for KM2's, so obviously there's some slight variation among manufacturers.