Tire size- overland 4runner in PNW
- Thread starter smiper
- Start date
summerprophet
Adventurer
And well we are on the subject of snow and tires........
Snow is a beast with many faces, and to find a particular aspect of tire that works in it is really dependent upon the snow you are talking about. Wet slushy coastal snow, pizza cutters are often ones to choose as they can cut though the snow down to some surface below. Additionally, highway slush, similar desires and effects, with the smaller footprint sinking through the slop, avoiding a slushy hydroplaning situation.
Now as you head to higher elevations, or dryer climate, the snow changes dramatically. Dry and deep is no place for the pizza wheels, as they can't find bottom, or they just heat up the snow creating ice holes for your tires. Wider is better here, with floatation being your friend.
Now, realistically, when it comes to wet and icy, tread design becomes far more important than aspect.
Sorry to drag things off topic.......
Snow is a beast with many faces, and to find a particular aspect of tire that works in it is really dependent upon the snow you are talking about. Wet slushy coastal snow, pizza cutters are often ones to choose as they can cut though the snow down to some surface below. Additionally, highway slush, similar desires and effects, with the smaller footprint sinking through the slop, avoiding a slushy hydroplaning situation.
Now as you head to higher elevations, or dryer climate, the snow changes dramatically. Dry and deep is no place for the pizza wheels, as they can't find bottom, or they just heat up the snow creating ice holes for your tires. Wider is better here, with floatation being your friend.
Now, realistically, when it comes to wet and icy, tread design becomes far more important than aspect.
Sorry to drag things off topic.......
p nut
butter
Is that really the case, though? I've heard this repeated over and over again, and I think I may even have said it in the past as well. In my experience with slushy, fluffy, mushy, gushy and whatever kind of snow, tire width made no difference. Now, I'm talking ranges of 225 to 285 (175, if you want to count cars). This "skinnier tires cut through the snow to get traction" is somewhat nonsense, in my opinion. I saw no difference in snow handling with a variety of tire widths on my truck. They all performed well. 20 or 50mm difference in tire width isn't suddenly going to make the tire cut like a knife. It's still a chunky tread that works just as hard to get traction as the wider treads. In fact, if I had to choose, I'd go wider for the extra rubber and siping to bite and grip.
As long as the tire is properly siped and you've got good tread, you should have no issues in snow. Deep, snorkel-deep snow, I have no clue about. On 4 wheels, anyway.
I have been very happy with 255-75-17 overall. If I was contending with a lot of ice I would choose a different tire than i have. But the size has lots of clearance inside the fenders and cuts thru mud/snow quite well. In wet roots/mud provides great traction. I like the narrower setups. It also helped me maintain decent mpg which is always something to keep in mind.
p nut
butter
Not trying to be the one to argue everyone's opinions, but I never experienced better mpg with skinnier tires. Even going to the skinniest to 235/85/16's, there was no difference to 265/75/16's. I took detailed MPG records over my 100 mile daily commute, which is the same terrain for all tires tested, so the variables were minimized. Unless you're getting ultra-light all-season tires, skinny or fat in similar diameter won't have much, if any, difference in MPG.
p nut
butter
The Limiteds came with 18's for sure.
the kid
Juke Box Hero
dohp i am wrong... for some reason i thought those were 17s as well...
as you were, carry on-
I honestly feel it had to do more with the rotating weight than anything else. My stock tires were ~40#. My BFG were 45#, the other tires I looked at were 55#+.
p nut
butter
Yes, for sure the weight is a huge contributor. So it's not necessarily the size of the tire, but the weight. Most people think that because they're going skinny, they will see MPG gains, which isn't necessarily true. Going from stock all-season 265's to heavy M/T 235's or 255's aren't going to net you any gains. There may even be MPG losses.
Everything is a compromise. I did lose mpg going to the 255-75-17. But not nearly as much as if I installed a 60+# tire.
Not to mention a 80+# tire/wheel combo is a bear to change.