Tires: Wide or Narrow?

[Pskhaat]

I was researching the Michelin LTX M/S tires

I know there are stories in all directions, but when we bought our UZJ100, it had the LTX on them. Out of the set of 4, 2 were bad. One of them split right down the middle of the tread. I've never seen anything like that.

I just wish Michelin made a slightly aggressive tread in some larger sizes.

 

[SeaRubi]

load ratings - high aspect tires like the 235/85 have more sidewall to soak up the bumps. a drop in air-pressure seems to go a much longer way to getting tread on the ground. The E-rated small-aspect ratio tires on my heep, 245/75, seem really harsh, comparatively.

 

[Redline]

Good point, in general I agree. I think this aspect ratio 'issue' (shorter sidewalls on a 75-series '31' E-range tire) was one of the reasons I didn't care for the stock Goodyear MTRs on my Rubi.

load ratings - high aspect tires like the 235/85 have more sidewall to soak up the bumps. a drop in air-pressure seems to go a much longer way to getting tread on the ground. The E-rated small-aspect ratio tires on my heep, 245/75, seem really harsh, comparatively.

 

[David Harris]

:iagree:

I run 235/85/16 for all the reason that have been covered already.

And really, when is the last time you saw a rig float on anything? Rafts excluded...

Yeah. People always say that their wide tires make their vehicle "float" on mud, but let's get serious, a two ton+ vehicle is going down to the bottom anyway in short order. So, you may as well have narrow tires that cut down there quicker, and give you better steering control in the process. The only way wide tires help here is if you have speed and power, like a mud bogger who is topping his revs out trying to spin his tires clean and get as far as he can down the pit before he too sinks his 44's to the frame rails. It's really the side lugs that will continue to propel you through, and that's a great strength of tires like Swampers and especially Boggers. Those wide tires will be good aired down on rock, though.

 

[alexrex20]

not to bump an old and beaten thread, but i figured i'd throw up some pics for comparison's sake.

slightly worn 285/75-16 next to a new 255/85-16

 

[ben2go]

not to bump an old and beaten thread, but i figured i'd throw up some pics for comparison's sake.

slightly worn 285/75-16 next to a new 255/85-16

What tire is that 255/85 and do you know the manufactures true diameter?

 

[ben2go]

Yeah. People always say that their wide tires make their vehicle "float" on mud, but let's get serious, a two ton+ vehicle is going down to the bottom anyway in short order. So, you may as well have narrow tires that cut down there quicker, and give you better steering control in the process. The only way wide tires help here is if you have speed and power, like a mud bogger who is topping his revs out trying to spin his tires clean and get as far as he can down the pit before he too sinks his 44's to the frame rails. It's really the side lugs that will continue to propel you through, and that's a great strength of tires like Swampers and especially Boggers. Those wide tires will be good aired down on rock, though.

I can testify first hand that 18.5/44-15 will float a fullsize F100 shortbed 4x4 pick up running 1 ton axles,cast iron 4 speed,NP205.and a built 390 big block.I went roughly 100 feet down a river bouncing the front tires off the bottom of the river.The water was flowing but not very fast.Canoers were having to paddle to keep moving.The back end was floating high.A gravel bar thankfully stopped my drift.It may not have been as bad if I would have been aired down or had a long bed truck.

 

[alexrex20]

BFGoodrich KM2, listed as 33.1in for the 285/75 and 33.3in for the 255/85.

 

[mayoibushi]

which rides better and hows mpg difference between the two?

 

[ben2go]

which rides better and hows mpg difference between the two?

IMHO,wider tires seem to handle and ride better.

 

[ExpoMike]

Man this is depressing. My upcoming rig build, I am looking at 35" tires to help with the top speed (diesel/low RPM + non OD trans = slow top speed) and want to stick with a narrow tire and it seems most everything in a 35" size is 12.5" width. I am just not finding a 35" narrow tire outside of Interco, which I am not really fond of. Since a typical trip will be approx. 70% on road and 30% offroad, I want a good road tire that works offroad in mainly desert environments.

Any thoughts?

 

[Patman]

Man this is depressing. My upcoming rig build, I am looking at 35" tires to help with the top speed (diesel/low RPM + non OD trans = slow top speed) and want to stick with a narrow tire and it seems most everything in a 35" size is 12.5" width. I am just not finding a 35" narrow tire outside of Interco, which I am not really fond of. Since a typical trip will be approx. 70% on road and 30% offroad, I want a good road tire that works offroad in mainly desert environments.

Any thoughts?

Michelins, not the easiest to find, but they make skinny 36ish radials. 9.00r16 there are a few other manufacturers last time I checked.

 

[alexrex20]

which rides better and hows mpg difference between the two?

my rig is so underpowered that any mpg difference is negligible.

the wider tire rides much better though.

 

[ExpoMike]

Michelins, not the easiest to find, but they make skinny 36ish radials. 9.00r16 there are a few other manufacturers last time I checked.

Yeah, that is the basically the only one I found but like you said, they are hard to find, which really doesn't make me a big fan. Did a bunch of Googling and found many people, it would take months to get them. I'll need to do some more research on other brands.

 

[ben2go]

Look into large metric sizes.They are often narrower than SAE size tires.There are not many 35 inch tires in metric sizes,but even SAE size are general smaller than what is stated on the side wall.I always check the manufactures stated true diameter before I buy tires.Example:I am currently looking for a skinny 30 inch tire,actually true diameter I'm looking at is 29 inches.I am hung up on BFG A/T KO in a 30-9.50-15(29.5 inches) or a 235-75-15(29.0).Which ever is cheaper I shall purchase.I used to be a tire shop manager and I got hooked on BFG plus their mud tire was the best back in the early 90's besides Interco.I just looked at BFG website.Anything close to a 35 is in a 15,16.5,17,or 20 inch wheel.You may have to change wheel size,but I still didn't see anything with a tread width narrower than a 12 on a 10 inch wheel.A narrower wheel won't make much of a difference,just cause uneven tire wear.