Marcie's Disco
Adventurer
Alexrex20, it seems that you have forgotten to substantiate your claims. A little more info is required to defend your own credibility.
Tires: Wide or Narrow?
- Thread starter Nonprophet
- Start date
Alexrex20, it seems that you have forgotten to substantiate your claims. A little more info is required to defend your own credibility.
Marcie's Disco
Adventurer
You do need to qualify your assertions if you intend to participate in useful discussion. Your statement had no ground because it didn't introduce facts or experiences...it didn't even state your main point about overgeneralized statements. You can hardly single out a statement from the context of a post and take the poster to task without following the same rules. As the Monday Night ESPN studio crew would say, "C'mon Man!"
Im sorry Alex but you are just wrong in this case....of course extreme wheeling is not the main point of this forum and for many narrow tires make perfect sense for what they need. It will be easier on drivetrain, will be less likely to rub, and work perfect in many applications like has been endlessly mentioned...but for those who are into harder trails, extreme wheeling, etc. wider is better.
TangoBlue
American Adventurist
Help me out here... could you be more specific on your assertion?
Marcie's Disco
Adventurer
Not to belabor this TangoBlue but I wouldn't hold much hope in Alexrex20 adding any clarity to his statements. He has made it clear in a couple of his previous posts that he doesn't feel any responsibility to qualify or quantify anything he says. With such strong opinions, I was hopeful that he had something of substance to add to the conversation. He has been politely asked to participate in meaningful discussion but apparently is opting out.
I've wheeled on "skinny tires" being (Q78) 35X9.50X15 and now have slightly wider tires that are 35X16X15. I keep hearing all the guys that preach the skinny tire gospel. I have yet to find a situation where I wished for a skinny tire. The guys in the snowy ditches are driving on ego far past their ability... not that of the tire.
Obviously I consider myself to wheel slightly more "hard core" than some. The snow in the second picture is about 4-5 feet deep under my vehicle..... show me a skinny tire for that situation.
Obviously I consider myself to wheel slightly more "hard core" than some. The snow in the second picture is about 4-5 feet deep under my vehicle..... show me a skinny tire for that situation.
alexrex20
Explorer
To make a blanket statement such as, "on more challenging trails, narrow is not the way and never will be," is about as irresponsible and stupid as me saying, "all fish taste good." I am not a snow wheeler and never claimed to be. I'm not saying we should all be wheelin' on some XZL radials, but there is a point when the tire becomes too wide. That "point" is relative.
I've wheeled on tires from 9.0 to 12.5 inches wide. Not such a huge range, I know, but it is a range nonetheless. I've never noticed a huge advantage with the skinnies, but in many situations, there was an advantage; based on my experience on fat tires.
I am not trying to convince everyone to drink the skinny tire koolaid; I am instead countering those that swear against the koolaid.
alexrex20
Explorer
Even a skinny tire will allow your lightweight Sammy to float over that hard-packed snow.
alexrex20
Explorer
Not to belabor this TangoBlue but I wouldn't hold much hope in Alexrex20 adding any clarity to his statements. He has made it clear in a couple of his previous posts that he doesn't feel any responsibility to qualify or quantify anything he says. With such strong opinions, I was hopeful that he had something of substance to add to the conversation. He has been politely asked to participate in meaningful discussion but apparently is opting out.
Odd, I'm still waiting for you to add something meaningful to this thread.
Co-opski
Expedition Leader
Nice now show me a zuk with 35x16x15 that can drive across Canada.:26_7_2::campfire:I've wheeled on "skinny tires" being (Q78) 35X9.50X15 and now have slightly wider tires that are 35X16X15. I keep hearing all the guys that preach the skinny tire gospel. I have yet to find a situation where I wished for a skinny tire. The guys in the snowy ditches are driving on ego far past their ability... not that of the tire.
Obviously I consider myself to wheel slightly more "hard core" than some. The snow in the second picture is about 4-5 feet deep under my vehicle..... show me a skinny tire for that situation.
Welcome to ExPo btw.
trek 4wd safaris
Observer
i run a tour company and the biggest tyres i've run are 265/75r16 normally where i can i run 7.50r16 as i can buy replacments anywhere on earth.
I take up to eight cars on tour with me, and find the birrer the tyre the more damage done to the environment, alos they cut deeper ruts which standard cars cant follow and make the tracks less accesable for average joe.
80% of my driving is desert or sand drifts, and air pressure makes more difference tahn width, i cross the simpson desert 4-5 times a year on 265s without dramas just by lowering to under 20psi, the fuel economy and lower rolling resistance and better braking efficiency are prime concerns for me.
I do one snow trip per year, and its law to have chains fitted here you have no choice, so big tyres are no advantage IME.
my fianl point is its about where you chosse to put the tyres as a driver that gets you places, any fool can get places, a smart man gets there easy.
I take up to eight cars on tour with me, and find the birrer the tyre the more damage done to the environment, alos they cut deeper ruts which standard cars cant follow and make the tracks less accesable for average joe.
80% of my driving is desert or sand drifts, and air pressure makes more difference tahn width, i cross the simpson desert 4-5 times a year on 265s without dramas just by lowering to under 20psi, the fuel economy and lower rolling resistance and better braking efficiency are prime concerns for me.
I do one snow trip per year, and its law to have chains fitted here you have no choice, so big tyres are no advantage IME.
my fianl point is its about where you chosse to put the tyres as a driver that gets you places, any fool can get places, a smart man gets there easy.
Hawk Thor
New member
That all depends on the circumstances and conditions.
We use wide tires for snow here. When the snow is deep enough for your vehicle to lay on its frame and still not get contact with the ground below you definitely want to be on top of the snow.
When deflated, a tires contact patch gets longer rather than wider. But the width definitely helps a lot.
We can see a difference in two identical 4x4s on 38x15.5" tires ability to float on snow depending on wheel width. One might have 12" wide wheels while the other has 14" wide wheels and the one on 14" wide wheels will have a larger contact patch. Also wider wheels seem to make it easier for the vehicle to crumple and flatten the tires.
But in the summer time, the difference is not as obvious. I see a lot of tourist here with small, narrow tires, often with inner tubes and split rims. We drive the same trails and roads on our 12.5", 15.5", 18.5" and 21" wide tires and we go where we want and our tire tracks are not as deep as the ones left by the pizza-cutters. We exert less pressure on the ground with these big tires. Where a horse or a human might make a noticeable impression in soil, we hardly mark the ground.
"any fool can get places, a smart man gets there easy."
You can bring a vehicle with narrow tires to a glacier or a snow covered mountain, dig all day long, place a snow anchor and winch out, use sandladders to move around, have little or no traction on the loose surface with such a small contact patch and finally have to get some one to simply pull you to safety and plowed roads.
Or you can use tall, wide tires and simply float on top of the snow that the guy with razor thin tires is shoveling and winching in.
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ben2go
Adventurer
I agree.My 18.5/44 Super Swampers were way better in the snow and mud than my 33x12.50 Super Swampers.However,water crossing more than 12 inches caused the rear of my pick up to float away when running the 18.5/44 tire.I've still been through the same places on 31x10.50 tires that most people take 38+ tires.Yes,I did get stuck a little more than the big tire guys.
Do you guys run tire chains over there?Just curious.