Narrow OR Wide, we got you covered - www.trailbuiltoffroad.com/sto...
Wondering why the size tires come in different widths? Today we’re breaking down what the difference is between wide and narrow off-road tires and the pros and cons of each. Let us know wide you guys prefer or have questions on!
#offroadtires #offroading #offroad
I find the black and round types work best for me.
they have a good track record
I've been running triangulars for a month now. They seem to bite into dirt and mud well, but are a bit bouncy on the road. I may try octagonal before going to the extreme of a "round" tire.
That’s a dad joke in a half😂
I like the round ones that are black on the tread but white on the side.
Pshaw... get with the times old man!
For a daily driver with occasional off-road treks. Light rigs, 4k lbs and less do very well on pizza cutters. 235/85r16 is the preferred tire size in Australia, most of Asia and almost every part of Africa. They don’t win beauty contests in the US market, but in the US most of the people you share the public right of way with based their tire/rim combination based on form over function.
YES, great points! And that size is easy to replace if something bad happens.
Definitely not the case in Australia lol
I have mud tires in that exact size on my 93 Suzuki Sidekick, love it! Eats through the amount of mud and snow we get here on Vancouver Island. The only downside I have found is when the snow is so deep that you need surface area to stay on top of it, you're screwed! haha
... ran those on my '16 Taco all over Co/Ut. ...
Shame.... The bug suv's are fun. I'm halfway through building an old escalade. That's a car tire size here in the states.
Running 255s in my 5thgen 4runner. Seems to be a good width, I never cared for the extremely wide tires some people gravitate to.
Same. 255/80s they’re great.
@@electricstartclint 255/85r16 even better ☺️
@@JSJensen can't run 16s on a 5th gen. brakes are too big
is the handling more lighter?
255/85/17 Micky Thompson 34.6
Years ago I was out hunting with my dad. I was just sitting there watching two trucks navigate back up a snowy embankment. One truck had wider tires, which did not perform near as well as the other guy with narrower tires. This convinced me that since a priority for me in snowy conditions to go taller and narrower, than wider. I'm not much of an offroader, but when I need to get somewhere in snowy conditions, that's my preference.
Super cool you got to see that in person so you could really see the difference between the two! I personally have ran with setups that will handle in the snow just due to us being in Wisconsin!
@@TrailBuilt wait til he sees the tires they use on rally cars for snow ,they look like motorcycle tires 😄
@@TrailBuilt wider tires equals more contact patch which means more Grit of granite yes the increased with this place is more weight but having more grip is having more grip this is why tank treads do so good. Biggest disadvantage of wider tires is destroying your steering components of your vehicle much quicker and wearing out your ball joints quicker because of increased leverage on the ball joints.
@@TrailBuilt At 4:07 Holy!..... look at those inner C's. What are those? I want.
I read that as “I was out hunting my Dad”
Agreed - Been running 255/80/R17 for years on a Tacoma. Great combo for a lightweight truck. It is a billy goat and has never struggled in the deep sand in Utah or while rock crawling and still has decent road manners. Funny how so many discount them as trash but they work better than the 11.5-wide tires I ran for years previously. Just google some of the old jeeps and even older 1920s cars on crazy skinny tires and the muck they drove through.
Old Jeeps did well on these skinny tires as they were light compared to a lot of modern offroad vehicles. They also had very limited power compared to what is common today. But the really wide tires are much more of a fashion statement rather than practical. A lot of people feel the extra wide tires look more aggressive even if they are not really better from a practical view.
Yeah really, have you ever seen old footage of the model T,s going through everything on little bicycle tires.
It's important to take into account that a taller narrower tire will have a longer contact patch. A longer but narrower tire can have the same amount square inches of contact patch or even more vs a wider shorter tire depending on the diameters. Also a longer contact patch of the same square inches as a wider one will conform to the trail and around rocks better and it will have better: * Mileage due to less frontal area * More contact area when traversing a rock or hard pack wall to the side of the rig. Longer contact patch is better here. * Taller narrower tire clears the inside suspension parts and the fender and bumper better. * It can be lighter therefore less unsprung weight and less rolling inertia, better braking and better handling.
True true true true true and true.
Yeah... The physics teacher and me did a eye roll at this video
Why would the tire get shorter because it was wider? Tire size would stay the same, get whatever width you want. So the contact patch would be larger the wider the tire.
Wider tires are heavier. A spinning tire is actually a flywheel. It will require stronger brakes to stop the same as a lighter tire. So it'll require more horsepower to get moving and stronger brakes to stop
Unsprung weight 😊
wider tires tend to "float" since it disperses weight across the contact area. skinny tires bite through the thick stuff to get to solid ground in some cases.
@dundeeecroc I agree until you're in my "back yard" where the ground is black loam and has no "bottom". Skinny tires and you're on the axles so quick. Wide works better here
@@mikeries8549 Generally wider tires are better offroad regardless of what people say "biting to the solid ground", as if that solid ground ever existed in the first place before your pumpkin is a'draggin.
@@zainabe9503 "Generally wider tires are better" yea, till you hit the turn with speed and float off the track. The bet way to think of it is a narrow tire has more max grip vs a wide tire has more max friction. You can add grip to a wide tire (weight, downforce, softer tire, tire design) you can't add friction to a narrow tire. so yes overall a wide tire is better (till you need more grip!)
I seriously appreciate this video I've been researching modifications for my Tacoma for almost 7 months now. I learned more useful information from this one single video than I have 7 months of watching other Taco building videos
Thank you TBOR for a very informative video. I live in Florida, so my domain features a bunch of sand, mud, steep and sometimes deep ditch/stream fording points. My ranch rig and daily driver is a 2005 Jeep Wrangler 2-door Unlimited. I run 33 x 12.5 R15 BFG KM3s on a 10"wide rim, pressurized to 23-25 PSI for best footprint and ride on the road-which is very smooth. I do not air down unless the rocks get really really craggy, and that's only outside of FL. Airing down is not a factor because the LJ is so light compared to the load range and sidewall width of the tires, that my footprint really does not change. I do not like huge suspension lifts. I installed OME 2.5" coils and shocks to counter the addition of a winch and for carrying cargo or towing. Installed Metal Cloak fenders all the way around for articulation clearance. The rest of the suspension and drive train are stock because I don't need to do anything else, a benefit of the longer wheel base. I keep up with other TJs on 35s and 37s with 4" to 6" inch suspension lifts. Only other mod I'm looking at is cowl air intake kit so I don't choke on water over the hood. Keeping it simple with a low CG.
FINALLY, somebody who talks some sense on tire widths! Thank you for the great direction in the video. I just wish it had some math in it. Not enough engineering info for me. This isn't rocket science, people, but it DOES involve some very basic physics. If you are not willing to consider the math, then you are shooting in the dark and I will run circles around your rig with my mere grocery-gitter if the surface is any kind of hard-pack with steep inclines. Last August I did Imogene Pass in Colorado no problem with 235/75R15 (29.0" x 9.3", OEM spec, 20psi, vehicle heavily loaded) -- in the RAIN with el cheapo $68 HT tires (Provider Entrada HT, Discount Tire) that had less than 25% tread remaining. 1st-gen Durango (grocery-gitter), 4WD, rear LSD. Wider tires would have spun on the wet rocks. While I was out there, I got strange looks from people in modified Jeeps... "What the hell are you doing out here with that grocery-gitter??" ...meanwhile they were slipping quite a lot on the wet trail and loose gravel due to their wide tires. I had no slippage whatsoever. My highway psi for heavy loads is 45 psi and I was running about 45% of hwy psi. Typically I run 45-50% of hwy psi for mountainous terrain. 60% if I need extra clearance. My tires are now balding, so I am looking to upgrade to 235/85R16 (31.7" x 9.3"). I prefer 255/85R16, 255/80R17, or 33x10.5R15 (i.e. 265/85R15), but those sizes do not fit safely on the Durango (weak front axle, can't use spare tire cubby) and unfortunately too few manufacturers make those sizes in an AT tire. (Why?? Those are highly useful sizes.) I love the design of the Falken Rubitrek, based upon what I see on their website... Why is it so hard to find the Rubitrek in the USA?? I do not want the AT3/W because it does not have a center stripe. Unfortunately, the Milestar Patagonia MT01 does not come in a 235/85R16. I think the ultimate overlanding tire size for my vehicle weight without a trailer (Gen 1 Durango, 2001), would be 235/85R17 (32.7" x 9.3") -- if it actually fit. Unfortunately, no tire manufacturers seem to be making that size for vehicles that drive on the highway. My second choice would be 255/85R16, but that size only seems to be available in an MT tire -- and from only a few manufacturers.
Thank you for the feedback!
I just was looking into this last week
Kenda 35x10.5r17 on a JK. Ultimate pizza cutter performance. Performs better than a wider tire 99% of the time IMO.
are they even true to their size? I have 315-75r16 duratracs that run about 33.75/34. Theyre fine but my 4 door is not super heavy. They kill it in any mud or deeper snow, they just float and spin over. Sadly i should of went with a 17 inch rim really not much for 16 inch rims
@@mails5054 they are not, they are more “true” 34 on my lightweight 2door. I heard that the Baja Boss AT 35x10r17 runs closer to a true 35 though.
I just got these for my 2008 Pathfinder they are awesome!
@@mails5054 mine are 34”
Especially in snow
This was a great video. I have been in the auto industry for 45 years and it’s amazing how many people don’t understand about weight and traction. I have seen these ding dongs put wide ass tires on their vechs and crash with the first rain. One of the funniest things I have ever seen was a mud bog race were someone showed up with skinny tractor tires that could dig down to the hard pack and he blew everybody away.😂😂
Yes,if there is a bottom before you hit the axle tube.
I am running the 9.5-34 16 super swampers on a TJ rubicon with a 4.5” long arm lift. I have been impressed with the traction. If I start to spin, I just back out. It doesn’t have to spin very much to get the axels on the ground. I like this approach much better than the give it hell approach that is used with wide tires. It’s a lot easier on the axels. My next set will be the 35x10 16 swamper I will stick with one of these two sizes.
I'm running 35x10.5-17 Kenda Klever RTs on my JT. This combo has worked out really well. Off-road and on road. Even better on ice and snow.
Same here on my JL - best part was I was leaning toward Kenda anyway, and they were the only ones I could find in 10.5, so decision kinda made for me
I have the same on my JK, geared at 4.56. Great both on and off road in the Utah desert and mountains. Wear in the first 10K miles is fantastic. I’d recommend these tires over KO2’s any day.
My 83' CJ-7 has 7" of lift and 37x12.5"s and it does all right. I had an 2004 4-door chevy tracker with 5' of lift and 9.5" x 31" BFG all terrains and that was an awesome combo, I could push snow with the front bumper and still keep traction. Got to love them BFG all terrains!
30 x 9.50 R15 (BFG K02's) on my 1968 Jeepster Commando, running a 2" lift. Did great on most of the intermediate trails in Moab, and great manners on the street.
35x10 TSLs on a 94 FZJ80 works great for me. I've ran fat tires, and you're right about the narrow tires having better bite from ground pressure. Great video!
I'm running a 2" procomp lift on a Suzuki Jimny with 215/80/15 Tyres, Car weighs about 1100 Kg. I do prefer the 80 profile for the Jimny as when you air down it seems give a better rectangle footprint and because its so light its quite helpful to have the sidewall deform more easily :)
2006 Tacoma crew cab short bed stock suspension , I’m running 265/75/16 grabber x3 for the occasional off road camping trips about 3 times a year & they are perfect for everyday driving as well , however I have 2 sets of wheels & mostly run the 265/70/17 all season tires through the summer. Both are perfect for my needs.
2:34 Thank you for making this point so clearly! So many people just assume that bigger is better while ignoring the basic physics of mass over area. There are realistic limits of course, but when it comes to tires, less is literally more.
I run 255/75r17 Yoko G003 M/T on my 2021 ZR2 daily driver/trail crawler and find them to be a great balance between off and on road performance, good with road noise, great in all conditions, durable, comfortable, and taller than the stock tire while not requiring any trimming.
2011 jku, 2.5" lift, I'm running 295/70/17. It seems to be a "well rounded" size, I live in Alaska so I see pretty much any road surface/condition out there and this size seems to do well in most conditions, unless it's ice above 10 degrees F, then they slide around a bit
Thank you for this information. Coming for a HP prospective I never realized that a narrower offroad tire is better than a wider one. At the dragstrip the wider the better. But makes perfect since that more ground pressure at slow speeds are better offroad. I have a Rubicon 4 door with an AEV 4.5" lift and has 37x12.5x17 (I do have a 392 installed). My daughter (for graduation) wanted to put on her 2 door Rubicon an AEV 2.5" lift with 35x12.5x17. I will have a discussion with her the negative effects of those wider tires. We live in Phoenix so do not deal with a lot of mud, snow or rain. But to be a little more careful. Thank you again.
2dr JK Rubicon running 316/75r16 with a 3.5” lift. They do very well offroad and on. Currently have BFG K02’s because we really like driving around on snow days. 30psi for pavement and 15psi for rocks.
Formulas and ratios are seemingly rarely discussed when choosing tires. Nice to see some engineering in sales pitches. Great info.
2:34 of this video is exactly WRONG. Unless Any tire on a vehicle will have the same sized contact patch if they have the same psi.
285/75/17 on my T4R, great all around size. Has gotten me everywhere I've wanted.
I'm running 32x11.5r15 mud claw tires on my 89 ramcharger and they served me really well they have enough traction to drag a fwd car (in park) around while in gravel while of course using 4 low with 2 open diffs.
I'm running 285/70R17s on my daily driven 5th Gen 4Runner w/ ~2.5" of lift. A little rubbing on the front bumper and was rubbing on the mud flap at full lock only. So far so good on the trails I've been on. We'll see how it does on sand later this year.
How did it do on sand?? Thinking of going from my stock 275/70r18 to 285/75r18 when tread is coooked
- Still the best defense narrow vs wide tire talk. I should have listened to dad 33 years ago. 😂
Why did it take me so long to find this video so professional and easy to listen too thanks man 🇺🇸🙏 you are years Ahead of every other channels video content very educational and non stimulating
Glad it was helpful! We appreciate the support! If you have any suggestions for future videos let us know in the comments sometime.
Thank you for the confirmation having been picked on for only going 10 1/2 wide!! I've a 2dr JL with 35x10.5 Kenda Klever and a 2.5" lift that's a daily driver that hits the pay-to-play parks at least once a month, and Pennsylvania trails in between that. In addition to the benefits you mentioned for the narrower tire, there's PA law regarding fenders (which, they honestly don't often harass...still), a lighter tire to take on and off, etc. I've been extremely satisfied both on and off road.
After watching countless videos of all your recommendations I finally decided on a set of BFG KO2s. 285 75R17 which puts me at 33.9" tall with with a 11.3" footprint. That seems optimal for my daily driver with mild excursions on the weekends. Thanks for all your input, Josh!
@@JeepYotaAdventure ... and another key feature you don't hear 12"+ wide crowd is how these save at the pump! I have a 2007 Ram 2500 with a leveling kit, 2". Mind you most 3/4 & 1 ton trucks sit a bit taller.
@@JeepYotaAdventure Exactly! Save $$$ too! 12.5" wide vs 11.2" wide, but aired down is the difference. Most look for clearance.
Glad we could help with picking out a new set of tires!
K02s are great. I've had them for 2 years never had a problem. I've gone through some deep snow and mud with them and they are great. I've never had a flat either one of the tires had a screw in it and I never even noticed because it didn't go through. The only negative is they are not great when the road turns slushy or icy.
Running 285 75 17 Toyo At3 on a Bronco and it is the best tire option for look a d overall performance
Living in the Upper Peninsula I've tried most combinations for the harsh winters/spring & have settled on 35x12.50x17/20 (dependent on season) as a minimum ratio. Currently running 375 55 R20 Atturo TB Boss on my Ram. The powdery snow isn't hardly an issue unless your running slicks, but the heavy wet stuff I prefer a taller wider footprint for flotation (yes even on a heavy vehicle). Some of the best tires to date in heavy wet snow were Super Swamper SXII 35x15.50's but the street quality was about -2 on a scale of 1-10. Looking fwd to see if my Atturo's perform similar this coming winter. Street wise they're acceptable as far as ride, but shine in the off-road territory. Great info and to each their own on what works best for individuals and their driving styles/rig set ups.
Wow, great information. I am running a 37x13.5 inch Cooper STT Pro (Mud terrain) on a 2020 Jeep Gladiator with a 3.5 inch full Metal Cloak Gamechanger lift. Love it! I did notice a sacrifice in on-road driving comfort and efficiency however its not an everyday driver and the benefits off-road are significant. Good Video!
just bought a 2 door Jeep Rubicon..has a 4-in lift with 35x12 and 1/2 in Toyo mud terrain.. it feels sluggish and it guzzles gas. definitely going with a different tire option when these ones wear out. thanks for all the good advice with tires it's going to help with making a decision when the time comes
I’m running 315 70 17s (35”) hybrids on my 4 door jeep jk, seems to work pretty well all around. Not too much hydroplaning. No rubbing on turns or off-roading with the 3” lift kit
Remember, you only have to hydroplane once in the right spot. Game over!
Roling resistance, especially when aired down is a big consideration typically overlooked from what I've seen. Example: If the contact patch is "X" lbs. per square inch and *identical* between a skinner v. a wide tire, the longer contact patch of the skinny has less rolling resistance and can perform better in sand, etc. As an overlander who travels distance over all types of terrain, I like the performance of the skinny. I'm glad you explained tuning the tire for the vehicle load. This seems often over-looked because everyone just wants the big-fat-tire "look".
The pounds per square inch on the contact patch of a slimmer tire compared to a wider one are not the same. The wider tire has a larger contact patch off the bat, aired down its even more so than the skinny aired down. Plus in sand a slimmer tire with less contact patch/ floatation will dig into the sand more and create a far higher rolling resistance than the wider tire. You are a little backwards on this entire analogy. Skinny tires have their place and it isn’t in sand or mud (unless it’s a tractor tire in mud)
No way is your opinion correct about skinny tires being better in sand. No way! Nobody thinks that. I’m only about 20 minutes away from the Dunes Recreational area.. there’s a lot of fierce competition here, if skinny tires had any advantages here, we might see one. But nope; not a single one, with the exception of a few tourists in their stock pickups (with stock *skinny* tires) thinking that they are weekend warriors but they always get spanked.
@@bighammer587 I believe that wider is better if you have the horsepower but sometimes skinny and long is better for trucks with less horsepower like big old heavy Land Rover with less than 200 horsepower. I think that's why the old debate still stands because they're comparing older vehicles with far less power to newer ones they can easily overcome any drag or whatever you want to call it and just utilize The Wider patch
@@ronaldrrootiii6040 Nope. Not even in that situation. Sorry, but I’m pretty knowledgeable on this. Even if you have a low horsepower vehicle, wide tires are still the only way to go in sand. Those skinny tires will act like pizza cutters in the sand and then you’ll be buried right to the frame. You need the flotation from the fat tires. Incidentally, they should be aired down to around 5-7 pounds for the best performance in sand.
@@bighammer587 okay well I believe you I mean I drive 185 horsepower Land Rover with 285 75 16 and those things are amazing in the sand I've never had a problem down here in Arizona in the summer with really deep sand in the wash. So I'm just wondering do all these guys who say skinny is good just go off Theory? Because I've considered going a tiny bit taller and skinnier with 255 85 16 but in all honesty what I have now works absolutely wonderful when they are aired down. I'm talking mud sand loose gravel washed out ruts really steep climbs like anything I know the Rover does good but what do you think I should stick with what I have or maybe just a tiny bit skinnier? I believe they are like 11.4 wide and the other ones would be 10 wide and .3 taller. Or is that too close of a difference to really matter?
For offroad usage there was a set of 265/75r16 cooper mt-s and for daily and long asphalt trips I started to use a set of 245/75r16 Yokohama g015 at-s. (Disco 2 with 2"lift)
It cracks me up how it is so commonplace here in the US for people to think that a wider tire is BETTER at most or all things than a narrower tire, which is categorically false. Unless you are constantly driving on hot and loose sand, clay-filled mud, or hardpacked snow, a narrower tire is going to do better than a wider tire every single time. Something else a lot of people don't seem to understand is that your tires actually look a lot bigger when they are narrower. For example, a 35"x10" tire is going to look A LOT bigger than a 35"x12.5" tire. Trimming always makes it look bigger, guys.
In Michigan I run a 255/80-17, basically a 33x10 on my 04 Grand Cherokee with a 4" long arm lift. They seem to work best in the woods of where I run with sand, fire trails and cedar swamp muck. Honestly off road it is hard to tell the difference between the previous 285 wide tires I ran and the 255's however on road the 255's are much more responsive to steering and tend to wander less.
What part of MI? I'm up between Traverse city and the bridge. 03 Gx470 with 265/70 R17s, so similar vintage vehicles and perhaps market, the Grand Cherokees were the fancy ones right? I see a lot of Cherokees up here. I think anything with decent tread and moderate clearance will get around ok. Although, I've picky ever seen wide tire guys get stuck, and often in muddy wet sand or just sand. Usually square and skinnys seem to do well.
@@wilurbean Downstate but have a place around Mancelona.
It’s bad enough you’re telling people you drive a vehicle preferred by lesbians now you’re telling people you’re from Michigan. I’m sorry you are the way you are
@@charliedee9276 nice, mancetucky lol. I'm up in Emmet County near Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Gf is from Bellaire/Torch. That trail system near Kalkaska/Grayling is nice
@@wilurbean Yes it is, I frequent them often. And yes, the Grands are the "fancy" ones lol. I do find the mud wipes off the leather seats pretty easily.
Been running 33/12.50/15s on my single cab for years, lots of street driving and a lot more offroad use then most would ever do. Only thing I’ve noticed is in mud I don’t seem to do as well as I think a slightly narrower tire would be
From my experience, most of the off roading i do is towing a 2 axle car carrier trailer over swampy grass that is water filled mud the consistency of cake mix just before it hits the pan underneath the grass as far as you can be bothered to dig. For this on my 60 series landcruiser and 40 series hilux 4wd i run a mud terrain light truck rated 7.50r 16" on the stock split rims. I tried a wider rim with 10.5r 15" tyres and found that it was better when not towing driving over these surfaces (did not break the surface of the grass as easily) but when trying to pull the trailer they didnt have the ability to keep momentum up and i had to be on the governer of the 2H in high 3rd to make progress and i was still barely moving, where with the skinnys i could set the hand throttle to about 2500rpm in low 2 and just plod through it, digging ruts all the way, but achieving a higher rate of travel, the landcruiser weighs 2.3 metric tons with 3/4 of a tank and me in it, the hilux ive not weighed but i assume its about 1600kg or there abouts (3L-T, 4 speed steel case l45 trans, steel tray with sides and no bullbar) it is happy to idle along in low first without a loaded car trailer behind it (technically 850kg trailer and 1300kg car on top exceeds the towing capacity by 950kg) but when loaded i use low 2 and full throttle once the ground speed is up to say 20kmh and can maintain it like that without needing to keep it held flat the whole time once that speed has been reached i tend to modulate the throttle to maintain 3000rpm or so. Hopefully i wont have to do it so often in the future. Going to build a 1 foot deep gravel driveway from the road to my shed/hardstand area. I have no idea why the previous owner thought it ok to build a shed and large gravel hardstand ages from the road without any way to get there 6 months of the year 😂
Thank you for all the good info in your videos!!!
Glad you like them!
7.50x16 (235/85r16) bias ply mud tire on stock steele wheels with no lift on my 1973 Land Rover Series 3 lightweight diesel. Running at about 12-15 psi gives me the best rock crawling on a vehicle barely over 2000lbs
Only size I use too on my Landys , great for everyday driving and the limited off roading I do . I used to do a lot of corporate off-road days and used the same size in MT pattern or my all time favourite tyre BFG Trac-edge .
I have the willys edition 4 door JL with the 255/75r17 MTs and honestly love them. I may eventually get the same tire in 33x10.5 but the daily drivability is outstanding. I have also never been stuck in some thick mud or snow. The 255s seem to be better than most MTs in snow
Are they the BFGoodrich set?
@krissan5162 they were the firestone destination mt2s. At the 20k mile mark they started to get very loud, but did not lose any capability.
For snow-wheeling in Iceland we run a Toyota Tacoma, 44x16,5" tires. Only a little less than a 2" bodylift with IFS which has been strengthened along with a 4link air ride in the back. aired with Coil over Fox shocks in the front and bypass Fox shocks in the rear. The aim is to float on top of the snow as much as we can and we routinely run our tire pressure at around 3psi. Weight of the vehicle ready for a weekend away is just below 2,4tons and that is with 260liters of fuel on board. There are rigs here in Iceland designed for snow-wheeling as varied as 33 to 37" Suzuki Jimny to F350's running 54" tires. One F35 is being built for 58"tires. One build is a Chevy Kodiak spliced together with two chevy vans built on top of a MAN truck frame. That beast is running 8 tires all of them 54" in size. All of these trucks are built to be street legal in Iceland but can also traverse glaciers as well.
HAVING 4X4 TRUCKS , JP,S, SUV,S ETC 4X4,S SINCE 1974,, I USE A WHEEL WIDTH NO MORE THAN 8 INCH,S & TIRES ABOUT 10" WIDE.. 255 X 80 X 16 /17 IN.WHEELS .. I GOT OVER THE SHOW & NO GO VEHICLES A LONG TIME AGO !! THANK YOU FOR SOME REALLY PRACTICAL VIDEOS ..
I run 33x10.5-15 KO2's on Method 7 in rims on my 95 Tacoma XC with 3 in lift front and rear. Works well for my overland set up.
I also run 33x10.5R15 on my Taco with stock wheels. I'm running the Grabber X3 Red Letters. I love this tire size, but wish there were more options available at this size.
@@bizkillall Agreed!
Great size!
I’m still trying to decide between 255/75/17 and 275/70/17 on my 2000 Extra cab Tacoma. I’m leaning towards the skinnies because they aren’t much narrower and i know I’ll have an easier time with clearance. My truck isn’t heavy and i want to keep it light, at least for now.
I’m running 235/85/16 Duratracs on a Nissan frontier with a 2”lift, extended control arms. They’ve required zero trimming or melting. They’ve been great on the trail riding I do and have performed amazingly even when we’ve taken wrong turns that lead us into more technical terrain as well as on pavement. Though the ride on pavement is definitely stiffer than I would like, it’s a trade off to not worry so much on shale logging roads
31x10.5x15 on my TJ. Good price point and I've always been surprised at where it will go. Taller isn't always better when you're making your own trails through the woods. I don't do a ton of crawling and I never really needed larger tires for mud. Had 11.5 wide ltb's one time and I could ride the top layers if I hit it hard enough. The 10.5's the like to dig down and gain traction on the bottom.
I appreciate the video. Response to question: 2014 DCSB OR TACO. Method MR306 4.5BS 285/75/R16 CEPEK Trail Country EXP 3” lift Did a cap chop and viper cut on front bumper. I got the tires from Custom Offsets before Trail Built was a thing.
as someone who daily drives their off-roading vehicle, 265/70/r17’s have done me great down 90% of trails and been very comfortable at high speeds, little noise, and most of the time fit stock rigs
That's the size I run on my 00 Z71, and my 06 grand Cherokee hemi. I don't get into anything too crazy but here in Tucson they work great in the desert for hunting, and camping trips.
I use wildpeak at3 that size on my gx470. I was about togo bigger but the wife talked me out of it. turns out its the way togo for the weight and performance. friend did 35's and wide and he struggles in more stuff then we do.
One thing to consider is the availability of tire sizes. 255/80 are not widely available especially now. If something happens you'll be out of a replacement for a long time.
Full size spare solves that
I run a 33x12.50r15 cooper stt pros on my daily xj. I run the mud and sugar sand trails of the south jersey pine barrens so the flotation helps a lot. Plus we also can get a lot of snow here. I do have some hydroplaning and ice traction issues (I also don't have ABS on my xj) but I just drive slower, give more space to stop, and pump the brakes if I start to slide when stopping in the rain or snow
My Truck is stock and I used my stock rims. I run 265/65R18 BFG K02 AT TA tires. My truck is on Pavement 75% of the time. And when I do go off roading I go with no worries. Thanks for the Videos.
It's also important to note that wider and/or taller tires add considerably to the stress on all steering components, wheel bearings, and suspension as well as the driveline. To that end, I have a set each of on-road (31x10.50-15) and off-road (33x10.50-15) tires. This also extends the life of the more expensive off-road tires.
You mean you don't "overland" to the grocery store all the time?
@@farstrider79 Hahaha. Nope 😉
My strategy is getting as tall a tire as will fit, then worry about going wider if it still fits.
So you're buying two sets of tires to figure that out? Smart
@@tealchief lol no
I appreciate your informative videos including this one. Thanks! For my needs, I chose narrow. I have a 03'Jeep grand Cherokee with the 4.0 engine, Four-Speed Automatic with Selec-Track Transfer Case, 3.73 diffs. with slightly lifted, (+ 1.5"), and upgraded to OME heavy-duty Coil Springs, etc. It is my Daily Driver so maintaining as much highway mpg as I can was one of the requirements. The vast majority of time and miles I drive it is on pavement. On-road handling and stability is another requirement on the list... ...However, the main reason I got it is for Overlanding adventures to remote locations were 4WD is a necessity and not an option. My WJ already had E rated LT245/75R16 street tires when I got it, but those were in desperate need of replacement because, 1- they were too old and 2- I would also need AT tires for the Overlanding I plan to do. They have to be several notches higher AT quality than 'bare-bones' minimum, good enough, tires. They had to be very good to excellent in different types of road and weather conditions; (I avoid deep-slick-clay and mud, snow & ice, Tall 'steps' and rock crawling). Tires also had to be priced within my budget. I decided to get a set of 5 E Rated LT245/75R16 BFG KO2 Tires. Much to my surprise, the over-all MPG difference on the BFG AT's compared to the street tires has been below 1/2 mpg locally and even less on long highway trips @ 65 - 70 MPH. The E Rating wasn't my 1st choice, (D was), but because, the C rating is a little too low weight rating for me to be comfortable with when Overlanding being loaded close to GVWR; and 2- D Rated LT245/75R16 BFG KO2 Tires were unavailable for the foreseeable future at the time. 3- if I did have to replace one on an Overlanding trip, availability of D would be an issue. I don't want to risk having any mismatched tires of a different weight rating or having to wait a long time for a tire shop to get me a hard to find, matching, replacement D. The LT245/75R16 size has about 1/2 inch higher ground clearance at the diffs over OEM and the width is only 1/10 of an inch narrower than OEM spec size. I did not have to cut fenders or bumpers and so far they have not rubbed any part of the body, but I have not fully flexed it on the trail yet.
I've run 285/75/16 for years on a half ton pickup. Plenty of utility there. Great off road. Suprising amount of ground clx if you remove boards or steps.
I guess Im on the fence with my 265/75r16s. Probably my favorite all around tire sizes.
My daily driver is a 2003 Ford F150 that drives mostly on city streets and highway back and fourth to work. Then on weekends during fall/winter it gets used for hunting/ice fishing. I drive mostly on picked cornfields, dried/frozen chisel plowed fields, same fields with snow/ice on the paths driven on by land owner and other hunters (Waterflowl/pheasant hunting. In the Winter I drive on frozen lakes that usually have under a foot of snow on top of the ice, lot of the time the snow is packed down a bit, and the most "off roading" I end up doing is at the ramp where it gets chewed up by other drivers. In the winter, I also have to drive to work in snow/ice storms/blizzard conditions. I'm considering a set of pizza cutters for my next set of tires to get an extra inch or so of ground clearance and also be able to dig down into the soild, snow/ice to get more traction. Looking at getting the 235/85r16's...I have the "SX4 off road" package already on my truck, so it comes with a 2" lift right from the factory. Currently have a set of 255/70r16's on that make the wheel wells look sort of empty, lol. I don't like big balloon tires....they look stupid, and are NOT practical in the aforementioned applications....unless I plan on going mudding...which I never would do anyway.
305/70//16 MT's on my first gen Tacoma single cab 4 banger. Its my Daily and also overlanding rig several times a year with a fully loaded 1500lb four wheel pop up camper. Looks great, works great. I run about 25psi for Daily work and about 35psi fully loaded with camper for highway work and drop down to 15-18psi when offorading with camper weight. There is always a compromise somewhere. 33x10.50 would probably be fine as well, but not a lot of choices out there in 16". 33x12 - 305/70 is much more common.
More important even than wide or narrow is tire pressure... A narrow tire with a tall sidewall aired down will have a much longer footprint and more surface area than an aired up wide tire.
Well what about an aired down wide tire? Apples to apples
@@HarryKuloh it will have a wider footprint, not a longer one, pressures and weights being equal.
My experience is the wider the tire, the sketchier it is to drive on the road when its raining. They act like skis. Most of us will never use the tires for its intended purpose. I like the Falken AT3w cuz they grab well in the rain. Other tires are like ice skates from my experience. Sadly they dont last long.
I went 2.5 lift with BFG 37x12.5r17 KO2 tires. On the Mojave, it's a workable combination, but I'd love to regear for more torque on the rocks. I'm considering that front locker as I was told that would be the time to have it installed. I still have time (needed to ssve) to consider...
I have a 1999 Toyota 4Runner with a 3” lift and 285/75r16 bf Goodrich ko2 tires and was pretty impressed with most driving/wheeling situations except they did struggle a little in deep soft sand out on the beach.
Tire width doesn't change the size of the contact patch. The tire's air pressure changes the size of the contact patch. This is right in the name of the unit: Pounds per square inch. Change the psi and change the pounds exerted on each square inch of ground. The SHAPE of the contact patch is altered by the width and diameter of the tire. The construction will change the contact patch too, but if we are comparing like to like then this factor shouldn't be too significant. Further to this the cross section volume of the tire is basically the load carrying capacity of the tire (like construction to like construction: E.g. E to E).
Oh good, I'm glad someone else said it instead of me. Pressure is pressure, sidewall stiffness aside. That said, the vehicle weight and sidewall deflection matters too. If it's a heaver vehicle, 10psi will have a larger contact patch than a lighter vehicle. Running wider tires will help reduce sidewall deflection which will give you more ground clearance when aired down. This means that a tire that's too skinny will be harder to turn aired down since the longer contact patch will increase steering torque slightly, but a tire that's too wide will also be harder due to increased scrub radius. I think vehicle weight is the #1 design consideration when building an offroad vehicle. Heavier means more traction, wider tires, heavier axles, more power, etc. That said, a skinny tire will still do better for hydroplaining
Having wider tires also effects handling amongst other pros and cons not mentioned in detail. Having a wide er tire and/or spacers will widen your track. The pros of that are: you will have more stability and many consider it to be aesthetically pleasing. The cons are: a wider turning radius, more stress on the suspension/axle components, and there is more rotating (unsprung weight.) Quite often this will lead to a rougher on road experience. Wider and taller is not always the answer, but try to convince a jeep club of that and be taken seriously;)
More stability and lower center of gravity which sometimes is crucial during off-road when you almost roll over.
I have a 2001 Jeep xj on 2.5 inch lift with 4.10 gears and a rear lunchbox locker. Stock wheels and 30x9.50 r15 hankook dynapro at2 tires. So far it has gone everywhere I wanted it to on the trail and it’ll do 75 mph down the highway very comfortably. I get about 13 mpg around town and I got 17 mpg doing 80 mph on a 4 hour road trip. I ran the trail from union springs to flagpole knob in Virginia and the Jeep did it with ease, everyone else out there had wranglers with at least 33’s. Also it’s a beast in the snow!
I have the BFGoodrich KO2 on my JK LT 255/70R18 8ply, same size as the cheap Bridgestones 4 ply, that came on it! I don’t climb malls or mountains but they go any where I want to go and are not loud driving down the road, work good in snow, rain, etc! Decent fuel mileage too!
My method is based around the 35x12.50 tire. From there, I add or subtract one inch in width for every two inches of tire diameter (i.e. 34x12.00, 33x11.50, 37x13.50, etc.).
- Just ordered FROM YOU (Friday) Method 315 machined 17x8.5 & 0 offset. Kenda Klever RT 35x10.50 By what you just said is this video... I ABSOLUTELY made the right choice! 😂 2022 Jeep Gladiator Mojave
Haha Awesome and thank you for your support!! 😎✌💯
Just ordered FROM YOU (Friday - again) Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT 255/85R17 for my STOCK 2022 Jeep Gladiator Mojave wheels 17x7.5” They will be my dedicated winter tires/wheels! 😊
- Just cannot help but to disagree about my 2” AEV lifted Gladiator Mojave and the 35x10.5x17 Method 315 0 offset “may get some looks,” like it’s weird. Hah! 😂😂😂
Personally, as a texan who muds in the bastrop area where we have more rocky/ red clay type of rerrain and i use my 96 tahoe moslty for back and forth to work ive found that 305/70/16s work fairly well. I weigh about 6k (gvwr) not including me, winch, or ropes/straps ect. I get really good traction with mud tires off road and i havent had any on road complications. I currently have a set of road one calvery MTs and they are a very soft tire but still have had a good life span to them as well. And also no noise.
I have a 1985 and a 1987 ford bronco II they both weight about 3400lbs when unloaded and a 32x9.5r15 super swapper TSL bias tire on 15x7 beadlock wheels highway speed is limited to 75mph but the off-road traction is great and any wider of a tire has a tendency to send axles to the grave
33/10.5X15s on my YJ. They seem to work pretty well. No complaints here other than that it is getting difficult finding 15" tires these days.
YJ's do not have the strongest brakes. The brakes were barely adequate with the stock tires. Those bigger tires really should have a serious brake upgrade
@@TheBandit7613 I'll remember that when I'm buzzing down the interstate at 80. Oh, I don't drive on the interstate. Or go 80. Or 70. Or 60. Thank's bruh.
You're overlooking one thing: lower pressure across a larger contact patch could result in more grip. It depends on the coefficient of friction. You can't tell anything by the pressure on the footprint alone.
kzhead.info/sun/adt6eqWHr5puf30/bejne.htmlsi=CWbPJ69QGosPCnZv would disagree with you.
Running 255/80/17 on my 1st gen sequoia. Love the look and ride.
37x12.5x17 on my JKU Rubicon with about 3.5-4” total lift (between the Falcon 3.3 shocks, 3” lift kit and proper set up), great combo. I see a lot of 35 & 37 x13.5” out there and couldn’t imagine having that much more wide rotating mass and road rut pull from the wider tire. I drive my Jeep (5 hours) to and from Moab often so it has to be happy on the Highway for hours while also able to handle up to 6-8 difficulty trails. I also currently run an AT (Falcon Wildpeak AT3W) instead of a more aggressive MT for that same road compromise. For me it’s been a fantastic set up, if I ran in mud more I’d probably move to an RT tread or maybe one of the moderately meaty MT options.
Im on team wide. 12.5 is a good standard. I like low ground pressure for where i wheel. Mostly mud. I have been some pretty amazing places on a 285 75 16 back in the day but 33 12.5 and 35 12.5 is a noticeable change off road.
Funny thing is I assumed you had an f250 based on tire size, then I see you name!
33x10.50 and 35x10.50 tires if you can find them.
Same here, especially since I have a 2WD truck. The extra width plus a locker really helps.
Wide tires suck in mud. Try narrow and you'll be shocked. U just like the wide ones despite the poor performance
@@sham_wow_guy width doesn't help even if you seem to think it does
I had 315/70/17, then 315/75/16 before going with 265/75/16 on my '09 Wrangler JKU. I don't like the look near as much, but my Jeep sure does like the change! Gas mileage, handling, road noise, comfort, peppiness all improved dramatically - it was like taking ankle weights off each corner. I don't offroad as much as I'd like to so it's mostly a DD. Function over look at this moment for me.
I have a 2012 Suburban. I run a 30x12.5 tire. It's my daily and I use it on the beach. I'm able to run the beach without having to air down. I still carry the gear I need for adjusting the pressure in case I have an issue. But so far 3 beach/surf fishing seasons with no issues. I run the tires between 35 and 40 psi.
I mostly wheeled in the coast range with an FJ 40. I ran 33. 9.50 15s and mostly had no problems. The truck had pretty good highway manners too.
Narrow tires are so much better in snow, sand and mud. I learned that personally.
Two door JK with 2.5 inch suspension. 35x10.50 RTs and have had good performance on and off road. Sure I miss the cool kid look but I appreciate how much better this width is working.
I just jumped from a 285 /70/ 17 to a 315/70/17, I went with the Goodyear territory mt ( tires that come on the bronco ) I love the difference in ride. And the look of those tires .Had death wobble and replaced tie rods, ball joints and upper n lower control arms cause I couldn’t find a bad link to cause it. Tires. It was my old nittos . I love how much better my jk rolls down the road now.
Interesting topic! I went from a 35x12.50 on one of my trucks (6,500lbs vehicle) to a 36x15.50 tire. On road was way more sketchy, would actually slide adound on dry pavement with the wider tire. Offroad, it performed a lot better in the sloppy mud and really soft sand.
Kenda Klever RT 35x10.5x17 on a Jeep Gladiator with a 2” Mopar lift. Running factory wheels. Love the set up. Looks old school military in the stance. Handles the snow, sand, and mud in Michigan.
You've explained this perfectly! Great job with your KZhead channel! Andy McKane, Land Rover owner 1964-1993; Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon owner 2012 to present. We outfitted my wife with a 2014 Grand Cherokee Overland diesel. We sold that as, according to my wife, "there have been too many issues with the exhaust gas recirculaton" that required far too many trips to L.H. Miller Jeep in Provo Utah before moving to the Hawaiian Island of Molokai in 2019. You and your channel give A-1 advice from what I've seen so far. Andy McKane, Maunaloa, Hawaii.
Happy to hear Andy!! Glad we could help provide useful info for you and everyone out there looking to learn more!
Haven't watched the video yet but I wanted to comment first. My dad always said taller skinnier tires were better in almost all off-road scenarios other than mud. He said especially when aired down you actually have more surface traction with a skinny tall tire. There was even a whitepaper study he showed me that explained everything and it made perfect sense. So I've always opted for taller skinnier. Curious to see what this video shows.
I think a 255mm wide (10 inches) is the perfect all round width for daily drivers with some weekend off road use. These would be ideal for vehicles such as the Land Rover Defender, Lexus GX460, Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser 70 series and Tacoma. There’s a good variety of options now too - 255/85R16, 255/75R17, 255/80R17 and the newly released 255/85R17.
Also the 35x11.50r17 Nitto Trail Grappler MT is 10.62 on a 7 inch wide wheel or 265/85r17(11.42 on a 9 inch wide wheel and use the .2 of an inch tire width change per .5 inch in wheel width change).
I've thought the 255/85R16 was the sweet spot for a lot of vehicles.
It depends on the weight of the vehicle .. Let's just get ridiculous and say the vehicle is a 2017 F350 Super Duty Diesel with dual rear wheels... The video is way wrong to suggest using GVWR, which is 14,000 Lbs for said truck .. What I posted earlier is correct: use Curb Weight, which is only 7,077 - 7,694 Lbs. As you can see, the video suggests a stupid number to use because it represents a fully loaded to the legal maximum weight, which isn't good for wheeling if you don't want high chances of breaking down from overworking the vehicle. As far as 255 being ideal... definitely depends on the Curb Weight of the vehicle. Ground Pressure is the term that should have been used in the video, representing the PSI placed on the ground. A wider tire can drive in sand with less or no airing down than a narrower tire. It really does boil down to vehicle weight and terrain you expect to handle. I know trails you can't climb without very tall and narrow tires, or you will never reach the hard pack earth underneath the deep soft top layer, and places where the wider the better due to fine blow sand that's worst when extremely dry. 255 only applies to vehicles approximately 4,000-4,500Lbs, and only as an all-around general tire. The carcass of most metric sized tires isn't made to be aired down, that's when you want a 3X x 10 flotation rated tire made to be aired down safely.
The F350 Super Duty dually comes from factory with 245/75R17 tyres so how would a 255mm tyre not be suitable? If the engineers selected a 245mm wide tyre surely they must have determined that to be an ideal size based on the vehicle requirements. Obviously the super single without the dual wheel setup can run a 285mm or wider but a 255mm wide setup would still work well for a dually.
@@ianparsons8894 The 255/85r17 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT is 34.6x9.80(245/90r17 is 34.4×9.80) on a 7 inch wide wheel, the same width as a 245/75r17 on a 7 inch wide wheel.
Just like everything else it comes down to the terrain you'll be on. Personally I'm a big fan of skinnier tires, they cut through mud, snow and ice (if there is a hard surface underneath) for better traction. For deep snow, sand, and bottomless mud pits wide tires obviously provide better floatation. There aren't a ton of options for 34"-35" tires that are 10.5 inches wide or narrower though.
I use a taller narrower heavy gripped tires 235/85/17 for most stuff I go thru. Muddy trailers on summer fishing trips, pasture crawling in the spring when gopher hunting, snow covered lakes when ice fishing. However when on the hwy typically I like stock sized tires 255/65/17. Oh I run a 22 colorado z71 4x4 long box crewcab with the v6 gasser.
Daily driving a 2017 Jeep Wrangler JK 2-door. 2.5" lift on some 35x12.50R17 mudders wrapped on some 17x9 high off-set wheels. I live off a dirt road deep in the "boonies" of SoCal and we often get stuck in the house due to the dirt turning to mud. Work also takes me down some rough roads where the added thickness of load-range e tires helps prevent punctures (company doesn't supply work vehicles but covers gas charges on road calls) Haven't really had any issues with the 12.5 wide tires on the street other than just being loud.
Your vehicles' stock tires were the outcome of countless factors by several engineers based on your vehicle. The farther you venture from the original design, the weirder everything gets. With that said, I like slightly taller tires of the same width from the factory.
The world needs more 35/10.50's
Another informative and useful video. Something I always wondered about but was afraid 😢to ask
Glad it was helpful!
2015 Jeep JK rubicon with a 3.5 metalcloak gamerchanger. Ive ran 35x12.5 and 37x12.5, and either is fine IMO, as long as you gear to the tire. 4.88 for 35s, and 5.13 for 37s. I like the versatility of the match. great for overlanding / camping, but it will do work on some rocks, and still makes for a reasonable daily driver.
Skinny every time on 4x4 . Better mileage, Move maneuverability on narrow trails and rock climbing ,better traction less hydroplaneing and when aired down do fine in sand and best with studs in snow
Hahahaha …. Good one
Yeah contact patch in the front to back plane is more valuable than the left to right plane due to rolling resistance. Hence, big fat tyres aren't the best
@@badwerds hahahahahahaha good one 😆😎🤘🏻
@@brandonmoore5988 yup, science - hilarious
@@badwerds bwa ahahahahahaha keep go buddy! I love story’s
Running 31x10.5 on my Cherokee xj. Really seems ideal, any bigger or wider and you start breaking stuff and losing road manners.
Me too! XJs are very capable so XJ with 31s can go wheeling with big boys.
Same here XJ with 3" lift with 31x10.5
@@DelgueAdventures looking back I wish I would’ve gone 3 instead of 4.5, I’m going to have to get a sye. But I was scared to rub and I’m not trimmed
I have an xj w 4.5” lift I’m running 275/70/17. Looking back I wish I had gotten the long arm kit. I just bought a control arm drop kit. That should stop it from riding like a tank. As far as the tires, the on and off-road performance is really good. I’m not running a SYE and I have no driveline vibes.
I like a tall(read 35-37") tire but prefer 11.5 or so width. Doesn't tear up side paint if tires are mostly inside fender wells.