Goodyear Tires

[AlienXtx]

That's just not the case. Have you ever gone skiing? Whether it's snow or water, more surface area = less friction so you glide across the snow more easily.Traction is so much more complex than Bigger is Better

that is also with a smooth/slick non-rubber surface not something with tread. Ive never seen a dragster running skinny tires out back because the wider ones have less grip.

 

[SecretSquirrel]

that is also with a smooth/slick non-rubber surface not something with tread. Ive never seen a dragster running skinny tires out back because the wider ones have less grip.

Stupid me. We should be running 255s up front and 305s in the back?

 

[fsbrain03]

Drew, does it ever feel you are all alone?

 

[drew02a]

Stupid me. We should be running 255s up front and 305s in the back?

Exactly my point. Picking the right tires is application specific. I'd rather sacrifice performance in deep mud (since I avoid it at all costs) for better on road, rock, dirt, "normal depth mud" performance.

 

[drew02a]

Drew, does it ever feel you are all alone?

If I were, it wouldn't be the first time

 

[CalgaryRider]

That's just not the case. Have you ever gone skiing? Whether it's snow or water, more surface area = less friction so you glide across the snow more easily.

Traction is so much more complex than Bigger is Better

Well if your talking skiing thats my domain....

Wide skis float on the powder vs. skinny skis ski due to surface area. Friction or traction is actually worse on normal snow with a wider ski. What allows a ski to run in snow is the wax on the ski, as as the friction heats up the snow, a thin layer of water forms between the ski and the snow, creating lubrication. If the ski is waxed it causes the water to bead faster, thus allowing you to go faster due to decreased friction.

Now that I totally took you guys off topic....

I will probably go wide, nothing against the skinny tires, just where we are when we air down, we want to displace our weight out as much as possible, and a wider tire allows for more distribution, and allows for more traction over variable terrain.

I'm currently running a 265/70/17 BFG AT, and I will be stepping up to a 285/70/17 to gain more height and width for clearance and traction over variable terrain.

 

[AlienXtx]

Stupid me. We should be running 255s up front and 305s in the back?

I guess soo..

Drew, does it ever feel you are all alone?

in this case yes.

Exactly my point. Picking the right tires is application specific. I'd rather sacrifice performance in deep mud (since I avoid it at all costs) for better on road, rock, dirt, "normal depth mud" performance.

I have lived down a dirt/rock road my whole life and I can tell you from 32 years of it with 16+ years actually driving on it 2 and 4 wheel drive, that skinny is NOT the way to go for better traction on this type of stuff. but is it helps you while driving on pavement in SA more power to you..lmao

If I were, it wouldn't be the first time

and not the last.

 

[drew02a]

I have lived down a dirt/rock road my whole life and I can tell you from 32 years of it with 16+ years actually driving on it 2 and 4 wheel drive, that skinny is NOT the way to go for better traction on this type of stuff.

Have you ever driven a skinny tire with a decent tread pattern?

 

[AlienXtx]

Have you ever driven a skinny tire with a decent tread pattern?

yep, Ive driven everything from my frist truck (86 hilux 4x4) to my 86 SWB chevy with a 496 and a locked 4.10 rear on slicks down these dirt roads and the wider the tire the better it drives no matter what the tread is like. Thats why you see all the old farmers around here running a wider tire on the back so they get better traction pulling farm equipment and cow trailers etc. and they are in mud (deep-not) loose sand, rock and pasture grass (just about the worse stuff to get traction on).

But I did find you a nice skinny wheeled rock crawler.

 

[drew02a]

When I had those 33x12.5 MTs on my Tacoma it was Soooo much easier to slide the rear around both on gravel and pavement. Damn things just floated all over the place.

I can hardly do it on the tall and skinnies

 

[CalgaryRider]

When I had those 33x12.5 MTs on my Tacoma it was Soooo much easier to slide the rear around both on gravel and pavement. Damn things just floated all over the place.

I can hardly do it on the tall and skinnies

Its because you have decreased the surface area of the tire, putting more pressure on the contact patch. Which is good on smooth to mild terrain.

When you go with a wider tire you increase the surface area, reducing the amount of pressure, but allowing for more overall traction as the contact patch can vary with the variable terrian

 

[AlienXtx]

When I had those 33x12.5 MTs on my Tacoma it was Soooo much easier to slide the rear around both on gravel and pavement. Damn things just floated all over the place.

I can hardly do it on the tall and skinnies

I dont know what to tell you bud, only thing I can think of is that the lugs are packed in tighter and are smaller so they will grip better on pavement. And the bigger spaced out lugs on the bigger sizes will flex around the edges and grab rocks etc. alot better then the skinny ones will at the same PSI because they have more room between lugs to flex.

 

[Taco Loco]

I dont know what to tell you bud, only thing I can think of is that the lugs are packed in tighter and are smaller so they will grip better on pavement. And the bigger spaced out lugs on the bigger sizes will flex around the edges and grab rocks etc. alot better then the skinny ones will at the same PSI because they have more room between lugs to flex.

and my MPG will be?

 

[SamSter0077]

Drew, does it ever feel you are all alone?

he is not all alone, I guess I am a skinny tire guy too. To each his own.. I was looking for less Rolling resistance, while be able to flex over terrain. Don't ask me the science of it all but the taller the tire the better it can get over stuff as far as I can tell. 255/75/16 is like 33.3"..

 

[CalgaryRider]

and my MPG will be?

if you were concerned about MPG, you bought the wrong truck. LOL

honestly stepping up to a bigger size from stock affected me about 50 kms a tank (I refuse to do MPG calculations cause I would probably cry)

 

[Taco Loco]

Look at the chart on
http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html

I would have kept my old tires if they were 255/85/16, but I now run 265/75/16's now because, 1.) it doesn't rub and 2.) its a better ride than the 285's and it was a steal for the new 265/75/16 BFG's AT's for 600 bucks.

 

[balakay]

I'll be getting 255s when it's time to replace mine. Unless I go with the MTR Kevlars then I'll stick with the 265s.

 

[Taco Loco]

if you were concerned about MPG, you bought the wrong truck. LOL

honestly stepping up to a bigger size from stock affected me about 50 kms a tank (I refuse to do MPG calculations cause I would probably cry)

MPG- that's joke down here in our country(Texas) sorry if you didn't understand the humor...

 

[drew02a]

With tall and skinny, I was able to still get 19.5mpg with 6" of lift and alot of extra weight from bumper, sliders, skids. I had a 4banger though, but other 4bangers that made "different" choices were getting WAY worse mileage

 

[AlienXtx]

skinny tires will net you more mpgs because of less rolling mass but because of that same thing they dont work has well off road. a taller tire will get you up and over stuff easier because you have more surface up and down the tire that makes contact with the surface your trying to climb, so if you add width to that hight you will double the climbing capability