what's your preference and why? i like skinnies cuz they're less strain on the steering and with a heavy rig (4500+ lbs) you can press through mud and onto firm ground. i've also seen how the tread is on wide tires, and i think you'd get less lateral traction with them.

BTW, i think of wide as being greater than 14.5 inches in width on a 35" or larger tire. that's true size, not rated size.

Pizza Cutters!

38x12.50 on an 8 in rim!

I'm running major pizza cutters 33x9.5 on my Willys. On the plus side they make it easy to steer, no loss of turning radius and are much less likely to hydroplane in the water and snow than wider tires (my rig weighs 2300lbs).

Negative side is definitely stability, I dropped one of my front tires into a hole that other guys were driving over, and rolled.

That being said, I'm switching to something a little wider once my wider axles are done.

I run 44 x 19.5 x 16.5 on 16.5" x 16" wide beadlocked rims.

Ultra wide.

Downside is steering and turning radius.

Upside is massive contact patch and all the benefits it brings in differnt situations.

I also think wide tires look cooler, but that's just cosmetic.

Tim

Pizza cutters for me. Had 38.5X16's on 15X15's on my first dedicated mud racer, but Q78's on 7" rims work SOOOOOOO much better <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">


TEX

I love my high pressure skinnies, but I got to give them up. Going from 33-9.50's to 35-12.50's. I like the skinnies because they don't stress the driveline as much, which is handy in the rocks, but they are traction disadvantaged sometime when they slide off of the line.

38.5x11.00 boggers on 8" rims. Before that 34x9.50 TSL's. Never had anybody with wider tires go where I hadn't been.
Narrower is better.

Pizza cutters all the way. In wet climates like the NW the skinnies tires bite so much better. If I lived in Moab I might think differently about wide tires.

By the way, did you guys notice that BFG finally came out with a 33/10.5 MT? Those seem like a good size although I don't care much for BFG's.

About the stability, who cares. Just buy a six or a seven inch rim that sticks way out. Willamette wheel makes these for pretty cheap.

this thread and the 'full size vs. jeep'...what, y'all going thru your old wheelin magazine stories for topics? <IMG SRC="smilies/rolleyes.gif" border="0">

I like em both : )
These are 18.5s on 14" wheels and 11.5s on 7" wheels

<IMG width=440 height=330 SRC="http://www.pirate4x4.com/ubb/uploads/P4240008sm.jpg">

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: dirtrod ]

34-9.5-15 on a 6inch stock toyota wheel, got them from a friend that got 35-15.50-15 baja claws and he wanted to buy his old tires back <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> they grip like mad!

Originally posted by dirtrod:
<STRONG>I like em both : )
These are 18.5s on 14" wheels and 11.5s on 7" wheels

<IMG width=440 height=330 SRC="http://www.pirate4x4.com/ubb/uploads/P4240008sm.jpg">

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: dirtrod ]</STRONG>


Do you run two different gear ratios to go with those different height tires???? or is that an optical illusion????

I've had the 38.5x11 boggers and liked them.

Mud racers will usually go for the skinny tall tires and do much better.

If your tire can't find the bottom of a hole I would think you'd do better with a wider tire. If there is a bottom the skinnier tire will prevail. Do you agree Tex?

I prefer the wider tires for all around wheeling. Running 44x19.5 boggers on 16.5 x14 Bart Wheels now and like them very much.
I also like the look <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by TEX:
<STRONG>Pizza cutters for me. Had 38.5X16's on 15X15's on my first dedicated mud racer, but Q78's on 7" rims work SOOOOOOO much better <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">


TEX</STRONG>

hey! i'm not the only one who likes q78s! hot damn! what do you run? buckshot or TSL? 5 q78 swampers are gonna run me $1000 <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0">

ah well

Whoo Hoo, Well I like my 33950s and go everywhere man, and they stuff up into the wheelwell instead of onto the body. Just need a spare now!
<IMG SRC="smilies/beer.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/beer.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Cliffhanger:
<STRONG>
Do you run two different gear ratios to go with those different height tires???? or is that an optical illusion????</STRONG>

They are about the same height, and I run more air in the fronts to protect the rims during bonzi attacks.

I went wide on my sammy. I think the advantage is that the sammy is super light weight and can glide over the mud holes... I only took it in the mud however... but I also think skinny has it's advantages... it's an opinion matter and whatever you think go with it

Originally posted by dirtrod:
<STRONG>I like em both : )
These are 18.5s on 14" wheels and 11.5s on 7" wheels

<IMG width=440 height=330 SRC="http://www.pirate4x4.com/ubb/uploads/P4240008sm.jpg">

[ 10-24-2001: Message edited by: dirtrod ]</STRONG>

Great rig DirtRod! It shows us your not a copy-cat <IMG SRC="smilies/csmile.gif" border="0"> BTW. what size is your spare? <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by white knight:
<STRONG>

If your tire can't find the bottom of a hole I would think you'd do better with a wider tire. If there is a bottom the skinnier tire will prevail. Do you agree Tex?

</STRONG>

I used to subscribe to the fat tire for floatation notion when I first got serious about mud racing. But, what I've found is that eventually, you will find the bottom no matter what you're running. But, the narrow tires get to the bottom quicker & pull you farther & faster in the process. Now, I will take a fat TALL tire over a SHORT skinny one though. There are some who can make use of the floatation theory, but they're really light & really powerful. Buddy of mine was able to "float" his '69 FJ40 with 39.5" Boggers at all 4 corners, but he was running a full-roller 477" on alcohol & NOS. Picture this, 3.07 front gears & 3.50 rears. TH350 in 2nd gear, low range (2:1), at 8,000 RPM's. <IMG SRC="smilies/smokin.gif" border="0">


TEX

Originally posted by WillyPete:
<STRONG>hey! i'm not the only one who likes q78s! hot damn! what do you run? buckshot or TSL? 5 q78 swampers are gonna run me $1000 <IMG SRC="smilies/crybaby2.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/frown.gif" border="0">

ah well</STRONG>

I've got the TSL's. If you go with those, the 16" version is .5" taller than the 15" version <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0"> Buckshots might be better yet. If I ran mud DRAGS more, I think the flat tread would work better. They seem pretty equal in the bogs.

TEX

I run Q78-16 swampers they work better IMO than the buckshot Ihad befor more grip and believe it or not quieter <IMG SRC="smilies/cool.gif" border="0">