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Title: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: finnman on August 17, 2016, 03:58:29 PM
I have read a few posts on this and its seems to make sense, but I have no real world experience with running narrower tires for off-road purposes. I am looking at a set of MT tires and the size I want is a 245/70/17 this is almost the exact size of my stock tires(265/65/17) but I cannot get the tire I want in this stock size. So to get the tire I want it will be a bit narrower. What gains or deficits will this create for me as a I drive off and on road?

Thanks!
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: 92xj on August 17, 2016, 04:07:26 PM
Those small of sizes you won't notice a difference. Buy what you want.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Special T on August 17, 2016, 04:23:10 PM
Yup that
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: b23 on August 17, 2016, 10:06:29 PM
I've always liked tall and narrow.  I had these BFG KM2 Mud T/A 255/80R17 on my Jeep Wrangler and liked them really well.  The were a little taller than a 33 and about the same width, maybe a bit narrower, than a 9.50.  Even before I lifted my Wrangler I could run this tire/wheel combo and they wouldn't rub because they were narrow.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: coachcw on August 18, 2016, 06:38:45 AM
all about grip , weight and tire dependent , airing down a wider tire gives great traction but is a pain that works well in mud or heavy snow , I have better luck on compact ice with narrow tires with a snow/ ice lug and siped .
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: thinkingman on August 18, 2016, 09:06:46 AM
You see real off-roaders running narrower tires.
Definitely better in snow, ice and rain. and airing down a narrower tire with a higher profile gives great benefits.
Also better fuel economy.
Cheaper.
Wide tires are for looks and flotation if you're a swamper.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Mudman on August 18, 2016, 09:20:58 AM
I agree, skinny.  But the weight and use type of vehicle matter as well.  Light truck/jeep then skinny always performs better.  Heavy 1 ton truck sometimes it can be good to get little wider.  I think its about the psi of the footprint.  My diesel truck is heavy and a wide tire performs well as I get a lot of weight down but a skinny tire will instantly dig a hole.  Toyota p/u with wide tire spins and slips and floats and just plain sucks.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Alchase on August 18, 2016, 05:20:03 PM
Have you ever seen a tractor with wide tires?

Tall skinny will always out perform short wide, when tires are comparable.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: baker5150 on August 18, 2016, 06:00:37 PM
Have you ever seen a tractor with wide tires?

Tall skinny will always out perform short wide, when tires are comparable.

Not always.  In sand a wider tire prevails.
you don't see sand rails and quads running dirt bike paddles

But you do see mud guys running skinny tractor tires on their trucks.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: JimmyHoffa on August 18, 2016, 06:10:02 PM
Have you ever seen a tractor with wide tires?

Tall skinny will always out perform short wide, when tires are comparable.
kind of, saw it quite a bit when disking especially if there had been rain.  by kind of I mean, would double or triple up the tires.
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Vortectoy on August 18, 2016, 07:07:15 PM
Sorry, I have to comment on the "real wheelers run narrow tires" quote. Lol. Not a chance!  More surface area on the ground means more traction.  True wheeling is nowhere near rough dirt roads. There are however a FEW exceptions....Narrow tires will bite down to the dirt when in mud, until it's deep, then wide tires will float. Same with snow and sand. For strictly offroad, wider is superior. For on road/gravel dirt roads I feel like since you are not true "wheeling," a narrower tire will work better for biting to a good surface, not hydroplaning in rain/standing water, and gas mileage. 
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Bofire on August 18, 2016, 07:27:40 PM
sand needs tire width, all the rest can be done with narrow. on pavement rubber makes the traction, the grooves just move the water out of the way.
Carl
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: 2labs on August 18, 2016, 07:45:36 PM
When I was young and abused expensive trucks, nothing beats tall Pizza cutters! :twocents:
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Mudman on August 18, 2016, 08:15:09 PM
Its simple guys.  Sand you need flotation=wide.  Snow you need skinny to bite until it gets too deep for your clearance, then you need wide for flotation.  Mud is the same as snow.  Every thing else is a balance of weight to width ration.  Must have weight on footprint or tire will skid easy.  In rain soaked NW roads a wide tire will always plane before a skinny.  I like a balanced tire depending on use of course.  When wheeling light Toyotas we like skinny 38-11 boggers or 9.5 swampers but in a mud bog which is bottomless a 15 wide bogger/paddle and 400hp seemed to kick azz!
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: follow maggie on August 18, 2016, 09:42:11 PM
The difference in width in those sizes is only 20mm. Less than an inch. Don't worry about it
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: firepin on August 22, 2016, 01:22:00 PM
A narrow tire if aired down, for real 4 wheeling, will want to come off the rim easier without a bead lock.  :twocents:
Title: Re: Narrower Tires for off-road use? Does it make a difference?
Post by: Hotrodaud on September 12, 2016, 11:51:18 AM
Narrower tires cut through the mud and snow better like a pizza cutter and the treads will clear of mud a bit easier so if your in the mud in snow a lot id go with a narrower tire the treads on a wide tire will clog up with mud a lot more and not clear as easy as a narrow tire would. If your in the dry stuff or in the rocks like Moab Utah kind of stuff id go with a wide tire because your not trying to cut through and mud really your just trying to get traction.
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