Tall Skinny Tires vs. Short Wide Tires. Q's for Roman/Green

[SPR]

I have always wondered if a tall skinny tire 37/12.50 would perform better in spring snow compared to a 35/14.50. I assume that both tires have about the same footprint. Did anyone notice last weekend if Roman hooked up and floated any better than Old Green? Is the comparison between the tire similar tires legit?

[toyman2]

id say it would be about a wash.
with the shorter and wider you dont have as much side wall but you have the width on the tread.
with a taller but skinny tire you have a bit more side wall to run on.

you may be wider with the 14.5 but your softer with the 12.5.

just my thought on it

[OldGreen]

In this case I'd say that Roman's tires were better. . .IF he would have been able to air them down as fas as I did. I was at 2 psi or less most of the time and he was quite a bit higher than that. On Saturday I was REALLY hooked up but he was doing almost as well with higher air pressure. It is acutally a pretty good apples to apples comparison since both rigs probably weight about the same and the tires are the same rubber/tread pattern. I think that the biggest reason that the 37s would be better is that you'd have another inch of ground clearance with a similar footprint. On the other hand, I can get CRAZY sideways and not worry about rolling.

[Grumpy]

Can't consider either size tall and skinny from where I sit. A 255/85x16 is tall and skinny and really pretty single purpose (Mud). I don't think I personally would be real happy with the tires Jim and Jose run for mud use. Too much sliding around for my taste. BTDT. But then, mud as I define it seems to be a rare thing around here (Someone please make a liar out of me on that one). Most of my wheeling has been done on sand or that sticky clay crap down home, and most of us kept 2 sets of tires to cover both. Kinda spendy nowadays! Gotta admit here snow is not something I've spent much time on, but it sure seems flotation may be more important than on sand is some regards. Doubt I could get enough tire to float the red truck on snow. What gets me, and I noticed this when I had Steve's truck out at Juniper, is that the tires don't seem to deform as much as I like to get the needed contact patch for sand. And explain to me why M/T's won't hold air! Pretty damn annoying. Keep the discussion going here, kids. I need all the info I can get.

[OldGreen]

BFGs new style MTs don't hold air because their bead SUCKS.

To continue the discussion:

Tall/Skinny only works if there is a BOTTOM to whatever you are driving through.

Other than that you want lots of floatation. I think that the slightly taller tires like Roman has "roll over" stuff easier. So. . .in the end, I think that the best size of our type of tire is 37x13.50 like Roman's. I personally wouldn't go bigger than that for what we do. If I were to build a "snow only" rig, I'd do 39.5x16.50.

[Grumpy]

With bead locks, I hope. Ain't 16.5 kinda useless for low pressure? The type mud I was refering to is the sticky old blue clay crap at home. We ran old skid roads and power lines mostly, so there was a bottom in it, of sorts. I'd like to put 35/12.50's on the brown truck as a good compromise, but we're still disCUSSing the whole deal. Mostly I want it done so I can start on Susan's Cabby before she starts getting any froggier than she already is

[benw]

Ain't 16.5 kinda useless for low pressure?

It depends... I run my 38.5x14.5x16.5 at 0 psi in the back and 2 psi in the front for snow. Never had a bead issue.

[Grumpy]

And I can't keep M/T's on with 10 lbs in 'em Just annoying.

[toyman2]

there is alot that could be discussed about a tire,but if were talkin about snow!
then id have to say early snow thats like suger wider is better but in the later snow like now were its hard and icey skinner is better for more pounds per SQ inch to get the bite.
but more inportant than anything is the rubber compound,softer is better
look at the bogger or SXs and compare them to the Iroks or Gumbo radail,also big outer lugs are not so good eather compaired to like a Irok or Gumbos witch are still aggressive but not to nasty of a tread

[commando14]

Definately depends on the type of snow and if you can hit bottom. If I was to choose between the two sizes for my rig, I would go with Romans. Then I would get me some beadlocks like OG. I'd have to say OG did have the gription advantage on Saturday, but I think the lower tire pressure helped some there.

If I was to build a snow rig I would try wider tires on the back and narrower on the front. The idea being the back tires would be rolling over fresh untouched snow giving a better grip for the back tires. Might help when going up hills.

[Roman]

IF he would have been able to air them down as fas as I did. I was at 2 psi or less most of the time and he was quite a bit higher

So 3 psi is "quite" a bit higher?

And ask Don about rocketing up the hill to help shovel you out!

[OldGreen]

yep, it is 50% higher.

I'm sayin'. . .your tires I think would be better overall if it was apples to apples. And, we got stuck on the same place on the same hill. I wouldn't have gotten stuck if I'd remembered my anti-gravity tires.

[SPR]

For this discussion, I was thinking a floatation tires not pizza cutters

[OldGreen]

Honestly. . .it is almost a wash at the same PSI between our two tires. If you were talking the difference between a 35x15.50 and a 38x12.50, I'd take the taller sidewall and higher ground clearance of the 38 and just let more air out. On the other hand, I'm short and fat so I like that too. . .

[oddball]

OG, your right about the BFGs. I can't go below 7 psi without them self deflating. I'd like to know what they'd be like at 4 psi. Maybe beadlocks are in my future.

[commando14]

I was running my old style BFG's at 4.5 psi. My front two are worn out really bad, I'd like to just get two more of the new style but I'm leary of the new bead on those since everyone seems to have problems with them.

[OldGreen]

I really think that BIG radials on beadlocks would be THE snow tire.

The best snow tires I have ever seen are 38" Radial Gumbo Monster Mudders.

I think that 41" IROK radials on double beadlocks would be even better.

[Roman]

OG, your right about the BFGs. I can't go below 7 psi without them self deflating. I'd like to know what they'd be like at 4 psi. Maybe beadlocks are in my future.

Trust me, BFG's at 4 psi ROCK!

but BFG's at 0 psi SUCK!

[Grumpy]

10-4 times about 6 Even the 255's I have work well with air in them on the red truck. Not so good without. 5800lbs is a bit much...

[79chevy39.5's]

bfgs suck because of their rim protector (the rubber part that sticks out) there are a couple threads on pirate where people have cut that off of their tires and they stay on better
as for 16.5's it all really depends on how long your tires have been on the beeds i had a set of 36's that i blew a beed movin my truck around in the drive way but on my 39.5's they stay on because theyre stiff and have been on the rims for ever and both are a wide tires (14.5 and 15.5) on 9.75 (39.5) and 8" (36) rims
also from what i have seen from both run reports and seen the wider small lugged tires do the best like a wide mt or grooved tsl

but then again what do i know i just am along for the ride

[toyman2]

its ok i dont no anythig eather i just like the sound of me typing

[OldGreen]

OG, your right about the BFGs. I can't go below 7 psi without them self deflating. I'd like to know what they'd be like at 4 psi. Maybe beadlocks are in my future.

It would be SO worth it to beadlock your wheels. . .200 bucks and a few handfulls of bolts/nylocks. . .bzzzzz bzzzzzzzz bzzzzzz. . .and reclaim "Snow Hero" status from your bro. . .