Tall & skinny or wide tires?

[JMT]

The fact the guy on the video used an FJ Cruiser is very telling. I almost bought one and thankfully ended up getting the Jeep. I’ve wheeled with FJ’s. It was embarrassing. They’re so big and heavy. Owners are always trying to protect the little plastic bumpers and they just get torn to shreds if they hit anything.

 

[srimes]

We just had this discussion in another thread and this video came up. I think it's nonsense TBH.

Go look at what professionals run in competition and see if you want to assume they're all doing the wrong thing or not IMO. I don't think anyone runs pizza cutters in KOH do they?

Take a look at the *checks notes* unlimited class winner. I'd say 37x10 counts as skinny.

 

[jjvw]

Take a look at the *checks notes* unlimited class winner. I'd say 37x10 counts as skinny.

View attachment 601978

We also had a winner last year who had Patagonias. Sponsorship does not mean that tire is the best option for performance.

 

[lBasket]

Take a look at the *checks notes* unlimited class winner. I'd say 37x10 counts as skinny.

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That's a side by side

 

[srimes]

That's a side by side

It's the unlimited class winner the beat out every other racer. Yes it is a UTV-based, 1/2-million-dollar buggy.

We also had a winner last year who had Patagonias. Sponsorship does not mean that tire is the best option for performance.

It does mean that they're at least good enough to win. The question was "I don't think anyone runs pizza cutters in KOH do they?" The overall winner running them is a resounding "yes they do."

KOH is amazing with the competing requirements of rocks and open desert. Bigger tires do better in the rocks but are a huge hinderance to going fast in the desert.

 

[lBasket]

It's the unlimited class winner the beat out every other racer. Yes it is a UTV-based, 1/2-million-dollar buggy.



It does mean that they're at least good enough to win. The question was "I don't think anyone runs pizza cutters in KOH do they?" The overall winner running them is a resounding "yes they do."

KOH is amazing with the competing requirements of rocks and open desert. Bigger tires do better in the rocks but are a huge hinderance to going fast in the desert.

Yeah it was a legit question. It seems like most of the vehicles comparable to ours run 13.5" but damn is it impossible to find info on tire width. Everytime I look it up all I can find are people talking about tire height not width

 

[Apparition]

Am I racing or crawling?

 

[Steeprocker]

toyo 255/85r16 have been great on my LJR. 33.5” tall and skinny. They track down the highway good, run smooth for a mud tire and off road they hookup. Also considering the q78-16 swamper tsl bias, now that I have been trailering the jeep to wheel. They are only 5 pounds more than the 255’s and 35.5” tall.

 

[Steeprocker]

Q78’s on other people’s Jeeps. Not mine

 

[Rickyd]

toyo 255/85r16 have been great on my LJR. 33.5” tall and skinny. They track down the highway good, run smooth for a mud tire and off road they hookup. Also considering the q78-16 swamper tsl bias, now that I have been trailering the jeep to wheel. They are only 5 pounds more than the 255’s and 35.5” tall.

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Nice looking rig

 

[Harold&Cat]

255/85r16 Falken at4w ...33.1 inches tall 10.3 inches wide

 

[John Cooper]

Am I racing or crawling?

Maybe a combo?? Cracing? Or rawling ?

The world may never know!!!!!

 

[John Cooper]

Tall and skinny.. or tall and wide....look at the big mud race teams.

For the deep mud racer tall, skinny and lots of lift and especially lots of horsepower!!!!

For the mud pit racer tall, wide just enough lift and lots and lots of horsepower!!!!

Big Foot ran those wide tires for the stability and looks more than anything.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

This thread is like trying to answer the question “What is better, a mud tire or a slick?”

The answer of course is “In what circumstance?” The mud tire is better in the mud, a slick is better on the drag strip.

That sounds simplistic, but it carries over into this discussion as well.

Does a tall skinny tire work better in mud? Depends. Assuming a similar tread setup, tall skinny tires work by sinking down until they hit something to gain traction - and then they grab and move you forward. If the mud is too deep, you very quickly sink up to the axles and then you are done. The exact same situation occurs in snow.

If the mud / snow / stuff is too deep, a flotation tire works better by keeping you on top of the slop. ‘Course, then you need the ponies.

As Einstein said about mud tire traction, it’s all relative…

 

[BC Moto]

At KOH I saw several 37x10.5 tires on different rigs but they are racing. I run a 12.5 not just because it looks good but when aired down I like the float it gives me for sand and snow. I take it on the rocks mostly but it works well for me.

 

[NKlekas]

toyo 255/85r16 have been great on my LJR. 33.5” tall and skinny. They track down the highway good, run smooth for a mud tire and off road they hookup. Also considering the q78-16 swamper tsl bias, now that I have been trailering the jeep to wheel. They are only 5 pounds more than the 255’s and 35.5” tall.

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I think I'm going to try skinnier tires for my next set. Great pictures!

 

[deserteagle56]

Hauling a load of 2x4s up the canyon to the cabin. Jeep is wearing Maxxis Bighorn LT255/85R16E (pizza cutter) tires and I really liked them.

 

[Irun]

Having run narrow and wide tires across several decades of wheeling, I've never noticed a significant difference in them off-road. The only significant difference I have noticed is in daily driving. The narrow tires track, brake, and handle better when on pavement. To be fair, where I live gets a fair amount of rain and the off-road conditions change dramatically, depending on what trails you are on. Bottom line, you can be as scientific as possible in evaluating them and that all goes out the window once practical use kicks in. What's good for one use-case and location will not be good for another.

 

[Rickyd]

Just seeing q78's on tj's make reading this thread worth it

 

[DuckNut]

And as for the whole "higher contact pressure grips better" claim, tell that these guys running very fat rubber on ultralight cars.

This is a terrible analogy. These tires are selected based on the ability to hold a certain number of G forces when the tire is at 300 degrees and if the track is oval, banked, road course or street course, and if wet or dry, concrete or asphalt, etc, etc, etc. These tires have zero to do with the thread. But if you notice, the pro's use skinnier tires in front. That is because a wider tire is much harder to turn in the corners under deceleration and may grip too much and throw the rear out of tow or the driver not able to turn the wheel.