Thoughts on SKINNY TIRES VS THICK TIRES

Skinny is best in practically all situations including rocks. Read this analysis and it will explain it. Skinny for life!

http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html

 

Not trying to be a dick here, I think it is worth pointing out that tall and skinny have more surface area touching the ground when aired down than the wide tires do. The majority of surface area gains come from the length of your footprint, with tall skinny tires you get a lot more length, hence more surface area.

 

I need snow tire change over. I could have gone the 245s vs 265 s. The traction in snow would be better....but, trucks don't handle that well as it is and the manufacturer knows the best compromise...so I will stay with 265s, even though skinny tires have distinct advantages.

 

might want to tell all those top fuel/funny car dragsters they are doing it wrong with those fat wide tires for traction

 

I run skinny tires on my Daihatsu. They sink in the mud more but I prefer the look and I don't hit mud often. So best size IMO is one which is balanced with your vehcile size/suspension, but still gives you enough performance in your most common terrain.

 

THIS all the way..!!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/255-85-r16-owners-experience.155849/
This may be helpful.

 

And much less weight and rolling resistance.

 

And it the wide tire is aired down ? How many here own a Humvee with a built in compressor ? Of course that's right but what are the advantages of an under inflated tire on road.

 

I agree with my neighbor on Vancouver Island and run LT 235/85-16's for a couple of major reasons -
> My truck is a WORK-TRUCK not a toy....and often my work requires climbing grades on snow-covered roads...ie, turning around is not an option.
> LT's because they are trough and rocks stay on the outside
> 235/85 because they are tall (about 32 inches) You want as much clearance as you can get and that includes the rear-diff.
> 235/85's because they are narrow (as stated fat tires are for show-offs not for climbing hills in wet snow)
> 235/85's because they are narrow meaning I can (and do) run chains on the front weeks (a requirement)
With that being said - I do run AT's (Toyo Open Country) all year except for winter/snow-season when I switch to MT's that I have mounted on separate rims.
> I will be moving my tires (and wheels) to my 2016 Sport- AC- MT-Barcelona - from - my existing 2010 as they are brand new. The new owner of my 2010 will get the fancy wheels and passenger car tires (he is pleased)

Hope this is helpful to someone

Clay in Auburn, Wa. (25 mi south of Seattle)

 

His statement is correct, its been proven. Search on google

 

I am not doubting it by any means if you read my response. Every time a bike tire looses air you can feel the increase in drag. The point is.......why ? Just to prove a point. Letting air out of a 245 is not enough of a temporary gain to have it as a substitute for a 265 in mud when around the corner more air is needed. 245's are too narrow to begin with for many off road situations. You certainly don't do it in snow. Maybe on ice.....then as soon as you hit snow, you're possibly worse off. Under inflation is certainly bad for highway driving. Practically speaking, it doesn't fly with 99.9% of the drivers 99% of the time. It's a useless exercise for a guy who wants ." The look".

 

Who said anything about being deflated and driving around on the road?

 

Am just now running 255/85/16 and I love them. The thickness doesn't bother be at all and since I only offroad on the weekends, the gas milage and lighter tire really help.

 

Sand, I drive on a lot of sand. A wider tire does better on the sand. Not everyone buys a wide tire for looks. Sure I could air down 255's and re inflate with my on board compressor, there's no way it will perform as well as a wider tire. I have pulled out plenty of aired down rigs on street pressure.

 

On a 16? Any lift? Any rubbing? What model tire?

 

This is a common misconception. Dragsters run wide tires to reduce heat in the tire, not to gain traction. For dragsters, there's a trade off between straight-line traction and not melting the tires off the car. For ideal traction, they would want a narrow tall tire.

 

IMHO the 255's with an aggressive sidewall (Cooper S/t Maxx) look fine. Kind of a terrible pic but here.

 

Rolling resistance increases when aired down.

 

You are missing the point. Deflating skinny tires to game n performance is an impractical exercise se whether it works or not.