Northern WI Mud Tires? Skinny vs Wide?

Hi all.

I have done a fair amount of searching, and it seems that the general consensus is that shallow mud requires narrow tires so that you may dig in to firmer substrate, while deep mud (how deep?) requires wide tires that will ‘float’ on top.

I am specifically inquiring as to whether anyone here who regularly wheels through Wisconsin’s North Woods finds that skinny or wide (your definition) is the right choice, assuming similar tread configuration.

Thanks for any advice derived from personal experience................. Frank

 

Bringing your thread to life. Where in wisconsin? NW-WI is a relatively sandy area. Not too much for mud but generally more of the digging than floating required when you do hit the mud. In snow I've done better on a skinnier tire as well. From what I've gathered anything between 10-11 inches is a good compromise for a width. I personally run 265/75r16 which are 10.4in wide. My Jeep Wrangler was a little wider at 285/75r16 and 11.2in wide. I would say I like my 10.4in wide tires better. BOTH were GY Duratracs. BUT those were two different vehicles.

 

Hi Alex.

Thanks so much for your input. I have some land in Rusk County, and it is definitely muddy, not sandy. Oak/maple woods, not pines. Lots of precipitation there, so it is FREQUENTLY muddy. I have the oem all-terrain tires on my third gen (265/70/16) and once I break through the turf it is really hard not to get stuck in the mud. I am not considering a dedicated mudder tire since the truck is my daily driver, and I accumulate very few off road miles. But I will eventually have to replace toe factory tires, and that will be a opportunity to increase or decrease width.

Again, thanks for your help. I appreciate it............ Frank

 

Frank,

As far as width I would stay the same or maybe knock it down one step lower. This comes from the time I spent wheeling in the Utah and California Mud/Clay this winter/spring. I agree wider would likely be more prohibitive than helpful. More importantly I would seriously consider an aggressive AT, it will give you much more than an increase or decrease in width. It will be lighter, wear better, and be less noisy than a mud terrain tire.

I would personally highly recommend the The GY Wrangler Duratrac. I have had 3 different tires (Dynapro ATM, Grabber AT2, and Duratrac) on my Tacoma as well as two on my previous jeep(GY SR-A and Duratrac) and this is by far the tire you'll want. They wear very well, my previous wrangler got about 60,000mi out of the tire and they are wearing similarly on my Tacoma. They have a very great noise to aggressiveness ratio. They are also among the best for an AT when dealing with mud. Lastly, you will appreciate their capability in the snow, I don't know of a better tire that isn't a dedicated snow tire. For your purposes save some weight and get the Load C, (NOT LOAD E).

The biggest con to them is cost, at $230 a tire msrp. A great way to deal with that is go to discount tire and present them with the tires price on Amazon. I saved myself about $300 on my last set doing that but still get all the rotate and balance etc.

 

Again, thanks for your help Alex.

I have made a notation of the Goodyear Wrangle Duratrac, and I will do my due diligence research when it comes time for me to replace/upgrade my OEM (Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar P265/70R16) tires. And I'll remember the Amazon/Discount Tire strategy.

Your advice is sincerely appreciated........................... Frank

 

Hi Frank

I live in Lincoln County and run all over around here and north of me. I’m a fan of the 265/70/16 or the 265/75/16 which is the size I’m running now for getting around the north woods.
I’m on my second set of BFG’s KO2’s and happy with the performance on and off road. I agree also that for sandy soils a wider tire with more flotation and aired down is what you want. But for a light truck like Tacoma the sizes above are a good compromise for all around use. It’s up to you on how aggressive of a tread pattern you want.
Sidewall traction in mud can be a help pulling you through the mud. They don’t clog like the tire tread. One of the reasons I chose the KO2’s.

 

The BFG KO2’s are a cool looking tire, and certainly popular among Tacoma owners.

You guys have reinforced and convinced me that 265/70R/16 is a fine choice.

I’ll make a final choice when the time comes for new tires, and I certainly appreciate your help.

Thanks....................... Frank

 

You can go up one size with no issues at all. Add Nitto Ridge Grapplers to your list. They are a hybrid tire. More aggressive than an AT, but wayyyyy better on road than the MTs. They are comparable to the Duratracks.

 

Thanks David. I will indeed add them to my list.

Frank

 

+1 for the Duratracks.