Skinnies vs Wide(315/70R17 vs 255/85R17)

RedRunner_87 · Jul 30, 2023

Didn't see this posted here. I won't lie, I absolutely love my skinnies and fully plan on 255/85's early next year. But a pretty good video and he does a good job explaining all the "experiments" he does.

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johnnygraphic · Jul 30, 2023

I watched this yesterday. This was a very good breakdown and analysis of it. I was puzzled in his final choice though. I figured he would have stayed with his current setup. But like many of us, compromises must be made.

I really like his videos and how he actually tests things out for himself along with an Alyssa of the data and the why.

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Ripper238 · Jul 30, 2023

I watched this yesterday too (Darn YouTube algorithm).

Got me thinking it may be easer to go with a taller and narrower tire to help with clearance and not have to do a ton of mods/cutting.

johnnygraphic · Jul 30, 2023

Ripper238 said:
I watched this yesterday too (Darn YouTube algorithm).

Got me thinking it may be easer to go with a taller and narrower tire to help with clearance and not have to do a ton of mods/cutting.

If his results are true for your particular tire choice. His BFG’s outperformed the Mickey Thompson Bajas across the board. That’s why I was a bit perplexed at his final choice.

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honda250xtitan · Jul 30, 2023

watched it as well. Functionally i prefer the 34x10.5's we are running now but i miss the thick bois

Ripper238 · Jul 30, 2023

johnnygraphic said:
If his results are true for your particular tire choice. His BFG’s outperformed the Mickey Thompson Bajas across the board. That’s why I was a bit perplexed at his final choice.

BFG's didn't out preform the "pizza cutter" Bajas, but they did in comparison the the same size Bajas. He also gets the benefits of it being lighter and easier to fit IFS with the "pizza cutters".

jdm-v35 · Jul 31, 2023

honda250xtitan said:
watched it as well. Functionally i prefer the 34x10.5's we are running now but i miss the thick bois

are the 10.5's similar to a 255 width? and Just curious what you think about the difference in road handling manners between the wide tires vs skinny at highway speeds and also if you used them both in mud? I would ask about snow handling comparison, but guessing you don't see much of it in AZ, plus I run hakkapelita LT3's in winter anyway so its almost irrelevant for me except for the odd off season snow/hail storm.

I currently have 285/70's but in a year or so probably need to buy new tires and am debating what size to go with next. If not 285/70 again, 34x10.5 or 315/70 were thoughts on my next set.

honda250xtitan · Jul 31, 2023

jdm-v35 said:
are the 10.5's similar to a 255 width? and Just curious what you think about the difference in road handling manners between the wide tires vs skinny at highway speeds and also if you used them both in mud? I would ask about snow handling comparison, but guessing you don't see much of it in AZ, plus I run hakkapelita LT3's in winter anyway so its almost irrelevant for me except for the odd off season snow/hail storm.

I currently have 285/70's but in a year or so probably need to buy new tires and am debating what size to go with next. If not 285/70 again, 34x10.5 or 315/70 were thoughts on my next set.

woah a 315 vs a 10.5 is like carrots vs steak.

so we went from an e rated 285/70-17 to the d rated 34x10.5.

softer all around obviously.

after the toyo at3's broke in they stopped wandering as much (i warned wife they tend to do that when new, as i'd ran the toyos on previous trucks religiously in other sizes) They track great on the highway. aired down theyre fantastic, i run 15-20 depending on my patience level. from previous experiences in chicago with toyo at2's, amazing snow tire considering its not a snow tire. the at3 should be even better. the other tire in this size is the k02 so you can compare that.

i avoid mud like the plague. its an AT. expect mediocrity.

the 255/85 is considered a 35. so itll look even skinnier. theres another thread regarding the 34" at3's and he posted the mounted height, i think like 32 or 33.

the biggest change other than how it looks: turning the steering wheel feels so much better. D rated is much softer and offroad while aired down its definitely more plush feeling. Now, dont compare this to a SL tire lol.

jdm-v35 · Jul 31, 2023

honda250xtitan said:
woah a 315 vs a 10.5 is like carrots vs steak.

so we went from an e rated 285/70-17 to the d rated 34x10.5.

softer all around obviously.

after the toyo at3's broke in they stopped wandering as much (i warned wife they tend to do that when new, as i'd ran the toyos on previous trucks religiously in other sizes) They track great on the highway. aired down theyre fantastic, i run 15-20 depending on my patience level. from previous experiences in chicago with toyo at2's, amazing snow tire considering its not a snow tire. the at3 should be even better. the other tire in this size is the k02 so you can compare that.

i avoid mud like the plague. its an AT. expect mediocrity.

the 255/85 is considered a 35. so itll look even skinnier. theres another thread regarding the 34" at3's and he posted the mounted height, i think like 32 or 33.

the biggest change other than how it looks: turning the steering wheel feels so much better. D rated is much softer and offroad while aired down its definitely more plush feeling. Now, dont compare this to a SL tire lol.

Yea those 2 sizes are opposite ends of the spectrum but I figured I would look at both options to see which one would provide better handling on road as well as offroad and some occasional snow/mud. I currently have KO2 and would be looking to do the same again as they have been great so far. the 285 is a good medium and I am still able to run chains safely but I would not mind going skinnier if it actually handles better in more situations.

honda250xtitan · Jul 31, 2023

jdm-v35 said:
Yea those 2 sizes are opposite ends of the spectrum but I figured I would look at both options to see which one would provide better handling on road as well as offroad and some occasional snow/mud. I currently have KO2 and would be looking to do the same again as they have been great so far. the 285 is a good medium and I am still able to run chains safely but I would not mind going skinnier if it actually handles better in more situations.

skinny should work better on road. less highway wandering since theres less tread to get stuck in the grooves. less rolling resistance. they look dorky though. no denying it

4RunnerAquasport · Jul 31, 2023

I like his videos. His experiments are planned quite well and very calculating. He does a good job putting the videos together also.

All of this data relates to an FJ. I wonder how much different the results would be on a loaded down 5th gen.

johnnygraphic · Aug 2, 2023

4RunnerAquasport said:
I like his videos. His experiments are planned quite well and very calculating. He does a good job putting the videos together also.

All of this data relates to an FJ. I wonder how much different the results would be on a loaded down 5th gen.

IIRC, he compares his FJ a with a GX in some of his tests. A lot of the same principles will apply as they share the same type of front suspension.

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MYOBOM · Aug 3, 2023

Enjoyed the detailed breakdown of it. I'll be checking his channel. Thanks.

honda250xtitan · Aug 4, 2023

MYOBOM said:
Enjoyed the detailed breakdown of it. I'll be checking his channel. Thanks.

its a goldmine of info. and really shows how misguided some info on forums can be.

baldrik78 · Aug 4, 2023

I been running these skinnies for about a year now. I like them. They get a lot of squish at low PSI and handle wet pavement and standing water very well.

I got these because I was hoping to minimize the amount of work I'd have to do to fit a 35" tire. I still had to trim about 1" off the entire front fender and recut the body mount, so it did not save me any work.

Now to start looking for a skinny 37... :tongue1:

MYOBOM · Aug 4, 2023

honda250xtitan said:
its a goldmine of info. and really shows how misguided some info on forums can be.

Agree 100%. Spent some time on VWVortex on its golden years and I learned that pretty quick.

johnnygraphic · Aug 5, 2023

honda250xtitan said:
its a goldmine of info. and really shows how misguided some info on forums can be.

Also agreed. He takes many of the common misconceptions and puts them to the test. He even says that many were his long-held beliefs too. Until he conducted the tests that is.

He provides relevant data and gives solid conclusions.

I know some YTubers really get into the weeds for the sake of the data, but don’t always translate well into real world scenarios or if it even makes a difference.

I found Tinkerers channel by chance and watched many of them. I liked the ones about the lift and if there is really a need for UCA or the one about the long travel suspension.

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T4R_Canuck · Aug 5, 2023

I recently found Tinkerers channel because of one of his products being promoted on another channel I watch. I enjoyed the skinny tire video and his information makes a lot of sense. I'd still run wide tires because I like the visual much more but can't argue his logic.

Also, he made a video explaining KDSS performance differences from stock sway bar setups. It's also a very eye opening video.

RedRunner_87 · Aug 6, 2023

baldrik78 said:
I been running these skinnies for about a year now. I like them. They get a lot of squish at low PSI and handle wet pavement and standing water very well.

I got these because I was hoping to minimize the amount of work I'd have to do to fit a 35" tire. I still had to trim about 1" off the entire front fender and recut the body mount, so it did not save me any work.

Now to start looking for a skinny 37... :tongue1:

Info on the skinny 37 please lol.

I am looking at the 255/85 next, so I will go head and plan on the bmc. I also have the high clearance cut on my front bumper, so hopefully nothing needed on the front end. Looks like I will need some work on the fender too.

Skinnies vs Wide(315/70R17 vs 255/85R17)

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