Best overall offroad tire width

[Jester4kicks]

Ok, obviously there will be some different opinions on this, so I'm including a poll to keep things at least somewhat to the point. (I'm limiting the poll options to the sizes most common to our runners.)

I'm also going to point out that we're talking about overall offroading performance. If someone was ONLY going to be doing rock-crawling or mudding, this might be a very different conversation.

Finally, for the purposes of this discussion, let's assume the driver is airing down appropriately to get the most out of whatever size they have.

All that said, what is the best tire width for overall, general offroading?

 

[chayos00]

I would also note, what kind of terrain will you see?

 

[Jester4kicks]

I would also note, what kind of terrain will you see?

I'm really talking about general use. I wanted to avoid application-specific discussions to focus on a width that would be good for diverse use.

 

[SjamesT4R]

I said 265 because its not too big and not to small.. you can get through Sandy areas, snowy areas, and they work just as good as any other size offroad to an extent... Its also a standard size on 60% of trucks in the US..

 

[J-money$$$]

The overall diameter of the tire is where you will notice a difference when wheeling. A 15" rock may be hard for a 265-70r16 (30" tire) to get over since its going to contact the tire at its halfway mark. ANd on the same note a 35" tire could easily roll over that since its going to contact on the angled portion of the tire tread. 255's are about the same as 285's etc with the only exception being really soft sand or snow where more width will help you float

Just my 2C

 

[Jester4kicks]

Well it looked like 285 was going to take it as first... but now it looks like 265 has made a comeback! Would anyone who voted 265 care to explain their reasoning?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I think for my close to stock 4Runner the 265 works best overall if you include on road use especially with winter driving since they aren't too wide to incur big issues with hydroplaning but not too skinny they comprimise dry grip on the street.

 

[Jester4kicks]

I think for my close to stock 4Runner the 265 works best overall if you include on road use especially with winter driving since they aren't too wide to incur big issues with hydroplaning but not too skinny they comprimise dry grip on the street.

Good point, if we're talking about overall use, we certainly should take water and snow into the equation... both on AND off road.

To that end, wouldn't a wider tire be better for off-road snow? If a 285 is a little too wide for wet or snowy highway conditions (and 285 owners feel free to chime in here if it's now), would 275 be a good compromise?

 

[J-money$$$]

you talking about 1 cm (.39 inches) of difference in width. THis width is measured at the widest point of the tire, Which happens to be the sidewall. Some tires have a wider tread than others in the same size. I would say there is about an inch of actual tread width variation between different brands on models in the same size.

You wont notice 1 cm of difference in snow or sand or what ever. You may notice a 3 cm (EDIT: thanks blcktpgsr) difference 255 to 285

You need to check the treadwidth on the tires before you buy

 

[blcktpgsr]

You wont notice 1 cm of difference in snow or sand or what ever. You may notice a 30 cm difference 255 to 285

Not to worry,,J-money meant 3 cm

 

[J-money$$$]

Not to worry,,J-money meant 3 cm

Yeah i did LOL Im fried on math at the moment. Too much physics & calculus in my life right now.

 

[Jester4kicks]

Well I was worried that the poll results might suggest there is no consensus... but maybe the consensus simply is that, as long as it's within a general range (265-285), the exact width doesn't matter. Perhaps it's more about finding a tire in that range for a good price, that gets you the height and tread that you want.

Anyone else conclude differently?

 

[Mr. Leary]

The more appropriate question should be:

"What is the best aspect ratio for general off roading?"

The answer is 75. It is the best overall mix, and performs adequately in all categories.

So if you want 33-ish tall tires, then go for 285/75/R16. If you want a tall 31 / short 32 go for 265/75/R16.

Personally, I run 255/85/R16s on my 4Runner. I love the tire size, but I picked it to suit my driving habits.

You want to make your "requirements" based on what you drive most often, then develop coping strategies for the stuff that you drive less often.

What types of terrain do you plan to traverse regularly?

 

[Jester4kicks]

The more appropriate question should be:

"What is the best aspect ratio for general off roading?"

The answer is 75. It is the best overall mix, and performs adequately in all categories.

So if you want 33-ish tall tires, then go for 285/75/R16. If you want a tall 31 / short 32 go for 265/75/R16.

Personally, I run 255/85/R16s on my 4Runner. I love the tire size, but I picked it to suit my driving habits.

You want to make your "requirements" based on what you drive most often, then develop coping strategies for the stuff that you drive less often.

What types of terrain do you plan to traverse regularly?

Isn't that a 30" tire?

Anyway, the rockies offer a little bit of everything, although my #1 priority is to get through most trails, even if it means skipping some of the harder obstacles. That means being able to handle climbs over moderate rock and loose gravel. Of course, it's Colorado, so I'm also concerned about snow and ice, both on and off road.

 

[J-money$$$]

A 285/75r16 is a 33

Do the math if you want . 285mm wide. (75% of 285)(x2)+16" Its technically 32.8"

 

[Jester4kicks]

A 285/75r16 is a 33

Do the math if you want . 285mm wide. (75% of 285)(x2)+16" Its technically 32.8"

Weird, I thought I entered it correctly in my tire size calculator. Guess not.

Is there something special about the 75% ratio? I ask because I've got a 17" rim, and I'd like to stay just under a 33" tire. However it doesn't look like there are many options at the 75% ratio. I could go 275/70/17, or 285/70/17, but I can't find any tires at 265/75/17.

 

[J-money$$$]

Somes sizes just are hard to find a 285/70r17 is still a 33. The aspect ratio goes down 5% to make up for the extra inch of wheel from a 16 to a 17.

The 275/70/17 is a 32 If you want a 31 with a 17" wheel try a 265-70r17 remember you should see 5% less aspect ration from a 16 inch wheel

 

[Mr. Leary]

Weird, I thought I entered it correctly in my tire size calculator. Guess not.

Is there something special about the 75% ratio? I ask because I've got a 17" rim, and I'd like to stay just under a 33" tire. However it doesn't look like there are many options at the 75% ratio. I could go 275/70/17, or 285/70/17, but I can't find any tires at 265/75/17.

I didn't know you were on 17s. 285/70/r17 is the equivalent as far as size goes, but remember it will not let you air down as low as you could with the smaller rim. 75% is good at everything. 70% is pretty close to 75%. Don't worry too much about it. You lose a little performance as rim size increases in relation to tire size, but for the easier stuff, it doesn't make very much difference.

Somes sizes just are hard to find a 285/70r17 is still a 33. The aspect ratio goes down 5% to make up for the extra inch of wheel from a 16 to a 17.

The 275/70/17 is a 32 If you want a 31 with a 17" wheel try a 265-70r17 remember you should see 5% less aspect ration from a 16 inch wheel

Yep.

 

[techno]

On a previous vehicle I had the original bfg m/t's in a 33x9.5x15 (which is about 240mm width). These were a great all round offroad tire. Low rolling resistance and light weight helped with on road performance and fuel economy, but when aired down offroad they never seemed to bag out as much as wider tires would on other trucks. They never performed as well as I wanted in muddy ruts and I found guys with 12.5" wide tires would have more opportunity to use the sidewalls for extra traction. The common claim that 'skinnies' can dig down to firmer ground for traction never worked for me. When I finally changed to 33x12.5's my suspicions were confirmed, my mud performance improved noticeably.

 

[bikerjosh]

what, why aren't 295s an option?