BFG 305/70 A/T KO Tires - Report on Fit & Performance (1 Viewer)

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MoJ

MoJ

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Thought I would post this for those trying to determine the "biggest tire they can put on a stock 80". My tech knowledge is limited ( :banana: ) but wanted to contribute to this board what I could on the very commonly asked question of tire size.

My experiences with testing these over the past day:

1. BFG A/T KO 305/70 r16 = 32.8 x 12 inches (same diameter as a 285 but .8 inches wider). Anyone know BFG A/T & M/T now come with a 2-year free extraction if you get stuck? (a few exclusions of course).

2. On-road & highway performance - No big difference that I can tell, possibly a bit more tendency for the vehicle to want to wander. Fix for this? I perceive more effort to stop when braking. Obviously the speedometer is now inaccurate and I'll be ordering Slee's correction gear (more to help with shift points than anything).

3. Off-road. Tires were great for my rocky/sandy neighborhood quarry. Haven't tried them in the mud (as I hate it). Past experience with BFG on other trucks hasn't been a problem in the mud though.

4. Off-road RUBBING? I tried pretty hard to get them to rub but didn't experience it. I stuffed a rear & front tire on a few different obstacles. Tried to max it out with front wheels straight as well as turned. No problema.

Conclusion:
Tires seem to satisfy my needs and through close-to-max articulation did not rub although I'm sure there's always a more extreme situation a cruiser could be in. I wouldn't want to go with anything wider, that's for sure. However, some have had success with 295/75 (taller but narrower) on a stock 80. Here's a link to that thread below. Highway performance didn't seem to be a problem. Pictures to follow with this thread as fast as I can post them.

295/75 post for reference (credit where do of course :beer:)

https://forum.ih8mud.com/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=11871;start=msg113910#msg113910

Note: BFG A/T KO 305/70 may differ in size from another tire manufacturer's 305/70 tire or differ from a M/T-type tire.

-Jason
tophill6.jpg
 
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305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

another one
OVERHILL 2.JPG
 
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305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

and the last- (EDIT - At the request of a board member I've added another pic in post #45)
REAR STUFFED 2.JPG
 
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305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

Hi Jason:
the exclusions on this recovery policy are such that it would prove to be all but useless in real life (tow truck has to feel safe getting there etc, max cost of around $50 or so IIRC and more). This was discussed 4 or 5 months ago I think.
that would be great, though

btw, how about the spare fitting underneath? OK?
E
 
305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

[quote author=e9999 link=board=2;threadid=13485;start=msg124780#msg124780 date=1079912607]

btw, how about the spare fitting underneath? OK?
E

[/quote]

No problem with spare mount. In anticipation of going to a 305 spare I did the spare tire carrier mod. Used high tensile bolts with nuts (3 or 4) for spacers. Now that the 305 is on there it probably hangs down a little less than a stock 275 would.

I'm fortunate to have the southwest MO good ol boy's tow services. Rednecks will try to drive their tow trucks anywhere, all you gotta do is dare 'em. ;)
 
305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

Since we get so many questions about tire size with stock suspension, I'm going to post this up as a faq.

One important thing to remember though, is while these 305's may fit, every manufacturer measures their tires slightly differently, or at least use a different brand of eyeglasses when they measure them. So keep that in mind. :D
 
Re:305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

Jayson,

Suggestion: Add to your text to note that you tested the BFG A/T ko's. The BFG MT's have a more aggressive tread and clearance will be a little tighter, though I have heard that they will still clear.

Can you post a pic of the 305 spare's position with the carrier mod? That would be a good reference.

-B-
 
305/70 Tires - Report on Fit & Performance

FWIW, you can add Goodyear MT-R's to the list - I had mine in that size before I had lift and I tried the same as you to make 'em rub - didn'- dodnt.
 
B-

I've added a note at the bottom of the initial post and modified the topic name to clarify the A/T vs M/T and tire manufacturer variables.
 
I have Goodyear ATS 305/70r16 on my 99 100 series. The cruiser has no lift, and there is no rubbing. Also, it fits in the spare tire place. Anyone know the exact size in inches, is 32x12 a fair guess?

-Matt
 
305/70 16 = 32.8 x 12 but as stated above may vary somewhat between manufacturers.
 
Yea, I was just wondering if anyone had the exact measurments for the goodyear tire, not the bgf one. How big could the differences be? Just for future tire reference.

-Matt
 
Matt-

Tirerack.com has the dimension of most tires. For the Goodyear Wrangler AT/S the dimensions are:

305/70R16 D 360 A B
2910lbs. Load Capacity
50psi Max Pressure
18/32nds Tread Depth
8-9.5" Approved rim width
9" Measured on 9" rim
12.2" Section Width
8.9" Tread Width
33" Diameter
 
Cool, thanxs.

-Matt
 
<On-road & highway performance - No big difference that I can tell, possibly a bit more tendency for the vehicle to want to wander. Fix for this? >

MoJ, Have the alinement checked.
If still a problem, you could have worn steering knuckle bearings.
How many miles, have you rebuilt the knuckles yet?
When the steering knuckle bearings go bad they get flat spots and make the vehicle wonder a bit.
 
100k miles & to my knowledge knuckles have never been rebuilt. :whoops:

Didn't notice the slight wandering until immediately after moving to the larger tire. Alignment needs done, wheel bearings were described to me by the Toy dealership as "a little loose" last week so as soon as I can figure out how to pack them I'm going to tackle it. IIRC the FSM states to "wash them" once removed. With degreaser I assume? The FSM also describes using a spring tension gage to measure resistance to turning once reassembled. Being a :banana: guy I don't have a tension gage. Plan on tackling brake pads this weekend or next so would make sense to do the bearings at that time. Hey, wait a minute, I just hijacked my own thread. Any hints on the bearings? (being lazy and haven't searched yet. :whoops: again
 
dude, you jacked yourself- isn't there a term for that? :)
But yes, get yourself a hub socket- wheel bearings are a perfect job for a fella like yourself with a nice new tire to sit on while you do the job. Check out Jim Phillips' writeup in the tech section for a good start to your tech search.

back on track: nice tires, I like the look. iirc, the same size BFG's tend to run smaller than Goodyears. How'd you get your hub caps so clean looking?

edit: never mind, just saw the hub cap post in the FAQ section! :doh: :cheers:
 
[quote author=nakman link=board=2;threadid=13485;start=msg126800#msg126800 date=1080227023]
How'd you get your hub caps so clean looking?
[/quote]

Pretty simple & it works everytime. I bought new ones. :doh: :cheers:
 
Wider tires tend to find irregularities in paved roads a little more. Even though a road may look smooth, sometimes there are lower spots, almost 'ruts', where the concrete has been worn down or compacted over time. You can really see them after a little rain hits the ground.

But it's also a good idea to check your wheel bearings. To see if they are loose, jack up a tire so that it is off the ground and hold it in the 9 and 3 o'clock positions. Try and rock it back and forth. If you can, your hub nuts are loose. All you need is a hub socket to check the hub tightness, and if you want to take it apart a 17 mm socket for the caliper, a smaller size socket (10 mm ???) for the flange bolts, a soft mallet/BFH + brass drift, some rags and some lithium grease.

You'll need a grease seal and possibly the hub flange gasket if you decide to go all the way and repack the bearings (call C-Dan for these).

And heck, once you are this far it's not much further to do a whole birfield re-pack. :D
 
[quote author=MoJ link=board=2;threadid=13485;start=msg126710#msg126710 date=1080189610]
With degreaser I assume? [/quote]

Anyone correct me if I'm wrong here cause I'm getting ready to do this to, but you probably want to soak the bearings in brake cleaner. From what I've heard, if you use a cleaning solvent and don't get all of it out, it could breakdown some of the new grease you put in. Maybe go solvent then brake cleaner??

Spring gage - fancy term for fish scale used to hook on the hub bolts and check the pre-load.

Peace!
Rookie2
 
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