265/255 skinny tires? (1 Viewer)

[TioChachie]

What do y'all think about this width on the 200? Will it look good without spacers? Any handling concerns?

I'm thinking about the 34x10.5x17 BFg at ko2 or 255 80r18 km2s for off road and posing, and maybe some 265 70r18s for road Mpg and/or winter tires. What do y'all think?

 

[Desert Nomad]

255s

318s (33x12.5 R17)

The 255s are way too narrow and horrendous on-road, you'll be sideways in the first emergency situation you encounter.

 

[Desert Nomad]

Did a slight burnout on some sand covered bricks to show the contact patch of the 255s when i had them on

 

[TioChachie]

Awesome feedback and pics, so we have established 255 as too skinny. Who is running something skinnier than 285 and is happy with their tires?

 

[kreiten]

Awesome feedback and pics, so we have established 255 as too skinny. Who is running something skinnier than 285 and is happy with their tires?

I ran 275's for a couple years, no complaints...

 

[blackoutz]

Im now thinking about running 275/70/18 in a BFG KO2 so this is good information to know. It was one of the very few tires I can put on that is a All Terrain and measures more than 33 in overall diameter.

Blaine

 

[TioChachie]

Ok, 275 is good

255 is bad

How about 265? Or even specifically 34x10.5x17? bjowett, what say you?

 

[jclarke450]

275 looks pretty dang skinny on a 200. That's what im running with no lift and I can assure you I have no desire to go skinnier...and to each his own I guess

 

[kreiten]

my rig back in the day sitting on 275's... I agree with @jclarke450, 275's are about as thin as I would ever go on a 200!

 

[TioChachie]

Good feedback, thanks guys. 275 is the skinniest recommended by a couple of our experts. Would anyone want to play devil's advocate?

I saw in the tire/wheel database and there are a few folks running 265s. Any comments or are we satisfied with the consensus?

Thanks for all the responses. The 275/70r18 seems a pretty good size on stock rims for daily use.

Maybe some swampers on 17" rims would be nice for the 2nd set when it's time to bolt on the diggers.

 

[Markuson]

OK. Devil's advocate mode...ENGAGE!

In South America where I was born, it rained 170 inches a year. it was common to see skinnies on Jeeps, because they cut past the rain-soaked top-mud...and dug into the hard clay just beneath...resulting in better traction that would be missed by wides that tended to slid around on the muddy top...

They can be helpful in slushy snow over pavement for the same reason...or mud over bedrock too.

Personally, I'd rather have wide for floating over soft sand or powdery snow or hard-pack...but I don't think skinnies are "bad" so long as they fit these kinds of unique needs. i do think that MOST of us likely benefit from wider though...

My 1.5 cents...

Markuson

 

[kreiten]

OK. Devil's advocate mode...ENGAGE!

In South America where I was born, it rained 170 inches a year. it was common to see skinnies on Jeeps, because they cut past the rain-soaked top-mud...and dug into the hard clay just beneath...resulting in better traction that would be missed by wides that tended to slid around on the muddy top...

They can be helpful in slushy snow over pavement for the same reason...or mud over bedrock too.

Personally, I'd rather have wide for floating over soft sand or powdery snow or hard-pack...but I don't think skinnies are "bad" so long as they fit these kinds of unique needs. i do think that MOST of us likely benefit from wider though...

My 1.5 cents...

Markuson

I was reading an article the other day on the advantages of a narrower tire, some science behind it...
Expeditions West: Tire Selection for Expedition Travel

 

[kreiten]

Good feedback, thanks guys. 275 is the skinniest recommended by a couple of our experts. Would anyone want to play devil's advocate?

I saw in the tire/wheel database and there are a few folks running 265s. Any comments or are we satisfied with the consensus?

Thanks for all the responses. The 275/70r18 seems a pretty good size on stock rims for daily use.

Maybe some swampers on 17" rims would be nice for the 2nd set when it's time to bolt on the diggers.

I think you could rock 265's, but my opinion if you're gonna roll the stock 18 inch wheels I'd go with the 275/70 R18's...

 

[Markuson]

I was reading an article the other day on the advantages of a narrower tire, some science behind it...
Expeditions West: Tire Selection for Expedition Travel

Ya. Good article. That article mentions of DEEP mud being BAD with skinnies. In South America skinnies could definitely backfire on occasion...because some mud doesn't sit over clay. hehe

One of my most vivid childhood memories was of one of our motorcycles (most rode small Honda 90's rather than cars bc we were in the BOOOONIES)... The motorcycle was standing...all by itself...as it slowly sank deeper and deeper into mud that was like fudge. There was no hard, clay bottom. It kept sinking until it got all the way up to the gas tank. It was a friend of ours...and I never did find out how they managed to pull it out.

 

[LCHardriver_02]

I think that the biggest complaint on the skinnies were not off-road performance, but on-road at highway speeds, if I remember correctly.

Is this due to the 200's weight and high center of gravity overcoming the traction on the narrow footprint... say when taking a corner in slippery conditions or just going straight down the road?

 

[Markuson]

I think that the biggest complaint on the skinnies were not off-road performance, but on-road at highway speeds, if I remember correctly.

Is this due to the 200's weight and high center of gravity overcoming the traction on the narrow footprint... say when taking a corner in slippery conditions or just going straight down the road?

Ya... Where I grew up as a kid, there were no paved roads at all.

 

[TioChachie]

Ok, so if no one can strongly recommend 265, I will stick to 275 or 285 for on road use. Maybe I will consider some skinny tires for my second set, if I get a mostly offroad tire. we'll see.

I was just interested in height without as much girth to avoid mpg loss and rubbing issues.

 

[Sinister]

I LOVE my BFG KO2 275/70/18. Great tire so far not one complaint. No rubbing at all forward or reverse at full lock.

 

[TioChachie]

Stock suspension on the 275 70r18s?

 

[Sinister]

Stock suspension on the 275 70r18s?

Yes sir. All stock.