Need a Tire & Wheel Teacher (1 Viewer)

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Pleasanton, Ca
Someone that's "been there and done that", please tell me what I would experience if I ran a 35" X 15" BFG Mud Terrain tires on 7" wide wheels? FJ-40 is used for Dusy and Rubicon type trails and driven to the trail heads.
 
bandy rooster said:
pizza cuttterrsss...

Sorry! I forgot to say that the tires would be 12.5" width. Same answer, bandy rooster?
 
You will be unable to air down much without beadlocks. I can't air down below 20 psi or I risk losing the bead on my stock 5.5s. I've got 33x10.50s mounted. The tire to rim width ratio is about the same as what you're asking. 20psi isn't enough to get my boggers to flex much, but it may be different with BFGs
 
i like that combo. i think the smaller rim acts like a beadlock and lets you air down more. i've got 35x12.50 on 15x8 rims and run 8 or 9 lbs when offroad. i wish i had 7 inch rims.
 
15x7 on 35x12.50 bfg's
jjh 004.jpg
 
OK, ......thanks for the opinions and for the picture. I'm not hearing that the Cruiser will not handle well on the highway with 12.5" wide tires on the narrow 7" wheels. That was my biggest worrry.
 
that combo would work fine...and if you're worried about the bead at all get some bead sealer from napa for when ya mount them, and make sure the bead of the wheel is real clean
 
I thank you!! I like what I'm hearing.
 
Any pics of 33x12.5 on 15x8 rims?

Any pics of 33x10.5 on 15x8 rims?

I go to the beach alot and air down. Will I have a problem with the 12.5s?

i'm hoping not to cut fenders. I have a 1" shackel lift and plan on getting hfs 2.5" lift later.
 
atazman said:
Someone that's "been there and done that", please tell me what I would experience if I ran a 35" X 15" BFG Mud Terrain tires on 7" wide wheels? FJ-40 is used for Dusy and Rubicon type trails and driven to the trail heads.

With 12.5" tire, you should run at least an 8" wide rim, 10" is even better.... most reputable tire stores will not sell a 7" wide rim with a 12.50" tire because of safety reasons. With a 7" rim you will probably pop a bead on the trail, and you would even gain more stability on the highway if you were running a 10" wide rim.
 
Fman said:
With 12.5" tire, you should run at least an 8" wide rim, 10" is even better.... most reputable tire stores will not sell a 7" wide rim with a 12.50" tire because of safety reasons. With a 7" rim you will probably pop a bead on the trail, and you would even gain more stability on the highway if you were running a 10" wide rim.


have you run a 7" wheel w/ a 12.5 wide tire and popped a bead??....i run an 11.5" wide tire on a 5.5" rim....and i can wheel all day or drive on the road w/o even coming close to popping a bead on 3-4 psi;) yes a wider wheel will give you more on road stability, but itll let your bead fall off when aired down
 
I run a 7" wheel and 12.5 tire and have never had a problem. I run my tires at 8 pounds in the front and 6 in the rear and have never popped a bead. I also run a 33" tire which might make a difference.
 
You know, beads slip inboard, not out board. On a narrow rim the bead is already drawn in and it would seem that you would need more force to continue that than you would if the same bead had started at a point several inches farther away form the opposite bead.
It also seems that on a narrow rim, you'd be hard pressed to run a radial tire at a pressure that would allow the full width of the tread to contact pavement, while running enough pressure to minimize flex and control heat at high speeds there for sacrificing traction on the highway.
I have never run a tire and rim combo far from the tire manufactures specs.
Anybody got a better hypothesis?
 
WES1977 said:
Any pics of 33x10.5 on 15x8 rims?

Here's a 33x10.50 Swamper Radial on a 15x8 wheel. The 15x8 wheel seemed like it was a bit wide for this tire.
331050.JPG
 
Fman said:
With 12.5" tire, you should run at least an 8" wide rim, 10" is even better.... most reputable tire stores will not sell a 7" wide rim with a 12.50" tire because of safety reasons. With a 7" rim you will probably pop a bead on the trail, and you would even gain more stability on the highway if you were running a 10" wide rim.
A 12.50 on a 10" wide rim has little tire bulge between the tread and the rim which leaves the rim more vulnerable to rock/root/etc. damage than narrower rims– especially at low air pressures. 10" rims would give a bit better street handling, but at the sacrifice of off-road rim protection. This has been discussed to death on 4x4 BBs.

Regarding the narrow limit, BFG always recommends at least an 8" rim (or maybe 8.5"–I forget) for 12.50s (33s or 35s), so technically the 7 inch rim goes against mfr recommendations.

However, mfr rim recommendations must be based upon a tire's max weight ratings, such as with heavy, full size trucks. A Cruiser that weighs ~1 ton less won't have enough weight upon each tire to warrant concern running 12.50s on 7" rims. IOW, with only an inch below mfr minimums, the greater concern is the weight per wheel compared to the tire's max capacity. With tires as large and wide as 12.50x35s, if the weight per wheel falls far short of the max capacity, a rim only one inch narrower than the mfr min width recommendations won't be a cause for safety concern. Maybe tread wear concerns, but not safety.

OTOH, 4x4 magazine writers run 12.50s on 10" rims all the time. Mag writers rule.:rolleyes:
 
Thanks, guys! Appreciate all the comments.
 
Hi All:

Well, my persoanl experience has been with 31X10.5R15 tires on 15X8 inch rims; 33X12.5R15 tires on 15X7 inch rims; and 33X12.5R15 tires on 15X8 inch rims.

The 15X8 inch rims are too wide for a 10.5 inch wide tire, if one off-roads a lot and airs-down. You will get crap in the bead seat area (peebles, sand twigs, etc.)

The 15X8 inch rims are desirable for 12.5 inch wide tires. The 15X7 inch rims are even more desirable, IMHO, for 12.5 inch wide tires because the narrower rims seems to hold the bead better aired-down and does not seem to suffer as much "crap" accumlation has wider rims.

Just my $00.02.

Alan
 

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