What do i gain with 35" over 33" tires?

[greentruck]

Get the 315s, and never look back.


I'm thinking you might want to give it a rest here.

By your own admission, you haven't had a good notion of what it feels like to drive an obstacle with lockers - never mind bigger tires. Now it becomes clear you haven't had the experience of what it means to drive an automatic transmission in an obstacle - namely with the right foot on the gas to control available engine torque, and at the same time with the left foot on the brake to control forward progress. Newsflash - lockers and left-foot-brake will control wheelspin. Very effectively, I should add. Don't tell me that wastes brake pads - it'll only reinforce the notion that you have no direct experience. Some of us have that experience and expertise. You're free to discount that expertise in favor of your own experience. But I'm not sure doing that will support the notions you brought forward.

As for your beloved alpine meadows, I've seen first-hand a situation (photo-documented on this very message board, by the way...) where there was destruction of a pristine alpine meadow (in Utah, so it might not count for you...) by vehicles with inconsiderate or irresponsible drivers. They got stuck precisely because they didn't have traction aids...

I encourage everyone to 'run what you brung'. Just be prepared to turn around when you didn't bring enough. Don't rely on the Landcruiser mystique to get you through safely, no matter what the flatlander says.

I got locker experience, down on the farm. In rocks, no, but I generally consider lockers as a "get out of trouble" device. Never needed them on 31s or less to get where I needed to go in Colorado, so suspect I'll not need them on 33s either. Thanks for the tips on driving an auto (even though I recall reading them back around 1975 in PV4), I've got some learning curve there, to be sure, but rather doubt that 4 plus decades driving a stick leaves me completely unprepared driving something that does the shifting for you most of the time.

I certainly agree, don't get in over your head or tear up stuff just to prove something to yourself. I've had to make that decision twice in Colorado, both times on Holy Cross. If that somehow indicates a lack of experience to you, that's cool, you're obviously sizing up a different sample of drivers than the one I'm in (or likely 90% of the rest of us are here.)

And I don't want to beat the horse on this one, most of the folks here aren't out tearing up stuff where they shouldn't be (as I noted), but why anyone feels the need to drive a pristine meadow when there's a trail next to it is somewhat baffling to me. I'm a Stay the Trail sort. Others feel differently and so long as Ranger Rick's not standing by, try not to make a mess if you aren't. No, you shouldn't be off the trail without the equipment to avoid trashing things in any case, I agree.

 

[jcardona1]

Jesus tapdancing Christ are you guys still bickering about this? Real Housewives of Mud County?

 

[greentruck]

Soon all the big tires, lifts, armor, and driving technics will be lost and replaced with personal maned drones.

One of those in "follow me" mode could be pretty cool on the dash screen -- for your passengers or to record for later use. Maybe one of our more e-inclined members is working on that app right now?

But please, I'm not at all suggesting that anyone give up the equipment they feel is useful to their type of offroading. If there's only a strawman left to knock down, then I guess things really are hitting a wall in this being a useful discussion...versus one in which somehow there has to be a "winner."

 

[greentruck]

Jesus tapdancing Christ are you guys still bickering about this? Real Housewives of Mud County?

IN an era when there's 24/7 "reality TV," this is pretty small potatoes. And there is plenty of useful info here for those still pondering the question of 33 vs 35.

 

[jcardona1]

And there is plenty of useful info here

If you call 8 pages of dick measuring contests "useful info", you'd love Pirate.

 

[Dave 2000]

Now about my Discovery.............

OK OK, just lightening the mood a little here

regards

Dave

 

[Dave 2000]

And if the trail is hard enough then NO tyres are going to get you through! ARB locked front and rear!

regards

Dave

 

[surfpig]

And if the trail is hard enough then NO tyres are going to get you through! ARB locked front and rear!

View attachment 1252474

regards

Dave

That trail looks like it WASN'T hard enough.

 

[Dave 2000]

That trail looks like it WASN'T hard enough.

You are spot on! I was running across a 'Rambla' (Spanish dry river bed), unbeknown to me there was an underground river that eroded the soil under the crust. Broke right through and it literally stopped me in my tracks. I have a winch on the front but nothing to winch to, ground anchor no good. Was starting to worry as you could hear the water running under the crust, once the bash plates underneath settled on the crust it stopped sinking. Eventually pulled out by a Ford 4x4....................yeh I know


regards

Dave

 

[jvazquez53]

Qball,
That's just what I was wanting to add as I try not to burn dinner....

There's two wyas that people do 35s on the 80. There's "mount and rub" and there's "just lift it already." True enough, people do seem to get away with mounting 35s and saying done. But there's always some rubbing. And if you're going to the San Juans, there will be more rubbing if there's any at all elsewhere. Here's where I'll plead inexperience, because to me it sounds like a much better idea to go with a mild lift to run 35s. That's where I think there's a bit of advantage that's more concrete than just choosing a good line. The body is farther away from those hungry rocks.

So that choice is one that I think is important. If you mount and rub, you're really only taking advantage of part of what could be gained on 35s. To me, not enough to bother and I hate the idea of rubbing $1,000+ of rubber. So you really need to think of including the lift when figured cost of running 35s vs 33s. Then you're back to the tippy factor increasing again, reminding us there really is no free lunch here.

Then there's the spare. 33 fits underneath, barely, and is not really in a good position , even when tucked by one of the various methods people have documented. I worry about that a little, but it seemed to work OK on the 55, although with a better tuck because it only was running 28s on that first trip (I later went to a long range tank, which pushed the spare out anyway.) If you go 35, that spare needs to go someplace else and that will cost you, too.

You're absolutely right, though, staying stock everything is possible on 33s. Anything bigger and you can't, plus the risk of breaking stuff also goes up substantially (which of course is ultimately governed by how hard you press the skinny pedal.)

The fuel economy comes from the reduction in gear ratio. The taller the tire the lower the gear, unless you re gear.

 

[alia176]

Jesus tapdancing Christ are you guys still bickering about this? Real Housewives of Mud County?

I went straight to the last page and read this quote and ROFLMAO currently! Thanks, I needed that. Been watching videos on Oracle and needed a break. Not subscribing to this thread.....

 

[SmokingRocks]

And I don't want to beat the horse on this one

Little late in that regard. You sir may just be the first member on my 'ignore' list.

 

[Dragos80]

Don't hold it against him. It's a Nissan, but those are some big tires and he's not going anywhere.

 

[jvazquez53]

Took a long drive today with the new 35s KO2. 100% improvement on the ride compared to the 33s.

 

[Heckraiser]

That patrol looks like it's lacking in the front diff department.

BTW, love the mitsubishi minivan easily crossing the creek in the background

 

[tpham32]

You gain smiles per gallon and even more so with 37s. lol

 

[biker1007]

I totaled a nissan pickup on little 31s in high school doing somewhere it shouldn't have been. When I was 18 I had my first toyota mini on 35s. I broke a couple birfs and a rear shaft. I say this because I have been very hard on wheeling trucks in the past. Now I like to drive around in comfort all week and on the way to the trail, so I have an 80.

Greentruck, I agree with most of what you have said concerning being able to get somewhere. I like to play, so now have 315 KO2s after 285s KOs. My now ex girlfriend commented on how much smoother it rides. Your sig shows you run 255 mud terrains. I'm willing to bet my 315 A/Ts run smoother and quieter down the road, though in many situations they will only do as well as your smaller more aggressive tires. I still have stock gearing and have no plans of changing that because it is so much better now on all the 80MPH highways.