Will bigger tires help or hurt ride of stock LJ70 in rough stuff?

[richmason]

Dear Forum,

My LJ70 has 205/80/16s Vredstein snow tires on it. Most of my driving is on pavement but we have a fairly rough dirt road that is graded once a year that we use every few weeks when we go fishing upcountry plus I am looking to branch out of Monrovia with the family more frequently. I believe that the suspension is more or less stock and traction is not an issue where we drive. My goal is to smooth out the ride so I don't shake any more parts loose than I have to (lost my driver's side mirror this weekend). Even at 5 mph some of the bumps are quite jarring.

It seems to me that all other things being equal, a larger, wider tire would improve the ride by adding more air volume to absorb shock. The counter to that is that the added weight would limit the ability of the shocks to react. All of the J7Xs out here that are used by the NGO community have very tall narrow tires instead of the fat monster truck tires I'm used to seeing in my beloved Southern USA. Does anyone have a definitive answer as to whether or not a larger, wider tire would make a noticeable difference in the ride quality without adding new, higher lift suspension components?

I will be ordering a Dobinson's 2 inch lift setup soon but it will take 6 months to get it here from Down Under via the US.

Best,
Rich

 

[cicak]

Biggest single improvement to rough dirt roads would be to reduce tire pressures.

E.g for me gravel down to 25 psi

Serious offroad 20psi

Makes a huge difference to grip and comfort. Depending on thickness of sidewalls etc all are different.


Soft sand 18 to 10 psi etc

Then you need to consider tubes and or rim locks.

Others will give you more ideas.

However reducing pressure reduces speed to be safe. Depending on insurance ruless etc I.e. cannot go below manufacturers specs in some countries

What tire size you running stock 29"

 

[richmason]

Cicak,

I have the stock 29" tires. I am running the factory tire pressure of 24 psi in the front and 30 in the back. What can I safely reduce it to for low speed driving (60 kph or less) on dirt roads without risking more punctures?

Cheers,
Rich

 

[GTSSportCoupe]

I have 235/85R16 E rated skinny tall tires. On pavement I run 50psi, on gravel roads I run 25psi. Offroad is 15-20psi. 25psi on the gravel roads is very comfortable, but does allow sidewall flex, which means the handling is less stable.

So, no, I don't think you need fatter tires. As said above, just let some air out. Do you have a portable compressor?

 

[cicak]

Cicak,

I have the stock 29" tires. I am running the factory tire pressure of 24 psi in the front and 30 in the back. What can I safely reduce it to for low speed driving (60 kph or less) on dirt roads without risking more punctures?

Cheers,
Rich

I would be running the same pressures all round i.e. 24 or try 20 experiment it makes a huge difference but keep the front and rear the same. Another way of doing it is 1/5th extra thread on the floor. We get close with tire pressure by going from 3 lugs on the ground to 4. JUst make sure the side walls do not touch the ground - unless you are ever stuck in sand.

You have to inflate when back on the hardtop else you will ruin the tires with underinflation wear.