Tire Tech

[Commandoman]

OK here's another set of tire questions. Is load range even an issue on a Jeep? When we put tires on our jeeps 30" or larger that are also seen on F350's @ twice the weight or more towing fifth-wheels does a low load rating really matter to a TJ?

How about width? Can a 12.50 fit on rim less then 8"? better yet should it? It seems as though a narrow rim mounted in a wide tire would add a level of protection to rims when aired down, but is it safe or would the bead break away any easier in that set up if the tire was aired down?

What's wrong with off brands, I see a lot of threads about expensive tires that when used in extreme terrain are getting thrashed (because we run them hard, not because they're bad). Why not thrash a less expensive tire like the Runway Enduro MT and save some money? Are the better known brands really that much better? It would be great if some of these manufactures would donate a set of tires so we @ MJR could take to gate keeper and spend a day swapping them off and on the same jeep with the same driver taking the same line to see what the real difference are.

[lakev2]

OK here's another set of tire questions. Is load range even an issue on a Jeep? When we put tires on our jeeps 30" or larger that are also seen on F350's @ twice the weight or more towing fifth-wheels does a low load rating really matter to a TJ?
[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Load range matters in that the higher the load rating the less flexible the sidewall will be, rarely will an offroad tire be higher than a d rating. usually above a d rating is reserved for highway towing style tires. [/COLOR]


How about width? Can a 12.50 fit on rim less then 8"? better yet should it? It seems as though a narrow rim mounted in a wide tire would add a level of protection to rims when aired down, but is it safe or would the bead break away any easier in that set up if the tire was aired down?

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Yes tires 12.5 can fit on a smaller than 8" rim, but not generally recommended as the contact patch will be undesireable when the tire is aired up to recommended specs. When airing down the skinny rims usually hold the tire bead better because of increase pressure on the bead, but its not recommended to run a 12.5 on a 7" rim though im sure its done often enough. [/COLOR]

What's wrong with off brands, I see a lot of threads about expensive tires that when used in extreme terrain are getting thrashed (because we run them hard, not because they're bad). Why not thrash a less expensive tire like the Runway Enduro MT and save some money? Are the better known brands really that much better? It would be great if some of these manufactures would donate a set of tires so we @ MJR could take to gate keeper and spend a day swapping them off and on the same jeep with the same driver taking the same line to see what the real difference are.

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]yes offroading will tear up the most expensive tires, but the offroad namebrand tires have a better rubber compound and usually better designed sidewalls for what we do. If you were to run say an MTR vs Big O 35" mud tire on two exact jeeps in same terrain it would be quickly evident which one is better suited for the environment.[/COLOR]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]On that note there is nothing wrong with running less expensive tires, it is spendy to run namebrand tires then continue upgrading sizes and tearing them up. I have yet to buy a new set of tires other than stockers, hunt the craiglist and pirate wantads for someone that is upsizing or whatever and is selling a decent set of used. The tires I am running now I got the set of 5 with rims for 700, with no trail runs and only 5k street miles when i got them. new the tires were 190 a piece at the time. I dont feel bad in the least now that they have some sidewall rash and some chunking on the tread.[/COLOR]
Hope that helps.

[2blk2drs]

How about width? Can a 12.50 fit on rim less then 8"? better yet should it? It seems as though a narrow rim mounted in a wide tire would add a level of protection to rims when aired down, but is it safe or would the bead break away any easier in that set up if the tire was aired down?

With running too wide a tire for a given rim size, the wheel will basically "pinch" the bead. Making the tire want to take on more of a doughnut shape than the square shoulder designed. You can combat this by running lower pressure on the street. Yes it will help keep the wheel from losing a bead. Its all compormise really. Just dont ask me to mount a tire on a wheel wider than the tread area of the tire. Had to do this a few times back in the day, and man, it looked unsafe as hell. Guess lowriders dont see too many rocks though :beer:

[Dukes69]

OK here's another set of tire questions. Is load range even an issue on a Jeep? When we put tires on our jeeps 30" or larger that are also seen on F350's @ twice the weight or more towing fifth-wheels does a low load rating really matter to a TJ?

How about width? Can a 12.50 fit on rim less then 8"? better yet should it? It seems as though a narrow rim mounted in a wide tire would add a level of protection to rims when aired down, but is it safe or would the bead break away any easier in that set up if the tire was aired down?

What's wrong with off brands, I see a lot of threads about expensive tires that when used in extreme terrain are getting thrashed (because we run them hard, not because they're bad). Why not thrash a less expensive tire like the Runway Enduro MT and save some money? Are the better known brands really that much better? It would be great if some of these manufactures would donate a set of tires so we @ MJR could take to gate keeper and spend a day swapping them off and on the same jeep with the same driver taking the same line to see what the real difference are.

Hey Brian,
Don't get any load range "E" stuff, they dont work. Everything is far too stiff.

An 8 inch rim is perfect for a 12.50 tire.

The reason to run a good tire is so you dont have to trash the rest of your stuff. Most in our group run MT/R's, they are strong, durable and have plenty of traction. No need to flog your jeep up an obstacle running an inferior tire when you can walk right up with a proper tire.