285/75/16 vs 255/85/16

garrett

garrett

Well-known member
Jun 18, 2004
10,931
5
53
Middleburg, VA
www.blackdogmobility.com
Big_mark said:
:D

Thanks, as somebody said, it all comes down to preferences and driving style.
Click to expand...

Wrong again.

Sure there are lots of variables here with vehicle weight, wheel base, suspension flex, weight distribution, ground conditions, tire pressure, etc. But what you don't want in 99% of the situations out there is a wide tire. Like I said before the wide tire will only leave you with a very short linear footprint and what you are trying to get is a long one. A short contact patch is always changing direction (think of an arrow on a tire as it spins) and wants to dig. The longer that contact patch is the longer that "pull" is - reducing wheel spin and loss of traction.

Preferences refer to sexual orientation, creme in your coffee and what neat-o screen saver you might have. If your tire is size is based solely on how your truck is going to look parked in your driveway or next to that chump with the Jeep at work then yes "preference" is a good term to use. If you are looking to maximize the ability of your vehicle then it's not.

Regardless the limitations of a tall AND wide tire will always be the suspension. Sorta like all those rednecks in Jeeps with 35" tires with no suspension to handle the tire/wheel combination. Completely useless.

The idea is find a compromise with a tall and then wide tire and a suspension that will compliment it.
 
JustAddMtns

JustAddMtns

Well-known member
Jun 22, 2007
1,877
0
NC
I don't have an opinion, but I do have a few observations.
I ran 255/85/16 KM1s on my DII. Now I have 285/75/16 STTs.

Off-roading I aired the 255s down to 12ish psi and it was a nice ride and did well. I didn't get stuck, got traction when I was hoping too, etc.)

On-road they were fine at 38ish psi. They grabbed variations in the road and the truck took more effort to drive. I do think the truck felt more "tippy" with the 255s.

The 285s off-road have been fine too. I haven't got a chance to go on anything aired down yet.

On-road they are better. Smoother, track better, etc.

All that being said, I go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary (you know who said that) and really focus on my driving and not spinning my wheels.
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
garrett said:
Wrong again.
Click to expand...

If preference had nothing to do with it, there would be no Rovers with big meat Enzyte tires, no outlandishly horrible bumpers, and nobody at which to laugh our asses off on occasion. Preference is very important for comic relief. Every time we chase it off here, we have to wait around for more of it to show up to have a good time.

People can prefer the wrong answer.

I actually wrote a paper about value and perception; specifically, as they apply to an exchange. Under review, one of my conclusions was thought to be incorrect.

Now, it was considered incorrect for the wrong reasons. That held everyone up. I knew they were wrong, and they thought I was wrong, but their argument didn't work. The argument raged for two weeks, until I was able to get through to them that they were missing the point, but the more I looked at it, the more I saw something was indeed missing.

After a while, it dawned on me that the conclusion was not incorrect, but was rendered entirely irrelevant because it is possible that some jackass out there could value being stiffed. Absolutes, whether implied or illustrated, have no place in such work, so even that possibility screwed things up.

So, preference does apply, even if the preference is for a silly tire that's six feet wide, twelve inches tall, pink, and covered in anchovies. People are allowed to be idiots, whether I like it or not.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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Big_mark

Big_mark

Well-known member
Feb 16, 2011
210
0
Spaceship orbiting the Earth
garrett said:
Wrong again.

Sure there are lots of variables here with vehicle weight, wheel base, suspension flex, weight distribution, ground conditions, tire pressure, etc. But what you don't want in 99% of the situations out there is a wide tire. Like I said before the wide tire will only leave you with a very short linear footprint and what you are trying to get is a long one. A short contact patch is always changing direction (think of an arrow on a tire as it spins) and wants to dig. The longer that contact patch is the longer that "pull" is - reducing wheel spin and loss of traction.

Preferences refer to sexual orientation, creme in your coffee and what neat-o screen saver you might have. If your tire is size is based solely on how your truck is going to look parked in your driveway or next to that chump with the Jeep at work then yes "preference" is a good term to use. If you are looking to maximize the ability of your vehicle then it's not.

Regardless the limitations of a tall AND wide tire will always be the suspension. Sorta like all those rednecks in Jeeps with 35" tires with no suspension to handle the tire/wheel combination. Completely useless.

The idea is find a compromise with a tall and then wide tire and a suspension that will compliment it.
Click to expand...

I never put anything on my Rig for looks, When I break something I replace it with a better part. If I use something and it's performance is less than stellar I do some research and find a better solution.

For me a wider and taller tire has proven to be the best for the type of wheeling we do around here in the PNW.
If you can't handle the fact that what I run works and has worked for me then fine. But to say that you are absolutely the authority on all things tire related make me laugh my ass off.

What works for you may work for another but will not work 100% of the time all the time.

I had some 34" Super Swampers TSLs they were very narrow. They did pretty well on road, and gravel, even some light rock crawling (so long as airing down was not needed) but these tires had a tendency to dig down, straight down. Down to the point that my frame rails and axle housings became mired in mud. When that happen forward motion becomes an issue. Pushing 2' of clay/mud/gravel ends up being a loosing battle.
When a friend running 33" BFG AT's which were wider, but not taller was able to get through the same spot I took notice.

Same rigs, different tires, skinny lost, wide did better.

Again, were are doing different things in different environments and have different ideas of what works best for a given scenario.

I will agree to disagree with you.
 
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whatroad

whatroad

Banned
Mar 8, 2007
631
0
Union, ME
kennith said:
If preference had nothing to do with it, there would be no Rovers with big meat Enzyte tires, no outlandishly horrible bumpers, and nobody at which to laugh our asses off on occasion. Preference is very important for comic relief. Every time we chase it off here, we have to wait around for more of it to show up to have a good time.

People can prefer the wrong answer.

I actually wrote a paper about value and perception; specifically, as they apply to an exchange. Under review, one of my conclusions was thought to be incorrect.

Now, it was considered incorrect for the wrong reasons. That held everyone up. I knew they were wrong, and they thought I was wrong, but their argument didn't work. The argument raged for two weeks, until I was able to get through to them that they were missing the point, but the more I looked at it, the more I saw something was indeed missing.

After a while, it dawned on me that the conclusion was not incorrect, but was rendered entirely irrelevant because it is possible that some jackass out there could value being stiffed. Absolutes, whether implied or illustrated, have no place in such work, so even that possibility screwed things up.

So, preference does apply, even if the preference is for a silly tire that's six feet wide, twelve inches tall, pink, and covered in anchovies. People are allowed to be idiots, whether I like it or not.

Cheers,

Kennith
Click to expand...


I've always wanted to ask..... do you ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?

I base my opinion solely on trial and error. For example, I was always under the assumption that a taller, skinnier tire would work well for 90% of the terrain I would encounter. Then I moved to Maine. Got a job at a local rover shop and was laughed at hysterically for my tire selection(235/85/16). I brush it off and go wheeling with them. Tires work "OK", keep wheeling them but notice my fellow coworkers are not having some of the same issues as I am. Same line, close to the same specs on vehicles,etc.... then I install a set of 285/75/16's and I notice a considerable difference off road.

While I'm not here to get into a pissing contest with Garrett over tire selection, I have witnessed this more than once, and not on some $400 P.O.S. CJ5.
Different strokes for different folks, but to say it's "wrong" is ignorant to say the least.
 
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whatroad

whatroad

Banned
Mar 8, 2007
631
0
Union, ME
Easy there junior, no ass raping going on here

however, if that's what you're into, then by all means I sure you could find some *nice* northern Maine boys to help you out.
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
whatroad said:
Easy there junior, no ass raping going on here

however, if that's what you're into, then by all means I sure you could find some *nice* northern Maine boys to help you out.
Click to expand...

:rofl:

I'd love to see someone try. Besides, I've only got eyes for you, sweet cheeks.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
Roving Beetle

Roving Beetle

Well-known member
Nov 11, 2007
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0
Mount Desert Island, Maine
www.desertboat.com
So: If Carey and Kennith had a fight..... who would win?

What says DWeb? :D

I know who I'd put money on but only because I know him and we Maine boys stick together. (And not in a banjo on the porch, purty little mouth way either smart asses - HA!)

By the way Kennith, no insult meant - I thought what Carey said was funny, you've said yourself that you KNOW you babble too much sometimes! :) I like your informative posts but......

Cheers,
Doug
 
kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
Roving Beetle said:
So: If Carey and Kennith had a fight..... who would win?

What says DWeb? :D

I know who I'd put money on but only because I know him and we Maine boys stick together. (And not in a banjo on the porch, purty little mouth way either smart asses - HA!)

By the way Kennith, no insult meant - I thought what Carey said was funny, you've said yourself that you KNOW you babble too much sometimes! :) I like your informative posts but......

Cheers,
Doug
Click to expand...

Yup. I do tend to run on a bit when I'm writing. Can't help myself. I found it quite funny as well. I thought my response was equally amusing.

If you want to roll against me, though, you ought to pick a contest I wasn't bred for. I don't break easy, and when I do, it's just a temporary annoyance until I have time to nail myself together. If you want to stop me, you've got to do a hell of a lot of damage very quickly.

And, I've got to tell you, that's not going to be easy.:rofl:

Cheers,

Kennith
 
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kennith

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
mgreenspan said:
Don't mess with 255/85s. Get some 255/100s.
Click to expand...

The most recognizable thing I'm aware of in that size is... Well, damn near impossible to get hold of within any amount of reason.

I sure as hell wish I had a bunch of them, though.

Cheers,

Kennith
 
whatroad

whatroad

Banned
Mar 8, 2007
631
0
Union, ME
kennith said:
Yup. I do tend to run on a bit when I'm writing. Can't help myself. I found it quite funny as well. I thought my response was equally amusing.

If you want to roll against me, though, you ought to pick a contest I wasn't bred for. I don't break easy, and when I do, it's just a temporary annoyance until I have time to nail myself together. If you want to stop me, you've got to do a hell of a lot of damage very quickly.

And, I've got to tell you, that's not going to be easy.:rofl:

Cheers,

Kennith
Click to expand...


Hell, I didn't know this was being taken seriously,.... I was just fawkin around....
 
mgreenspan

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
kennith said:
The most recognizable thing I'm aware of in that size is... Well, damn near impossible to get hold of within any amount of reason.

I sure as hell wish I had a bunch of them, though.

Cheers,

Kennith
Click to expand...


Yeah. I'm waiting for my awesome store to get some more. They only have two right now and I will only buy five at once. They are spendy at ?150 a piece, but straight ballin'.
 
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