marshallr

Skinny is still best in mud. But wider tires distribute the weight better on todays heavier vehicles, ride better, and provide for more payload than skinny bicycle type tires. Not many roads like in the video now, but most guys with 4X4's running 12" wide tires couldn't go where the 4X2 car went with the skinny tires. I've seen a lot of farmers and pulp wood operators go through stuff like that every day with old 3/4 ton trucks running 7.50/16 mud tires while the young kids with their 12.50/33/15's were stranded trying to keep up.

And they don't have to be THAT skinny. An 8-10" wide tire that is 32-33" tall is really a better option for most of us than the 11-12" wide tires that are so popular.

Those really wide tires became popular in western states for driving in desert sand and rock crawling. If you drive in those conditions that is the tire for you. But other than driving on sandy beaches most drivers would really be better served by a tall skinny tire for the more common off road driving. But it has become "fashionable" to have the wide tires.

GrasslandHVAC

Even factory tires aren't all that wide on lower trim f150 and f250. My truck came with p235/75r17. I put on load E lt235/80r17.
f250 comes with lt245/75r17 in xl trim and on xlt and xl 150s that is the first and cheapest lt tire option.
Now those are 30.5-31.5" tall tires so not that tall for full size trucks, but smaller jeeps and tacomas and 4runners can get away with that.

4.30Screw

This is a great topic, I'm looking to upgrade my tires and have been thinking about our old f250 and how I could cut through the wet fields with its tall skinny tires.
Its difficult to find selection in those tall skinny sizes.
I'd like to see a 255 75 18 on my 2012 screw XTR. I'd be unstoppable around the farm

Havyek

As has already been stated, skinnier tires are great for terrain where you need to bite down into hardpack (shallow mud, snow etc) but generally anything taller than the differentials you'll want wider tires to try and paddle through.

Meaning that for a DD or weekend warrior 95% of the driving would be best served by a skinnier tire.

Apples

This is my farm truck-style setup. 8" tread width. 8" wide wheel. Works in damp conditions with surface mud because the tire won't hydroplane; it cuts through to clay.


It's my daily driver street truck and weekend Forest Service roads transportation. If I need to travel in sandy conditions, I can always air down.

Apples

Sure, if you want a pavement setup canyon-road burner. Then you'd consider lowering the truck, fitting larger swaybars, excellent dampers, etc... Otherwise...

An 8" (+/-) wide tire on the road will offer less rolling and aerodynamic resistance than a 10" or 12"-wide tire, improving mpg. And an 8" wide tire is still wider than the 7.5" OE fitment.

From the above-linked paper:

The author goes on to explain that his paper is not about "airing down", and to assume that both a wide tire and a narrow tire for the purposes of his argument are at the same 15 psi inflation pressure. Since my Firestone Destination AT's sidewalls are thinner (and the tire weighs just 40 lbs), I prefer to use 18 psi when running reduced inflation. Different conditions dictate adjustments to my baseline. I carry Staun deflators and a Viair 400P compressor.

PerryB

Years ago I had a set of Dick Cepek Mud Country's that were 9x35" with a very aggressive tread. They were the craziest mud and snow tires I ever experienced. Of course the tread life on pavement was dismal to say the least, but they were unstoppable.

WarSurfer

Wide tires are typically used for snow and sand, skinny for everything else.

It's all relative though, if you are only running in 4" of snow, then wider tires will be of no benefit. Conversely, driving in through mud puddles doesn't require tractor tires.

For the VAST majority of folks, a decent all terrain is more than enough.

Reginald Wang

For my 2016 XLT (factory set up is 18" wheel with 275/65/18), I would like to put the American Racing Outlaw II wheels on, plus a highway tire that overall match the circumference of the factory so no significant speedometer re-calibration issues. Now, this Outlaw II has a more aggressive offset (it will stick out more), so anyone with experience if it'd rub when I turn? I'm not lifting the truck. Thanks!

Apples

I don't think it will rub. See my photo in Post #25 for a similar approach to the one you wish to take. Tire/frame interference usually starts with 35" overall diameters and wide tires. I went from a 30.6" to a 31.7" tire in the pic with a still-narrow wheel (8") but with a different offset from stock as you can see.


You may also ask your question in the 2015 - newer subforum.