Picking the right tire for your trick truck can seem overwhelming with all the different choices out there.
And the choice isn’t any easier when you consider all the choices within choices. Winter, summer or all-season. Mud, all-terrain, or maximum traction. Just to name a few.
One of the disputed issues in off-roading circles right now looks to the width of the tire. That is, is a wider tire better than a “skinny” tire? And how does that affect driving in the ice, snow, mud, or simply rocky ground? Just to name a few choices.
Wider or Skinny? What’s the Best for OTR?
“There’s an age-old theory that proposes one should go for narrower tires in the winter because a narrower tire puts more pressure on a smaller contact patch, thus generating more grip,” motor1.com explains. However, the contrasting argument is that you should use a wider tire, as more surface area on the road will generate more grip.”
Motortrend.com offers more explanation: Anyone “who eats, breathes, sleeps, and dreams 4×4 knows just the debate we’re referring to. In bottomless mud you want something that floats along the top. But, in mud with a hard bottom you want something skinny that’s going to dig to the hard pack. Even in winter, deep, wet snow is best handled with a wide flotation tire, while contact pressure is key on icy roads, favoring a narrow studded tire. Although 12.5-inch-wide tires are the norm for everything from 33- to 40-inch-tall tires, there are a lot more options out there if you are looking for them.”
Each style tire has its fans. Freelance writer Harry Wagner likes his tires on the skinny side because they are lighter, “easier to package.” They work well in all environments but are better than wider tires on rocky ground where he does mot of his driving.
Author Trent McGee says it makes no difference. It mostly depends on the terrain or condition of the terrain.
Editor Christian Hazel says the width difference is not big. It’s big enough to notice a difference, he says, but the more important trail performance factor is the tire’s air pressure.
Jonathan Benson at Tyre Reviews did his own test to discover if chubby or skinny off-road tires were better. And, he found out, it doesn’t matter if you go wider or narrower for your winter tires. As explained at motor1.com: He “sourced four sets of Hankook tires to run on a BMW 3 Series around a snow-covered closed course. And each tire was wider than the next. The tires ranged from 205 section-width up to 275s, with the 205s installed on 16-inch wheels, the 225s resting on 18s, and the 255s and 275s mounted on 19-inch rims.
“While there were subjective differences in feel and feedback between the sizes, the numbers don’t lie. Turns out, the narrowest tire performed the best in acceleration testing, but did the worst when it came to braking. And for lap times, the middle 225 section-width tire performed the best. But all of the results are so close that you probably wouldn’t notice the difference.”
The bigger differences were in quality of tire. A good quality tire performed better than a bad quality tire.
Motor1.com suggests you should worry more about getting a good quality tire rather than a wide or skinny tire.
If you’re still not sure what to do, you need to talk with the experts at Trick Trucks on Betts Pond Road in Millsboro. They have years of experience they are happy to share.
Trick Trucks prides itself on upfront and honest quotes, timely installations, and quality products and parts. And, with 15 bays equipped with lifts including two fully integrated alignment racks, Trick Trucks can accommodate all types of vehicles. Furthermore, they offer top of the line tire and wheel mounting and road force balancing. Plus, the mounting and balancing machines accommodate up to 30″ wheels and 40″ tires. Top of the line combination shop of aftermarket specialists and ASE mechanics allows for the smoothest aftermarket installation available. Trick Trucks installed parts and labor come with a three-year, 36,000-mile warranty.
Trick Trucks of Millsboro is part of Trick Trucks & Cars franchise and the In & Out Tire Pros family, a locally-owned and operated auto service center. You get peace of mind knowing every accessories installation is done by ASE trained technicians.
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