Ultimate Off-Road Commitment

Driving Impressions

On Road
Well, we removed the stereo because we couldn't hear it anymore. These are big tires and the lugs are the size of your fist. You hear each one slap the ground. We've heard they're difficult to balance, so we didn't even try with ours. We set the street pressure at 17 psi, and although they shook violently when cold, once they warmed up and the flat spots went away, we could cruise somewhat comfortably at 75 mph. We are, however, wishing we had 5.13 gears instead of 4.10s.

Off Road
It's an awesome thing to watch these tires claw, grab, and move boulders the size of armchairs in and out of their way. Since they're 16.5s and we didn't have bead-lock rims, we ran them at 11 psi on the trail. Our theory is that at 12 psi they slip, at 11 psi they grab, and at 10 psi they come off their beads. The added height compared to our old 37s dramatically increased clearance under the diffs, bumpers, and rocker panels. It was like driving a huge flatfender--just point it at a boulder patch and idle through.

Another nice thing (believe it or not) is the added weight. The extra tire width and weight contributed to an increased sense of stability. We didn't feel like we were going to tip over on obstacles that used to feel a little spooky with smaller, lighter tires.

However, the best part of wheeling a fullsize on tires like this is the gawk factor. Spectators totally lose it when they realize there's a fullsize coming up the trail. The crowd follows you, so don't try this unless you're a total ham.

Big Tires on a Fullsize

These tires belong on a fullsize. We'll never go back to small tires on this rig again.

Pro:
*Awesome increases in ground clearance
*Jaw-dropping spectator impact
*Point-and-shoot capability
*Increased stability
*Peace of mind that you won't soon be craving bigger tires

Con:
*Expense
*Rougher on-street ride
*Clearance issues
*Weight
*Increased chance of breakage