4 corner wide vs skinny/wide tire combo

[BIGBONVI]

has anyone that upgraded/replaced their factory tires with larger aftermarket tires, went with all 4 wide tires vs a skinny/wide combo? i really like the look better with all 4 same sized tires. i also feel with the added weight of a side x side this should help in the mud.
i know it will potentiallty make turning harder and also put more wear and tear on the front axles, but the factory tires on my unit were all dunlop 25x10x12 kt869's which measure 10.25" wide. so accept for back spacing, i do not really see any problems.

[sfrankland]

I went with 26x12 in the rear and 26x9 in the front and found the front kept sinking on muddy trails. Also the 9" tires on front looked off. In the end I went 26x12 on all four corners and have had no issues at all with rubbing or sinking. I am running the 12x7 ITP SS212 rims with a 5+2 offset.

Here is a shot with the 9's in the front.



And with the 12's in the front.

[BIGBONVI]

glad to see someone else joined the club. i also did the same thing. every time i looked at my BR it just looked funny with those little tires on the front. so i went with 4 28x12x14 outlaw radial tires and i love them. they ride good and boy do they grab. they help me kind of float across mud instead of plowing through it. in 2 wheel drive i see no difference in steering. with all 4 locked it is noticeably harder to turn. i do get the occasional rub, but it is usually when i am in a messed up angle with the wheel turned. with the performance upgrades i made i see no power gain/lose. i really feel that anyone changing their tires ought to look into all 4 wide!

[glk1986]

Whats the stock offset on the 2011? I have an 11 and i want to go to itp 14" wheels with probably 28" tires. Everytime i look to buy wheels i dont know what to get with all the different offsets. I just got the highlift lift kit and am itching to get some new shoes on my big red.

[sfrankland]

I am running 5+2 offset. If you are looking at ITP rims they have a wheel guide you can use for reference. Just make sure you click on the UTV tab on the bottom of the page.

http://www.itptires.com/2011-wheel-chart.htm

[glk1986]

Is the rub because your tires are 28" tall, or 12" wide? Im thinking about going with the same setup as you, and I cant decide what size tire to get. Just got the 2 in highlift and im re4ady to get some new wheels and tires.

[BIGBONVI]

IT VERY RARELY HAPPENS. NOT REALLY SURE BECAUSE IT IS WHEN I AM TURNING AND DIGGING THE FRONT IN. LIKE GOING INTO A DITCH OR DOWN A HILL. IT DOESNT RUB WHEN I TURN, SO I HAD TO GUESS IT IS BECAUSE OF HEIGHT. I ORDERED SOME HIGHLIFTER SPRINGS TODAY. HOPEFULLY THAT TAKES CARE OF IT.

[DannyManning]

Originally Posted by BIGBONVI

glad to see someone else joined the club. i also did the same thing. every time i looked at my BR it just looked funny with those little tires on the front. so i went with 4 28x12x14 outlaw radial tires and i love them. they ride good and boy do they grab. they help me kind of car parts across mud instead of plowing through it. in 2 wheel drive i see no difference in steering. with all 4 locked it is noticeably harder to turn. i do get the occasional rub, but it is usually when i am in a messed up angle with the wheel turned. with the performance upgrades i made i see no power gain/lose. i really feel that anyone changing their tires ought to look into all 4 wide!

Can you give me an update on how this worked out for you? Did the consist rubbing cause any problems for you or not? I plan on doing this.. So I'm just kinda curious, thanks in advance!

[olivecrossbones]

I am admittedly a bit of a novice in understanding tires and rims for my BR. I have a 2009 BR with stock rims and tires (Dunlop 25x10x12 KT953). I am looking to replace them with slightly larger tires as I think the small stock tires and rims make the BR look like a Hippo (which is what we call it). I am not looking to Monster Truck - max them out or create any rubbing, or power problems. We do not do that kind of trail riding where we are regularily trying to climb the Grand Canyon. I have settled on PT Growlers tires(radials) which come in a 25 1/2x10x12 which measure an actual 26". They also come in a 26 1/2x11x12 which measure an actual 27". I am looking to use all four tires of the same size. I have also settled on ITP SS 108 Alloy wheels. It would appear that sfrankland might have a similar set-up once you went to all four tires the same size (just different ITP wheels.) My questions are: are the 26 1/2 x11x12 ok (none of the rubbing, power problems etc.) and what SS108 wheel size would I order? I don't totally understand the offset issue but do not want to get something that would create problems later on like premature bearing wear out. If I sound pretty conservative, I am. I think possibly sfrankland may have the direct answer to my questions but would appreciate anyones input.
Thanks in advance

[olivecrossbones]

I have a 2009 BR. Does anyone know what the offset is on the stock wheels that are on it (the stock tires were Dunlop)?
Thanks

[sfrankland]

I was waiting for someone else to respond but I guess its not going to happen. The stock offset is 5-2. As for the wider tires in the front I ran my all spring/summer and have had no issues with them at all. My wife even drove the bike on a 60Km run on logging roads and found them easy to turn and found them to be a good riding tire on the hard pack.

[olivecrossbones]

Thanks very much for the reply. I am now ready to move froward with my new wheels and tires.

[olivecrossbones]

One final question: do your tires measure a true 26"? Am now trying to decide between the true 26" and the true 27"...
Thanks

[sfrankland]

I think mine are closer to 27 than an actual 26. I will have to check this evening when I get home.

[olivecrossbones]

At the risk of being a P.I.A., any luck on measuring the actual size of your tires; and pushing my luck even further: how did you measure them?
Thanks very much for your patience, time and effort
The stock Dunlops actually measure 23"...no wonder they look so small.

[olivecrossbones]

Yet another question: I see that you have a 2" lift kit. I have nothing but the stock set up and more than likely intend to keep it that way. Given that, what size (height - true measure) would you recommend?
Obviously, I value your opinion

[sfrankland]

With the bike sitting on the ground with full weight on all 4 tires the tires measure 25 1/2" high.

[jw_2178]

[jw_2178]

I Personally like the staggered fitment than the fat tires all around!?

[jw_2178]

If you are going to be ordering tires and wheels for a big red and want the staggered fitment just order them for a rincon. they will come with the front and rear wheels with the "atv" offset. if you order wheels for a big red you will get four rear wheels.