BACKSPACING

You knew I'd wade in here eventually, didn't you...? Or maybe hoped I wouldn't? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Just to throw some "balance" into this discussion, here are my opinions... ~YMMV~

Firstly: Eli makes a good point about wider wheels/tires protecting the body by sticking out past the body work. But, this is only ONE wheeling situation. I could make many arguments against as well, such as the ability to stuff a skinny more completely, which in turn allows you to "articulate" more (I use the term loosely, since most of us, Curtis excluded, are running IFS). Plus many states/provinces mandate that the tire must not stick out past the bodywork, so unless your truck is offroad only, you have to add some kind of flare in many cases, which can be damaged as easily as the body... BUT, Eli's title was "Skinny Tires + Stock BS Rims + Ruts/Highwalls = Not Good". Agreed. For that type of wheeling, less/no damage probably would've occurred with fatties.

Secondly: A skinny tire will increase your contact pressure. Your contact patch is smaller, but your pressure is greater, hence more traction, when traction is available... You can run a narrower rim, so the combo gives you less rolling resistance getting to your favorite trail, less rotating mass, less unsprung weight. These are some of the reasons why skinnies often = Good.

Thirdly: As far as unseating the bead, I have unseated 33x950s on 6 inch wheels. Three tires actually, simultaneously, in the same rut (Betsy II, so I've had three trucks since then, and arguably have gained a little more experience). It wasn't a factor of the wheel/tire, but the temperature (it was minus 21*C, and I running too little air - rubber was too hard). I've seen 1250s on 8s spectacularly blow their bead, 1150s on 7s, etc etc. The rim/tire combo has some bearing, but I don't agree that x wheel combined with y tire will surely result in a blown bead. There are too many variables...

For my type of wheeling, combined with lots of daily driving miles, I'll run skinnies, or as I like to call them, pizza mudders, and I'll get to the same places where my fat tire friends go. Sometimes with more effort, sometimes with less.

Thanks for posting those hi-res pictures, now I don't have to post mine. What resolution did you take those at? They are so awesome. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> (But they do make a good comparison..... )







Please review my original post, I think I say narrow tires plus stock backspacing a couple times. And I said it would be wider tires plus better backspacing at least once, and that spacers would be an option once too. Its cool Jason I know you were trying to say you agree with me. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />



This is actually why I run skinny tires. When it was posted earlier wider tires=better contact pressure, but I opted not to say anything or post these:



http://www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_papers/tire_selection_rev1.html

But that is all beyond what we are talking about here really.

Also keep in mind my statements on running a 15x7 with a "x wide tire" or a 15x8 with a "x wide tire" are my own reasons to why I wouldn't go with possible alternatives. Because I knew someone would say "Well you can just run a 9.5" on a 7" rim, so go buy some 15x7s with a 3.75" Backspacing". The point was if you buy new rims with a better backspacing to push the skinny tires out more, its more cost efficient (in my opinion) and makes more sense to (me to) just buy a wider rim and run wider tires. Because you go buy those 15x7s (with the better backspacing) and say in the future you decide to run some 12.5s tires (in my own comfort zone I wouldn't run 12.5s on 15x7s if I didn't have to, not to say you couldn't). So you would just end up having to spend more money and buy 15x8s in the end. And the last option which are wheel spacers, at the cost of steel rims you are better off just buying new rims if you are going to drop that kind of money.

So to summarize my points at least:

15x6 Rims with Stock Backspacing running 9.5" wide tires in rutted spots with high mud walls not good.

15x7 Rims with 3.75" Backspacing running 9.5" wide tires in rutted spots with high mud walls better but not cost efficient if you ever plan on running 12.5s+ wide tires later on.

Eli = Rocket Scientist <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

So where's the body damage pics? We need more proof. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

When I saw you had replied I knew it had to be some kind of sarcasm. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />

I am no rocket scientist person, I just know what happened to my truck and what didn't happen to Mark's truck. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />

I will take pictures of the damage in the daylight and post them up, but I don't know if they will compare to the high-res imagery all ready posted. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

@Reuben: I forget you asked where/when I got damage on the last trip. After you left we went back to the mud pits on Falls Dam so the Jeep could play in them. The Jeep went through a couple times, then Roger, and then me. Roger came out without any damage I saw with his 3.75" BS 15x8s and 33x12.5s. So I took a stab at it, ended up with 2 nice sized dents and a big silver paint scrape. I am waiting to see if Roger can get the video of me driving up the ruts (and when the body damage happened) before posting up the videos I have of him and the jeep doing it.

So there you have it, we may not only have pictures but video too. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Well if all your worried about is rubbing against the wall when in a rut, couldn't you just mount some caster wheels to the sides of your truck????.....j/k <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" /> Thats what they do on trailers and r/v's that like to bottom out.

Where are the pics?



Meanwhile, Eli was wheeling his truck when he got stuck!

Too bad he didn't have wide enough tires to stay out of the ruts! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />





























<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

This is true but also have to consider vehicle weight, fatter truck can run a fatter tire and keep the contact pressure. This is what i meant when i posted, skinnies rock on light trucks. I run 13.5's under a 6000Lbs truck and i rarely break traction if ever.