Tire Size

Didn't want to hi-jack the "lets talk tires" thread so I started a new one. I pretty torn about whether or not to leave my rzr-s w stock tires and wheels or go bigger. I haven't had it long so Ive only been on 2 "real" rides but have been happy w the traction of the bighorns. I live in Cookeville so Windrock and Brimstone are very close and will be my main ridin spots.I didn't really see the need for larger tires at brimstone but windrock I cld tell where a 28 or 30 wld make a big diff! Also, when I rock crawled we wld never hit the trails w/out beadlocks but I notice alot of yall dont use em. The group I rode Windrock w all ran beadlocks and 28's or 30's. I did the rock-crawlin thing for 15 yrs but brand new to this and yall are def a very knowledgeable group so i didnt want to make a big decision w/out ur input!
Thanks!!

You know what I think. You loose a lot of power when you go big. I also think it is hard on ball joints and bushings. 27's are probably the largest tire I would ever use.

You have seen us roll. We can follow those boys any where they go.

Yeah i'm sure its def harder on some stuff. Suprisingly those guys say the rarely break anything. A cpl said they have ran that setup and havent broken anything . I do have a clutch kit which wld def help w/the power issue. Not arguing w/ u just playing devils advocate to try and get all viewpoints to make my decision.

I went to a short 25" tire on my "S", it fits my style alot better. Windrock, Harlan, Brimstone, Royal Blue, I can follow all my Big Horn buddies anywhere they go! I may have to choose a line a little different than they do, but I can go where they do. BUT.....we dont do mud!

To be honest a large tire might work better for us. We rarely go over 20 to 30 MPH. I have thought about it but have been talked out of BIG tires. So really...... I am not sure. I would have to try it and see what I thought.

I went up 1 " in tire size.....from 26" Terra Cross to 27" Spartacus. Now to be fair, the tires would not weight the same even at the same 26". I will be going back to 26" on my next set.....to much weight.

Yeah thats the thing. Every "group" always has their setup they will say is best but its really about getting what you want to fit ur riding style and ur look. This is very similar to when I first started wheelin' I had a pretty mild jeep w/ford 9" axles and 36" tsl's and my buddies rigs were more extreme and I followed them everywhere w a little bit more "driving". Although, my last one had 2.5 ton rockwells,LT1, and 44" boggers. LOL I guess it really depends on how much u like the rocks(which I do) As for breakage it def helps to know when to "pull the cable"( which I usually dont!-LOL) and get out of the way for someone else to try! Those guys w the bigger tires were def making some of the larger rock sections w less abuse due to more clearance so that cld result in less breakage.

Does anyone know what the factory bighorns weigh?

I also want to check on wheel weight diff. Even though the aftermarket wld b a 14" it may be as light or very similar to the factory wheel??

st4wheel wrote:

I also want to check on wheel weight diff. Even though the aftermarket wld b a 14" it may be as light or very similar to the factory wheel??

You will be sorry if you go with 14'' in the windrock/brimestone type riding those new tires wont be holding air for very long. 14'' tires are no taller than a 12'' they only have shorter sidewalls that tend to get rim pinched way more than a 12'' tire no matter what brand you buy.

GunRunner wrote:

st4wheel wrote:

I also want to check on wheel weight diff. Even though the aftermarket wld b a 14" it may be as light or very similar to the factory wheel??

You will be sorry if you go with 14'' in the windrock/brimestone type riding those new tires wont be holding air for very long. 14'' tires are no taller than a 12'' they only have shorter sidewalls that tend to get rim pinched way more than a 12'' tire no matter what brand you buy.

I agree with Gunny However, if you have a large tire maybe you would have enough side wall. How much side wall does a 29" x 14" have compared to a 26"x 12"? That would be some good info to have.

When I got my machine it had 27's on it but when I replaced them, I went with 26's. Ride, handleing and power is much better. 26X12 is the perfect size for me.

But, how much power/torque/acceleration do you lose trying to get that 29" or 30" tire rolling? Can you even change the gear ratios in the front & rear, to regain that lost power?

These aren't like Jeeps where you can choose ring/pinions from about 3.56 to 5.12 (or higher) based upon what size tire you wanna run...

KentT wrote:

But, how much power/torque/acceleration do you lose trying to get that 29" or 30" tire rolling? Can you even change the gear ratios in the front & rear, to regain that lost power?

These aren't like Jeeps where you can choose ring/pinions from about 3.56 to 5.12 (or higher) based upon what size tire you wanna run...

Yes you can change the clutch some to help with the bigger tires. Different weights and so on. But it still robs power.

Big-R wrote:

How much side wall does a 29" x 14" have compared to a 26"x 12"? That would be some good info to have.

29" - 14"= 15"/2=7.5"inches of sidewall 26"-12"=14"/2=7"inches of sidewall

Yeah Gunny I know about how the tire/wheel ratio compares and that a 14 isnt any taller than a 12.But like Ronnie suggested and 2fast showed the actuall sidewall is very similar I dont think thats a factor. Also,the group I rode w/is also very experienced and runs the 14's w/no problems or they wldnt run em im sure. kentT you're right I used to run very low gears in axles,trans.,and transfer but the clutch kit helps w that but still robs power no doubt. I think for me its whether or not the ground clearance and traction is worth some less power and potential extra breakage. Like I said some guys love the bigger tire and claim not to break much. I prob will ride a cple more big rides around groups w both setups to make my choice. Thanks alot for the input and keep it coming!!

Oh I forgot to mention the tires im considering-super atv dominator and the raceline sxsmt both only come in 14's in the larger sizes. Otherwise I would def go for the 12's! Ive always like the look and function of less wheel and more sidewall. However, thats when comparing tires of the same size ill go w the shorter wheel. In this case we proved that in tires w 3-4" in height difference the sidewall from a 12"wheel to a 14" is about the same.

Big-R wrote:

KentT wrote:

But, how much power/torque/acceleration do you lose trying to get that 29" or 30" tire rolling? Can you even change the gear ratios in the front & rear, to regain that lost power?

These aren't like Jeeps where you can choose ring/pinions from about 3.56 to 5.12 (or higher) based upon what size tire you wanna run...

Yes you can change the clutch some to help with the bigger tires. Different weights and so on. But it still robs power.

Yes, but IMO this clutch work (which I've done on my 450) isn't really the same as changing the gear ratio -- which changes it across the entire power band. Instead, it is more like putting a high-stall converter or shift kit in an automatic tranny....

Having gone from 25 stockers to 26 BigHos, I had to do clutch work to get back what I'd lost. After both a sheave, spring and lighter weights, I still only gained about 3-5 MPH on top end, and it's slower acclerating from about 25MPH on up than it originally was....

Still quite different, IMO...

Now, it you could add another speed range between Hi and Low, you'd be coming closer to what I'm thinking of...

If you never really get any speed up, the low range and big tires will prolly work for you just fine. I know my small tire setup wont work for everyone, as a big tire wont work for me. I went with the GBC Dirt Commanders for the weight, they were only 1 lbs heavier than the 2ply Goodyears that alot of SXS racers run, and they are 8 ply.

2fast4u wrote:

Big-R wrote:

How much side wall does a 29" x 14" have compared to a 26"x 12"? That would be some good info to have.

29" - 14"= 15"/2=7.5"inches of sidewall 26"-12"=14"/2=7"inches of sidewall

Thanks 2fast. That is good info. I might have to do some testing.

Unsprung weight sucks the life out of these machines. If you find you need a tall tire for the riding your doing, get the lightest/narrowest, tire/wheel you can buy. If you want 28's. Go for the 28/9's on all 4 wheels. Use spacers or stagger the backsets of your wheels to get the track width you want on the front and rear.

wvyankee2 wrote:

Unsprung weight sucks the life out of these machines. If you find you need a tall tire for the riding your doing, get the lightest/narrowest, tire/wheel you can buy. If you want 28's. Go for the 28/9's on all 4 wheels. Use spacers or stagger the backsets of your wheels to get the track width you want on the front and rear.

Yanks on the mark. Skinny and tall. Skinny keeps the weight down, tall helps with the clearence. Unsprung weight is the key. But what do I know...........

pate....what is it you always say...
"light is right"????

I am a complete novice. However if clearance is your objective I think a lift kit will get you just as much without robbing your power. I may be way off base with this so I would wait for more input from the veterans on this site . It's great to have all this experience available for the asking isn't it...

Good Luck,

KY. Colonel wrote:

I am a complete novice. However if clearance is your objective I think a lift kit will get you just as much without robbing your power. I may be way off base with this so I would wait for more input from the veterans on this site . It's great to have all this experience available for the asking isn't it...

Good Luck,

Yes a lift kit will give you height with out robbing power. However, It usually changes the angle of the shocks and the CV's. Many people think that it is unwanted stress on the CV's. Also, changing the angle of the shocks could make for a stiffer ride.

I have a lift on the Rhino and never had any problems. It still rides smooth and the CV's have held up fine. However, the lift made my RZR ride like an iron wheeled wagon.