Tire Size Advice

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Youssef.Abdelhady
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Hey Everyone,

I've been thinking of experimenting with a new set of tires. After a lot of reading I've decided I will most likely try out the Yoko Geolander (G012).
I have however, been facing issues deciding on the size of these new tires. My options are:

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275 will be less weight so better acceleration. They are also SL load range so most likely a better footprint that my current tires (D load range).
285 will give a wider and longer footprint (due to the increased sidewall), but they are roughly 7 kilos per tire heavier.

So basically my question is, which is more beneficial in the sand, less weight or wider and longer footprint?

Your opinion and feedback is appreciated.
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Abu Jimmy
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Unfortunately there is no correct answer for this question as it all depends on many variables such as vehicle power , vehicle weight , terrain nature , driving style . . etc .
You simply will never find a tyre which is light weight with excellent grip and rigid side wall which will fit perfectly for sand , mud and rock Krawling .
It's always a compromise , and the best you can get is what suits your needs and habits the most .
Regarding to your question about those particular sizes , here is the advantages and disadvantages of both ,
1. Yoko 285 / 75 / 16 is an LT. ( light truck )tyre , it's heavy because it has more plies in the side wall which make more rigid and can tolerate more abuse ( wadi drives , lower psi sand drives . . etc ) . However the extra weight will kill the car power , you will feel the car struggling in high dunes and the constant need to keep high RPM's during the technical areas .

2. Yoko 275 / 70 / 16 is an P. ( passenger car ) tyre , it's a much lighter tires with good floating characteristics which is very good for sand driving . However it has a softer side wall which makes it exposed to damage by rocks or tree branches easily . Driving on very low psi will ddevelop cracks on the side wall as well . It will have less grip because of the smaller size and you may struggle if the area is extremely technical .
If you are going for LT tyres I would recommend the Kumho ( Marshal ) venture AT51 and if you are going for P tyres I will recommend the Cooper Discoverer AT-3 .

I will always go for the BFG's all terrain KO2 foe any off-road car any time over any other tyre , but that's just me and my 2 Fils . .
What goes around , comes around .
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Youssef.Abdelhady
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Thank you very much for your detailed response Abu Jimmy.
My issue with Cooper, Mastercraft, KUMHO, & Toyo Tires is that for 16" Rims they only come in the two following sizes.

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In my experience, the 265 increases the chance of popout due to thinner tire but a large sidewall. The 285s for these brands only come in Load range E which from what I've read online, does not deform much due to the very thick sidewalls, so will provide a bad footprint when deflated.

So my only two options for brands is Yoko, or Pirelli Scorpion ATR. But i don't think the scorpion tires are available in UAE.
Abu Jimmy wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:20 am I will always go for the BFG's all terrain KO2 foe any off-road car any time over any other tyre , but that's just me and my 2 Fils . .
I agree the BFG is a very good tire, I've had them for the past two years. I would just like to experiment and see if I can better optimize my setup.
Abu Jimmy wrote: Tue Jul 10, 2018 5:20 am 1. Yoko 285 / 75 / 16 is an LT. ( light truck )tyre , it's heavy because it has more plies in the side wall which make more rigid and can tolerate more abuse ( wadi drives , lower psi sand drives . . etc ) . However the extra weight will kill the car power , you will feel the car struggling in high dunes and the constant need to keep high RPM's during the technical areas .
The Yoko LTs will be around 2 KG per tire heavier than my current 275/70R16 BFG KO2s according to TireSize.com. Will it make a big difference?
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Abu Jimmy
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At your level ( intermediate ) there is a lot of high dunes cresting on high speed , you will need every single horse power your car can produce .
I guess the 285 are big and will rub on the fender or fender well at full articulation . If you are looking for a different experience you better go for the lighter tires ( 275 ) although they will not last as long as the LT ones but it's going to be huge difference from the BFG in speed and power , you will even feel directly on road after replacing the tires , it will give more power , smoother and quiet ride and better fuel economy .
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Youssef.Abdelhady
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Abu Jimmy wrote: Wed Jul 11, 2018 7:45 am At your level ( intermediate ) there is a lot of high dunes cresting on high speed , you will need every single horse power your car can produce .
I guess the 285 are big and will rub on the fender or fender well at full articulation . If you are looking for a different experience you better go for the lighter tires ( 275 ) although they will not last as long as the LT ones but it's going to be huge difference from the BFG in speed and power , you will even feel directly on road after replacing the tires , it will give more power , smoother and quiet ride and better fuel economy .

Thank you Abu Jimmy.

It seems the 275 is probably the better option for a daily driver. I've also checked the wheels at full articulation and the bigger tires will probably rub the fender.

I'll have some more discussions this weekend but i'll probably go for the 275 since its a safer option. thumbsup


Thanks again [mention]Abu Jimmy[/mention]!
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