Hey, what's up, guys?
Josh from Trailbuilt.
Welcome back.
We all know that one of the first best mods
that we can do to our rigs
is to throw on a fresh set of new wheels and tires, right?
We want to throw on something that
not only gives our rigs a better look,
a more aggressive look,
but something that is going to be
a lot more functional than what
the fuel-saving factory installed tires
are gonna give us.
But the question is,
how big of a tire is too big
before we start going down that all too common,
never ending path of drivetrain upgrades
just to match the size tires we've put on our rig?
Now I get it.
I run 39s on the Scout.
And today's standards, a 39 inch off-road tire
isn't that big anymore.
Plus when we're talking about off-road tires,
is there really such thing as too big?
Well, I'll leave that answer up to you guys.
But in today's video,
we're gonna be covering the question of
how big is too big
for the majority of us that use our rigs
mainly for daily driving
and the occasional off-road adventure.
When it comes to picking out tires,
the very first thing that we wanna understand
is how to read tire sizes.
Which will be listed on the sidewall
and will either be in a metric number
in millimeters, or what's called
flotation number in inches.
If metric, truck sizes will typically be
between a 245 to a 405,
which is representative of the tire's width
or section width from sidewall to sidewall.
For example, if it's a 315,
that translates into a tire
that is approximately 12 1/2 inches wide.
The second number in line
will be the aspect ratio of the width.
Meaning that, if the first number is a 315,
and the second number is a 75,
this means that the sidewall height is 75% of the 315.
So a 315/75 is gonna be very close to a 36 inch tall tire
that is about 12 1/2 inches wide.
And then the third number on the tire
is the wheel or rim size in inches.
For flotation sizes, or as I call them,
easy to read sizes,
the first number represents the height of the tire
and the second number is the width of the tire
measuring form sidewall to sidewall.
So if we have a 35 by 12.50 by 17,
that means that the tire height will be about 35 inches
and the width is about 12 1/2 inches wide.
Much easier to read than its metric counterversion.
So now that we have a basic understanding
of reading tire sizes,
the next step in ordering the right size
tires and wheels for your particular application
is going to be determining exactly what
you'll be using your rig for.
In most circumstances,
we typically end up using our rigs for daily driving
and keeping practicality in mind
will save us thousands of dollars in maintenance costs
and fuel costs in the long run.
But we also want the best of both worlds as well, right?
We know we'll also want a tire that is large enough
to gain us an extra bit of ground clearance
as well so that when we do hit the trails,
we don't should on ourselves.
And no, I didn't just swear.
I said, "should on ourselves,"
meaning we don't want to say that
we should have purchased a larger tire,
because tire and wheel packages aren't cheap.
So we want to get this right the first time around.
But we also don't want to have a tire that is too large
and impractical for daily driving
and that's what we're mostly going to be doing.
A too large of a tire will significantly decrease
fuel mileage, as there is going to be a lot more
what's called rolling resistance.
Rolling resistance is caused
from a larger tire being heavier in weight
and plus there is more tire patch
contacting the ground and creating more resistance
and reducing its ability to roll along easier.
A great way to think about this example is
by comparing a tire that is inflated
to its proper air pressure
and how easy that rolls down the road,
compared to if any of us had had a flat tire
and noticed how much more resistance it creates
while trying to drive it down the road
while it's flat.
A lot more resistance, right?
With considering which size tires to upgrade to
typically if it's gonna be larger than a 35 inch tire,
in most circumstances, and I say most circumstances because
it depends on the particular vehicle that you have,
but larger than a 35 inch tire and now we may be
having to consider the possibility of re-gearing
the axles to help offset the rolling resistance
and weight of the tire.
Re-gearing, to put it simply,
will multiply the engine's output power
through the axles to the tires
and basically tricking the engine into thinking
you have factory sized tires back on your rig.
And to keep this video short and on point,
we'll save the gear ratio explanations
for a video of its own at a later date.
One other major factor
in upgrading to larger tires to consider,
is because larger tires will add more weight,
that will also add additional stress
onto your rig's drivetrain and suspension components
increasing the duration
of maintenance and parts replacements.
Like ball joints, bearings, or even brakes, for example.
Another factor in this equation is,
what size tire is going to fit my rig?
Is a 33 or a 35 inch tire going to clear my fenders
or steering components without rubbing
or modifications needed to clear these larger tires?
These are all great questions
and none that we are strangers to here at Trailbuilt.
So, to answer these fitment questions,
we went ahead and made it super easy for you guys,
and developed a real world tire, wheel and suspension
fit making gallery for all kinds of makes of vehicles.
So let's say, for example,
you have a 2015 Jeep Wrangler four door,
and you're wondering if 35 inch tires are gonna fit.
So you head on over to our website,
it's trailbuiltoffroad.com,
and click on the gallery button on the menu bar,
then next, you'll enter in your vehicle's information,
then click submit.
From there it'll show you all of the
2015 Jeep Wrangler four doors
with all different sizes of tires and wheels
combined with different size suspension kits.
This way it takes all of the guesswork out of
trying to figure out what size tire and wheel package
combined with what size suspension
is going to fit your particular rig,
or if there was any modifications done
to fit a certain size tire/wheel combo.
So, with all of that said,
how big is too big of a tire to go with?
Well, the average size upgrade for a daily driver
is about a 33 inch tall tire.
If you're hitting the trails quite frequently
and fuel mileage is of no concern to you,
well then consider moving up to a 35 inch tire
and keep in mind, there will probably be
other modifications to follow.
Like a suspension lift.
Possibly new gears.
Lockers, high clearance fenders,
and the list goes on.
And if you are planning to build a mostly off-road rig,
well then personally, I wouldn't go any smaller than a 37.
But, definitely anticipate
upgrading the drivetrain components,
the suspension, recovery bumpers,
rock sliders, and the list goes on and on.
Hopefully this video has helped you
in one way or another in determining
what size tire is gonna best suit your needs.
And when you guys are ready to upgrade
your wheels, tires and suspension,
remember to check out our gallery first
to help take that guesswork out of trying to figure out
what fits and what doesn't.
And you can find that at trailbuiltoffroad.com.
And we'll also have a link posted in the description below.
So if you guys do have any questions on tire sizes
or on which size tires you should upgrade to,
just let us know in the comments below.
And remember to hit that subscribe button
and thumbs up if you like the video.
As always, we appreciate all of you for watching.
I'm Josh from Trailbuilt,
and we'll see you guys out on the trails.
(upbeat music)