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Tire question: Favorite tire and size for off road use?

7K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  noobytoogy 
#1 ·
Planning to pick up a set of 17" wheels and mount some off road rubber. I don't have any huge ambition to become a hard-core 'wheeler, but I do see some muddy / snowy fire trails in my future (access roads for climbing / mountaineering).

Anyhow, I plan to tow as well - so part of my plan was to make one of the off road tires a full size spare while towing. With that in mind, the 20" and 17" wheel / tire combos have to have the same rolling diameter.

The 20's are 275/40R20. If my math checks out, the OD is 28.8".

For 17", 245/65R17. Yes, I'm aware that larger OD would be better of off road, but given my dual-purpose towing issue, I don't think that's such a great idea. (unless, of course, I pickup a single 20" and just leave it on the trailer).

Anyhow, what do you guys thing? Any suggestions?
 
#2 ·
There are loads of threads on tires with almost as many opinions as posts!

Apart from the hole in the middle tires are nominally sized so you must always run 4 identical tires - same make, same model, same tread, same wear and same size.

If you pick up a 20 inch wheel, you must get the same tire as above and do a 5 wheel rotation it to keep wear even across all the tires.

You could fit a 17 inch wheel as a full sized spare to a set of 20 inchers BUT you MUST limit yourself to 50mph, the same limit as the spacesaver spare.

The electronics will take care of any diameter variation up to that speed. Beyond it you risk damaging the transmission.
 
#3 ·
I wouldn't recommend driving low-profile tires off road except on the most tame graded-gravel 2WD roads. If there's the slightest chance you'll encounter rocks or ruts, you run the risk of sidewall bubbles, punctures, and wheel damage unless you drive maddeningly slowly, and even then there's no guarantee. Higher-aspect ratio tires will also be more comfortable on washboard surfaces, and if you do get in some slippery mud or soft surfaces, you can air them down to gain a little traction without the risk of burping the tire and losing pressure, or damaging the wheel.

Having an extra full set of 17's might be worth the extra investment and peace of mind, and it only takes a couple minutes to swap them.
 
#4 ·
I am really liking the Goodyear Duratracs that I just put on the wife's 06 V8.

Great tread pattern, and have been awesome in the snow so far. Not too noisy on the highway.

It's too early to tell how well they will wear, how long they will last, and if they will get noisy as they wear, but so far I like them a lot LOL
 
#5 ·
245 is pretty skinny for off road. The 65 aspect ratio won't give you much room to air down. Airing down makes a lot of difference.

Good luck!
 
#6 ·
245/65R17 size has performed extremely well for me and I do a lot of off-road stuff. Airing down to 15psi on soft sand = 'no problem'.

I moved from OEM 18 inch rims to 17's soon after vehicle purchase and kept the 18's for a year in case I needed them. Found the 17's so good (including fuel economy) that I sold the 18's.
 
#8 ·
Only caveat that I would put on the 245/65 size is make sure they are LT (light truck) construction. If going bush the extra strength will help. LT generally have stronger construcion with stronger sidewalls which is especially important if airing down. Width between a 245 and 265 would not be much of a factor but construction would.

Personally if using a 245 I would go up to a 245/70. As it is I have 265/265 Bridgestone on my stock 17 rims and in addition to the full size factory spare mounted at the rear I also carry another spare (same tyre, same rim) on the roof if going bush.

Oh and Nooby before you ask, I rotate in a six tyre rotation to ensure even wear and that I can use the spares at any time. Generally about 7500 kms or less.
 
#10 ·
good boy on the rotation .... Noob is statisfied ... i hope .....
 
#11 ·
Yep i run 17" all year great all rounder. I cant imagine people (besides snowy winter folk) wanting or needing to run more that one set ........ UNLESS you are a serious off roader (like Alex) where you need some rubber that needs to get you out of situations.

Why you would want to run 19 ... 20 .. 21 .. 22 ... etc the less the side wall the more rough the ride do you really want this in this kind of machine
 
#12 ·
I run a set of Cooper STT 245/70R17 and absolutely love their performance in the rough.

Stuart..
 
#13 ·
yes i agree 17'' is the best for off road, maximum 18'' as well, i will say again if you want to do off road its best setup, but driving in the city and never doing off road driving its better to have bigger wheels like 20'' and it handles and grips much better and it looks 1000 times better, now off course if pavement is full of potholes it will be less comfortable then 17'' or 18'' if you will stick with stock tire size which is 275/40/20. now im running 20'' and i can see the difference in handling and it looks 1000 times better then 18'' and because i fitted larger tires 285/50/20 the ride comfort is exactly the same as 255/55/18 cause side wall is exactly the same as size so never scared of potholes. :) moreover i fitted cooper LTZ tires and going off road is possible, these tires are capable for lot of things but for proper off road you need 17 or 18''
 
#18 ·
@pjod Well done!:D
 
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