Wide VS Narrow Tires Comparison Test (Pizza Cutters to Wide)

[CptPrice]

I’ve gone down the same rabbit hole comparing widths, and it can be a headache figuring out what really changes on the road. I’ve found pickyourtires handy for cutting through the noise since they break down grip, wear, and real-world behavior without fluff. It gave me a clearer picture of which setups make sense for daily use versus more mixed terrain.

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[Ron Quixote]

I run E-load Mickey Thompsons on my JL, but the Ranger is meant more as a daily driver so I stuck with the stock 255/70-17 when ordering new tires recently. We get a lot of snow where I live, so the narrower tread is actually a (very slight) benefit.

 

[cc1999]

Myself I like a wider tire.
‘Nothing crazy wide. 285, 295, 305 are some common width truck tires that I like to run.
I am not looking for anything but a flush stance , with a proportional look to how the tires fill the wheel wells.

 

[OddEntity]

I took the plunge a few weeks back and went tall/narrow. I'm now running:

• 255/80r17 Toyo Open Country A/T tires
• Stock FX4 wheels
• Eibach PRO-TRUCK-LIFT Stage 2 suspension kit
• Superpro upper control arms

I haven't experienced any rubbing with this setup and it drives great. I honestly don't feel any changes to the driving characteristics, but am loving the added ground clearance. I haven't had a chance to play in snow yet, but will be very soon.

I also picked up a matching FX4 takeoff wheel from eBay and mounted a matching spare tire. This fits without any issue in the spare location under the bed. I plan to do a 5-tire rotation going forward to ensure equal wear on the spare and to extend rubber life.

I overspent my personal Christmas budget, but it feels great!

 

[HighDesertRanger]

I took the plunge a few weeks back and went tall/narrow. I'm now running:

• 255/80r17 Toyo Open Country A/T tires
• Stock FX4 wheels
• Eibach PRO-TRUCK-LIFT Stage 2 suspension kit
• Superpro upper control arms

I haven't experienced any rubbing with this setup and it drives great. I honestly don't feel any changes to the driving characteristics, but am loving the added ground clearance. I haven't had a chance to play in snow yet, but will be very soon.

I also picked up a matching FX4 takeoff wheel from eBay and mounted a matching spare tire. This fits without any issue in the spare location under the bed. I plan to do a 5-tire rotation going forward to ensure equal wear on the spare and to extend rubber life.

I overspent my personal Christmas budget, but it feels great!

Sounds like we definitely need pictures

 

[superj]

For sure. That sounds great

 

[OddEntity]

Here are some shots from this morning on my way back from a day hike in the bush.
(AI used to remove license plates...)

 

[danmoochie]

Here are some shots from this morning on my way back from a day hike in the bush.
(AI used to remove license plates...)

so that's about the same width but how much taller? Would those fit without the lift?

 

[OddEntity]

They're the same width as stock FX4 tires, but went from 31" to 33" diameter.

Honestly I'm not sure if they'd fit without some kind of lift up front, I never even tried...

 

[danmoochie]

They're the same width as stock FX4 tires, but went from 31" to 33" diameter.

Honestly I'm not sure if they'd fit without some kind of lift up front, I never even tried...

i would be happy with 32 lol... might be the ticket

 

[Jayson182]

They're the same width as stock FX4 tires, but went from 31" to 33" diameter.

Honestly I'm not sure if they'd fit without some kind of lift up front, I never even tried...

I have the same suspension on order.
Did you level the front for those tires to fit? Crash bars? Any rubbing?
Also, are those e rated tires?

Overall - how's the setup vs stock?

 

[OddEntity]

The Eibach coilover kit lifts the front enough to mount these tires without needing to modify the crash bars and without any rubbing.

Yes these are E-rated tires.

This setup rides very smoothly. It feels very comfortable both on/off road.

Looking at the photos again, I might consider adding the 1" Eibach rear lift at some point, but I'm not in a rush at this point.

 

[TractorFixer]

Here are some shots from this morning on my way back from a day hike in the bush.
(AI used to remove license plates...)

Looks great, how do the AT3 perform in the snow? Are they relatively quiet on the road?

Looking to go with that tire and size as well.

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