In regards to duallies: why can't you just get thinner tires to increase the gap

Vanaddict

New member
I've heard from some people that you absolutely shouldn't use dual tires in the rear if you want to go anywhere off road. Keep in mind I am not talking about rock crawling. I'm talking about just dirt roads, and washboard fire roads.

I've also heard from some people who work in the fire fighting industry, that all of their trucks are dual in the rear and they go off-road all the time with no problems. So who's right?

But back to the main topic of this thread, why wouldn't you be able to just get thinner tires to increase the gap between the two tires.thereby eliminating the risk, or nearly eliminating the risk of that rocks get stuck between them and destroy your sidewall.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
If you run stock rubber, duals are not an issue. If you want to run bigger wider tires on duals, no different than any other increase in tire size, you need to maintain clearances. If you think stock rubber is too close???? well you need to quit surfing, duals are everywhere in forestry, oilfield, mining. Anyone claiming duals cannot run offroad spends too much time couch surfing.

And if you want to see aggressive driving..... go watch a resource worker heading home for the weekend.... with a dual tire service truck.

Back to the topic, why ???? Where is the data to say there is a risk? Industry who operate thousand fold more off highway trucks than there are RVs have no problem. Dual tires are fine.
 
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mobydick 11

Active member
I am glad to have found this conversation . Having just purchased a Sprinter dually . What about in a situation where you would normally air down ?Just more tires to air back up ? Or would the sidewalls rub if you aired down ? From my experience with dump trucks and tractors ,its impotent to keep most of the weight over the dual axle.
 

Deshet

Adventurer
How many are rock crawling with a van? DRW will serve you better than SRW 90% of the time.

this rock between the tire thing is extremely exaggerated. For a rock to get wedged into that space is uncommon and for it to actually damage a load e 10+ ply tire is extremely uncommon. Worst case scenario a rock or sharp edge cuts one tire and now you have a super single until you get home.

You can blow a dually tire and limp back.

If you get a rock stuck pound it out or unbolt your tire and keep going. A rock squarely wedged between the two tires isn't hurting anything.

Changing a srw tire that supports a load meant for a drw truck isn't going to be a fun day especially if you are on the trail.

These trucks have been used and abused by people that don't own them for years and the drw 4x4 design is very proven.
 

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Vanaddict

New member
How many are rock crawling with a van? DRW will serve you better than SRW 90% of the time.

this rock between the tire thing is extremely exaggerated. For a rock to get wedged into that space is uncommon and for it to actually damage a load e 10+ ply tire is extremely uncommon. Worst case scenario a rock or sharp edge cuts one tire and now you have a super single until you get home.

You can blow a dually tire and limp back.

If you get a rock stuck pound it out or unbolt your tire and keep going. A rock squarely wedged between the two tires isn't hurting anything.

Changing a srw tire that supports a load meant for a drw truck isn't going to be a fun day especially if you are on the trail.

These trucks have been used and abused by people that don't own them for years and the drw 4x4 design is very proven.
Very good point...

Does a rock stuck between two tires ever blow out both tires at the same time?
 

Deshet

Adventurer
When you get a chance look closely at a dual rear wheel vehicle. I have never personally measured the space between the tires but it can't be more than an inch or two.

I'm guessing a dagger shaped Rock could cut through both tires but that rock would cut through a single tire also and your steer tires
 

Todd n Natalie

OverCamper
If you run stock rubber, duals are not an issue. If you want to run bigger wider tires on duals, no different than any other increase in tire size, you need to maintain clearances. If you think stock rubber is too close???? well you need to quit surfing, duals are everywhere in forestry, oilfield, mining. Anyone claiming duals cannot run offroad spends too much time couch surfing.
I've talked to a few people who work in the oil patch. I've been told that duals don't do as well in the muck and mud since the rear track is different.

(The back tires don't follow the tracks made by the fronts)

This is what I've been told, no idea if there is any truth to it. No first hand experience with Duallys off road myself.

That being said, I do see lots of oil patch welding trucks around here that are duallys.
 

Deshet

Adventurer
Import drivers call that drifting.

Honestly alot of that depends on tire type and speed. My 4X4 F450 does it to a certain degree because of the road tires. My 4x4 bornfree did not.

It will likely be a non-issue and it is easily controlled.

You also have to consider that oil fields are pretty rutted up.

Get some seat time with a friend...

Thanks
 

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vwhammer

Adventurer
My thoughts.
A rock wedged between the tires is not likely to do any damage at low speed.
I suppose if it was really sharp and the weight was on it just right and you hit it at the right speed then it could puncture a tire but, as has been mentioned, that would likely damage the tire whether you had duals or not.
If you did manage to get a rock wedged in there, once you were done wheeling if that rock is still there it would surely fly out as soon as you got back on road and up to highway speeds.

As many have mentioned I suspect that this is a none issue.
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
My stock 225 duallies are about 1” apart, The 245 tires that came on it had a worn strip around the sidewall from rubbing each other, Properly inflated they cleared... but they still rubbed while driving. To run wider tires would need either different rims or spacers
 

billiebob

Well-known member
I've talked to a few people who work in the oil patch. I've been told that duals don't do as well in the muck and mud since the rear track is different.

(The back tires don't follow the tracks made by the fronts)

This is what I've been told, no idea if there is any truth to it. No first hand experience with Duallys off road myself.

That being said, I do see lots of oil patch welding trucks around here that are duallys.
For sure, absolutely, but the OP was not asking about tracking, he is worried about rock getting trapped and causing issues.

In the Northwest Territories there are 3 major Diamond Mines, each employs 4500 workers. They have hundreds of dual tired service vehicles. All their roads are built with blast rock. The sharpest kind of rock in the world. Dual rear tires is not an issue.

Duals have an inherent advantage, a flat rear tire will no immobilize you since there are two.

Check the gap between the frame and tire on your wheeler with 35s, or your trailer running matching tires. If there is no issue with the staionary frame and a spinning tire, why would there be an issue between 2 tires.

Forget what some youtuber has blown out of proportion. Look at what industry does and maintain that gap.
 
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MTVR

Well-known member
Duals have an inherent advantage, a flat rear tire will no immobilize you since there are two.

Our truck does not have duals, and a flat tire won't immobilize us either. Heck, half a dozen flat tires won't immobilize us.
 

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