Tire pressure on skinnys? 33/10.50/15 Balance beads?

scrubber3

Not really here
Just installed some new 33 10.5 15 BFG KM2s on my rig and I was wondering what the general consensus was on road and off road air pressure with a light to medium load. I also went with the balance beads to see if they actually work. Took it up to 70 with no vibrations. What do you guys think of those?

Man these things look way better than the 32s I had on it. fill out the wheel well so much better. Can't wait to try them out and see how good they work with more ground clearance. Love the skinnys!
 

jluck

Adventurer
I'm a 25 psi guy on Montero size rigs. just seems to be a good balance of ride,handling and tire life. Cant say about the beads.

off road....mud/trail 10 psi or so
snow/sand 5-8 psi

my 2 cents.
 

scrubber3

Not really here
Right now, they are at 35psi. I am skeptical at 25 on the street because they are skinnys. I may try the chalk test as soon as I get some chalk. Not sure that it's much of an accurate test though.

LOL....I will have pictures up by tomorrow I hope. Or at least in the next 2 days.
 

Silverwulf

Adventurer
i was running my 32" 11.5" bfg mt's at 34psi. I thought my truck felt harsh. Then I went to 28psi. Waaaay better ride quality.

I'm on the fence between the 33 10.5's vs 33 12.5 vs 35 12.5 tires. I want the km2's. I was also going to get some new rims too. Would it be OK to run the 10.5 with a 8" wide rim? I don't really want straight side walls. I've heard all the spiel regarding the 10.5's being better. But with my truck getting taller, I want a little more width.

If I go to a 16x8 rim, what is the metric equivalent to a 33 tire? Should I stick with a 15" rim...?
 

jluck

Adventurer
i was running my 32" 11.5" BFG Mt's at 34psi. I thought my truck felt harsh. Then I went to 28psi. Waaaay better ride quality.

I'm on the fence between the 33 10.5's vs 33 12.5 vs 35 12.5 tires. I want the KM2's. I was also going to get some new rims too. Would it be OK to run the 10.5 with a 8" wide rim? I don't really want straight side walls. I've heard all the spiel regarding the 10.5's being better. But with my truck getting taller, I want a little more width.

If I go to a 16x8 rim, what is the metric equivalent to a 33 tire? Should I stick with a 15" rim...?

Do you need the width? (lots of flotation needed) or just like the looks? I went with the 10.5's to have a better driving experience all the time,better fuel mileage and with the extra money I saved I picked up a set of used 31x12.5's for any high flotation duties.

There is a huge driving difference between 10.5's and 12.5's. I do think the wider tires look better but maybe its just me getting older, I love how the 10.5's drive.
 

scrubber3

Not really here
On the BFG website they say it's okay to run on a 7 to 9 inch rim. 8 inches should work fine I imagine and they shouldn't be straight since they can go to a 9 inch and be fine. Keep in mind that we have about the same set up in height. So..... yeah, I should post some pics for you huh?

Yeah I second the notion of riding very very well!! I like the skinny look TBH.

Okay give me a few and I will post pics

I read a write up on how a skinny tire works much better off road in most conditions versus a wide tire. Skinny is best for everything except for mud that they can't reach the bottom in and certain sandy conditions. I have found that with a 31 you can air down enough to basically take out any factors that cause an issue with sand and if you know what you're doing the mud shouldn't be much of an issue either.
 
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If I go to a 16x8 rim, what is the metric equivalent to a 33 tire? Should I stick with a 15" rim...?

The 16" equivalent would be a 255 85 R16. These are slightly narrower than 10.50 more of a true 33," if not slightly taller.

I'm not necessarily a fan of them (never even seen one actually) but the Interco SS-MI6 comes in a 33x10.50x15 and 16.

Another tire that I am a fan of is the Interco 34x10.50 LTB.

But looking at the prices of each tire side by side, the M16 is the most expensive at $265 each, LTB $248 , and BFG at $216...
 

scrubber3

Not really here
The 16" equivalent would be a 255 85 R16. These are slightly narrower than 10.50 more of a true 33," if not slightly taller.

I'm not necessarily a fan of them (never even seen one actually) but the Interco SS-MI6 comes in a 33x10.50x15 and 16.

Another tire that I am a fan of is the Interco 34x10.50 LTB.

But looking at the prices of each tire side by side, the M16 is the most expensive at $265 each, LTB $248 , and BFG at $216...

If you want to go really skinny Interco has the SS LTB BIAS at 34 9.5 15. I was going to get those, but the warehouses were completely out and I got such a good deal on these KM2s that I couldn't pass them up. Happy I went with them too considering they are a radial tire and will last much longer.
 

jluck

Adventurer
I may be a bit bias....I think the 33x10.5 just look right on Monty's. perfect proportion and just that "nailed it" look.

nice ride BTW!

and about the LTB's. shop around those tires should be way under 200 each. It's been a while since I bought any but my last 33's were 145 ish.
 

scrubber3

Not really here
Thanks man. FWIW I am selling the 32/11.5/15 pro comp mud terrains (4) that were on it. Have PLENTY of tread left. I am in VA and I take pay-pal but prefer local pick-up.
 

Silverwulf

Adventurer
The 10.5's look good on your rig, Scrubber, but I have a much wider body with the box flares. I have 32x11.5's now and they seem... almost smallish to me. We are only talking 1" wider and 1" taller with the 12.5's...or 1" taller and 1" narrower with the 10.5's... How much will 1" in width change feel in either direction?

Screw it... I'm gettn' 47" tires and a 6" lift LOL. hahahahahahahahahah

Sorry, went a bit mad there for a second!
 
Actually, the 12.50s drive just fine.... I would just like the slight performance increase from reducing the rotational mass, however minor that would be.
 

scrubber3

Not really here
To me it honestly drives a lot better with these on it. I know the SR has ~30 hp more than the LS. 3.5 vs 3.0, but the hp increase at the tires is probably closer to 12 -15 due to drivetrain loss. Not all that much if you think about it. So to me I imagine the skinnys would fare better on the SR as well. I probably would have considered a wider tire, but the 7 inch width rims won't hold a tire wider than a 10.5 and feel right. Those 11.5s were a chore to keep straight on the street even though they were only one inch wider. An inch truly does matter.
 

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