Re: JPOR: Tires, again....

["Chad Lloyd" <clloyd@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have 35 X 15.5 swamper sx, last summer ran 33 X 12.5 bfg mts.

1) The swampers are HEAVY tires. The swampers are VERY heavy tires.

2) The swampers will beat anything else in mud. There is a mud hole on a
trail I was just leading. Last summer I would have to spin my bfgs hard to
go all the way through that hole, and sometimes not make it. This summer, I
IDLED through it. Now some of that is due to the greater size, but most of
it is simply due to the fact that the lugs are so large that they clean
themselves quite easily. The flip side to that is that if you are in really
thick goo, then some have said that you need high horsepower to really spin
them to clean them out. Once again, I was in a virtual swamp on a friend's
farm, where me and my swampers spent all night dragging guys with Ats and
MTs out of this swamp. They simply couldn't move, I not only moved but
dragged them. In this situation, the swampers did get a little clogged, but
even a little clogged they were demonstrably better than the bfg mt equipped
vehicle I was hauling out.

In rock crawling situtations, they are working great for me, especially
because of their size and width. However, because they are bias, you have to
air them down a LOT more than you would a radial to get the same kind of
flex out of them, and I am still warming up to running air pressures that
low (without bead locks).

I am not putting down BFG MTs, they are a great tire, and in fact I plan on
using my BFGs for the street and light trails, and only put the swampers on
for tougher trails. This is because:

3) Swampers are VERY expensive. Not only the initial cost, but also because
you are going to replace them a lot more often. The rubber is so soft that
you can tell the difference in wear you are going to get just by feeling the
swamper next to the bfg - I've done that. My BFGs wear quite well, which is
why I'm thinking of using them for street and light trail use.

4) Swampers are HEAVY.

5) Did I mention that Swampers are heavy? Mine were almost impossible to
balance. The first few tire shops I took them too just laughed at me. One
guy said 'you are not putting those things on my machine!". Another tried
and said "I don;t think I have that much weight!" when the balancer told him
how much to put on. I finally got them mounted and somewhat balanced by
taking it to a place that handles tires for big trucks. They told me the
truth: "You are never going to get a tire this large, heavy, and agressive
to balance completely correctly". I think if you buy the 35+ swampers, you
simply have to accept that fact. On the other hand, the BFGs balanced no
problem, are nice and quiet on the road, wear well, are round, etc etc. The
swampers start vibrating around 110 km/h - they are my unofficial speed
limiter.

So I don't think there is any question  in my mind that the BFGs are the
better overall choice, especially if your rig spends a lot of time on the
street. They install easily, balance, are round, quiet, wear quite well, and
for 90% of the trail time are every bit as good as anything else. Their
(relative) light weight is a lot easier on drivetrain components.

Would I (permanently) give up my swampers for them? Not on your life.

Just my 2c.

Chad
-----Original Message-----
From: James E Howe <James.E.Howe@mail.sprint.com>
To: jeepoffroad@4x4wire.com <jeepoffroad@4x4wire.com>;
jeeptech@off-road.com <jeeptech@off-road.com>
Date: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 6:41 AM
Subject: JPOR: Tires, again....


>I do hope I don't bore you people however I have yet another question
>about selecting the proper trail tire for my application, and was
>hoping for some insight from those of you that have more trail time
>than I do.
>
>I live in OH, so not much of an opportunity for rock crawling here.
>Mostly slippery wet off camber trails covered in moss laden rocks and
>roots. I am not big into mud bogging, but some times you don't have a
>choice.
>
>85 CJ7 258 t176 D300"factory gears for now", D44 locker 4:10's D30 Dana
>LS 4:10's front. As you see, I am not running big axles or big HP. My
>biggest concern is axle breakage, next traction. I know that Super
>Swappers are the best, but I am worried about running a 33x12.5 tire
>with that much traction and weight. Again, I refer to my biggest
>concern, parts breakage. I personally think a 33x10.5 would be the
>right combination with the lug of a swapper, how ever the only ones
>that come in this size are the 2 ply radials. I am not to concerned
>about road manners for I am fortunate enough to be able to have street
>tires. So I am now thinking a 33 12.5 tire with less traction, like a
>BFG MT.
>
>All comments will be greatly appreciated..
>