31x 10.50 or 12.50

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

Ok I have a delema. I plan on putting some lift on the old explorer I bought a couple weeks ago. I currently have 3:55 gears, and I dont really want to upgrade. Now I noticed they make the BFG all terrians in 12.50. I was wondering if a 31x12.50 tire would look stupid with 3-4 inches of lift. I would rather have the 12.50 it would look more aggresive, but I wonder if it would look just stupid. Help!

J-jake

 

[olivesman]

"Wider is better!" can't argue w/ pontiac.
seriously, just choose what ever you would like your truck to look like. do you want it to look wide? or tall and skinnier? it won't look stupid. what size wheels are you gonna run? that can change and alter the affect too. i would personally go w/ the 12.5".

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

Ok thanks, I wish they made 31x11.50

 

[olivesman]

it's really not that big of a difference and i think you'll find that the 12.5" look exseptionally good considering the odd size. look at it this way, you'll be less likely to roll and everybody will think you have bigger tires b/c they look wider.

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

alright cool man, you made my desicion! Now I have another question. I need to know what size rims I should get, and what offset.

 

[olivesman]

i ALWAYS go w/ 3.75" backspacing. that's pretty much standard and will set your rims out nicely. if your going w/ a 12.5" tire then I would go w/ a 10" wheel. a lot of people on here seem to like the 8" wheel but it does not look as good and will cause more rubbing. you generally want to stay 2" in/out of your tread width.

 

[93 & 96 EB & XLT]

Ok, Im having trouble finding BFG mud terrian or all terrian in 12.50 now, can anybody help me?

 

[RU MAN]

I don't think they make them(31X12.05's), but i might be wrong.

 

[RFR2212]

I think RU is correct...To my knowledge, I only think you can get Super Swampers in 31x12.5's and maybe some Mickey Thompsons....That is my knowledge....But sometimes, that isn't always the best.
Pete

 

[Shaggy]

Okay,

The BFG's (AT or MT) are listed as a 325/60, but they are basically a 31x12.50. For whatever reason, the fine folks at Goodrich just used P-metric sizing. 31x11.50's are out there, just look around. Goodyear made, and still might make, the old Wrangler MT (not MT-R) and AT in that size. There are 31 inch Swampers in 10.50, 12.50's and 13.50 widths. M/T 31's in various tread designs from 10.50 to 15.50.

Don't bother to try to put a 31x12.50 on an eight inch rim. It is far too narrow. Use at least a 9 incher, a 10 incher is even better.

I have a rather crappy tire shop job at Sam's that does little more than anger me most of the time. The store has a few qualities, but is managed be a fleet of assholes. The only true benifit, other than pay, seems to be a fair understanding of all this nonsense. Let me know if you have any other techinical questions.

How it looks should not matter if you plan on needing the extra with for performance reasons, but that is just my opinion. This is coming from someone who allows and even encourages his girlfriend to drive into trees, however. The rusted-up pipe bumper is there to knock them down, not sparkle and shine.

Brian

 

[olivesman]

well, i was walking around the good ol' auburn campus today and noticed a goofy looking nissan driving around. upon closer observation, i noticed he was running the 31x12.5's we have been debating about. please allow me to change my advice. THOSE THINGS WERE UGLY! it looked to ghetto. the tires were not nere tall enough to be that wide. they stuck out about 4" but the truck looked to be almost stock in height. talk about ugly! i would not recomend these tires and i'm sorry for doing it in the first place.

 

[BlackTXlorer]

There are several tires to choose from for that size. Super Swamper SSR's, Mickey Thompson, Pro-Comp, and I don't know if you have heard of them but Cooper Tires makes them in the Discovery SST's. Let me know how they turn out and I want to see some pics.