Hey everybody, been following the forum for some time, finally registered. Got some questions...I got this research job this upcoming summer for the nevada dept. of wildlife, and its gonna entail a lot of research equipment. So the plan is...i am renting my truck (94, ex-cab, 3'' bod w/ 33x12.5 bfg a/t, rancho shocks, cap, roof racks, etc.) to the project so we can haul all this gear to nevada from virginia, have off road transportation for the summer, and then hual all the gear back. Being a student, funds are kindof limited, but my first question is about tires. The bfg's i have have about half their life left on them, however, would it put a lot of stress on the engine/components to drive that far (eastern viginia---> western nevada) on tires that wide? Would it be worth my money to try and sell them and get 33x10.5s, and if so what kind? Should i stay with bfgs, or something else, i have been recommended to get the 10 ply Cooper discovery tires to prevent flats, but i havent heard much about them otherwise? I have to pay for tires myself and want something that will last the longest in the rough conditions we will be in, even with 10 plys i have been told to expect to go through 6 or 7 tires over the summer at least!!! What do you guys think...thousands of highway miles, thousands of off road miles, and a couple thousand highway miles returning with limited funds to have tons of tire flexibility. Hope you have some ideas!

Thank you much!!!

Sam

 

6 or 7 sets of tires sounds rediculous.. You should be able to make it on ONE set barring any nails or something that would destroy a tire.. I would vote for 10 or 12 ply revos or bfg a/ts... You should be fine with those for the duration.. Thousands of miles off road??? Do tell..

 

Agreed. I am probably familiar with most of the offroad areas you'll be in. I can see you puncturing maybe 1 or 2 during the summer if you are really unlucky. There are a lot of (sharp) rocky roads here, just be careful with your tire placement and you'll be fine. I do recommend revos, they are the perfect tire for this area IMHO.

Something else you may want to look into would be shocks. There are a lot of high speed dirt roads around here with lots of washboard and wash outs. I just upgraded to bilsteins and it's been a night and day difference. I can't help you with your on road tire question. What are you researching for NDOW if you don't mind me asking?

 

We are going to be tracking bats to find out more about them to help the department make better management decissions. This will entail affixing a small antenna to them and then following them to find out where they go, how much range they need, what they use for shelter and where? So lots of night driving. The majority of the time will be off road, as we will be camping the whole summer. On road trips will be mainly to fill our gas cans and stock up on food.
I plan on having 2 spairs. Will a 33 fit underneath the bed where my current spare is? and what about 33x10.5's or 12.5's. Would it be worth the money to get rid of the ones i have for a skinnier tire for the highway trip?

 

What wheel are you running now? If you still have the 7" wide factory wheels then I bet you would like the skinnier 33x10.50 All terrains. I have them on my 87 22RE Runner with auto with 571 gears....I like them. I would think the highway would go alot quicker with new radials also. The sidewalls on new tires is less likely to tear than your worn tires.

I might use 1 or 2 of your existing wider tires as emergency spares.....I would also bring a decent 12vdc portable air pump and a good patch kit.

 

Biggest aid to preventing punctures off-road is to air down the tires. Most of the punctures come about from a hard tire hitting a sharp object. If the tires are softer, they can fold around the object instead of it poking through. 2 summers ago I did an on/off road trip from CA to MN and back, over 1000 off-road. I was aired down (15-18 psi) from eastern CA clear through to the UT/WY border. I only picked up one puncture (nail or something) and was able to keep the tire plugged and going for about another year before it wore out.

http://c-67-170-224-64.hsd1.ca.comca.../MN_Trip_2004/

 

currently i am running 15x8 inch rims. I looked for 255x85 (33x10.5) revos, but couldnt find any. Do they make them? If they dont, who makes a good tough radial in that size?

Thanks

 

find a used 33x9.50 BFGMT for your undertruck spare. Fits well and doesn't hit stuff (much)

 

will a 33x10.5 work underneath? FYI i have a hidden hitch mounted under there, will that affect it?

Thanks
Sam

 

I've run 33x9.50 and 33x10.50 spares under my '85 4Runner:



Tire hangs down lower that stock due to an aux. gas tank:



Also, I would need to run a rear hitch receiver flush with the inside of the bumper to fit a spare under w/o the tank.

 

youll want an on board air system. "lots" of off road lights, and a killer nav system, lots of eletrical accssories means a larger alternator is a smart choice.

least i would...

your biggest problem with the cross contry trip is weight. Lots of gear will kill gas millage much more than having "wide" tires.