in NW mo, there is a lot of yellow clay. the stuff is just sticky ˟˟˟˟. i've seen 44" boggers with the small lugs cut out turned by a big block that still wouldnt clean out at all!

 

Wider is better for mud regardless of the situation. The wider the tire the farther and deeper the lugs are, thus making it easier to clean the mud and snow from the tread. I live in the mud belt (red clay) of the US and it is no place for wimpy 10.50s

 

So why arent tractor tires wider.....Hmm.....they seem to work fine....

Sorry, still dont agree..... I know the tractor thing is kinda off.. hehe....

 

It all depends on the terrain. If you are in bottomless mud/snow/sand (where bottomless is defined as good traction deeper than your tires can reach) then its best to stay on top. If there is traction available under the surface then it works to dig down to it and also to have to move as little of the overlying material out of the way to get to it.

I don't run a lot of mud (I try to avoid it if possible and there is not a lot of it out in CA anyway) and have never run any midwest or east coast mud. What little I have done is more the adobe type mud, a foot or so of heavy, greasy clay/mud on top of a hard packed base. Often works best to get down to the hard base for traction.

I have done a bit of deep, unpacked snow and there its generally best to stay up on top. I actually found that using a very low crawler gear (70-200:1) lets the tires turn slowly enough to compress the snow enough to stay on top. I've done the same technique with both wide and narrow tires, and they seem about equal. Wider tire floats a little better but it takes more traction to push the tire through the snow. A narrow tire is easier going and I like them a little better.

 

Uh..... most tractor tires are wider than 10.5 buddy.
"For mud, tire bite and power availability should be matched. Light vehicles can benefit from wide tires, allowing them to float over the worst, while heavy rigs may be better off with skinnies that can find traction beneath the muck. Either way, the taller the tire (if there's power to turn it) and the more void, the better, because height keeps the drivetrain from hanging up in the goo" The wider the tire the more hp and torque is needed to turn them. All stock engines in 4Runners are capible of turning the biggest meats. Unless you plan to lift your truck 14"+ and running 60s or tommy axles you can throw those tractor tires back in the barn
BFG explains it

 

I know I know.... just that the width (ratio?) compared to the whole tractor tire & wheel hight seems to be thin .... anyways, driving sideways in mud was always fun!

 

you are also forgetting what the main purpose of a tractor is. its a farm implement. that means the tires have to fit between rows of crops and have room enough for error.

 

For my use WIDER is better. I am lifted at 7 inches over factory sitting currently on 35X12.5s but on 10 inch wide wheels. I want to get 12 inch wide wheels with 37 inch tires though.

 

Skinny tires, wide tires, no tires, get a winch...personally i like my tires wide.

 

I'm always debating this same thing. I've got 32x11.50's right now, but I would like to have 33's. So, do I go with 33x10.50's or jump to 16's and get 285/75's (33x11.2). I don't think 33x12.50 is possbile w/o a body lift. My 4Runner seems a little squirrely handling wise now when I'm on the interstate, so it seems that 33x10.50's would only make that worse and that 285's would really make no difference either way. But, 33x10.50's would be lighter and take less power to turn and be less likely to break axles(not that I've broken an axle). The wider tires do look better and will have more flotation, but is there much flotation difference in a 33x10.50 on 7" rim versus 285 on an 8" rim?

 

One more comment. Almost all of the Land Rover guys run narrow tires on heavy vehicles and they do great offroad.

 

I do most of my 4x4 wheeling in the snow and found narrower tires to work better for me.

 

i'm kind of looking at 33x10.5 tires when i get new ones. i ran NR78 buckshot mudders before and i like the skinny profile. i'll probably go with bfg muds this time as they're easier to come by and still work decent

 

Who else has input? I may be contemplating 285/75/16's on 16x8's soon or 33x10.50x15's on stock 15x7's soon. Obviously the 33x10.50 route would be cheaper. I run the 285's on my Z-71 and I'm very pleased, I've never run anything as narrow as a 10.50.

 

I really live in the "mud belt". "Georgia Red Clay" is really the name for it Anyway I don't completely agree with what your saying. But I will deffinitely agree and say that around these parts of the Southeast there is no "hard bottom" to a mud hole.

 

you guys are talking about your mud, but that is weak compared to oklahomas mud. Oklahoma is know for its red dirt and mud, and it sure is hard to get off your car.

 

Check my sig for specs. The only time I have been inertialy challenged is when I foolishly flew up a hill, got some air and landed in soft mud I did not know was there. I was down to the frame. BTW- the tires are outstanding in snow.