265/70R18 vs 275/70R18? KO2 vs Wildpeak AT3W?

M1ck3y · February 16, 2019

8 hours ago, aseibel said:

The only difference that you will notice is the lower MPGs for the bigger & heavier tire. Traction will not be noticeably different.

I find it funny that people think you get more traction with a wider tire. That is 100% false. The only difference it makes is if you are in sand or mud, you might "sink" in less due to the larger footprint. You are not gaining any friction (traction) by choosing a wider tire.

Yes, narrower tires are better in deep snow because they have to push less snow out of the way = less resistance.

But since you are even considering it, go ahead and get the wider one if that is what you want.

Yeah, increasing the Tires surface area to ground contact does nothing for traction. Pfft... Stupid top fuel dragsters. Stupid muscle cars. Stupid off-road racing trucks. Stupid rock-crawlers... I dunno, google it you'll probably find some more...

UWbadger1013 · February 18, 2019

Would there be any advantage with one vs the other in mud, ice, snow? I don't intentionally go off roading so only hunting situations or snow here in wisconsin. Thanks!

AJMBLAZER · February 18, 2019

For all intents and purposes, no. The 265 is literally 10 mm narrower than the 275. The difference in ground pressure is negligible.

dieselfan1 · February 18, 2019

11 hours ago, AJMBLAZER said:

For all intents and purposes, no. The 265 is literally 10 mm narrower than the 275. The difference in ground pressure is negligible.

So is the weight. Like I said before I don't think you will notice the MPG difference.

UWbadger1013 · February 18, 2019

What are peoples thoughts of bf goodrich ko2 265/70r18 E vs falken wildpeak at3w 265/70r18 SL? the falkens are almost 10lbs lighter per tire. i really do not tow a lot of weight so wondering if it is worth going to a lower load rated tire to improve mpg and possibly ride.

aseibel · February 19, 2019

On 2/15/2019 at 6:44 PM, M1ck3y said:

Yeah, increasing the Tires surface area to ground contact does nothing for traction. Pfft... Stupid top fuel dragsters. Stupid muscle cars. Stupid off-road racing trucks. Stupid rock-crawlers... I dunno, google it you'll probably find some more...

yeah, lets try google and see what we can learn:

Your examples are for very specific situations. Drag racing tires are only wide to make up for shearing forces. https://www.onallcylinders.com/2016/07/14/drag-slicks-traction/

Rock crawling tires are large to help traverse the very jagged terrain. Try using any of them in the rain or snow and see what benefit you get from the wide tire. Why do all of your examples perform worse than my 265 tires in rain and snow?

Go back to your High School Physics book and tell me where in this equation for friction you see the variable for tire size?

F=μN

Friction = (Coefficient of Friction for the mating surfaces) x (Normal force)

Read this to see why surface area does not increase friction: https://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae140.cfm

or this:

https://www.stevemunden.com/friction.html

There is one benefit to a larger contact patch, and that is in loose medium like sand and mud, your weight is spread out more, so hopefully you sink in less. That is well known, but it doesn't mean you have any more traction. Wider tires do absolutely nothing to help you on pavement, where most people spend the majority of time driving.

Grjfer · February 19, 2019

Weight is your biggest enemy when it comes to mpg's. If you don't need the extra load carrying capacity go with the lighter tire.

TXGREEK · February 19, 2019

What are peoples thoughts of bf goodrich ko2 265/70r18 E vs falken wildpeak at3w 265/70r18 SL? the falkens are almost 10lbs lighter per tire. i really do not tow a lot of weight so wondering if it is worth going to a lower load rated tire to improve mpg and possibly ride.

KO2’s are beefier and hold up very well going off-road, get the lighter tire. In addition to mpg’s, it’s also a smoother ride too

Sent from above

Donstar · February 19, 2019

16 hours ago, UWbadger1013 said:

What are peoples thoughts of bf goodrich ko2 265/70r18 E vs falken wildpeak at3w 265/70r18 SL? the falkens are almost 10lbs lighter per tire. i really do not tow a lot of weight so wondering if it is worth going to a lower load rated tire to improve mpg and possibly ride.

It is good you're doing your research. The internet can save you a lot of trial and error! You might want to take a look at other tire types. Do you need an aggressive or all terrain tire? I know they have a visual appeal but they are by design noisier, rougher and typically wear faster. A good quality all season tire like the Michelin Defender will give you excellent ride and traction. This past month we've been experiencing abnormally high snowfalls and I welcome uncleared roads! Looks are subjective and won't always result in the best performing tire. Visit reputable tire stores in your area and speak to those who install tires for a living.

M1ck3y · February 19, 2019

2 hours ago, aseibel said:

yeah, lets try google and see what we can learn:

Your examples are for very specific situations. Drag racing tires are only wide to make up for shearing forces. https://www.onallcylinders.com/2016/07/14/drag-slicks-traction/

Rock crawling tires are large to help traverse the very jagged terrain. Try using any of them in the rain or snow and see what benefit you get from the wide tire. Why do all of your examples perform worse than my 265 tires in rain and snow?

Go back to your High School Physics book and tell me where in this equation for friction you see the variable for tire size?

F=μN

Friction = (Coefficient of Friction for the mating surfaces) x (Normal force)

Read this to see why surface area does not increase friction: https://www.physlink.com/education/askexperts/ae140.cfm

or this:

https://www.stevemunden.com/friction.html

There is one benefit to a larger contact patch, and that is in loose medium like sand and mud, your weight is spread out more, so hopefully you sink in less. That is well known, but it doesn't mean you have any more traction. Wider tires do absolutely nothing to help you on pavement, where most people spend the majority of time driving.

I though it was obvious I was talking in very general terms. I tried to simplify it. I'll do the same again. If you lost 20lbs off your ass it would be much easier to push yourself around on the floor (assuming your wearing boxers)

If you think surface area doesn't increase friction you need to go back and give grade school another shot.

Edited February 19, 2019 by M1ck3y

aseibel · February 19, 2019

21 minutes ago, M1ck3y said:

If you think surface area doesn't increase friction you need to go back and give grade school another shot.

you obviously didn't read the links. I'll try to help you out.

"pick up a physics book such as Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, or a book such as Friction by Bowden and Tabor, and read the two laws of friction and you'll get a surprise. The first law is easy to believe: The friction between two surfaces is proportional to the force pressing one to the other.

The second law is where all the trouble starts. To understand it, suppose you set up an experiment. You put a brick on a table and investigate how much force it takes to start the brick sliding. You screw an eyebolt into the brick, run a line from the eyebolt to a pulley on the edge of the table, and then attach weights to the end of the line. You add weight until the brick starts to slide.

Second Law of Friction
Now here's the interesting part, and the surprising part. You would notice that the orientation of the brick doesn't make any difference. That is, the friction is the same whether the brick is on its large face, the smaller side, or the small end. The friction is independent of the contact area. Don't believe it? You're not alone."

Just because you don't understand it doesn't make science wrong.

M1ck3y · February 19, 2019

52 minutes ago, aseibel said:

you obviously didn't read the links. I'll try to help you out.

"pick up a physics book such as Fundamentals of Physics by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker, or a book such as Friction by Bowden and Tabor, and read the two laws of friction and you'll get a surprise. The first law is easy to believe: The friction between two surfaces is proportional to the force pressing one to the other.

The second law is where all the trouble starts. To understand it, suppose you set up an experiment. You put a brick on a table and investigate how much force it takes to start the brick sliding. You screw an eyebolt into the brick, run a line from the eyebolt to a pulley on the edge of the table, and then attach weights to the end of the line. You add weight until the brick starts to slide.

Second Law of Friction
Now here's the interesting part, and the surprising part. You would notice that the orientation of the brick doesn't make any difference. That is, the friction is the same whether the brick is on its large face, the smaller side, or the small end. The friction is independent of the contact area. Don't believe it? You're not alone."

Just because you don't understand it doesn't make science wrong.

No, I didn't read your posts. I don't need to, it's common sense. Apparently something people lack these days.

Edited February 19, 2019 by M1ck3y

UWbadger1013 · February 19, 2019

Thank you for all the replies! Very helpful and appreciated. Before I post to the general forum on this, i heard something about warranty and going more than 3% larger on tires voiding warranty... Any truth to this? If so does a leveling kit do the same? If a leveling kit does the same then it really doesn't matter for tires.

AJMBLAZER · February 19, 2019

Untrue.

Donstar · February 19, 2019

I imagine the over 3% rule (if true) would apply only to failure that can be proven as being caused by oversized tries. I buy my tires from Costco and they will not install tires that are more than 3% over stock. I'd phone my local gm dealership and see what their view is on warranties and oversized tires if I was in your position.