How do I get a bigger footprint?

[MR NASTY]

Save your self some money don't buy bead locks just put tubs in them u can run low air pressure and not worry about popping of the bead,that's only a problem if ur running 16.5's

[4x4xdodgeman]

people need to stop thank about this. measure width of the tread then add 2" for rims size. because side walls are not made to come in contact with the ground. i have seen people take a tire that are recommend for 12" wide rims put them on 18" wide. then the next thing you know thay are looking for a tire or buying one because thay stuck something in or cut the side wall of the tire. when you go to wide for the tire you running.

[michigan maniac]

12 inch wide rim, and air down, keep in mind that airing down makes your tire contact patch not only wider but longer,

[old school truck dude]

This one is a no-brainer: Wider rims and lower pressure. Drive through some soft dirt  and see what kind of footprint you make for decidin how low of pressure you can get away with. Beadlocks are always great if ya got the $$ 

[BAD APPLE]

That guy is wrong^^^wider rims do not give u a wider footprint

[BAD APPLE]

12-14 in wide rim run tubes and about 12-15lbs air pressure over inflating causes the tire to become rounded at the tread pattern, if u run as low air pressure as possble it will squat the tires pushing the hole footrprint of the tread pattern to the ground, watch a drag racing video when the drag car takes off watch the rear tires wrinkle and squat, the low air pressure allows this to happen, run tubes in the tires to ensure that the bead of the tire does not break from the rim tubes are a lot cheaper than bead locks

[old school truck dude]

That guy is wrong^^^wider rims do not give u a wider footprint

Thats flaming. We are just giving our opinions in response to dude's question, it's up to him to choose the best answer to his question. I saw your post and disagreed with it, yet I did not say you're wrong, I just gave my answer just like you did. None of us are right or wrong, we are just tryin to help dude choose what' best for him. Let's keep it fun and friendly!!

Now then. About these tires. Erik, I'm MORE than TWICE AS OLD AS YOU. No offense intended, but I have more time in the toilet at the tire shop than you have on the face of this earth and have fixed and/or otherwise dealt with literally THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of tires. If you have a skinny rim, say its a 8.00x15, and you have a 14.00x15 tire, when you air it up to 35psi it will stand taller than it is supposed to and not all of the tread will contact the ground. Just the middle will touch. Using the exact same tire and air pressure, if it is placed on a 12.00x15 rim most all of the tread will contact the ground. Let a little air out and even more will contact the ground. Put that tire on the right size rim (same width as the tread) and you will have as much of the tread on the ground as you can get and your side lugs will be close to the ground as well. There comes a point in lowering the air pressure where you will begin to lose traction because the center of the tread no longer has enough air pressure behind it to keep the downforce, and you end up ridin on the sidewalls. Thats why I said play with the pressure in some soft dirt to see what kind of footprint it makes.

[BAD APPLE]

Easy now big guy ur right but just because ur older than me doesn't mean u know more about tires than me my dad owns his own tire business so I know my share about tires a wide rim does not give u a wider footprint the footprint isn't going to get any wider than how much it measures when its not on a rim the trick is how to get as much of that tread to touch the ground which would be about a 12-14 inch rim and low air pressure a wide ass rim is only going to balloon out the side wall taking away from the extra traction that the outter most edge of the side tread when down in a rut, that is why the boggers have the extra but of tread on the very outside edge of the tire so u can say ur right and I'm wrong but I beg to differ

[BAD APPLE]

Ok I jyst calmed down and read though ur last bit of comment and I agree on the 12-14 oinch wide rim, when u said wide tim I thought u meant like 18 inch wide I appolozie I didn't read it carefully enough, when I said u were wrong I didn't mean to offend u but like I said I misunderstood

[old school truck dude]

 

[Jthomas]

thanks for all the input guys!