Are "larger tires" really a fairly recent thing?

[Sweetums]

I can say that larger tires are definitely not a new idea. Here's an Oldsmobile from 1910, does your daily roll on 43"s? Get on my level, peasant.

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[JKenTex]

I ran 14/35/15” on my short box 1979 Sierra Classic GMC. Put them on in May of 1980. There were bigger trucks around then as well.

On "deep dish" or "reverse (offset)" Crager SS's? Crager's were on my '79 Z28 and '84 blk/slvr short bed. The good ol' days.

 

[Blade1668]

My old Ford Explorer pickup had 33's in 1988, then my Comanche came with 215/75r15 stock, Xj's the same or 235/75r15 then I moved to 31's and later 33-35's. Oddly my Wrangler Unlimited came with a 30x9.5r15in size my upsize was 31's until I harvested the 33s from my XJ.

My Gladiator came with 245/75R17 and only moved to 33/10.5r17 when I worn out 2 sets of stock tires. So my JT looks like it's been skipping leg days. my old Ford did too but it ran. Location is a big difference on tire sizes. In or for mud big mud tires and sizes rocks not as much back in the "day" I remember when Bigfoot was on 40 something sized tires. or one of them. Nothing against you wanting to D.D 40's or something. I'm long past "keeping up with the Jones" the Jeep club I was a member of in GA. started becoming a show n shine, mall crawlers meet up at this place on Tybee Island from let's head up to Tellico for the weekend or X place to get off-roading. One guys parents gave him a early Warn's TJ Wranglers that was built to the 9's then to never seen as much but a sand parking lot.

 

[Blade1668]

Oh the old "Thornbirds" called thornturds you could hear miles away and absolutely crap in actual mud without being siping half the tread blocks off. Can't say I was in the off-roading as a teenager, shooting, hunting, fishing, work and school. Summer jobs from hay bailing, cutting grass, to work in oil field on a pulling unit. Some of that was "off-roading" getting to rig in river bottoms.

 

[mtudb24]

Oh the old "Thornbirds" called thornturds you could hear miles away and absolutely crap in actual mud without being siping half the tread blocks off. Can't say I was in the off-roading as a teenager, shooting, hunting, fishing, work and school. Summer jobs from hay bailing, cutting grass, to work in oil field on a pulling unit. Some of that was "off-roading" getting to rig in river bottoms.

Interesting. My thornbirds on my ZR2 were fantastic in the mud / logging trails / snow of Michigan's UP, but really had to be aired down more then any other tire I had ever run when running in the sand.

 

[Blade1668]

Interesting. My thornbirds on my ZR2 were fantastic in the mud / logging trails / snow of Michigan's UP, but really had to be aired down more then any other tire I had ever run when running in the sand.

Different soil composition possibly? My experience was in S. ILL. in farm country and river bottoms along with oil field lease access, pavement and gravel roads in 1980's. I've had a vehicle recovery done by a bulldozer and drag line being stuck in clay halfway up doors. That was driving out from fishing after severe thunderstorm in foggy pre-dawn morning. Only thing for that was big floatation tires. Super Swampers were a favorite of most around then, if actual getting in the mud. Thornbirds were for the guys who wanted to be heard, I will say dang near flat proof tires.

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