Are "larger tires" really a fairly recent thing?

[BillyP]

My memory back in the 80’s when I started off-roading in East Texas. I remember when 33’s were the normal upgrade size. 36’s (which are rare now) were considered big, and 44’s were the extreme. I honestly don’t remember seeing 35’s and 37’s then. I did see a few 40’s, but they were extremely rare.

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[Camaroboi13]

I think the biggest impact on larger tires these days is the size of the vehicle has changed, as well as the transmission and gearing. Think about wheel size, what it took to put 20s on an OBS Chevy. Now they come with 22s factory and they look rather small in the wheel wells. 6, 8, and 10 speed transmissions have reduced the need for proper gearing versus only having 4 speeds in a gutless TJ. Food for thought.

 

[talljeeper]

I ran a couple FSJ's with SOA lifts and 40's in the 80's. Ran several CJ's with pizza cutter q/78?/15 (36") 4"sus. lift and 3" body lift (ugh) as well. Yes, I was in mud country. You havent lived until you have tried to balance Super Swampers LOL

 

[SergeantOldschool]

I ran Q78-16 Highway Buckshots on my '78 J10 which were basically a 35x10.5 in a bias ply. You had to be careful on a long road trip, though, because they would sing you to sleep.
You seldom saw anything taller without them being a 44", usually an Interco TSL or Bogger.
Everything on radials were typically 31's for half-ton and smaller, 33x12.5-16.5 for heavier.

 

[talljeeper]

You could hear my buckshots sing a 1/4 mile down the road LOL Oh man those things were diggers

 

[CrazyCooter]

I just remembered that 40's (39.5") and 42's used to be oddball sizes that I think only Interco made. 36, 38, then 44's were the normal large sizes and mostly available in crazy mudders. I had 44" Dick Cepek Fun Country's which worked amazing in sand and snow.....2wd most of the time.

33's and 35's were the radials from the big tire manufacturers like BFG, Goodyear, etc that could be run daily in comfort with decent wear. In the mid 2000's when the 37's started popping up, I remember thing WTF? WHY? Everyone on 33's and 35's wanted to jump up to 37's!

Now look where we are? Everyone who crawls malls needs 37's and most big baller people seem to be fixated on 40's?

 

[chaosjake]

Yes…big tires have always been a thing…but as the race to fit larger tires took off the manufacturers started making stock vehicles fit/for much larger tires. My 1984 bronco 2 required 6 inches of lift to fit 33s (and a fender trim). A 1997 stock TJ 31s ish. My stock 23 gladiator can fit 35s. This varied from vehicle to vehicle but is generally correct (obviously F350s etc could fit tall tires). So now that a stock F150 comes with a 33 in order to go larger your now seeing larger and larger tires with less modifications IE easier.

Stock vehicles with giant wheelwells and 33+ inch tires from the factory have made it way easier to go up in size. With the JTR, I just needed some zip ties on my fender liners to clear 35s. My 1989 K5 Blazer needed 4 inches of lift to clear 33's without trimming the fenders (which I didn't want to do, but regret not doing now). And there were no lift pucks for leaf springs! You could go with a crappy lift block in the rear, or maybe a spring-over if you were lucky, but mostly you'd have to buy all new leaf packs. I was able to do a shackle flip in the rear, but still had to break the bank on leafs for the front.

 

[Tank555]

My first jeep was a YJ, and I added another leaf spring to be able to fit 31' tires under it, and for my very first off-road experience, I went on the Rubicon trail, because I could. I had no idea what I was doing, and it was a stick to top it off. Me and a buddy went with the Jeepers Jamboree, it was the 15th anniversary of that event. We had a blast, and we did not break down, made it from start to finish.

Then I got a JK in 2014 after being away from the sport for many years, I put a 3" lift and put some 35" tires, and I thought I was a big shot, that 2 door jeep could go anywhere, took it on the Rubicon twice, no problem. Then right before I sold it, I put 37" tires, and never got a chance to hit any difficult trails before I sold it. The guy I sold it to, went on the Rubicon with his son and had a blast, no damage.

Now I have a JT, 2021 and put a 4.5" lift and am starting out with 37"'s. So far so good, other than they had to put a new motor in, one of the main bearings crapped out.

 

[Supazuk]

in 90's 33 and 35's were the norm, 36 up was trail rig
I had 33's on my 69 blazer in 1999 because I couldn't afford tons and 36's
my samurai, I DD'd for years (03-07) on 33's untill I put toy axles in swaped to bead locked 36's in 07 tubed it out took it of the road in 08 and 39.5 were mounted

 

[Q Tip]

Back in jr high and high school (late 70s early 80s for me) off roading and modding were huge! We all read Petersens 4wd and Offroad and the coolest guys and some gals even were riding in Blazers, Broncos and Toyota pickups with up to 44 in Super Swampers! Being in the semi nerd caste, I was more than content to wheel Pops 1974 Suburban with full time 4wd....it even did well on the beach with what were then known as "balloon" tires....just bald street tires from 265mm on up. That suburban with its cavernous interior made that JVC cassette deck sound like a concert hall! Good times....pic....looking south from Penny's Hill, Corova, NC north outer banks, 1972

 

[Sandman 4x4]

As an off road enthusiast from the early 70’s, starting with trail bikes, then expanding in The Army, while stationed at Fort Carson, CO, with friends on trail bikes and Jeeps. I vividly remember using tall, 35” pizza cutters, that officially were from 30/6.50-15, on CJ’s or 35/7.50-16.5 on half tons. a three quarter ton trucks. Mostly eight the military lug style, or what are still called Super Traction. As time wore on tires became wider and heavier not to mention taller, then more specialized. I also remember old sedans with flathead engines that had been re-geared to lower ratios, with welded differentials all stripped down for lower weight for deep sand run, all rear wheel drive running almost bald 30+” tall aircraft tires with 5psi floating over sand so soft and deep as you could hardly run over. Now in my 2024 Gladiator I mostly use for daily driving and a little off road. I’m going for the as tall as possible at stock hight, no wider than a 235/245, on stock 17” light alloy wheels. Top choice would be a 235/85-17, With AT or as close to the Super Traction we had for a nostalgic look. That’s will work well off road and in heavy rain and possibly mud.

 

[629]

Back in jr high and high school (late 70s early 80s for me) off roading and modding were huge! We all read Petersens 4wd and Offroad and the coolest guys and some gals even were riding in Blazers, Broncos and Toyota pickups with up to 44 in Super Swampers! Being in the semi nerd caste, I was more than content to wheel Pops 1974 Suburban with full time 4wd....it even did well on the beach with what were then known as "balloon" tires....just bald street tires from 265mm on up. That suburban with its cavernous interior made that JVC cassette deck sound like a concert hall! Good times....pic....looking south from Penny's Hill, Corova, NC north outer banks, 1972

Grew up driving that Corolla duck area…I watched a bronco burn to the ground after overheating on pennys hill in the 1990s. I believe my mom (who with my dad had a lot beach access only near there until the 90s) told me in the late 70s pennys hill washed or blew away in a storm and “breeds” hill was now known as pennys hill…might have that wrong but close. Good times. Update: mom says “Luworks” or Louworks hill (spelling?) named after the family that owned it…not breed. She said dad would swap on sand tires every weekend in the 70s.

 

[49Gramps]

I put some 31's on my YJ back in '92. They were a bit too big and ended up rubbing grooves in the rubber fender arches. 30's would have fit better

YJs came with a 29" tire; with an Old Man Emu suspension, 32s would fit.

 

[cybercat]

Jeremy on the Rubicon Trail from 93 TG in a stock YJ.

 

[Q Tip]

Grew up driving that Corolla duck area…I watched a bronco burn to the ground after overheating on pennys hill in the 1990s. I believe my mom (who with my dad had a lot beach access only near there until the 90s) told me in the late 70s pennys hill washed or blew away in a storm and “breeds” hill was now known as pennys hill…might have that wrong but close. Good times. Update: mom says “Luworks” or Louworks hill (spelling?) named after the family that owned it…not breed. She said dad would swap on sand tires every weekend in the 70s.

Last time I was up Corova way was in the late 80s. The huge dune seemed to be in the right spot as Pennys Hill had been. Now back in 72 I was 6 yrs old and Dad would tote the family down in the 4by4. He owned a k5 blazer and then an fj40, finally the 74 suburban. Those were the days of no rules and getting on the beach in Sandbridge VA and driving on the beach all the way to Kitty Hawk and if you wished, Nags Head and points South to Oregon Inlet. I remember the post office in Corolla, the postmaster had a petrified mastodon foot he found on the beach that he used as a doorstop. Had toenails and everything on it. Fascinating for a 6 year old boy. He also had a big visitors book to sign and many years later it was still there, my scrawling huge 6 year old name was still in it. Now if you drove on the dunes, you would be hanged.

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