Are "larger tires" really a fairly recent thing?

[629]

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.

We would enter from sandbridge (we lived in Pungo) when I was little because we had that property in Corolla and a PO Box at that post office…otherwise you couldn’t. Mom said the guy (at the post office) would just put junk mail in their box. But the government soon did away with that even if you lived there by the time I got my license you had to drive the long way from VB. I got into lifts and big tires because of that beach…

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[Stan H]

When I was a kid uh 19 20 yrs old had an old Ford it was jacked up with 33's . Everyone thought it was cool. The 390V8 4 speed helped out alot

 

[Dickies Outdoor's]

I started running 33 and larger on my Jeeps since the early 90's... My old Ramcharger before that with 35's (In Michigan)

 

[Stan H]

It was so much easier to run a bigger tires back in those days . You just gave it more power and you was good.

 

[Cape taco12]

When The JK was just released and they starting joining my ORV club in numbers. the running joke was 35s are the new 33s as they could slap them on with no work. All the TJs, tacos and rangers needed a bit more components or some firewall trimming to run 35s.

Now I would say 37s are the new go to at this point. In a half a days work and for a reasonable price you can get them to fit, and parts won’t instantly grenade under the first throttle application.

 

[Stan H]

When The JK was just released and they starting joining my ORV club in numbers. the running joke was 35s are the new 33s as they could slap them on with no work. All the TJs, tacos and rangers needed a bit more components or some firewall trimming to run 35s.

Now I would say 37s are the new go to at this point. In a half a days work and for a reasonable price you can get them to fit, and parts won’t instantly grenade under the first throttle application.

37's are the first jump to high overpriced tires. I prefer good brand 35's because at least they are only 400.00 a piece.

 

[CrazyCooter]

37's are the first jump to high overpriced tires. I prefer good brand 35's because at least they are only 400.00 a piece.

Only $400..........Funny! I remember the days of 35's for $125-140ea!

 

[Stan H]

Only $400..........Funny! I remember the days of 35's for $125-140ea!

Yeah you ain't wrong

 

[Jteakus]

Denman Ground Hog.. Wow, that’s a tire that hasn’t crossed my mind in a long long time

 

[TheOpa]

I had a Dodge Ramcharger on 35” Denman Ground Hawg’s in the 1980’s. most of us were on 35 or 36’s but we did have two guys that went to 44’s. Mostly mud and sand in the South Jersey Pine Barrens. Big tires are definitely not a new thing.

 

[Stan H]

I had a Dodge Ramcharger on 35” Denman Ground Hawg’s in the 1980’s. most of us were on 35 or 36’s but we did have two guys that went to 44’s. Mostly mud and sand in the South Jersey Pine Barrens. Big tires are definitely not a new thing.

I will say one thing the 33's I had ( Firestone) were much better made than alot of tires these days and these cost so much more .
I have a set of 35's Mickey Thompson and I don't plan on going back with another set .

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I had a Dodge Ramcharger on 35” Denman Ground Hawg’s in the 1980’s. most of us were on 35 or 36’s but we did have two guys that went to 44’s. Mostly mud and sand in the South Jersey Pine Barrens. Big tires are definitely not a new thing.

Yes big tires were around, but you only had a few choices and fewer people were running them.

 

[Chasm]

I had 33's on a 1991 Ranger in 2000 and people thought they were huge, but my cousin had 44's on a Jeep in the early 80's

 

[mtudb24]

Denman Ground Hog.. Wow, that’s a tire that hasn’t crossed my mind in a long long time

Loved them. Ran them backwards and acted like a paddle tire in the Sand.

Interco brought them back as the "Cobalt".

 

[Moose843]

wasn’t it Bigfoot that started the giant tire craze? That was late 70s. I remember 44s on full size fords and chevys in the early 80s. But again, we were riding the swamps in South Carolina.

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