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Wed Oct 31, 2018 11:11 am

31x10.5 on rear.
235/70/15. On front.

Federal Couragia on all four corners.

Wed Oct 31, 2018 10:54 pm

Those are those same Federal Couragia M/T tires we were talking about on the last page. They look good.

Real pretty Baja too. I like the colors.

Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:00 pm

I'm pulling the trigger on some 15" x 6 rims, came with 14" and also going with the Federal Couragia M/T Mud-Terrain Tire- LT235/75R15 6 PR 104/101Q.

Any problems with having the same tire on all corners?

Yanking the 1500 and pumping in a fresh 1915 to push it over the hills.

Thu Oct 10, 2019 5:34 am

Anybody tried out the Accelera MT tires ? made in Indonesia. About $20 less than the Federal Couregia MT tires.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Accelera-M-T-01-235-75R15-104-Q-Tire/141573186

Fri Oct 18, 2019 6:26 am

I put the federal couragia 31x10.50x15 0n my humbug and can now cross the creek. like that tread and looks. 290. for two at Walmart on line.

Tue Nov 12, 2019 5:30 pm

My son embarrassed his best friend muddling a while back with the federal couragia on his bug. His buddy has an old ram charger and could not keep up, not even close. In the mud at least these things rule.

Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:48 pm

Yokohama geolander ats 245-75 16” front (Almost 10 years old) and now has 265-70 16” pathfinder at from discount tire 8 got for $30 when one of the Yokohama went way out of round. All 4 yokos pictured.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 5:25 am

Found awesome tool to get a good idea of actual tire size. May be a good add to this Sticky?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=215-75r15-165-85r15

Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:27 am

Pez wrote: Found awesome tool to get a good idea of actual tire size. May be a good add to this Sticky?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=215-75r15-165-85r15

I like that tool. Problem seems is that I have never found a tire that is the “actual” advertised size when installed.

Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:56 pm

dirtkeeper wrote: Pez wrote: Found awesome tool to get a good idea of actual tire size. May be a good add to this Sticky?

https://www.tacomaworld.com/tirecalc?tires=215-75r15-165-85r15

I like that tool. Problem seems is that I have never found a tire that is the “actual” advertised size when installed.

Too true, nothing can replace physically going down to the tire shop with a tape measure. The tool has at least allowed me to somewhat wrap my head around tire size vs aspect ratio. Never been something I could decipher easy.

Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:13 am

Anyone have an opinion about running the Firestone 700-15 NDT's on the front of a baja? the shoulders are rounded and the price is not much more than the Deestones/Power Kings

Sat Nov 28, 2020 11:54 am

great subject matter

Sun Dec 20, 2020 8:38 pm

I just found this thread today and spent all afternoon reading through it. Wow! lots of options for folks out there. Too bad most of the pictures and links don't work anymore.

The best tires so much depend on what you do, where you go and how aggressive you drive. So I will just briefly share my set up in case someone is interested.

Driving style - old fart, exploring the hills and back country, not street legal, 1600SP Bus transaxle. 14" ATV tires on the back 4 psi, 15" 5 rib implements on the front 8 psi. Have not tried these in pure sand yet.

Sun Jan 24, 2021 5:43 pm

I'm kind of surprised no one brought up this gear ratio calculator http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html might not be the most popular one used, since it's mostly for 4x4 setups. Also, anyone try the EMPI Electronic Speedometer transducer kit? I'm wondering if it'll help to get an accurate speedometer reading. Get an electric speedo and then calibrate it to the new tire size. https://www.jbugs.com/product/16-9290.html Could help with the odometer and mileage calculations than trying to figure out the tire size difference by hand.

Sun Jan 24, 2021 6:33 pm

Wheeljack wrote: I'm kind of surprised no one brought up this gear ratio calculator http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html might not be the most popular one used, since it's mostly for 4x4 setups. Also, anyone try the EMPI Electronic Speedometer transducer kit? I'm wondering if it'll help to get an accurate speedometer reading. Get an electric speedo and then calibrate it to the new tire size. https://www.jbugs.com/product/16-9290.html Could help with the odometer and mileage calculations than trying to figure out the tire size difference by hand.

That item seems a little pricey for the job , you could get a speedometer for less. I think most aftermarket speedometer even the old ones can be set to calibrate your actual speed. Mine does. Usually by using road markers and a button. Lot of people using gps now. And that unit still has the cable . I think the latest thing now would be to have a wired transducer instead of the cable.

Sun Jan 24, 2021 7:24 pm

dirtkeeper wrote: Wheeljack wrote: I'm kind of surprised no one brought up this gear ratio calculator http://www.grimmjeeper.com/gears.html might not be the most popular one used, since it's mostly for 4x4 setups. Also, anyone try the EMPI Electronic Speedometer transducer kit? I'm wondering if it'll help to get an accurate speedometer reading. Get an electric speedo and then calibrate it to the new tire size. https://www.jbugs.com/product/16-9290.html Could help with the odometer and mileage calculations than trying to figure out the tire size difference by hand.

That item seems a little pricey for the job , you could get a speedometer for less. I think most aftermarket speedometer even the old ones can be set to calibrate your actual speed. Mine does. Usually by using road markers and a button. Lot of people using gps now. And that unit still has the cable . I think the latest thing now would be to have a wired transducer instead of the cable.

Glow shift sells a kit for $20 for a mechanical to electronic speedo. Found the same EMPI kit elsewhere for $125. Most of the Hall effect ones are for Ford, GM, and Dodge transmissions.

My donor buggy has an original VW mechanical speedometer. I haven't found much for different kits to calibrate for larger tires. So I was thinking going the electronic speedometer route, but most of what I'm seeing, are not for classic VW. I'll keep searching though.

Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:25 pm

At least for the Autometer electric speedometers, the sender units require a CV axle. I have a swing axle, so I'll have to get either a different tooth count to get an accurate speedometer or, that transducer. Found the same transducer cheaper elsewhere.

Also, is it beneficial to run a wider tire in back (supposedly running a wider tire acts like an anti-sway bar) than the front and are there any issues just running the same size tire front and rear on a Warrior frame with a swing axle?

Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:53 pm

Wheeljack wrote: Also, is it beneficial to run a wider tire in back (supposedly running a wider tire acts like an anti-sway bar) than the front and are there any issues just running the same size tire front and rear on a Warrior frame with a swing axle?

There are a number of reasons to use a bigger rear tire than front on a tube frame buggy based on VW components.
1 - The rears do all the push work
2 - The rears carry the vast majority of the load. Most of the car's weight is at the back of the car. INCLUDING the passengers.
3 - Wider tires on the front apply road forces to the spindles and steering mechanism with a LOT more leverage and make it MUCH more likely to damage the front suspension. Bend/break spindles, tie rods, rod ends, steering box, etc. Stock 4" wide front rims with narrow tires place the loads on the spindle about the middle of the spindle shaft. 30 x 9.50 tires on 6" or 8" wide rimes put those loads out past the end of the spindle shank.
4 - Steering forces go WAY up with wide front tires and rims. That's when people start feeling a need to add power steering.
5 - Turning radius goes WAY up with wide front tires and rims. My Baja with stock front rims and 165 tires can turn a U-turn in my street with a few feet left over. With the Centerlines with only a 3.5" wide rim but more offset, I can only get a little more than 1/2 of that U-turn.

Wed Jan 27, 2021 8:02 pm

So what should the absolute widest be for the front before needing to go with a stronger spindle? I'm more concerned with tire size availability in a pinch than anything else. It's one thing to be able to order tires online, its wholly different when you need to replace a tire when riding and you get a non-repairable hole in the tire or what have you.

Wed Jan 27, 2021 11:48 pm

I'm not going to tell you an "ABSOLUTE".

The widest I go for on the front of a VW-based buggy or Baja is 7.00-15 on a 4" wide rim. And I prefer stock 3-3/4" back space for that 4" wide rim. Like a Centerline "bubble" rim.

In more common sizes in places like Nebraska, try a 215-75 x 15 tire. All-Terrain ("A/T") is good. Local Walmart had a good looking Douglas in that size a while back at a good price. So is a 6.70-15 5-rib DOT Implement tire. (Load Range B or C. NOT Load Range D or E.)

It's a buggy. NOT a lifted Chevy 4X.