I've heard alot disadvantages of having big tires but mainly from just backyard mechanics. I've heard its bad on brakes, gas mileage, balljoints, and transmission. I havent had big tires for long but I dont go offroading much and dont see the point in having them. Especially if the all the bad things are true. I just drive on the roads now. I'm just wanting to hear some other experiences with oversized tires. My blazer is a 99 4x4.

 

cool story... what is the point of this post?

yes increased diameter and weight will be harsher on the brakes, as it needs more force to stop... laws of inertia and kinetic energy...

balljoints will wear due to the fact of a need for a t-bar crank and or improper alignment specs. also if they are just plain old un-greased or worn out.

tranny - that depends on how your drive it, and what your going to do with it.

gas milage yes, you will get poor results with say 31's compared to stock.

 

How big are the tires you are referring to?

 

31s. and @manek the point of this hear about other people's experience with big tires and how they feel about them. It is a forum... it was designed for discussion... I know big tires look good but I'm trying to get some info to see if its really worth it.

 

Please don't drag that "Cool Story Bro" BS into this forum. The rude comment was completely uncalled for. The point of this post was obviously to confirm the things that people have been feeding him.

Thank you for answering his question.

Depending on how big of tires you have a re-gear usually helps transmission longevity with larger tires. If you have 3.42's stock I'd suggest going down to a 3.73 gear if you're not already there.

Balljoints and CV axles will wear due to the slight T-bar crank you probably had to do to run larger tires without rubbing the fenders as was already mentioned (in the quote actually.)


Re-gearing will also get you some mpg's back.

The reason that bigger tires are harder on brakes is due to simple physics... you have a larger rotating mass now, with more mass at the same rotational speed you'll have more energy there, meaning your brakes will need to apply more force to overcome that extra weight.

If you`re not sure of what gearing you have in your truck, you can either find a VIN decoder on google, OR you can call your GM dealer with your VIN and they can tell you anything you want to know, including what the guy who put your steering column in ate for breakfast that morning before his shift on the line started.

 

The only true reason to get bigger tires is for greater capability offroad. Don't waste your money if you are only interested in the "cool" factor.

 

you also never mentioned what year your truck was either, clbychil.

 

The bigger the tires, the longer they take to turn, the more gas it burns. But all the same they burn too much gas anyways so..

Like someone mentioned above, harder on parts but at least it looks good.

I personally cannot wait to get bigger tires and my truck lifted.

 

i was thinken about tryin to find some 18s or 17s to replace my stock 15s, so i can have about the same height but a little less tire.?!?, not sure, but i was told that it would ride a bit less bouncy(less rubber to flex) and that i would get better mileage, not sure tho, just sayin

 

This is why I`m not levelled on 32`s