33s M/T - Questions

[Riff Raff]

I personally have a set up near 80lbs. No issues.

Yup, no issues until you come up on a grid-lock traffic jam on the freeway and try to stop those rolling 80 lbs of unsprung weight. CRUNCH!!!

[Ldub]

Yup, no issues until you come up on a grid-lock traffic jam on the freeway and try to stop those rolling 80 lbs of unsprung weight. CRUNCH!!!

That's a very subjective dealio...my 35" mud grapplers have a shipping weight of 75#, with a wheel weight (centerline spec) of 26#...that's spec for my 20's.

I just "bathroom scaled" my 18's (35x12.5 mud graps & c-lines) & they offer no improvement @ 80 & 22#.

For whatever reason, during the long @$$ roll to SC & back, I didn't smuck into any grind to a sudden halt/gridlocked traffic, & there was PLENTY, what with road closures/detours/acci's/construction etc. I even managed to cut & thrust my way through big city traffic without ending up a statistic...

However, I have a few advantages that the avg member looking to upgrade in size may not have...

I'd have to say, the ability to drive 2-3-400 yds ahead of the vehicle helps the most (all the while NOT texting, yapping on a cel phone I don't own yet, or applying yet another layer of makeup), then stainless braid reinforced brake lines are also a factor, the third factor, which I believe to be helpful, is cross drilled rotors & fresh OEM pads...I was usually more concerned about getting rear end'd, than about what was in front of me.

That all having been said, I agree with riff, unless you're willing to make some upgrades in braking performance, & turn off the phon etc...(you know...concentrate on the task at hand...DRIVING) you have a pretty good chance of becoming "just another number"...unfortunately, you'll probably take a VX with you...

[Vendetta]

Yup, no issues until you come up on a grid-lock traffic jam on the freeway and try to stop those rolling 80 lbs of unsprung weight. CRUNCH!!!

Riff,

Do you think the R1 cross-drilled/slotted "premium" rotors (http://www.r1concepts.com/isuzu-vehi...999-brakes.htm) with some new pads be enough of an upgrade to the brakes to handle the larger wheel & tire load I'm considering, or is there more to it?

[tom4bren]

Actually, it's tire diameter that has a much more significant effect on braking capability than unsprung weight. Unsprung weight is however significant in regard to bearing and shock absorber life. Here's a little light reading for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unsprung_mass

[Riff Raff]

Riff,

Do you think the R1 cross-drilled/slotted "premium" rotors (http://www.r1concepts.com/isuzu-vehi...999-brakes.htm) with some new pads be enough of an upgrade to the brakes to handle the larger wheel & tire load I'm considering, or is there more to it?

I'm not really a brake guy, but any improvement over the stock OEM brakes would be just that-- "an improvement". I would defer any brake questions to our "Big Tire Club" guys like L-Dub, LittleBeast, JoFotoz, and Tom4Bren. Those folks can attest to the effects of using huge heavy tires more than anyone on this site.

My advice would not even venture into troubled waters if you don't have to and try to limit your maximum wheel/tire combination weight to a target of 72 lbs (which is a safe 10 lbs over the '00/'01 VX stock wheel/tire combo). Here are just two(2) examples of the 72 lbs target combo's using both OEM version wheels (16's & 18's):

1999 OEM 16x7 rim (20 lbs) + Yoko - Geolandar M/T+ in 285/75R16 (32.9" O.D./51.6 lbs) = 71.6 lbs

'00/'01 OEM 18x7 rim (28 lbs) + Grabber AT2 in 275/65R18-116S (32.1" O.D./42.6 lbs) = 70.6 lbs

[Ldub]

I'm not really a brake guy, but any improvement over the stock OEM brakes would be just that-- "an improvement". I would defer any brake questions to our "Big Tire Club" guys like L-Dub, LittleBeast, JoFotoz, and Tom4Bren. Those folks can attest to the effects of using huge heavy tires more than anyone on this site.

Here are my thoughts on that aspect of the subject...for whatever they're worth...

Around these here parts, EVERYONE, with the exception of a chosen few, re-learns their braking capabilities in a big hurry after the first snowfall...
The chosen few are quickly weeded out of the general driving populace, or are later seen driving rentals/loaners while the results of their inability to adapt are being repaired. (college students from southern states are most susceptible)
IMO, within a few hrs/days of driving on bigger/heavier tire/wheel combinations, you instinctively know that you need to slow it down a little, leave a bigger buffer zone between you & whatever you might be following, & in general, be a bit more aware of what's going on around & in front of you.
I personally have successfully made the transition from summer braking to winter braking almost 30 times, & feel the difference between snow/ice, vs larger/heavier doughnuts, to be a far steeper learning curve...

Just my opine, take it FWIW.