not your typical tire question.
02-04-2011, 10:03 AM
#31
JK Enthusiast
Just for some perspective for those who haven't experienced LOTS of snow.
Chicago got just over 20" with much drifting. I had to go to work Wednesday morning.
My JK is a 2010 4-door Sport with stock everything - 225 x 16 street tires from the factory.
My driveway is 150 ft long with the garage facing east. The snow varied from 19" to 22" deep - the deepest right in front of the garage door. I bulled my way out in 4Lo with no trouble at all. Mind you, there was a layer of ice at the bottom of the snow, yet no problem.
I went by the bank on my way to work to drop some checks in the night deposit. The parking lot hadn't been touched of course and the drive-through was drifted pretty deep. Sitting at the deposit widget, there was a drift right in front of me that was as high as the hood. I punched my way through it in three gentle hits - didn't want to just bore in and get hung up. No problem. I was busting 2-3' drifts in and out of the parking lot, but the biggest was right at the deposit drop. No problem. Just take it easy and work your way through.
With a lift and aggressive tread tires (note I didn't say wider), it would have been even easier.
So the point is, the JK can do amazing things in its most stock form.
And yes, narrower tires are better in some situations. It's just math and physics. Narrower tires give greater pounds per square inch of footprint where the tire meets the pavement. That means better traction. In general, wider tires are for flotation in soft ground, where you'd just sink in to the frame and you're stuck. There's more to it than that, but that's the most simple, basic principle.
JK rocks!
Chicago got just over 20" with much drifting. I had to go to work Wednesday morning.
My JK is a 2010 4-door Sport with stock everything - 225 x 16 street tires from the factory.
My driveway is 150 ft long with the garage facing east. The snow varied from 19" to 22" deep - the deepest right in front of the garage door. I bulled my way out in 4Lo with no trouble at all. Mind you, there was a layer of ice at the bottom of the snow, yet no problem.
I went by the bank on my way to work to drop some checks in the night deposit. The parking lot hadn't been touched of course and the drive-through was drifted pretty deep. Sitting at the deposit widget, there was a drift right in front of me that was as high as the hood. I punched my way through it in three gentle hits - didn't want to just bore in and get hung up. No problem. I was busting 2-3' drifts in and out of the parking lot, but the biggest was right at the deposit drop. No problem. Just take it easy and work your way through.
With a lift and aggressive tread tires (note I didn't say wider), it would have been even easier.
So the point is, the JK can do amazing things in its most stock form.
And yes, narrower tires are better in some situations. It's just math and physics. Narrower tires give greater pounds per square inch of footprint where the tire meets the pavement. That means better traction. In general, wider tires are for flotation in soft ground, where you'd just sink in to the frame and you're stuck. There's more to it than that, but that's the most simple, basic principle.
JK rocks!
