New meats!

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08/30/2009, 10:39 PM
BoarderCROSS2000

New meats!

Saw a great post from RiffRaff on a rave about the General Grabbers and saw his link to the ProComp A/T's. The stock Nitto passenger tires weren't cutting it since nearly bald and just gawd awful wheel well gappage.

I saw the promotion at 4WheelParts for a 4 for price of 3 deal and couldn't help myself. Took everyone's advice and ordered 285/60/18's. I took a simple hacksaw to a sliver(ok a few slivers) of cladding and called it good.

The boys at the store had a hard time with me getting 33's (as they called em)... practically didn't believe me. None of them had ever heard of the VX... They did a test fit in the front and showed about a 1.5 inch gap to the inside rear of the wheel well corner. The front had NO clearance issues. Prolly shouldn't have whacked the cladding but you can't even see what I did.

Any way, I still had to give several verbal OK's to mount em up. They look great and ride SO much better than before. Took it up to Kirkwood in the Tahoe Mts and had a ball in the twisties on 88. I had no idea this would be this much fun on Mtn roads. Got complements everytime we stopped. Not a single hiccup with the new VX. Whoo Hooo!

http://picasaweb.google.com/BoarderC...eat=directlink
08/30/2009, 10:55 PM
VX KAT

They look great! Pics 9 & 12 look like they should be Vehicross promo literature- fantastic! I considered those ProComps when I was lookin a few months ago and they look great on your VX! :thumbup:
08/30/2009, 11:03 PM
Ldub

NOIIICE !...:thumbup:
08/31/2009, 04:41 AM
Riff Raff

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoarderCROSS2000

Saw a great post from RiffRaff on a rave about the General Grabbers and saw his link to the ProComp A/T's. ....................gawd awful wheel well gappage.

I saw the promotion at 4WheelParts for a 4 for price of 3 deal and couldn't help myself. Took everyone's advice and ordered 285/60/18's.

Any way, I still had to give several verbal OK's to mount em up. They look great and ride SO much better than before.

BoarderCross2000--- OMG, they look totally amazing!!! I'm so glad I was able to assist you in your selection. To the best of my knowledge, you are the only VX'er here on this forum that has ever had the Pro-Comp A/T's in 285/60R18 (Disclaimer: Fellow VX member "NocturnalVX" has had the Pro-Comp A/T in size 31x10.50R-15LT, but not in the 18" size). They are Snowflake Mountain rated and only weigh 43 lbs each. That said; they are in a class by themselves in the 285/60R18 size of which no other brand A/T tire can match, period.

The reason they fit so perfectly with minimal rubbing issues is purely because you used the stock OEM 18x7 wheels. That is truly the "secret". The use of aftermarket wheels will dramatically increase the threat of rubbing issues.

When I was shopping for tires, your Pro-Comp A/T in 285/60R18 was in the final top-two choices for my final selection. I lost countless hours of sleep in trying to come to a final decision, as your Pro-Comp A/T's are simply incredible.

In the end, I finally selected the General - Grabber AT2 in P275/65R18 (32" O.D./44 lbs) only because I wanted a tad bit higher ground clearance. Like you, the tire technician's asked me over-n-over for permission to mount the tires as the entire shop faculty said they wouldn't fit. Well; to their amazement, they fit bolt-on perfect using the stock OEM 18x7 wheels with no lifting of any kind; no front torsion bar cranks, and barely cleared the famous "bolt" in the back of the front wheel-well on the driver's side. Only very minor trimming on the front cladding portion was all that was required and they totally "fill-up" the huge fenderwell gaps with pure tire.

Your pictures with the Pro-Comp A/T are simply breathtaking and you truly have set the standard for the rest of us to emulate. I am confident there will be many, many VX'ers out there following your lead for those searching for a 285/60R18 tire. Again, the Pro-Comp A/T in 285/60R18 is the pinnacle A/T tire in that specific size catagory with absolutely no competitor matching its specifications data.
08/31/2009, 05:00 AM
psychos2

They look great. they are more like 31.5 " not 33" . shawn
08/31/2009, 05:15 AM
tom4bren

Very nice.
08/31/2009, 08:28 AM
circmand

for fit

is it the height or thw width that causes the rubbing issues? I got new rims they are 18s but definately are a bit wider so give better purchase and a little lower appearance
08/31/2009, 12:17 PM
vt_maverick

Any way you can post the pic to this site? Picture "bucket" sites are blocked from work... :(
08/31/2009, 01:15 PM
BoarderCROSS2000

Pics in Post...

Lessee if I can get this to work.
08/31/2009, 01:19 PM
BoarderCROSS2000

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychos2

They look great. they are more like 31.5 " not 33" . shawn

Hah, yeah I know... The dufus behind the counter kept insisting they were 3 inches bigger and they were 33's. I'm like whatever, just put them on! They were Ford Chevy & Dodge Centric... no love for the "is that an Hombre?" VX.
08/31/2009, 01:19 PM
tom4bren

Much better than my first attempts at inserting pix. You can get it to show full size tho using the drop down settings where you select the pic you are inserting.
08/31/2009, 01:27 PM
vt_maverick

Agree with Kat... that picture doesn't even look real! Amazing!
08/31/2009, 02:09 PM
BoarderCROSS2000

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riff Raff

I lost countless hours of sleep in trying to come to a final decision, as your Pro-Comp A/T's are simply incredible.

Your pictures with the Pro-Comp A/T are simply breathtaking and you truly have set the standard for the rest of us to emulate.

I can say that my first choice was a BFG a/t but I just couldn't justify the price differential. When I saw the per tire price + the 4 for price of 3 offer on the ProComps, I was in. I had actually spent many hours agonizing over tires/wheels even before I bought the VX! Was leaning toward the off road set/16's and the street set/18's. But I think I found a nice compromise and no need to store wheels/tires. As far as my pics well, aw shucks... the VX did all the heavy lifting.
08/31/2009, 02:25 PM
Riff Raff

Quote:

Originally Posted by circmand

is it the height or thw width that causes the rubbing issues? I got new rims they are 18s but definately are a bit wider so give better purchase and a little lower appearance

CIRCMAND--- Not to threadjack, but to answer your question. It's the tire "width" that causes rubbing primarily due to the wide swing "turning arc" of the front tires. In fact, it is possible to go taller on O.D. by using skinnier/narrow tires without any rubbing issues.

For example, the TOYO - Open Country A/T in P255/70R18 (32.1"/41 lbs) is a tall-n-narrow tire and is VX bolt-on perfect without any rubbing issues whatsoever. However; 99.99% of people don't install this tire because it will make the VX look like it's on 'ol west wagon wheels, and won't give the VX that mean/aggressive look.
08/31/2009, 03:33 PM
psychos2

The rubbing issue is also affected by height of the tire. If you go too big it will rub no matter how narrow you go. Eventually you fill the wheel well and they rub. And I have the NITTO terra grapplers like many others on this forum ( I believe I was the first ) and they are awesome.The 18" tires are quite a bit more than the 16" tires. Not thread jacking just getting my opinion in. And again they look great. shawn
08/31/2009, 03:40 PM
Marlin

Quote:

Originally Posted by psychos2

The rubbing issue is also affected by height of the tire. If you go too big it will rub no matter how narrow you go. Eventually you fill the wheel well and they rub. And I have the NITTO terra grapplers like many others on this forum ( I believe I was the first ) and they are awesome.The 18" tires are quite a bit more than the 16" tires. Not thread jacking just getting my opinion in. And again they look great. shawn

That is true within reason. The only trimming I had to do was on the inside edge of the cladding due to the swing of the tire.
08/31/2009, 08:51 PM
psychos2

Quote:

Originally Posted by circmand

is it the height or thw width that causes the rubbing issues? I got new rims they are 18s but definately are a bit wider so give better purchase and a little lower appearance

"CIRCMAND--- Not to threadjack, but to answer your question. It's the tire "width" that causes rubbing primarily due to the wide swing "turning arc" of the front tires. In fact, it is possible to go taller on O.D. by using skinnier/narrow tires without any rubbing issues."by riff raff

I just want to clear this up IT IS BOTH !!! The width and height. It really depends on the tire height and the tire width. Since most people do not go with a narrower tire ,then you need to watch the height of the tire. If you go to tall you will have issues. shawn
08/31/2009, 09:15 PM
nocturnalVX

I love Pro Comp ATs. The Xterrains look cooler, but the ATs are better in every way. Glad to see that they fit stock rims too. :thumbup:
09/01/2009, 04:00 AM
Marlin

Quote:

Originally Posted by nocturnalVX

I love Pro Comp ATs. The Xterrains look cooler, but the ATs are better in every way. Glad to see that they fit stock rims too. :thumbup:

I love the AT Xtreme as well, that is what I have on my Expy, 20K miles, and no obvious wear as of yet.

As far as Riff's tire advice, he does offer facts that back up his opinions, which is valuable, as compared to those saying, "this is what I have, and therefore is awesome!!" Thanks Riff for the advice, and I don't always follow his recommendations, but at least I know they are thought out.
That is what makes this site great, tons of experience, somewhere in the accumulative of centuries, and all have their merit. Thanks everyone!!! :thanx:
09/01/2009, 05:18 AM
tom4bren

First off, there is no "best tire". There are only tires that work best for your application. A tire that works best for slick rock is by no means the best tire for mud ... is by no means the best tire for snow ... is by no means the best tire for highway. There are crossover tires that do a decent job at multiple tasks but you do end up with a 'jack of all ... master of none' scenario. Just try taking an MT in sand, you'll dig yourself in quicker than you can blink. Just try taking an AT in Georgia clay, lets just say that driving sideways can be VERY entertaining.

I don't mind people claiming that their tire of choice is the only one that makes any sense. I just say 'God bless their little heart' and go and buy what I want. Obviously my choices don't match the personal preferences of the general populace (offset from hell). It works for me & if you no likey ... God bless your little heart.:)
09/01/2009, 07:29 AM
vt_maverick

Quote:

Originally Posted by LittleBeast

Riff you do have a ton of useful info and you and your posts are great in my book and very useful for many here I just seriously wish your posts were a tad less definitive and a little more open minded, that is all. No worries fellow VXer. :)

Good points (I bookmark many of Riff's posts for reference but find myself rolling my eyes occasionally ;)) and your best post in this thread, because I do agree with Riff that the previous posts were a little long-winded and too "definitive" themselves. :p

As for complainers, go join a sports car forum and find out what real bickering is about. Occasional arguing between friends who share a passion is to be expected, and is nowhere near what is typical on other forums. :) But Moncha is right, we do have to curb it before it accelerates...