FLU-419 Tire Opinions - 14.5R20?

[Speedzilla]

Hey Guys,

Recently acquired a SEE, the first thing to address is the popped 12.5R20's so I can actually move it around. The load rating on 12.5R20's seems barely acceptable for a machine this weight, really want to go with a heavier duty tire. I have two options in my price range. Option one, New BKT MP567 14.5R20 tires. They are 43.9" Tal, 14.2" Wide. The second option is surplus Michelin XMCL tires 370/70R20, which are 42.1" Tall, 15.1" wide. The downside to the XMCL tires is a low-speed rating of 31MPH.

- Both are much stronger than the 12.5R20 XL's. I think the factory tires are between 40-41" Tall (Can't find product info anymore, tire too old I guess) and 12.1-12.5" Wide.

- Does anyone know if early drum brake wheels (with more offset) would be less likely to rub or more likely? I like the idea of a wider track.

- Has anyone put these tires on a SEE before? I couldn't find much info. A Cab lift looks out of the question, and I'd rather not make the truck any taller.

 

[simp5782]

You can run a g177 Goodyear in 11.00r20 like the 5 ton trucks run. They are rated for 6k ea and wear like iron. Abundant and cheap and will fit on stock wheels. You can also find 9.00 and 11.00a in aggressive tractor treads. The 14.5 i believe will be too much even with a lift

 

[Speedzilla]

You can run a g177 Goodyear in 11.00r20 like the 5 ton trucks run. They are rated for 6k ea and wear like iron. Abundant and cheap and will fit on stock wheels. You can also find 9.00 and 11.00a in aggressive tractor treads. The 14.5 i believe will be too much even with a lift

I have seen 11R20's' on them before, they are the same height as the 14.5's just narrower obviously. I am hoping to end up with less ground pressure than the 12.5's, soft ground around here.

 

[Speedwoble]

Like you, I didn’t like the low weight rating of the stock 12.5R20, and I wanted a larger footprint for better flotation.
I’m running 365/80R20 surplus Michelins now, which are the same as 14.5R20’s. I am running them on surplus minesweeper wheels which are similar to the drum brake rims. I had a problem with the rear rims hitting the brake caliper, so I had to get 1/2” spacers made. I get an occasional rub from the front in turns, but haven’t identified where it is rubbing.

I am actually going to be selling my 14.5’s on rims as I bought a set of Ag tread tires, the XMCL’s in 380/75R20. I need to get them mounted yet.

 

[Speedzilla]

Like you, I didn’t like the low weight rating of the stock 12.5R20, and I wanted a larger footprint for better flotation.
I’m running 365/80R20 surplus Michelins now, which are the same as 14.5R20’s. I am running them on surplus minesweeper wheels which are similar to the drum brake rims. I had a problem with the rear rims hitting the brake caliper, so I had to get 1/2” spacers made. I get an occasional rub from the front in turns, but haven’t identified where it is rubbing.

I am actually going to be selling my 14.5’s on rims as I bought a set of Ag tread tires, the XMCL’s in 380/75R20. I need to get them mounted yet.

Sounds like we are about in the same boat! Thank you very much for the input! With the 365/80's, have you had the mrubbing while turning offroad, or even under normal circumstances? Are you swapping to the XMCL's because of the rubbing?

Do you plan to mount the XMCL's on factory disc brake wheels?

Thanks

 

[Speedwoble]

Sounds like we are about in the same boat! Thank you very much for the input! With the 365/80's, have you had the mrubbing while turning offroad, or even under normal circumstances? Are you swapping to the XMCL's because of the rubbing?

Do you plan to mount the XMCL's on factory disc brake wheels?

Thanks

I plan to mount the XMCL’s on the minesweeper (drum brake) rims as I like the width. Rubbing occurs on the road when making hard turns.

 

[Speedzilla]

I plan to mount the XMCL’s on the minesweeper (drum brake) rims as I like the width. Rubbing occurs on the road when making hard turns.

Good to know! Maybe I will just have to go with the XMCL's and stick to slow speeds.

 

[The FLU farm]

Like you, I wanted better tires than the stockers (which is almost anything), but not radials, and definitely not surplus radials.

Also wanted a wider stance and lower contact pressure, so on one SEE I put 39.5x16.50 PitBull Rockers, on 2-inch widened rims.
That setup works great, and there's room even for meaningful tire chains, too.

A close second is the 40x13.50 Super Swampers I put on stock wheels on another SEE.

Looked at ag tires, but never found anything suitable at the time. Still like the idea, though, and especially if running the fronts "backwards".

Load rating on the PitBulls and Swampers is technically marginal, even at 80 psi, but so far they've worked great at 40. And that's with some serious lateral loads at times.

 

[Speedwoble]

Like you, I wanted better tires than the stockers (which is almost anything), but not radials, and definitely not surplus radials.

Also wanted a wider stance and lower contact pressure, so on one SEE I put 39.5x16.50 PitBull Rockers, on 2-inch widened rims.
That setup works great, and there's room even for meaningful tire chains, too.

A close second is the 40x13.50 Super Swampers I put on stock wheels on another SEE.

Looked at ag tires, but never found anything suitable at the time. Still like the idea, though, and especially if running the fronts "backwards".

Load rating on the PitBulls and Swampers is technically marginal, even at 80 psi, but so far they've worked great at 40. And that's with some serious lateral loads at times.

Not to pick on you, but to pick on you....
You’ve mentioned many times that your SEE’s rarely leave your property.
Mine rarely drives more than 30 minutes at a time at 50mph. But I would rather trust my 6000lb rated surplus radials.

 

[The FLU farm]

And to pick back, of course they don't. I have much more enjoyable vehicles to drive on the road.
Should a SEE need to be 25 miles from here, it'd go there on a trailer.

And if it had surplus radials on it, I would consider trailering on the property, too.
So there.

 

[gringeltaube]

Load rating on the PitBulls and Swampers is technically marginal, even at 80 psi, but so far they've worked great at 40.

Pitbull catalog says 4200# @ 60psi. So if the SEE weights 16K you should be OK.

Only problem I see is how a typical L/T tire gets to seat on a MPT rim, without long-term damage to its bead sections. (the MPT bead flange is 1/4" taller than the L/T's.)

 

[tennmogger]

One consideration is that this is a work truck and will be around all sorts of stuff dangerous to tires. I ran Michelins here on the farm but blew out the sidewalls on 3 in a couple of years. Can't repair a sidewall. I went to an industrial Goodyear with something like 12 ply sidewall rating with chevron pattern for mud. No need to ask what model they were 'cause I don't know. Made in Czechoslovakia and acquired through a Unimog buddy about 12 years ago. Still running strong. Sidewalls so stiff they still look ok at 5 psi.

 

[The FLU farm]

Pitbull catalog says 4200# @ 60psi. So if the SEE weights 16K you should be OK.

Only problem I see is how a typical L/T tire gets to seat on a MPT rim, without long-term damage to its bead sections. (the MPT bead flange is 1/4" taller than the L/T's.)

I need to look at the bead areas, and a wheel, again and refresh my memory. As I recall it seemed fine.
And it was much more work to get the Michelins off than to mount the PitBulls and Swampers.

 

[Sgt Jiggins]

I just tore a side wall on one of the Michelin XL 12.5R20s and am running on the spare at the moment. Not ideal.

Anybody run 335/80R20 Pirelli MPT PS22s? The tread "looks" ok from the pics I've seen. But before I sink that kinda $ into rubber (I found them for $250 each (which in my particular situation includes S&H)) I thought I'd ask.

Thoughts?

 

[peakbagger]

I switched to the same size Pirelli Pistas which were available new surplus on Ebay. I got mine from a Unimog dealer that had picked up some takeoffs. They have stiffer sidewalls. I swapped them myself and they were a bit harder to seat until I picked up a bead blaster.

 

[Sgt Jiggins]

I switched to the same size Pirelli Pistas which were available new surplus on Ebay. ... They have stiffer sidewalls.

Good to hear - I'm gonna give them a go! Thanks.