I want to keep my 50" width and gain top end speed and ground clearance. The only 28x8x12's and 28x10x12's I find are the TG Tyre Guider Knight's at Chaparral. Any thoughts on tire clearance and stability?
Did you use any spacers?After looking at a bunch of guy's recommendations I went with 26's on my stock wheels and I love them! I think the biggest thing is having the added sidewall and radial construction. The ride quality greatly improved, handling improved just all good. I cannot speak for a great ground clearance advantage, for the only time I drove it with the stock 24's on it was out in South Dakota in the mountains. All the trails were like gravel roads, so no clearance issues. I have done rock crawling at a local ORV park with it now that the 26's are on and I drug the belly over a few rocks, but did not get hung up.
No spacers. I wanted to keep mine stock width because in Michigan the ORV trail system is set up for 50" or less in width. I've rode 3 and 4 wheelers since I was 12, so the P500 was actually intended for my wife to come along on those trails with me and the kids on quads. She did not like the roll cage hitting trees on the banked corners every 5 minutes, so the P500 has ended up my chore vehicle at home and the adventure vehicle for my 5 year old and me up at our cabin.
My experience with the stock tires was when my friend, who I bought the machine off of, had it out to South Dakota on our ATV group's annual out-of-state ride. Another member's teen-age nieces were driving it, as well as a few of us took turns in it. I remember it being rather rough riding and the handling was sloppy. So after I bought it off him (he had to make way for a Talon) the first thing I did was buy the 26" Bearclaw HTR's. After installing them the first time I trail drove it there was a night-n-day difference in the ride and handling compared to what I experienced in South Dakota. I have not drove it "fast" and tried cornering it, so I do not feel it is "tippy" at all with the stock wheels and taller tires. I think sticking with the 11" wide rears helps this.
Thanks for the information, welcome from Central Florida.I ended up going with 27x8x12's on the front and 27x10x12's on the rear using the stock rims and they are great. I gained a couple of inches of clearance and I have yet to rub a rock where I was hitting them all the time with the factory 24" tires. I gained some top end speed and no noticeable power loss on the bottom end. Best of all, I have retained my 50" width, which proved valuable last week when we rode the most beautiful 50" trail ever, on the Piute system in central Utah. My tires rubbed the the entrance and exit poles as we passed through, and any wider spread would not have made it through. As far as tipping goes, I been on several steep side angle trails with no problems.
Thanks for the info. Would you please share the tire brand/style. Loved the Piute Trail and camping I'm Marysville.I ended up going with 27x8x12's on the front and 27x10x12's on the rear using the stock rims and they are great. I gained a couple of inches of clearance and I have yet to rub a rock where I was hitting them all the time with the factory 24" tires. I gained some top end speed and no noticeable power loss on the bottom end. Best of all, I have retained my 50" width, which proved valuable last week when we rode the most beautiful 50" trail ever, on the Piute system in central Utah. My tires rubbed the the entrance and exit poles as we passed through, and any wider spread would not have made it through. As far as tipping goes, I been on several steep side angle trails with no problems.
Yep.28's and not spreading the stance is not recommended! It'll be a pucker fest.
What Brand tires did you end up going with?I ended up going with 27x8x12's on the front and 27x10x12's on the rear using the stock rims and they are great. I gained a couple of inches of clearance and I have yet to rub a rock where I was hitting them all the time with the factory 24" tires. I gained some top end speed and no noticeable power loss on the bottom end. Best of all, I have retained my 50" width, which proved valuable last week when we rode the most beautiful 50" trail ever, on the Piute system in central Utah. My tires rubbed the the entrance and exit poles as we passed through, and any wider spread would not have made it through. As far as tipping goes, I been on several steep side angle trails with no problems.