Tire size for Sand dunes

[JBakerFX4]

Ok, stock my titanic came with the 275 65 R20 GY AT's (pizza cutters). I'm wondering what is the narrowest tire our truck needs to get through sandy areas, like the dunes for instance. I live in FL and it's just miles of this crap off road.. miles and miles of sand trails. My 35x12.50 Procomp Xtreme AT's are the most aggresive tire I'll be putting on, and in sand the smoother a tire is for the most part the better. (no MT's). So lets say comparing a stock CC/SB FX4 F150 which I believe comes with 275's... or 265's... and a stock FX4 F250 Diesel which comes with 275's. (let's assume both trucks have 33-35" tall tires), What tire size would get the F250 to the Fx4 F150 level in the sand? B/c weight is the issue here along with foot print, airing down etc I know.. but I'm trying to get an idea here to level the field. B/c if my 35x12.50's are overkill, and I can get away with some 285 BFG's, or 305 Toyos... Might do it for the MPG's and street manners.


B/c I never took it stock out there in the sand pits, b/c on those pizza cutters I was scared %&$*LESS about just sinking through the sand and getting stuck.

[TANK'S 250]

for sand,...you want to "float" over it.

You want the widest, non aggressive tire possible....

Interco TrXus STS's

[JBakerFX4]

Exactly. I'm trying to get to the off-road ability, in the sand, of a stock FX4 F150. And to be honest, those Procomps are AGGRESSIVE. they have very very deep treads. However they ride awsome and are just as quiet as stock. You don't even know they are there. But they are HEAVY. Most AT's have like 16/32" tread depth, and these things have like 21/32". Looks like 3/4" to me... So in the name of not sending money to Arabia, and keeping the green backs in my wallet... I've been debating the 285 BFG AT's, or the 305 Toyota AT's, both have shallow (normal!) tread depth.

I guess my goal here is to upgrade from the factory as little as possible to keep up with some stock 2007 F150 FX4 buddies out there.

So the next step up from factory would be the 285 BFG AT's. How do they do on our trucks in the sand? still to skinny?

[JBakerFX4]

NObody? Figure someone would know what is a minimum tire size for these things in the sand...

[TANK'S 250]

Nobody can answer because there are to many different types of sand.

F250's/350's weigh so damn much,..that you want the widest tire you can possibly fit,..if sand will be your main offroading preference.

And then you have to consider tires,...a tire that is great in the sand,...is gonna be worthless in mud.

Your question is hard to answer,...I don't want to tell you a random answer, and you end up with something you regret

[Diesel Freak]

I took my stockers to Nags Head twice last year and was most ashamed!! Aired down so much I thought tires would roll off rims. I've run several BFG AT KO's on different trucks and have never been more happy on/off road. IMO nothing wears better

These rigs are HEAVY!! The wider the better IMO
hell,,,,nothing better than slicks in sand

[95and05]

I run the beach sand here with 245s but get close to sinking in the dry fluffy stuff. i havent been stuck yet but if i went 285s i could float my truck on the sand here.
in the winter i like to run 235 cuz its hard to find 205s for my truck

[JBakerFX4]

so it's a balance act between sinking in the sand and having a tire to keep MPG's up. Great. so somewhere between a 285 and a 12.50. So 285, 305, 315 and 12.50. I'd say I'm on the widest spectrum for the factory 20" wheel. If it doesn't make it aired down on 35x12.50's then I'll just go back to 275's or narrower and stick to pavement and save my money at least. And if I take it out and it does TO well (yes, to well) then maybe I could go down 1 or 2 sizes. Going to be a lil R&D involved i guess.

[TANK'S 250]

Tire size is only one of the things to consider,...the other is tire design.

I have 41" Iroks, on a 4.5" lift,.....and I will tell you,....IROKS don't like sand.

I get worried when I see a paved road with a "dusting" on sand on it,...Iroks dig,....and digging is no good for sand.

Now mud....that's a different story...lol...I let my Iroks EAT!!!!!






for those that think mud is "Icky"...here's some clean pics....lol

[JBakerFX4]

very nice truck buddy. Very nice offroad setup. I know all about the design of the tread, i'm sticking with AT's. BFG AT, Toyo open Country AT, Etc. nothing nutz. 12 miles away from your iroks lol.