[Arvetus]

Hi all,
Just picked up my 2018 Rubicon last week from my local dealer. Long time rider, first time making a BRAND NEW purchase, and also my first Honda. I love that they’re still running with tried and true technology that even the other guys used to use back in the day. Honda just keeps making it better.

Anyway, my wheels and tires just came in. I kept the OEM rim size of 12”, but did 27” swamp lites.
I’m running 12” wide on the rear and 10” on the front instead of the 8”/10” of OEM.

Now that they’re on the bike, I’m almost thinking there’s too much rubber and may be a little woozy on pavement. But I guess I will have to see what they do on the actual trail and through the woods instead of my driveway and up and down my somewhat paved county road.

Any thoughts? What are other Rubicon riders running in this department? I don’t want to tear up axles and I’m not out to impress anyone. I just want something more functional for what I will use the bike for, which is hunting lease and some fun on the trails. I’m in East Texas, so it’s a mix of gumbo mud like Louisiana and red clay/rock with a little sand and gravel if the road is maintained.

I’m not looking to lift it, but I like the extra little bit of ground clearance of a 27” tire over the OEM 25”, and also, I think the OEM tire setup looks like it’s lacking something.

Thoughts?

 

[mac102004]

I’ve ran 27’s on mine it’s a good size for it. I’m running 28” Mud Bugs currently, I like those as well since they aren’t heavy or overly agressive. I ran 28” silverbacks on it and they were a bit much for it but never broke anything. I ran 30” silverbacks on it for awhile but could not keep axles in it.

Anyway, tires look great, they will be fine. Enjoy the new ride.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mrbb]

I think you will be fine and come to enjoy the better traction of these tires over stock one's
just have to be more careful when turning with any speed on hard pack for sure, taller always means more tippy!

 

[Arvetus]

Sure enough on the taller/tippy thing. I guess I will see how these do. Just my personal taste, I am just wondering if there’s too much rubber vs rim. I will run with these and maybe next time, I will either upgrade to 14” and keep the same overall tire size of 27” or I may keep these rims and bump down to 26” rubbers. We’ll just see how these go this time around.

I already have had it out on the trail trying to break in the bike over the weekend on the stock setup. My wife, who is not experienced at all, already rolled it once (out of eyesight from me or the others we were riding with) on the stockers trying to do a hill/rock climb on her first run. Luckily it didn’t get her, she got out of the way fast enough, but I know the taller tires will be even more tricky when it comes to that even if the wider width helps with stability. We’ll just see how it goes...

 

[shadetree]

looking at the cv joint angles at the front and rear , I see broken axles in the future.

 

[mrbb]

looking at the cv joint angles at the front and rear , I see broken axles in the future.

I'm sure wear and tear will increase, but if all the OP is doing is light riding, I doubt they will be that hard on things
if he was a big mud rider then I'd say differently LOL

 

[Arvetus]

I'm sure wear and tear will increase, but if all the OP is doing is light riding, I doubt they will be that hard on things
if he was a big mud rider then I'd say differently LOL

Yeah, that I am not. About the only mud riding I do is what they show in the promo vids. Not trying to sink it. Just what you might typically encounter on a trail, not a specifically made mud hole. Had to cross a creek when I had it out the other day on the stockers and the water came up to the foot pegs. That’s about all I’m getting into.

That’s why I went with swamp lites and not silverback x-lites.

 

[mac102004]

Unless I missed something those are just the stock axle angles there is no lift on this machine.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Arvetus]

Nope.....No lift.

 

[TBRider]

I'm already getting a grinding from my rear end running 26's when braking

 

[mrbb]

the angle of the axles shouldn't change with adding taller tires, but the added weight and traction they can give, can add more stress to them axles and thus wear on them more than stock tires will

 

[mrbb]

I'm already getting a grinding from my rear end running 26's when braking

if your getting a grinding noise while braking, odds are its something in your brake system,
larger tires might weight moire and take more brake power to slow and stop, but shouldn;t have anything to do with grinding noises!
maybe a wheel bearing is going out on you, or a rear axle splines wearing and slipping as you stop, but odds are that doesn't have much if anything to do with the slight 1 inch taller tires your running!
if this is a solid rear axle atv, the left rear wheel bearing is a known weak spot, they fail, let water into axle and that quickly rusts/weakens the splines on the axle, which can make a grinding noise\ jack atv up off the ground and check rear wheel bearings for play! would be my suggestion here, and if good, take brakes apart and see what is grinding in them!

 

[Arvetus]

I'm already getting a grinding from my rear end running 26's when braking

if your getting a grinding noise while braking, odds are its something in your brake system,
larger tires might weight moire and take more brake power to slow and stop, but shouldn;t have anything to do with grinding noises!
maybe a wheel bearing is going out on you, or a rear axle splines wearing and slipping as you stop, but odds are that doesn't have much if anything to do with the slight 1 inch taller tires your running!
if this is a solid rear axle atv, the left rear wheel bearing is a known weak spot, they fail, let water into axle and that quickly rusts/weakens the splines on the axle, which can make a grinding noise\ jack atv up off the ground and check rear wheel bearings for play! would be my suggestion here, and if good, take brakes apart and see what is grinding in them!

I would agree. The bike comes stock with 25” tires. Bumping up to 26” tires only nets 1/2” in height, hardly enough to eat a CV on one of these. Lifts or tires larger than about 2” over stock diameter is another story. I wouldn’t run anything larger than 2” over stock anyway...that’s just me. Others have done it with nary an issue, but I wouldn’t.

Tires break axles from added traction and grabbing. If you bounce around too much in the mud and start getting wheel hop when you are spinning, you better get off it real quick and put it in 4x4.

 

[mrbb]

I'm already getting a grinding from my rear end running 26's when braking

if your getting a grinding noise while braking, odds are its something in your brake system,
larger tires might weight moire and take more brake power to slow and stop, but shouldn;t have anything to do with grinding noises!
maybe a wheel bearing is going out on you, or a rear axle splines wearing and slipping as you stop, but odds are that doesn't have much if anything to do with the slight 1 inch taller tires your running!
if this is a solid rear axle atv, the left rear wheel bearing is a known weak spot, they fail, let water into axle and that quickly rusts/weakens the splines on the axle, which can make a grinding noise\ jack atv up off the ground and check rear wheel bearings for play! would be my suggestion here, and if good, take brakes apart and see what is grinding in them!

I would agree. The bike comes stock with 25” tires. Bumping up to 26” tires only nets 1/2” in height, hardly enough to eat a CV on one of these. Lifts or tires larger than about 2” over stock diameter is another story. I wouldn’t run anything larger than 2” over stock anyway...that’s just me. Others have done it with nary an issue, but I wouldn’t.

Tires break axles from added traction and grabbing. If you bounce around too much in the mud and start getting wheel hop when you are spinning, you better get off it real quick and put it in 4x4.

HAHA< seen a lot of things break over the yrs from folks wheel hopping a vehicle, even in 4x4 and then suddenly get a little traction and you find your weak link/s real fast LOL

like they say too though HOW you use, or abuse something , has a LOT to do with how well or long something lasts
some folks run tall tires and do better than others, but most I think use there brain more than thumb toi get the longer life
but then again, many that dabble in the big tire world, DON"T seem to care about braking things, they call it FUN< and just the price that has to be paid some times to have it!
I think we are all guilty of this mind set at some point in our life, I know I was, so I don't throw stones at those that still enjoy testing the limits
only go around once, enjoy what you like as long as you can afford to! or just can!
or till one day you get smarter and don't want to waste $$ anymore LOL

 

[wheeler]

I love those tires. I think it looks great. You'll love the trail traction they provide! I found mine wore fairly fast on hard pack though...