[Honda4trax]

hey so i had to replace the front tires bc the guy before me decided it was cool to run over barbed wire. anywhow it got to the point where the plugs in the front tires just wont hold. so i replaced them. the old tire size was 23x8-11. the new size is 24x9-11 (just like in the back). this is a 98 honda 300 4x4 btw.. he told me to keep the psi's around 4-7lbs. so i chose 5. they are carlisle trail wolfs... i have read where on 4x4's you need to keep the front smaller than the back OR keep the psi's lower in the front than in the back due to gear ratio differences. what do you guys think?


second question, is there such thing as over tightening the rims when you put them back on? i put mine on nice and snug ( do not have a torque wrench it was stolen). if there is an over tightening what are the symptoms? any noise? vibration? just curious

thanks

 

[Fourtrax]

Yes on the 4x4 you are supposed to keep the same ratio front to back, if you go up and inch in the front, go up and inch in the back, if not drive train problems will be in your near future. Its the same as driving a 4x4 truck on the highway locked in.. generally ruins transfer cases real fast.

As far as your rims go, I never use a torque wrench on them, just make sure they are tight. Usually just use my 1/2 rachet and snug them up.

 

[Helmut]

I agree with Fourtrax.

 

[Honda4trax]

Yes on the 4x4 you are supposed to keep the same ratio front to back, if you go up and inch in the front, go up and inch in the back, if not drive train problems will be in your near future. Its the same as driving a 4x4 truck on the highway locked in.. generally ruins transfer cases real fast.

As far as your rims go, I never use a torque wrench on them, just make sure they are tight. Usually just use my 1/2 rachet and snug them up.

maaaan are you serious?? so i have to buy new ones for the back now? they are the same 24x8-11's.. out of curiosity what kind of drive train symptoms are we looking at? any sounds? anything? still learnin' folks.

could a difference in psi front and back help? i really do not want to buy new back tires. i only bought fronts bc i had to. they have great tread... man this sucks :blink:

-- for the record the shop owner said i had nothhing to worry about that its really not that big of a difference. i have found him to be very honest and up front. he is very well liked and has worked on these since he was younger. just sayin' but i see where you guys are coming from though and it makes good sense as well.

 

[Fourtrax]

Yes it will eventually cause damage. The ratio I believe is one inch difference in height between front and rear. (front 1 inch smaller than rear) I'm not sure what symptom would show up first but the end result isn't good. I doubt you will be able to make up an inch with air pressure unless you air the crap out of the back and run the front pretty much flat, which is not real safe.

 

[Honda4trax]

Yes it will eventually cause damage. The ratio I believe is one inch difference in height between front and rear. (front 1 inch smaller than rear) I'm not sure what symptom would show up first but the end result isn't good. I doubt you will be able to make up an inch with air pressure unless you air the crap out of the back and run the front pretty much flat, which is not real safe.

ugh... wonderful.... so keeping them at 5psi isnt too low? i had them at 10-15 and he said that was too high.. just curious and thanks again guys

 

[Fourtrax]

To be honest I don't ever pay much attention to what psi are in mine, I just make sure they aren't flat and all feel about the same. I believe the tire should say on the side what PSI to run in it as well as your manual if you have one. around 5-6 sounds about right.

 

[Pain]

You can even go lower, I think mine are at 3.5-4lbs or something like that. I guess it depends on the tires, too. I put 5-6 pounds in some kenda bear claws and it felt like I was riding on superballs. Had to back it down to 4.

 

[Helmut]

I have heard of people running the same size tire on the 300 by keeping a lot of air in the rear and less in the front to try to make up for the difference in the tire, but personally I would be afraid to try that. Those 300s have a transfer case for a reason. The transfer case changes the gearing to the front to make up for the smaller tires. It might be OK to do that if you are mostly a mudder and just ride through deep mud mostly, because you will be spinning the tires most of the time, anyway, and it wouldn't matter if the rear was spinning faster than the front in the mud.

 

[Helmut]

You can even go lower, I think mine are at 3.5-4lbs or something like that. I guess it depends on the tires, too. I put 5-6 pounds in some kenda bear claws and it felt like I was riding on superballs. Had to back it down to 4.

I agree with Pain on this. I ride on a lot of steep mountains and sometimes where there's not even any trails, so the dirt is real soft. When I'm riding on the real soft dirt, sometimes I will run as little as 2 pounds on a utility 4-wheeler so I can get more traction. The only problem with that is you risk the tires breaking loose from the rims, but I have found with a Honda utility, that's really not a problem as you can't hardly break the bead even when trying to change a tire. As soon as I leave the soft dirt, I have to air back up, though, because that isn't enough air for hard packed dirt or rocks. On hard pack or asphalt, I sometimes run as much as 10 pounds, but it depends on the 4-wheeler and the type of tires.

For normal trail riding, I usually run about 4-5 PSI.

As far as safety is concerned, it's best to keep the tires at the pressure that your owner's manual says. Usually there's a sticker or plate somewhere on your fenders that tells the recommended tire pressure.

 

[Honda4trax]

I have heard of people running the same size tire on the 300 by keeping a lot of air in the rear and less in the front to try to make up for the difference in the tire, but personally I would be afraid to try that. Those 300s have a transfer case for a reason. The transfer case changes the gearing to the front to make up for the smaller tires. It might be OK to do that if you are mostly a mudder and just ride through deep mud mostly, because you will be spinning the tires most of the time, anyway, and it wouldn't matter if the rear was spinning faster than the front in the mud.

as i had edited in my second post, the shop owner i bought them from works on these 4 wheelers alot and loves the 300 hondas and he said i shouldnt be worried about the front tires being the same size as the backs. he said not once has he seen any issues with doing that. the only times he sees gear issues is neglect of changing the oil and or getting water in it. he is the most trust guy in atv's in my area. he has been very honest and upfront with me and he is quick to correct you if you are doing something wrong. he even goes the extra mile to explain why yada yada........ that being said i do value your opinions and knowledge as well. i may get an inch taller tires for the back. i dont like it but i am paranoid now. the last thing i need is gearing issues with this new to me 4wheeler. the wife is gonna love this...

 

[Pain]

Look on craigslist for a few weeks and see if something pops up. Also, you could put the new fronts on the rear and get smaller fronts....might be cheaper. Probably not much if any, but a few bucks is better than nothing.

OR, put the older rear tires on front since they will be a little smaller after having worn down, and then run lower pressure in them until you can find a deal on craigslist or a sale on tires.

 

[Fourtrax]

Thats a good idea Pain, that would be the best choice for now until you can get two more tires. I'd avoid riding on any pavement for sure though until you get the right size on there.

 

[Honda4trax]

Thats a good idea Pain, that would be the best choice for now until you can get two more tires. I'd avoid riding on any pavement for sure though until you get the right size on there.

no i will talk around and see what other honda techs say, so far none said it made adifference to have the same size tire on both front and back bc the ratios were based on the tires already being on there and that the actual ratio itself is so close it will not make a difference running the same size tire...(how true that is i dont know) this came from a honda shop that i dont go to...... but if necassary ill buy new backs. sucks but hey, learn something new i guess..

 

[Fourtrax]

Good Luck! I can understand about wanting second opinions, but the physics of it pretty much make it common sense two axles turning at different speeds attached to the same vehicle is never good something has to give. If you would like more input hit up http://forum.highlifter.com/ and see what you can find there.

EDITED link to point directly to forums

 

[Helmut]

Thats a good idea Pain, that would be the best choice for now until you can get two more tires. I'd avoid riding on any pavement for sure though until you get the right size on there.

no i will talk around and see what other honda techs say, so far none said it made adifference to have the same size tire on both front and back. but if necassary ill buy new backs. sucks but hey, learn something new i guess..

It's your choice, but I don't think Honda put the transfer case on those 300s for nothing. If you use the same size tire, then the front tires will be turning faster than the rear tires. Unless you're constantly riding where the tires can spin, I don't see how it can keep from eventually damaging something. It may take a while before it damages something, though. If this is the case, then it would be hard to tell if it was damaged because of the wrong size tires or if it just went bad from normal wear and tear.

 

[Honda4trax]

Thats a good idea Pain, that would be the best choice for now until you can get two more tires. I'd avoid riding on any pavement for sure though until you get the right size on there.

no i will talk around and see what other honda techs say, so far none said it made adifference to have the same size tire on both front and back. but if necassary ill buy new backs. sucks but hey, learn something new i guess..

It's your choice, but I don't think Honda put the transfer case on those 300s for nothing. If you use the same size tire, then the front tires will be turning faster than the rear tires. Unless you're constantly riding where the tires can spin, I don't see how it can keep from eventually damaging something. It may take a while before it damages something, though. If this is the case, then it would be hard to tell if it was damaged because of the wrong size tires or if it just went bad from normal wear and tear.

thanks guys.. ill end up buying a set of back tires. no more than we ride they will last us years. i can sell the old tires and get some of my $$ back.. i wasnt second guessing you guys i just wanted to hear what others said to see if this was "common knowledge" or not..

 

[Honda4trax]

OK well here we go. the tires on the front and back are 24x9-11's. so i wanted the same trail wolf's in the back so we are looking at 25x9-11's or 25x10-11's doesnt matter. well aparently they do not make them in that size for 11 inch rims. so i talked to my guy and he can get me some AMS Swamp Foxs in 25x10-11's for 70-75 bucks a piece. they are a 6 ply tire... would this be satisfactory? i have heard good things about the swamp foxes. is it ok to have mix matched tires? its a curiosity question really. what do you guys think aobut the difference in the trail wolfs in the front and the swamp fox in the back? (at an inch higher and an inch wider in the back)

 

[Redracer]

The tire width is not going to effect your ride. Yes you can run different tires in the front and back. Honda and their 11" wheels, tires choices are limited.

 

[Fourtrax]

I think that would be just fine.