I am getting new tires and rims next week and I have been having a time trying to decide on which ones. I called down to Highlifter and talked to them for awhile about different combos that would work. We decided on 26X9X12 on the front and 25X12.5x12 on the back Bearclaws. He said he has had a couple people ordering this combo for the Scrambler 500. He said it would work real good. I think the stock tires on the scrambler look way too small anyways. Oh yeah, they will be on chrome rims and I think I might get the FMF megamaxII also. So what do y'all think? I know it could be a little bit more top heavy. Maybe the wider width might solve that problem. I would like to hear a few opinions before I get them. I will probably still get them because they will make the 99 Scrambler look tough as hell and give it alot more ground clearance. I will definately let you know how they perform first hand. If anybody has tried this tire size combo on the scrambler please let me know. Any other(not too loud)pipe suggestions would be helpful.

Thanks,

Steve

 

The stock tires on a Scrambler 500 are small for a reason. The lower profile the tire, the better they perform due to less sidewall flex and lower center of gravity of the machine. If you put tires on it that are tall and bulky, (I assume you ride in mud a lot) you will loose tire speed in mud, which will hurt you in mud running, but the ground clearance and better mud lugs should more than make up the difference from less wheel speed and it should do better in mud with the bigger tires than with the stock ones, especially if they clean well. The less wheel speed you have, the more you will need a good self cleaning tire. Another thing, you will loose acceleration in a straight line.

You think the taller tires will look better? Yeah, if you like the utility look. It probably will not handle like a full sport quad anymore. Also, remember you don't have low range to help in extreme strain or slow running bad terrain. After all, the bigger tires will raise the gear ratio, in turn robbing you of low end power. As a + though, you main gain a couple mph for top speed. Also, just FYI, the way the Polaris 4wd system is designed, you can put all 4-tires the same size height and NOT have any more strain on the drive train, even in 4wd. If it were me and I rode in mud a lot, I would probably go with 24" tall Bear Claw's on the front and rear. Of course having the front tires narrower. If I did ride in mud a lot, (enough to change to mud tires) I'd probably have a Magnum or Sportsman 500. Or at least two sets of tires and wheels to change according to what type of riding I was doing that day. Just my opinion though. These are some facts you may want to consider. Any comments welcome...

WillieB - '99 Scrambler 500

 

I talked to a guy who has 25" Bearclaws on a '98 Scrambler 500 with a HPD pipe & clutch kit, and he claims it works great.

I talked to a guy with '97 Scrambler 400 with 26" Blackwaters, and he claims it works great.

I saw a lady on a '97 Scrambler 500 with 25" Super Swampers do GREAT in the mud, and even float across one water part. I never talked to her.

For some reason I still don't feel comfortable running those big tires, like the clutch couldn't handle it with the high gearing, but I have never ridden one with 25" tires.

When I bought new tires/rims I kept my stock rims so I could put 25" Super Swampers on when I get some more $$$.

Let me know how your setup works if you buy it, if the Scrambler can turn them ok, when I get ready to buy mud tires I just might buy the setup you mentioned. I love Bearclaws, but I don't like how the narrower front tires dont' have deep tread, at least on the 25", never seen the 26"

Let me know how it works out!

Adam Dowden

 

I don't know, a friend of mine had a 98 Scrambler 500, and tried to run 25" Swampers. Even with performance mods, it was HARD on it.. The engine had the power, but getting it thru the stock gearing really heated up the belt.
In a REALLY bad situation, instead of breaking the tires over and spinning, it smoked the belt. He knew how to drive, this wasn't driver error.
Maybe some re gearing or a dual range gearbox???

 

Save your money and put a down payment on a Sportsman or Magnum. If you wannabee tough as hell . . . act like it.
Looks are nice only if you can back up the look with performance. You will turn your Scram into a whimpy mobile that can't run with the fast dogs and will get eaten by the big dogs in the rough. The Scram is not made to run this type of rubber. It won't "look good" getting whipped by any stock atv on the planet when they go around you. Any handling and performance will be out the window. There are so many other things that you would need to change to even think about it . . . Don't! Maybe you just want it to quote "look tough as hell". I suggest you borrow some tires, take pictures and "look tough as hell" and then take 'em off and get real.

Those people at Hi-Lifter are leading you down a really wrong path that they know nothing about. I'm not surprised . . . just because they found one or two idiots, they think it's a good setup that they can sell . . . that's really going to get them in trouble down the road.

Please . . ask others for a second opinion before surgery.

www.godgital-design.com/schultzmotorsports

 

I've never tried larger tires on my Scrambler and always thought the Holeshots looked better than any other tire out there. Others must too as it is the most copied tire on the market. I didn't buy my Scrambler to have it look like a Utility Quad. The larger tires will also put more stress on the entire drive train and probably cause premature failure of those parts. If you have your heart set on it have a ball. Just let us know how it goes, short term and long term.
Scott.

 

Robert, I am not happy to hear that! Oh well. Now that I think about it, the guys with pre-'98 Scramblers could be changing gearing, something I miss about chain drive.

I really want a low range.... I am still looking into it, but the cost is so high I don't see it worth it. I might call Marshall All Seasons and ask about it, if anyone would know if it was possible at a reasonable cost, it would be them. I don't care for the fancy shift linkage, I could reach back there and use a tab to put it low range if I had to, like Jim Maloney uses on his Scrambler. If it was possible for around $500 parts, I would probaly try it. I doubt it's that easy though.

Adam

 

If I was going to change tire sizes on my 500 SCR I would go to 25 inch Goodyear Mudrunners on the front and back or 25 inch bearclaws front and back. I would also change the rear sprocket to a 38 or 39 (I would use a 38 because it would be free off my wifes TB) to compensate for the F/R tire diameter differences. This change in ratio would be ~ the same as a 12.5 tooth counter sprocket on the 99 and 98 500 SCR. The bike would sit 1.5 inches taller than stock and would not add but .5 inches to the sidewall height on the 12 inch mudrunners. If their sidewalls are very stiff it could have less flex than the stock 489s. I personally think it would work and would add 8 mph if your bike could pull up the same rpm with them as it does now when you are going 60. Let us how they work.

 

Also the 400 explorer tranny might be a direct fit and one dealer thought the tranny was about 750 but I have not pursued this any further. This would be nice for playing in the mud.

 

Ya know, I play in ALOT of mud and high water, and for the most part, I don't get stuck that often. I'm only running 22" Bearclaws on the rear and stock Titans on the front. I VERY RARELY high center to a point where I'm not able to either lean it hard one way and power on thru, or throw it in reverse, back out, and hit it again, ONLY FASTER!!..
Adam, don't make comments about Roxanne trying to drive the rest of the way thru that BIG mudhole after I got off at the last run... I TOLD HER TO STAY TO THE LEFT!!... She was a blonde in her past life...
Thre is sooo much involved in setting up a Scrambler to handle the oversize tires and do it RIGHT.. How does the transmission lead away toward the front end?.. is there a shaft coming out of the transmission going forward, and another shaft for the chain drive?
Is there even room on the 98-99 Scrambler to put 25" tires?.. my 22" look awful close to the rear of the floorboard.. maybe the 97's are different.
I would just rather buy more go-fast goodies for my Polaris, and save my nickels for a used and abused Honda 300 4x4... spend the money and rebuild the entire engine with every concievable go-fast part that Highlifter sells, install a locker, lift it, the WORKS... and then I'd have a sporty 4x4 to go fast and look good on, and a serious mudmachine that who cares what it looks like, its covered in mud.
Oh, how would these mods affect any warrantys?
Its just a thought!!