hey guys, i bought a 500sportsman LE last year and iv been having problems with the PXT stock tire, mostly flat tires and i notice that there not that good in the mud and muck.. I was wondering whats the best aftermarket tire to put on. keep in mind i want to keep the stock size cause i dont want a big decress in power.. any coments

 

i would say xtr's but there 1" wider in the front. the 8" front tires limit you to what you can get good. but any 6 ply tire will be stronger then the pxt's.

 

heres the 3 that iv been looking at Swamp Lites, Lite XTR, ITP Mudlite

 

im assuming that it has 26"x8"x 12" up front right. the xtr's only come in 26x9x12 for the front. as well does the reg. mud lites. i think the swamp lites are 26x10x12

 

I ripped up my PXT's in less than 100 miles! I have put 800 miles on my Mud Lite XTR's without a single flat or plug. The front tire size is a bit of a concern if you plan on using the stock aluminum rims. The Mud lites only come in 9 inch and the pxt's are 8. First I bought one inch spacers so that the tires would clear the tie rod ends. I did not like the way it handled and steered so just added two washers to each stud and it works fine. (3/8 clearance). I went with the 27" and am glad I did. The extra ground clearance and mudding ability are outstanding. It did however slightly affect top end speed. I have since gotten this lost performance back with a few mods (more on the way!).

A friend of mine has the Mud Lites and the ride is exactly the same so I'm not sure the radial is worth the extra money. He does however have a few plugs...

Hope this helps.

 

Do you still need a wheel spacer up front by going with 26x9x12 XTR's?

 

w/ his 500 it will loose alot more power w/ 27"s on vs. say 26" but fronts will be an issue w/out extra room.

 

I have been running mud lites for about 1000km now and no problems, great in mud, fairly smooth on the trails and good in the snow. they are a good all around tire and i know a lot of guys who are running them with no complaints. if you go to a more aggresive tire, ie. mud bugs or vampires they are great in the mud but very rough on trail riding. hope this helps

 

yes you should have spacers of some sort as the clearance is very tight.

 

I think the 26's make the tire even closer - as the wider part is lower - if that makes any sense?? My friend has the 800 with 26's and just did the washer thing. We ride hard. No problems in 800+ miles... Even without the washers they might make it by 1/8" but with mud buildup and tire deflection it is to close for comfort.

New rims with a different offset would solve this problem. ITP makes some nice ones!!!