Hey, i am new to the forum and i just got a new 2008 rancher, and i am just wondering what mud tire would be best for me. I want to use it for muddin, and goin in the snow. Ive been liking the ITP 589, and the mud-lite xlt. Also, I like the maxxis mudzillas. any further suggestions or comments will be greatly appreciated.

pic of rancher at dealership:

 

My personal experience with aftermarket tires/rims on my Ranchers has been negative! I put on 25" ITP ATR's on some ITP rims with a greater offset, and mostly it just ruined the machines sweet trail handling manners! (The ATR's are however a superb snow tire!)

The Rancher is a trail quad plain and simple, and that's where it shines. It is a mistake to try to turn it into a monster mud bogger or something else it was never designed to be! If that is what you needed, you simply bought the wrong quad.

That said, a set of MudLites on the stock rims would probably be a good choice for all around eastern trail riding.

 

never mind that, got to be the first post I've read that aggressively endorses stock tires over aftermarket. There is a better aftermarket tire for every need. Personally, I think 2 ply stock tires stink and you are just waiting to get a flat where I ride.

now back to your question as it is obvious you weren't asking about trail tires. As the Rancher 420 is in the mid 20s for HP, you are probably not going to want a tall heavy tire that sucks up HP and gear ratio. I would stick to the lightest tire in the stock height with an aggressive tread. My experience with the 589s is that they are not good for anything except mud and tire wear. They ride like you bolted up 4 cement filled tires, and dig too much for deep (more than your GC) snow riding. No experience with the ATR, but check out the Carlisle ACT for a decent all around radial tire. Bombardier uses them as a stock tire for a reason, and I'm pretty sure it isn't because they are the least expensive. Snow and mud tires are different, but the ACT tire performs better than stock in most conditions. Light and durable. A lot of people like the swamplites, which are a little bit lighter (and less expensive) than the 589.

 

thanks, but you got me all wrong, i dont not want to turn it into a mud monster, i just want a set of tires so when i go trail riding, something that can get me through, stuff if it be mud, snow, whatever. But, what about getting tires on a set of rims just like the stock rims? And reconranger, the reason why i bought this machine is for the trail riding!

 

if you are trail riding too, I will say again that the ACT is really worth looking at. they outperformed the stock tires in every feature

 

now, mikeM, what about rims, i want to get the closest thing to stock. Also, i think my decision will be between the ACT and the Mudlite. They are both more aggressive than the stock tire, but not overly aggressive for a mix of trail riding, snow riding, and muddin.

 

What the ITP rims/tires did was cause a lot of bump steer, and just made the quad handle clumsy. When in 4wd, the steering would fight you like if you were running lockers.

The stock steel rims are unfortunately way heavy. I wish they would switch to a lighter aluminum rim. Something with a rolled edge and still very sturdy, but a lot lighter.

As for the stock tires being wimpy, I ride nasty old mine roads with sharp rocks in the Sierra Nevada and Mojave desert. Never had a sidewall cut or problem of any kind! I am pretty impressed with the stock tires on my 420. The stockers on my older 350 have held up very well too, but I don't like the tread pattern as well.

 

well I think you can learn something from the previous post about offset, that and you don't want to mess up the balance that much - nothing with ballon tires like ATVs handle well in the first place. just noticed you can't you use stock rear rims with the ACT, that stinks. The mudlite XTRs are a bit heavier than the ACT (or Duck's Unlimited Wetlands radial) and they are more expensive. try atv direct (4atvtires on yahoo) for prices (their price includes shipping). do the Rubicon rims fit the 420? Or you can go cheap with a set of black steel rims with the stock offset. I wouldn't want bright rims with the camo.

I do a good portion of my riding in a place with sharp granite rocks all along (and sometimes in the middle) of the trail. I blew out my stock Honda tires in less than 30 miles, so bad it could not be repaired. Being a 2 ply, when they are flat you can't drive on them. Most 6 ply rated tires can run flat.

 

Im liking those ACTs and regular mudlites. Do you know what the size is i should get for front and rear? I just want like the same size as stock i dont want huge tires. thanks again

 

you must go 25" for the ACT, and you need (rear) rims - 25x8x12 fr 25x11x12 rear, so you will be 1" taller. maybe you can get by using Foreman rims, but I am not sure they have the same offset