What would you suggest as the best tires for rock climbing situations?

Best tires for Mud?

Best for Hardpack and normal all around?

I'm looking for suggestions for aftermarket tires, mainly 26" or 27". For a utility bike as well, I don't have any use for holeshot or razr comments. I don't need new tires, but someday I will, and I would like to have some idea on what I might get.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

Mud= VAMPIRES Hardpack=Blaclwaters or Bearclaws. I would perfer bear claws. I have no experience with rock climbing but I know black waters are the easiest punctured mud tires. ASK Gordan Banks about that. My friend has bearclaws and is soon to take them off and put blackwaters. The bear claws are a good all terrain tire but more designed for mud.

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Matt Sibley

1999 Honda 300 4x4 Vampires and 2500 lb. winch

 

For rock crawling you need a wide soft tire like the Mudshark or the Super Swampers. There is one problem. With the 12 inchers it will be harder to steer. Since you already don't like how your AC 500 steer I would say you need the 26-9-12 inch tires. These tires will also do very well in the mud, but not as ggod as Vampires. Mudsharks ride better than Super Swampers but the Swampers steer better.

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Arctic Cat 500, Not your average Kitty, The New King Of the Jungle

 

i just put 26-12-12 vamps on my grizzly and i love it for all uses

 

Robert, the front tires are mainly where your steering comes from. I will have 12" on the back reguardless of what I get, and between 9-10" on the front.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*

 

Since the rear axles of all quads, except the Kaw 300 2x4, are locked together, the wider tires will actually make turning alittle harder. They will however add about a foot or 2 to your turning diameter (on paved surfaces). The reason is because the inside wheel has to "slip" in a turn, because the rear tires turn at the same speed no mater what. The 9 inch wide tires will slip before the 12 inchers will. this gives you a wider turning radius because the 12 inchers will make you go straighter than the 9 inchers.

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Arctic Cat 500, Not your average Kitty, The New King Of the Jungle

 

I dont think that this would have any effect on how heavy it steered though. The wider fronts have more to push which makes the quad steer heavier and be harder to turn the bars. Most quads have wide rears and slim fronts and they all steer just fine. Its the most common setup. Honda 300 4x4s steer very easy, as do big bears and they have wide rears and narrow fronts. If you put a wider front tire on, then you make them steer heavier.

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Andy Bassham *(1999 Arctic Cat 500 4x4, 1989 Honda 300)*