Of course, this could fall into the "subjective" category, but does it hurt to put bigger wheels with big aggressive mud tires on your wheeler. This is in reference to a P700 (I posted a few days ago about pricing). I know running anything other than stock parts puts additional stress on the unit, but will I ever know the difference. Will it really tear anything up. I know it depends on my riding style - my riding style is slightly aggressive but not too abusive (wheelies, small jumps, and I like to hear the engine run), but at the same time we have a lot of nasty mud around here (clay / red dirt / muck) and I think I'll need to beef it up a little just to make it through trails where the others have been (the guys with the lift kits and Outlaws, etc.) In other words, I want it to be a sport(y) quad and a mud quad in one! Possible?

Also, is there any way to put the bigger wheels / tires on and still maintain accurate mileage and MPH readings? Should I stay with the same wheel size and get the most aggressive tire that will fit the rims?? Thanks in advance.

 

I've gotten over 1200 miles of abuse on my quad with 26" tires on most of the time, but a good portion of that time was spent in mud, turning 28" Zilla's... I have worn out a belt, & a secondary clutch... although the '02 model secondary has been improved for the '03 & up models... this suggests that abuse may not have played a part in the secondary... IMO... how you drive can make as much difference, If you lug your machine in high range, it probably does more harm than bigger tires... that said, tire diameter only plays a small part in it... a light weight ( tall ) tire, & wheel will do less damage than a heavy tire & heavy steel wheel... I was looking up some info on another forum ( for someone competeing in the mud nationals )... there are tractor tread tires, that are 29" X 7.5" X 15"... that only weigh 20 lbs... coupled with custom 15" X 5" aluminum wheels... the combination weighs in less than a set of ATR's on stock wheels...but then, the 1" plus lugs strain the drive train, because of the better traction, more so than a tire with less agressive tread...

in short... quit worrying about it... they are put together a far cry better than the old snowmobiles I rode in the late 70's... they, for the most part don't wear out... most of the time, we break them...

 

So you figure that if it is going to break, its not from the bigger wheels, etc., but just something that was going to happen anyway, stock or not?

I can live with that, thanks for the input.

BTW, what about accurate odometer readings? I guess that is something I'll have to make a choice on, eh? Or is there a solution?

 

Pecker,
I haven't heard of any solution to inaccurate odometer/speedometer readings caused by larger diameter tires. But I don't think its a big deal for 2 reasons. First, I will say that the speedometer (and thus, the odometer too) on the P650/P700 has been widely reported as inaccurate on this and other forums (based on comparisons to GPS readings). Some folks report 1 to 5 mph inaccuracies (at top-speed) with stock size tires! I think this is a common problem with other quads too. Second, I don't think the odometer inaccuracy (which is inherently caused by inaccurate speedometer readings) matters too much b/c the factory and extended warranties are based on months of ownership and not mileage/hours use.

The only practical solution may be to get yourself a GPS to carry with you on your quad to measure your speed, but this won't fix the odometer situation. Even if you only borrow a GPS and use it on your quad once, it will give you a good idea of how far off your speedometer is.

Happy trails...[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

Ok. Good advice. Thank you - also, good idea on the GPS!