I am riding a Brute Force 650i with stock Dunlop 2 ply tires. I plan to get Bighorn radials in a few months. I have to use my stock tires and I know they aren't the best thing out there for heavy quads. I have been trying alot of different pressure and suspension settings. I checked out the spec of the Dunlops for the KT 190 and KT195. The tires seem to have 36 PSI mounting pressure and 5 PSI operational pressure. I am aware of the max operational pressure of 5 lbs. 5lbs on this heavy quad doesn't seem to handle unless you are going 10 MPH.

Stock:

All 4 tires were at 5 lbs of pressure.
Suspension was medium setting. These ride made the BF tippy and loose during hard turns. Easy to pancake the rims.

Mods 1

Front 2 tires at 7 lbs
Rear 2 tires at 7 lbs
Suspension set at lowest setting. The ride seem to improve but it was loose on throttle during hard turns and seems to rock side to side alot. Still seem easy to pancake rims.

Mods 2

Front 2 tires at 10lbs
Rear 2 tires at 10lbs
Suspension max stiffness.

Ride hard and it handled much better but you felt the rocks and fast trail riding. Tippy seem to have decreased but ride was too rough.

Mods 3

Front 2 tires at 10lbs
Rear 2 tires at 12lbs
Suspension at lowest setting.

Ride was smooth and stable with less rocking from side to side. Throttle was applied comfortable at all turns, hill and rocky climbs. Tippy feeling seem to have gone away with excellent dirt, mud, rocky, and hard ground traction. Rims seem much less likely to pancake on you.

I am asking for your opinions rather they are critical or helpful and most important your experience related to heavy 4x4 Quads. If you have a sport quad or something that is not 4x4 don't bother to post your tires settings since they will have nothing to do with heavy 4x4 quads.

Thanks.

 

I dont have a bf, but i have my tires at 6.5 front and rear, and the suspension set right in the middle.

 

v2rider


Thanks for your comments. Do you notice a big different using the 6 ply tires?

 

Compared to my stock radial tires the differences are.........


Stock was quieter, and smoother on tar
The 6ply swamplites pull me through more, are slightly heavier, but the difference in traction is well worth it.


All in all, im glad i got the swamplites, and will by them again when i need tires again. Who likes to ride on tar anyway?[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

the stock tires that come on these machines are junk and so are the rims makes the machine tippy in turns at moderate speeds the faster you replace them the better! it will be amuch better machine after. trust me

 

I agree weth the stock tires on some atvs being a problem, but the rims??????

 

i have Bighorns and usually run 2.5 -4.5# in them. on the 25s, the sizes were about the same front to rear, so i ran the same pressures all around.

but i just recently went up to the 27s (to clear some of the rocks i been pounding my skids on), and the fronts are a little taller so i'm gonna try running 1/2# more in the rear to even up the sizes. that is my plan now, but other factors may enter the equation.

wider rims would probably change the heights a little, but there arn't too many choices.

monty

 

montyh


How do those big horns handle low pressure with the radial belt built into them?

 

well, they hold up well, but they will keep you on your toes if you wanna run the 27s at high speeds with low pressures. the 25s had better manners going fast with low pressures. traction on rock of any kind is great, even when wet or under snow. turning is kinda hard on slickrock because of the great traction. one rear tire has to slip in a turn, and the great traction makes it hard to do this, but a little lean to the outside of the turn usually lets the inside tire slip easier.

but i'm gonna get set up with an air compressor or 16oz CO2 bottle so i can air up for the run back down the logging roads to camp or the truck. at 4.5# or more, you'll have no problems. i've ran the 25s on icy gravel roads to over 65mph and never felt too worried. i wouldn't do this with the 27s at 2.5# tho...

90% of my miles are in low range. about 50% is on rock of one flavor or another.

but if your question is how the tire holds up to low pressures, they have no problems. no gouges or scrapes other than normal wear and tear.

monty

 

v2rider the rim are junk because the offset of the rim is too narrow some people use wheel spacers but that can be dangerous on these heavy machines if you jump them its better to buy nice rims with the right offset to make the machine more stable