I was not sure what the big difference was if I used 12 inch wheels or 10 inch wheels in the rear of my quad. I hear people using tire 26x12x10 and 26x12x10. I have 10 inch wheel, what would happen if I bought 12 inch wheels?

 

If you put a 12 inch rim on it, it would be a lower profile tire not as much sidewall exposed as the 10 inch rim. It would be the same size tire but the larger the rim the more sidewall it takes up. I would get the 12 inch rim it's not as tipsy and it looks better.

Later,

Steve

 

I’m not disagreeing with Steve but there are a couple other considerations as well. The more sidewall you have (small wheel/large tire OD) the more flex you will have in the wheel/tire setup. That’s why you won’t find this combo on the front (steering) but you’ll find it on the rear (ride comfort). This combo can be a benefit in rocks too because your wheel is better protected. You’ll also notice a difference in sidewall flex between tires. Lighter, thinner tires flex more than thicker, heavier ones. The whole idea is to match your equipment to your riding style. If you’re a woods racer you probably won’t want as much flex (I’m guessing). If you’re a touring sightseer flex = comfort. Most of us fall in the middle somewhere.

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FloodRunner, on the Wisconsin River

 

Another thing to add to Steve & Flood's (I forgot your name, sorry....) post. More tires and less rim protects the rim better from dings & dents. If your tire hit a rock, it would be less damage than your rim hitting a rock. If you do a lot of jumping, more tire and less rim handles the jump better so the tire doesn't compress and when the rim hits the ground it bends on big jumps.

Also, with a larger rim on the same size tire it's less wieght. However, you couldn't use a 12" rim on a 25x11x10 tire. The last number (10) is rim size so the rim needs to be that size.

Most utlity or 4x4 riders won't notice the difference in rim size, except in some cases for comfort.