hello im looking at picking up a 97 big bear 350 want to go with the biggest tires i can fit also will be piping it with filter and jet kit any help will be appreciated also any opionions on this atv would be great thanks

 

I just threw a set of 589 m/t's on my ol' man's Bigbear 400.

26 x 12- 12 rear
26 x 9- 12 front

Plenty of clearance in front, but I think if we went any bigger in the rear, it may have hit the front half (by your leg) of the rear fender.

Tires are mean looking!! Huge lugs, plus gained some ground clearance w/ the 26". They are EXTREMELY STIFF, so get a good nights rest before putting something similar on!! The best part is the recessed bead. Totally protects the rim from damage.

I measured the ground clearance at the bottom of the rear diff guard, and it was 8 5/8" clearance (don't know what stock is, offhand).

 

smitty, were you able to use those tires on the big bear's stock rims? I'm looking to try a similar set up on my '00 big bear 400 but I wasn't sure if a 9 inch tire would work on my front(stock is 8"). What year is your dad's? Mine is a 2000 so it is still full time 4-wheel which concerns me about steering effort. Does your dad's turn ok in 4x4? Thanks for any input!

 

Those were mounted on the stock rims. Took a bit of work to get them on (tough, stiff tires!!), but was well worth the effort. As an added bonus, the recessed bead on the tires fully protects the rims from any dents, dings or scratches. The rim sits in the tire.

Fronts had plenty of clearance, even though they were a full inch wider.

His Big Bear is the same year. Steering was never easy with that machine, but it may have added a small amount of extra effort in turning. He's 65 yrs. old & smokes 3 packs a day (and has for 53 years!!!), so if he can handle it, I'm sure you can! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

It sure tears the hell out of his lawn, though!! (and he used to yell at me for doing that almost 20 yrs. ago [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img])