new tires
- Thread starter aurthuritis
- Start date
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower
Member
I think it is the same one. And I am not sure what happened. I have never seen an RTV smashed up like that. I can only speculate that it indeed rolled over, more than once. I hope no one was hurt. And those tires seem really great for ATVs and on other less weighty machines. But on these 2000 pound RTVs, I would not recommend using them. A good solid set of Evolutions or Terrabytes would make me feel a lot safer.
I have the original mag 440s on my 2015 x900 that are 3/4 wore down and have been very close to being stuck a few times this last year. I am getting ready to order the blackwaters. I am going to use the factory steel wheels. I need help deciding on size. right now I am thinking 26x9 on front and 26x11 rear. I see doc went with 27s but am concerned about power loss and ease of getting on and off. The factory put the same size front and back. With the power steering is there a reason not to put 26x11 on the front too? Maybe clearance issues ? Are there any problems using the factory steel wheels? It looks like everyone has fancy aftermarket wheels....lol. Also is rocky mt. still the vendor of choice? I live in PA. if that makes a difference. Thanks for advice.
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower
Member
We have an X1120 with Blackwater Evolutions 26x11x12 all the way around. No clearance issues, no power changes, no noticable change in speedometer. I run 18-20psi year round and I do try to avoid the blacktop whenever possible. We probably could have gone with 27s but I wanted to have full articulation of the suspension when loaded or on uneven terrain. Maybe 27s would have been OK but wanted to play it safe. We also put them on gray steel wheels and stored the original tires with aluminum rims.
I guess i have two decisions to make before ordering. One is should I go with the stock 25 in dia or move up to a 26 or 27 dia.? Second is since blackwaters only come in 9 and 11 inch widths should iI go with 11s front and back or drop to 9 width in the front and 11s in the back..The factory tires are 10 inch all around so is a little concerning dropping to the narrower 9 inch on front. Maybe I am overthinking it but it is a lot of money and i want to get it right....
Question for the Blackwater tire owners. How tall do they actually stand? E.g. if you have 26", are they really 26" or shorter/taller?
I bought 25x10x12 Maxxis Bighorns years ago. It says 25" but I recall they stood over 26" tall.
I just got out the ole tape measure and measured my blackwaters. I have 26x9 on the front, 26x11 on the rear. I Just checked air in them two days ago as one was a bit low. All have 17 lbs (was going to ask recommended pressure as I'm not sure ... please advise. Thx)
Aired up as stated above the tires stand at 25.5 inches tall. I've never had a clearance issue with them. FWIW ... If buying again, I'd buy 26.
Aired up as stated above the tires stand at 25.5 inches tall. I've never had a clearance issue with them. FWIW ... If buying again, I'd buy 26.
I also have a Honda Pioneer 1000 and they came with 10 on the front and 12 on the rear. Because of this and how good that setup worked I went with blackwater 9's on the front and 11 on the rear. This was a couple years ago and I'd do the same thing next time I buy. It has worked out great.
I searched and reread all the posts on the blackwaters and feel I cant go wrong with the 26 inch diameter. Still struggling with front tire width. Doc and Bordercollie went with 9 inch on front for easier steering i think. Ohio paw paw put 11s all around but did say he sacrificed turning radius. I do have some tight areas where I have to do 3 point turns so am leaning to the 9 inch fronts but still doesn't seem right going to narrower than stock. Also would lose ability to rotate tires front to back as they ware. appreciate advice. Thanks Doc was typing at same time I was..lol
I see your point. If in doubt I'd go with all 11's. Even with 9's my turning radius is not that good. I end up have to reverse then go forward when turning around. More tread on the ground up front could be an advantage when you need the traction. Got me to thinking I might go all 11's next time ...but for sure I'll go with 26's. LOL
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower
Member
We operate in red clay a lot and on uneven terrain most of the time. For that reason, we went with the 11" tire. We put the same size on all four corners for stability on that uneven terrain. We chose the 26s because they look better and create not clearance issues of any kind. We have have had zero clearance, turning or power issues since installing the tires. Bordercollie introduced me to Robin at AllTerrainOnline. I don't know if he is still there but he had sold so many of these and heard from so many customers, he knows what will fit and what will not. You and I have the same basic chassis...I think only the engines are different. So you experience should be real close. If you plan on using them much on blacktop, get something else. Mine are using on township gravel roads, woods, orchard turf and mud. Hope that helps.
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower
Member
I completely understand your thinking One other thing to consider. You know those monster trucks that blast through the mud? If you look, all four tires are the same size. I don't know why, it just seems to work.
I'm in Ohio and have plenty of hills and mud to deal with. I've never seen the narrower tires on front helping the rear. I do get stuck in 2wd and have to switch to 4wd and that gets me out of it. But I suspect wider on the front would give better traction. Narrower on the front will have less drag when in 2wd. I suspect what you read is true in the right circumstances, but in most circumstances it would not happen. Fresh mud nothing else has been in might apply but that would be a rare occurrence for me.
I have decided to go with 26x11x12 all around. Thanks to everyone for their advice and time answering my questions. Now i just have to fit them into the budget. I was considering leaving the original mag 440s on the steel wheel to run in the dry part of summer but messecks wants 120 dollars per wheel !!! I called my kabota dealer about putting the new tires on and surprisingly they don't do tires. The place they use wants 25 dollars a wheel to switch them. I called a couple other places in town and they refused to do utv tires....something about liability issues? Harbor freight has a manual tire changer for 54 dollars but with the stiff 8 ply blackwaters and my age I should probably bit the bullet and pay the 100 dollars. When I was a kid I remember changing car tires with a big maul and a couple of big screwdrivers....LOL
tfdr1
Active member
I bought that manual tire changer to do the tires on my X900 that I had and it's a breeze. The hard part is trying to get the beads seated.
Dave
Ohio_Pawpaw_Grower
Member
I took mine to National Tire and Battery which is in Ohio. The guy wouldn't even take money from me to do it. My Wife and I returned with Pizza and Pop lunch for his crew. I still think we came out ahead. I am told the bead is mighty stiff. 100 bones might not be a bad deal, hate to say it.
Alaskanassasin
Senior Member
27-11x12 seem to fit good, no clearance issues. I haven’t overloaded the bed yet but I suspect the suspension will bottom before the tires rub. Also it looks and feels like a totally different machine