Ok I just got a 92 bronco and would like to put 33x12.5's and a 2" body lift on my truck. This is my winter "beater" and will need to get me through the snow since the Mustang is hibernating. Am i going to lose some control with these installs? This will be mainly for looks, but will need to stay reliable. Thanks for any help..

NITE TYME

 

They suck, 33x12.5 in the snow. They are to wide. You will lose more control on snow and ice as you have more tire on the slippery surface. You will also be more prone to hydro-plaining with a wider tire. also when driving in heavy snow you end up pushing more snow with your front end witch caused parts to ware out faster. The hight of the tire won't make to much difference, but I would go with 9.5 or 10.5. I also live in snow country. Wider tires are more used for mud and sand. Just my opion.

 

do your self a favor and leave your tires alone. The bigger tires suck #####. I have a 90' FS Eddie Bauer..........i bought the truck used and it had over sized tires on it............horrible in the snow.........worse in the rain.....I live in north eastern massachusetts so i have dealt with it. As soon as i get some extra money, i'm putting oem sized laredos on it(my dad has them on his 89 xlt.........they are great. As the other gentlemen pointed out........there is too much tire surface so what ends up happening is instead of the tires splitting through the snow........they end up riding on top of it........4x4 makes it even worse.........almost wipped out on I95 in the rain a couple times too.....the bigger tires make the truck ride alot harder too...........especially with lift mounts.

 

i agree that wider is not better in snow. i have 31x10.5x15 all terrain t.a radials on my 90' ,they are a little taller and wider than stock but not enough to cause any problems. i run in sand, dirt/mud,and snow/ice they have 3 ply sidewalls fairly aggresive tread, and a square shoulder which helps grab in ice. they are also pretty quiet on the highway and wear evenly. i'll be getting another set when these wear out. if you're dead set on the body lift get the good bushings i've heard the cheaper ones squeek and sway. if your front end is sagging,they all do eventually, try camber adjusters[good], or new stock length coilsprings[better] oh yeah, as far as looks go the tires i was talking about look better than stock with no lift. e.

 

I have to concure about wider is bad in the conpact snow. It was a nightmare for me last winter. Pizza cutters in the winter. Looks bad, but so does your truck on its roof.

 

I have Bf goodrich Baja ta 33-12:50 on my 89. They have had sipes added to the center tread. They are excellent at handling anything I throw at them including the 1 and1/2 feet of snow I was driving threw last month. They did tend to float on top of the snow rather then dig to the bottom. I cannot say how they would do on ice roads though. But if sombody offered me any other tires for free I would stay with this size. Also the wider wheels add to the overall stability of this ride. So somthing lifted could be more top heavy with a narrow track wighth. I think a locker or limited slip would give you more grief then a 12:50 tire. Just my 2 bits

 

I have to agree with rayzor. I run 33x12.50R15LT BFG Trail T/A tires on my 78 Bronco, and until I get a lift for larger tires, I won't run anything smaller. I live in Alaska, and run my tires year-round without any kind of problem. But for a guy asking about this for the first time, I will say, allow yourself a little extra room for stopping in snow while driving around town, until you get the feel of the truck a little better.

My own tires aren't siped other than what BFG did to 'em, but that's not a bad idea to do. Call around your tire shops and ask about it. If nothing else, you may have to go to a big-rig tire shop and have them do it. I used to do all that, that's how I know ;-)

I see guys running 35" and sometimes larger tires on their trucks with no apparent problems (no snow stuffed in the grill to show it fell off the road..lol)

I also ran 33" Mud Kings(BFG Mud T/A equivilent) on a 79 Chevy I used to own, and again, didn't have one bit of problem with these tires. These weren't siped either.

Just throwin in my 2 cents,
David

 

 

If you want the look of 33s, but good traction in the snow, I highly suggest the Super Swamper Thornbird. They're expensive, but they're great in the snow. I have 35x12.5's on my Bronco with a 6" lift. I live in Bozeman, MT and have never had a problem. The truck originally had BF Goodrich 33x12.5's and THEY SUCKED!! I spun out all the time. National Tire and Wheel (http://www.natltire.com) has the 35s for $159.00/each so the 33s are probably less.
Hope you figure it out, good luck!

90 Bronco, Skyjacker 6" Lift, Super Swamper Thornbird 35x12.5R15s, Rancho RS-9000s, 400HP 351W