fixin' up the gator

   / fixin' up the gator #1  

ghitch75

Bronze Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2004
Messages
87
Location
bloomfeild indiana
Tractor
YM240D 580C
i put brake lights,backup lights,1" lift,brush guard and camo kit on the gator...goin' to order under body armor....already tore a CV boot....next will be a little bigger tires....should i go with 27's?
 

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   / fixin' up the gator #2  
27" tires are nice; your Gator will have a tough time powering them if you have any real hills and want to go reasonably fast. I run different sized tires in the front and back and that did fine, and going diesel really helped. If you go oversized you might wish to consider a small lift kit; I went 1.5", which seems plenty. In short, going oversized looks good, but your machine will perform better with the gas engine if you leave the tires and wheels the stock size.

John M
 
   / fixin' up the gator
  • Thread Starter
#3  
i put a 1" lift to the front raised it about 1 3/4"....so you think i should stay with 25's with some meaner tread?...i hope someday they come out with a higher HP chip for the gassers...
 
   / fixin' up the gator #4  
Everyone has a different opinion here, so I cannot speak for all, but I can say based on my experience. The larger, more aggressive tires on my XUV get more traction than do the stock tires, by a fair amount. I love them in mud and the winter snow. I like them less in the summer when I am doing a lot of riding on pavement and less work where traction is imperative. A larger circumference tire on your XUV will lug the engine when climbing steep hills or long grades. If you live where it is flat or where the grades are short, this fact might not matter much to you. It did to me. More aggressive tread will definitely help traction, but unless you are running in deep mud or snow or bad terrain often, I do not personally think it is worth changing from the factory tread. The traction might be better, but the ride most likely will not. Despite opinions to the contrary, the stock tires get pretty good traction and ride better than most aftermarket brands. If you find an aftermarket tread that rides and wears as well, it probably will not get enough better traction to merit a change. My dealer, who helped me customize my Gator, frequently puts aftermarket wheels on the machines when he builds them up. Unless someone wants aggressive and oversized, he replaces the wheels but mounts the stock tires as he says he has found no aftermarket tire that offers any better combination of ride and traction for most buyers.

John M
 
   / fixin' up the gator
  • Thread Starter
#5  
i live in the hills of southern indiana and it's hilly!!!.....we had 12" of snow 2 week ago and it went like a tank!.......after the snow melted i had it back on the neighbors where it was logged in the summer and i was very happy with the way it went in mud it was like drivin' in grease...so i guess this tires aren't to bad....
 
   / fixin' up the gator #6  
If you want to see a picture of my Gator XUV gas, search Gator pictures and go to my post from 4/2007. My diesel one looks just like it but has 1/2 less lift. It would give you an idea what things would look like

John M
 
   / fixin' up the gator #7  
I had some 26" mudlites on my honda rubicon. They did rob some power, but were nice meaty tires. I have no clue on how powerful the gas engine is, but may 26 inch tiores might get you a little size, without crazy power loss?

Any aftermarket mud tire is going to be heavier than what you have, so ???? Maybe you would see a loss?

I know that I don't like to go places with my gator where it might get stuck... Mostly in deep snow... Its a bear to get back out after it burried to the frame!
 
   / fixin' up the gator
  • Thread Starter
#8  
If you want to see a picture of my Gator XUV gas, search Gator pictures and go to my post from 4/2007. My diesel one looks just like it but has 1/2 less lift. It would give you an idea what things would look like

John M


i looked at your pic's...very nice!!!!

what brand and size tires are those?.....i like them!!!

btw what did the dealer do to get 40 mph over yours?....and where is this dealer?
 
   / fixin' up the gator #9  
hey, where did you get the brake light switch?

Is it a John Deere part or did you improvise something?

Also, where does it go, inside the master cylinder or under the pedal?

I want to setup brake lights on my gator so I don't get smoked taking out the garbage at night. I was thinking of doing running lights, but if there is a brake switch I will do that.

Also, I recommend going with a set of fender guards on the front. They are pretty cheap and offer good protection. We put ours on after barn staff smashed the front fender on a door or gate or something.
 
 
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