Suggestions for new tires

   / Suggestions for new tires #1  

Rat Rod Mac

Silver Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
177
I have an RTV 900 that has aggressive turf tires on it and they suck. I'm in the woods a lot and as soon as I hit some mud I'm done. I want to buy a new set that looks like farm tractor tires. The ones with the wide spaced bars. I think these are the way to go. Do any of you guys have a manufacturer or certain tire that you are partial to? I figure that if I'm going to drop the coin I may as well come here and ask you fellows and try and get the best tire possible. Thanks in advance for your suggestions and help, it's appreciated. RRM
 
   / Suggestions for new tires #2  
I use Firestone Industrial type, heavier tire, modified ag tread. They have worked fine for the last 8 yrs.....
 
   / Suggestions for new tires #3  
I eat, sleep, breathe and modify the heck out of these machines, and have tried about every tire imaginable on them; As far as using an AG tire, you'd likely end-up regretting that...they cause a bunch of lateral slipping and sliding, and suck on ice and wet rock. Gorilla Silverbacks, OutLaws, Vampires, and a few others are the bees knees if you're stuck on a pure mud-tire, tho.

The problem with your machine (And any-other RTV model) is that they are exceptionally heavy in the rear-end. So when you look at the load-rating for a normal ATV/UTV tire, and for instance it says 400 pounds per tire, that would be beneficial for 1600 pounds of machine with it's weight distributed evenly amongst 4 wheels, which yours is not. My experience with years of RTV off-road use is, using a mediocre ATV tires will find many pinch-flats (Sidewall pinch-holes from striking roots and rocks and frozen ruts) and if not all-out pinch-flats, then a bulging and eventually bursting sidewall.

Even supposedly premium radial tires such-as the ITP XTR MudLites will eventually fail under heavy use on an RTV, long before the tread wears-down. Some other 6-ply ATV tires have been known to do ok, but it's a crap-shoot, at best. The 440 Mag tires and the variants may only be rated at 6-ply, but they are way under rated, and exceptionally tougher than other 6-ply UTV tires. My advice would be the OTR 44 MAG • OTR Wheel Engineering, Inc. it has the self-cleaning bars to shed the mud, and is one incredibly tough tire, and was an option on RTVs. It works well for what you intend to do, and isn't so aggressive that it will leave big dimples on any lawn you happen to drive across. It really is an all-around mean tire, designed specifically to be on a machine like yours, in moderate mud and varying/all-terrain conditions. It's also an excellent snow tire, and does really well in sand.

The best AFTERMARKET tires for RTV's?...Hands-down is the ITP BajaCross XT Radials...they are 8-ply, tough as nails (Have literally ran-over nail-studded trash-wood from floods on White River...not a flat yet. Not to say a 16 penny nail can't/wont, but they have not in 3 years of many miles of abuse) and ride smooth as pillows over rocks, and 2000 miles later the tread on my RTV 1100 is still easily 80% In fact, I have my old highly modified 900 with a set of the ITP BaJa Cross tires on it...best upgrade ever. View attachment 513030View attachment 513031View attachment 513032View attachment 513033View attachment 513034

The older RTVs 900 and 1100 cabbed are running the BaJaCross tires...still on the original set on the 1100, which is my primary machine. On my newer X1100c I run the Sedona BuzzSaw tires, which are the second-best tire you can run on a RTV. The Sedona is hands-down better in the mud, but the sidewall wont take the abuse the ITP tire will. The problem with the Sedona is, you will get tired of pulling your buddies out when they get stuck and you dont. ;) The problem with the ITP is that, your machine will ride so smooth, you may nod-off! Kidding, but BOTH make that rough-riding RTV smooth way out, which is a bonus!

My final advice to you is don't make the too-tall mistake; It's awful tempting to want to go for a 27" or 28" tire to gain cheap/quick lift, but unless you plan on adding a turbo, you're gonna lose noticeable torque...that hill you used to barely make it up with factory tires, will now not be an option, so don't go over 26" tires.
 
 
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