Ok! I’m giving my input on this one!
Lots of people asking for my opinion on this,
First of all, in MY opinion, from my experience, the thin sand tire and wheel concept would not be my choice. Yes I have driven them on cars i have Suspension tuned. And this is full size cars to the UTVs including the X3.
They look really cool! But this choice depends on the needs and wants and driving style of the driver owner.
The owner driver must take care in deciding what is best for themselves.
For more cruising around, fun play driving, the occasional drag race then the set up is probably fine!
But,
If someone wants to be an aggressive duner? I mean Rip the dunes, pull big fat throttle controlled drifts, step ups, and downs, full speed chicanes, hit every air transition you can find, sometimes launching a little sideways, but knowing the car and you will throttle out in a high level of control.
If you fit into this category? Then their are better tire and wheel choices.
Can a car owner drive his or her car aggressive with the thin tall tire set up? Of course they can! But it can be more difficult, more work, more on edge dangerous as “compared” to the wider, taller wheel, less sidewall tire set ups.
I have been tuning full size sand cars for many years and the thin, tall tire, narrow wheel set up doesn’t work well for cars that want The best all around aggressive handling characteristics. And my customers KNOW this and most have made tire and wheel changes over many years so their cars would work correctly on a wide variety of terrain and useage levels that they have chosen.
Soils, dirt.
Sand does not get packed down when people rip though with vehicles. The Sand gets fluffed up and is loosened up by off road vehicles and nature. Sand can stay heavy if it’s full of moisture or turn to fluffy mash potatoes as moisture lessens and off roaders churn it up.
Sand gets packed down by Mother Nature as gravity and wind compact each and every granule of Sand similarly to small puzzle pieces dropped in a place that fits. That’s why you can walk on some undisturbed Sand pads or ridges and not sink in the Sand because it’s compacted so well.
How many people have had a gravel path Or driveway? When the gravel is loose, you sink a bit and the gravel moves around and away from your underfoot. If compacted properly, the gravel pieces fit together more closely and less air space between them equals firmness, harder surface and less movement.
Off road tires and nature loosen and aireate the compacted Sand in the dunes, and the wind makes that soft loose “blow Sand” on the backside of Dunes.
And, a two wheel motorcycle that weighs 200 lbs, plus or minus a few lbs, is not comparable in the Sand to a car that weighs 1500 lbs plus and flat turns on 4 tires, and carries an ice chest, and goodies! The tire comparison doesn’t work! The narrow bike tire is the way it is because that’s the only choice to fit on the bike! So we adapted.
And I know dirtbikes!!! I have way more miles and time on dirt bikes than all dirt cars. The two wheel bikes Suspension is the whole reason my suspension business started for cars.
This is the Sand tire deal!
How many people out there have watched the car drift pavement races! Or simple dirt tack oval car races??
Notice how the cars are not rolling on the surface at a 1 to 1 ratio? Those cars are not just rolling on the surface as if driving to work or taking the kids to school in a street car.
Those race car tires are spinning on the surface getting traction and enough slippage to drift and maintain a degree of surface hold through the turns and let the engine be in its happy horsepower range through out the course.
Follow me so far??
In the dirt and sand, the tires need a combination of “loose” and “traction”
To much traction, the car will “push” and want to go straight rather than turn. A driver would end up forcing this car to Turn.
Driver has get Less control,
Less motor RPM as it can lug the engine also and slower to get into the power band.
Car wants to go more straight? Or end up way sideways?
To loose, and the car will break loose and drift to easily and possibly spin out,
and is slower in a straight line.
Power band early
less control at high speed
less hold and power to ground
how many people have tryed to drive a little, or Big, economy car with the tall, narrow economy tires on the street, FAST through turns?? And then launched a few hub caps into the neighboring yards or fields! Lol
car feels super loose!
Tires break loose more easily
Lots of body roll as the tires roll over onto the sidewall. Right?
Those tires have small narrow wheels and tall side walls for comfort, not stability for more aggressive driving.
But! Drop some bigger wheels and lower and wider profile tires on that SAME car! And it now handles a ton better!
faster into and out of turns, less body roll, more confidence! Right?
The Street car is actually more similar to the Sand car set up. The Sand allows more traction to carve turns, there is more traction available with the buff or razor front tires, and paddles tires for acceleration.
The less tire sidewall, means less tire roll in turns, and means more control while drifting and turning and burning.
The pressure put in sand tires is crucial also. Lesser tire pressures will allow more traction from the tire itself, as well as the paddles! Sometimes this can be to much. So, More pressure is needed to allow the tire to “break loose” more easily and “spin up”, and to initiate turns and let the engine get into it’s power-band sooner. Larger diameter tires with more paddles my require higher air pressures to let spin up an break loose.
Thinner, taller sidewall tires may not allow you to run lesser air pressures if desired? As this will increase your tire rollover and increase body roll.
The goal is not tying to float your tires! We actually want them to dig a little. That way they push the loose uneven surface material away, and gain traction from the firmer underlying material.
AND, as they toss aside that top stuff, the tires are creating an “edge”. This adds to the holding power in the Turn.
Similar to a snow ski, or water ski that must sink a bit in the water or snow to create a surface edge to hold and change direction! It you don’t have enough edge! You slide out over the top surface and your turn, or change of direction is over.
Depending on where a cars Suspension set up is, can make the tire set up and choices more difficult as to what works the best?? I know some people might try and run lesser tire pressures and taller Sand tires to soften up the ride to make up for harsh stock Suspension settings.
Thats how I see the Sand thing. Info for anyone that can use it.
But people are able to make thier own choices about what fits there needs and wants and beliefs that will put a smile on their face! So, There really isn’t any right or wrong choices?
This is SAND TIRE car SET UP!
Off road “dirt” talk is another subject for another time.
