TheSamba.com :: View topic - What tires are best for dune buggy in dirt

Sat Nov 10, 2012 10:36 am

I have a dune buggy with sand tires and am looking for dirt tires and rims but am having a hard time figuring out will be best for the vw style bolt pattern. Any ideas?

Sat Nov 10, 2012 12:07 pm

Lots of ideas....

Sat Nov 10, 2012 1:40 pm

What kind of dirt?

Sat Nov 10, 2012 2:24 pm

When you are talking "bolt pattern" you are talking "wheels" when you are talking "tires" its the rubber donut things that go on the wheels.... You can find wheels in all sizes... 13, 14, 15,16,17 inch diameter and 5 , 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 inch widths.... Wheels size sort of has to coordinate with tire size and type you want to run in the dirt... Did you have a tire size in mind? or a tread type/pattern?

IN dirt something a little aggressive like a "off road" or "mud & snow" tread is probably desirable....

Dale

Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:50 pm

Well, i am basically needing the setup, tires and wheels for trails. I have the setup for sand, and now i need general dirt
ridding.

Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:42 am

Hmmm... let's start again from the beginning.

Are your wheels 15"?
4-bolt or 5-bolt wheels?
Steel or aluminum rims?
Tube frame or fiberglass bodied buggy?

What color is the buggy?

bnc

Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:31 pm

didget69 wrote: Hmmm... let's start again from the beginning.

Are your wheels 15"? I have no wheels at this point. I am looking for recommendations for wheels and tires

4-bolt or 5-bolt wheels? 5 bolt wide bolt pattern
Steel or aluminum rims? steels
Tube frame or fiberglass bodied buggy? chromeally tube frame

What color is the buggy? blue and red

bnc

Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:51 pm

For my FG buggy I think I will be going with BTRs and BFG KOs...

Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:59 pm

A lot of Buggy Buddys in Calif. are using BFG All-Terrain T/A KO 31x10.50 R15 LT for the Desert and they did well in the snow.

Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:22 pm

I have taken both my 68 VW Baja and my Manx down trails that 4x4's can't get through in 4 wheel drive, with nothing more on the Baja and the Manx than BFG T/A radials (street tires).

Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:17 pm

pallen wrote: For my FG buggy I think I will be going with BTRs and BFG KOs...

You might want to pick a lighter wheel with a better offset for the front.
A 7.00 X 15" BFG traction tire on a 4" spun rim will actually turn and is light enough not to be hard on parts.

Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:49 pm

Hanse063 wrote: didget69 wrote: Hmmm... let's start again from the beginning.

Are your wheels 15"? I have no wheels at this point. I am looking for recommendations for wheels and tires

4-bolt or 5-bolt wheels? 5 bolt wide bolt pattern
Steel or aluminum rims? steels
Tube frame or fiberglass bodied buggy? chromeally tube frame

What color is the buggy? blue and red

bnc

Can you show us pictures of your current tire/wheel setup on this rail buggy?? Is your sand setup 5-bolt steel wheels that have the sand tires mounted on stock VW rims? What is rim width front/rear?

What engine displacement & gearbox are you running?

This is like pulling teeth...

bnc

Mon Nov 12, 2012 5:53 am

i like my 31X10.5 / 15s Kumho MTs. Pine Barrens trail, dirt, mud and creek tested.

Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:11 am

90volts wrote: i like my 31X10.5 / 15s Kumho MTs. Pine Barrens trail, dirt, mud and creek tested.

Are you running these on a chassis with long or short torsion bars? If using long torsions, are there any clearance issues between the tire & torsion tube?

bryan

Mon Nov 12, 2012 8:51 am

bryan,

long bars. the hairs on the tire when new were hitting the bars but i never had any clearence issues with the rubber itself. i couldnt get any bigger than this.. period.

i had a pic somewhere. ill see if i can find it.

mike

Mon Nov 12, 2012 9:28 am

Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:40 am

Mike - appreciate the post.

I had considered this tire for an IRS-equipped buggy with long torsion bars, but was unsure of clearance.

What are you running for engine displacement/trans final drive ratio?

To the original poster - can you offer us info on your engine/transmission setup? Stock 1600?

bnc

Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:09 am

stock '73 tranny and 1776 w/ mild cam and 34 pict. not a drag racer but no issues around town or on the state highways where i can do 60 without being blown away. wont go much faster comfotably though... like it needs another gear.

Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:28 am

90volts wrote: stock '73 tranny and 1776 w/ mild cam and 34 pict. not a drag racer but no issues around town or on the state highways where i can do 60 without being blown away. wont go much faster comfotably though... like it needs another gear.

So you're running a 3.88 final drive - thanks -

bnc

Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:26 pm

ya right, it will never see the pines again?