What are the advantages and disadvantages of a wide tire? By wide I mean minimun of 11 inches and up.

 

Advantages:
[ol][*]more contact on surfaces[*]better hadling in turns[*]tough looking stance[*]more flotation in sand/mud[/ol]Disadvantages:
[ol][*]premature wheel barring failure[*]hydroplane in rainey conditions[*]kicks up ALOT of road debry that could scratch side of truck and even the smallest puddle will splash up the side of the truck (it will never stay clean)[*]you'll want larger brakes to compensate for added rolling mass
[/ol]Those are my experiences that I had with my Jeep using 13.5" wide MT's.
That's all I can think of...I'm sure other's have more input.

 

More rolling weight = less mpg
More tire = more unsprung weight = bouncier ride & greater unstability on the highway.

I tried passing a semi on the highway with a 96 with 38" tires, it was like trying to drive a truck with a giant sail on it!

 

Wide tires are great in the sand. My boggers are 13.5 wide and do great. But i hit the road and its a whole different story. Thats why i have my bfg a/tfor everyday driving.

 

I have a 2012 Silverado Ext Cab Z71 18" wheels Bridgestone Dueler A/T tires. Even though I installed four GM molded splash guards, I still get what I consider to be excessive side splash on my truck. Any suggestions? Will installing an additional pair of molded splash guards on the front of each rear fender work, and what kind of problems might I experience if I do that?

 

Little added stress on gears, tranny, tie rods, etc. Every 2 inches you go wider youre supposed to upgrade your gears so they say but i seem to do fine with 11.50 mud terrains, wide tires look cool even if the truck isnt lifted. 32 x 11.50 with a torsion bar crank can give your truck a cool look and profile,