Hiram ‘King of
Tires’ Gives You
ATV TIRE AND RIM
ANSWERS
Question:
What does the 26x10x12 mean in the tire size?
Answer:
For all ATV tires the first number - 26 is the height, the second number -10 is
the width and the 3rd number - 12 is the rim size
Low-pressure
tires that are used on ATV’s are designed to deliver traction over most types
of terrain. ATV tires are designed to withstand a lot of abuse and with a
little care you will get peak performance from your quad plus the bonus of
longer tire life. First and foremost it is important to maintain the correct
tire pressure as specified in your owner’s manual. If your ATV pulls to one
side check both front tires air pressure because if one tire is lower in
pressure than the other it could cause this to happen. Check your tire pressure
once a month and use a low pressure tire gauge that reads 1 to 10 pounds per
square inch (psi). If your ATV handles like a tank in turns it could be that
your tires are under-inflated and this may also cause the tire to get pinched
by the rim when you hit a hard object or you can also bend your rims.
Some
riders will over-inflate their ATV tires in able to gain more speed on hard
trails. Over-inflation will reduce
rolling resistance but it also causes the tire to ride on the middle of the
tread and this will cause the tire to wear out faster in the center of the
tread area of the tire. Driving with
over inflated ATV tires may cause you to lose traction and the ATV may push on
hard surfaces. Over-inflated tires will also puncture easier because the tire
is not soft enough to give when going over sharp objects.
Riding on pavement is unsafe, illegal and will wear your ATV tires out real
quick. Try riding on the shoulder if you have to and not on the pavement and
also keep your speed down and do not spin the tires. OEM tires are designed to
give you a cushy, comfortable ride while giving you decent traction in a wide
variety of conditions; they are not specialized mud and snow tires. You can buy
specialized mud and snow tires in the original size or you can go to a larger
size tire. These specialized ATV tires also run 4 to 6 pounds of air pressure and
are usually a little rougher ride than the original tires.
If
you come across a case where you have 2 of the same tires but one of them is
smaller than the other you can try the following to correct the situation.
Inflate the smaller tire until it measures the same as the larger tire but do
not put more than 25 pounds of air in the tire. Once the tire is inflated let
it sit for 24 to 48 hours and then let the air pressure out until it reaches
the normal tire pressure. Now measure the tires again and they should either be
the same or they will be closer to the same. You can redo this again if you
want to get them closer to the same size.
HOW TO READ WHEEL SIZING
SPECIFICATIONS
For
example the wheel is sized
|
8x8 1. 2. |
3+5 3. |
4/110 4. 5. |
1.
The
diameter of the wheel: also the inside diameter of the tire. Use an 8 inch
wheel with an 8 inch tire.
2. The width of the wheel.
3. Most wheels are centered
with no offset. An offset is indicated as: for example, 3+5, meaning 3 inches
off-center inside and 5 inches offset to the outside.
4. Number of bolt holes in
the wheel.
5. Spacing of the bolt holes
(usually in millimeters), measured from center of the hole across the center of
the wheel to the center of the opposite bolt hole.
Stock
factory ATV rims are usually 12x6 inches on the front and 12x8 inches on the
rear.
ITP,
Supergrip and Vision ATV rims are 12x7 inches on the front.
ITP
and Supergrip ATV rims are 12x7 on the rear.
Vision
ATV rims are either 12x7 or 12x8 on the rear.
MORE TIRE
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
Hiram ‘King of Tires’ has a step that
never falters nor tires, and has an eye that never sleeps nor slumbers.
OK