Interesting about the tires, the BFG 235's were something I was looking at.
From what I figured out the tires with the 33x9.5 numbers are "high
floatation" tires which seem to be preferable to the LT235 etc series. If
the rims have 225 stock, how can you tell what size in the "33x9.5" size
system they will accommodate? Can you just take the width of your rim (which
I actually don't know...) and then is there a max over that that the 9.5
part can be?

Bob

"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4030FF51.B201B570@sympatico.ca...
> No issues using 4x4 just like any other shift, I do it all the time
> around here.
>
> Going straight also isn't hard on Command Trac, it's turning corners on
> dry that causes problems so hitting the dry and waiting or needing a
> minute before shifting back to 2 wheel drive isn't an issue.
>
> You also might want to use 2 wheel drive at intersections if you plan on
> turning. If your tires are too wide, they will get up on top of the
> snow and float and it will want to go straight.
>
> I made a mistake and put too wide of tire on our Cherokee. I went up to
> a wide tread BFG AT P235's and they handle very poorly compared to the
> skinny tread Hercules Terra trac P225's we had on there before.
>
> All brands are not equal for tread width. The BFG's are a 'lot' wider
> than some other brands of the same size.
>
> Same deal with our two Jeeps. My tall skinny mud tires can run circles
> around my wide AT tires in the snow.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Bob wrote:
> >
> > Good point about reverse pulling it down, I had forgot about that. I
just
> > always think of reverse as a higher ratio than 1st, which was why it
didn't
> > make sense to me. I'd love to leave it in 4wd on the roads here, but
there
> > are so many bare patches mixed with ice here, after reading posts about
the
> > Command-Trac I'm worried I'll blow the transfer case out on the first
one I
> > hit. I know you can shift on the fly but is it bad to keep going back
and
> > forth at city speeds?
> >
> > "Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> > news:N96Yb.2055$w65.202611@news20.bellglobal.com.. .
> > >
> > > I must be missing something here.. you bought a 4x4 so that you could
use
> > > 4x4 in snow? So use 4x4 in snow.. most 2wd vehicles will spin a wheel
in
> > > snow if started in 1st gear.. that is why most start in 2nd gear and
light
> > > gas pedal.. but you should know that as you admit to being a 4x4
newbie
> > > which suggests that you are a 2wd oldie.. reverse and 1st gear are
> > different
> > > ratios so of course there will be a difference.. also, in reverse,
the
> > > torque produced by the direction of rotation of the wheels, will pull
the
> > > rear of the vehicle down which helps transfer weight from front to
rear so
> > > traction will be marginally improved..
> > >
> > >

 

Interesting about the tires, the BFG 235's were something I was looking at.
From what I figured out the tires with the 33x9.5 numbers are "high
floatation" tires which seem to be preferable to the LT235 etc series. If
the rims have 225 stock, how can you tell what size in the "33x9.5" size
system they will accommodate? Can you just take the width of your rim (which
I actually don't know...) and then is there a max over that that the 9.5
part can be?

Bob

"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4030FF51.B201B570@sympatico.ca...
> No issues using 4x4 just like any other shift, I do it all the time
> around here.
>
> Going straight also isn't hard on Command Trac, it's turning corners on
> dry that causes problems so hitting the dry and waiting or needing a
> minute before shifting back to 2 wheel drive isn't an issue.
>
> You also might want to use 2 wheel drive at intersections if you plan on
> turning. If your tires are too wide, they will get up on top of the
> snow and float and it will want to go straight.
>
> I made a mistake and put too wide of tire on our Cherokee. I went up to
> a wide tread BFG AT P235's and they handle very poorly compared to the
> skinny tread Hercules Terra trac P225's we had on there before.
>
> All brands are not equal for tread width. The BFG's are a 'lot' wider
> than some other brands of the same size.
>
> Same deal with our two Jeeps. My tall skinny mud tires can run circles
> around my wide AT tires in the snow.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Bob wrote:
> >
> > Good point about reverse pulling it down, I had forgot about that. I
just
> > always think of reverse as a higher ratio than 1st, which was why it
didn't
> > make sense to me. I'd love to leave it in 4wd on the roads here, but
there
> > are so many bare patches mixed with ice here, after reading posts about
the
> > Command-Trac I'm worried I'll blow the transfer case out on the first
one I
> > hit. I know you can shift on the fly but is it bad to keep going back
and
> > forth at city speeds?
> >
> > "Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> > news:N96Yb.2055$w65.202611@news20.bellglobal.com.. .
> > >
> > > I must be missing something here.. you bought a 4x4 so that you could
use
> > > 4x4 in snow? So use 4x4 in snow.. most 2wd vehicles will spin a wheel
in
> > > snow if started in 1st gear.. that is why most start in 2nd gear and
light
> > > gas pedal.. but you should know that as you admit to being a 4x4
newbie
> > > which suggests that you are a 2wd oldie.. reverse and 1st gear are
> > different
> > > ratios so of course there will be a difference.. also, in reverse,
the
> > > torque produced by the direction of rotation of the wheels, will pull
the
> > > rear of the vehicle down which helps transfer weight from front to
rear so
> > > traction will be marginally improved..
> > >
> > >

 

Interesting about the tires, the BFG 235's were something I was looking at.
From what I figured out the tires with the 33x9.5 numbers are "high
floatation" tires which seem to be preferable to the LT235 etc series. If
the rims have 225 stock, how can you tell what size in the "33x9.5" size
system they will accommodate? Can you just take the width of your rim (which
I actually don't know...) and then is there a max over that that the 9.5
part can be?

Bob

"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:4030FF51.B201B570@sympatico.ca...
> No issues using 4x4 just like any other shift, I do it all the time
> around here.
>
> Going straight also isn't hard on Command Trac, it's turning corners on
> dry that causes problems so hitting the dry and waiting or needing a
> minute before shifting back to 2 wheel drive isn't an issue.
>
> You also might want to use 2 wheel drive at intersections if you plan on
> turning. If your tires are too wide, they will get up on top of the
> snow and float and it will want to go straight.
>
> I made a mistake and put too wide of tire on our Cherokee. I went up to
> a wide tread BFG AT P235's and they handle very poorly compared to the
> skinny tread Hercules Terra trac P225's we had on there before.
>
> All brands are not equal for tread width. The BFG's are a 'lot' wider
> than some other brands of the same size.
>
> Same deal with our two Jeeps. My tall skinny mud tires can run circles
> around my wide AT tires in the snow.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Bob wrote:
> >
> > Good point about reverse pulling it down, I had forgot about that. I
just
> > always think of reverse as a higher ratio than 1st, which was why it
didn't
> > make sense to me. I'd love to leave it in 4wd on the roads here, but
there
> > are so many bare patches mixed with ice here, after reading posts about
the
> > Command-Trac I'm worried I'll blow the transfer case out on the first
one I
> > hit. I know you can shift on the fly but is it bad to keep going back
and
> > forth at city speeds?
> >
> > "Mike Hall" <mike.hall.mail@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> > news:N96Yb.2055$w65.202611@news20.bellglobal.com.. .
> > >
> > > I must be missing something here.. you bought a 4x4 so that you could
use
> > > 4x4 in snow? So use 4x4 in snow.. most 2wd vehicles will spin a wheel
in
> > > snow if started in 1st gear.. that is why most start in 2nd gear and
light
> > > gas pedal.. but you should know that as you admit to being a 4x4
newbie
> > > which suggests that you are a 2wd oldie.. reverse and 1st gear are
> > different
> > > ratios so of course there will be a difference.. also, in reverse,
the
> > > torque produced by the direction of rotation of the wheels, will pull
the
> > > rear of the vehicle down which helps transfer weight from front to
rear so
> > > traction will be marginally improved..
> > >
> > >