I may get a set when my rawhides wear out. I like the look og the mudlites but if I was to buy some I will get the same size as stock though. Go to an atv rally and check out what tires are on the machines that spit a shaft during the day. Its almost always the guys with tire 2-3 sizes bigger than stock.
After market quad upgrades
- Thread starter KDX
- Start date
While it's true larger tires put more strain on your gear it's your right thumb that does the damage
The guys I see with broken axles are generally peddle to the metal guys when it's deff not neccessary! I have about 15,000 miles on ATVs with oversize tires & have never broke an axle, nor have any of the guys I ride with except one occasion a rock spit up & jammed between the axle & A-arm
The guys I see with broken axles are generally peddle to the metal guys when it's deff not neccessary! I have about 15,000 miles on ATVs with oversize tires & have never broke an axle, nor have any of the guys I ride with except one occasion a rock spit up & jammed between the axle & A-arm 
senior said:it's your right thumb that does the damage
I agree 100% with that comment. As for the weight of one tire vs the other, I don't see that entering the equation at all (in my case any way) I can fluctuate the weight my quad is hauling by a lot more than 20 lbs. simply with what I put in my "carry all's", what firearms and ammo I'm packing, extra fuel cell, and I sometimes carry a passenger ... so tire "weight" per say is something I never worry about, ever.
senior said:
As I mentioned in an earlier post, my quad had a tendency to go into "limp mode" and that tendency increased substantially with the bigger tires. Cured the issue with an aftermarket computer that doesn't have a "limp mode", no reverse overide any more either .. that was a little dangerous at first ...
Mighty Peace
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I have the new Swamp Lites in 26" with lift kit that I previously installed with my other tires on my Honda 450ES. ANother good tire as mentioned are the Mud lites or the MUD BUGS.
I have two buddy's with Mud lites and they have not been to impressed. They hook up OK in medium loose mud but not to good in the deeper stuff. Plus they are prone to wear, just ask me first hand, one guy has had they on for just over a year and the other guy about 1 1/2 and they are both lucky to have 40%. Yes they do ride hard pack often.
powder burner
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gth said:
Most guys dont realize that bigger tires are going to put more strain on their drive components. Tie rods are usually the first things to snap.
A person can buy a upgrade kit for running larger tires. But that of course costs a lot more money. Better off with aftermarket tires the same size as your factory tires. 26+ and you can expect problems down the road if you dont buy the upgrade kit.
I have an o6 750 brute force with mudlites went for a ride with 3 stock brute forces and I did alot more pulling and a lot less spinning than anyone else.but they had a lot more traction on pavment and grass.I like those tires and there wear good too
KDX said:
A timely thread. I just bought 26 inch Mud Lite XTRs for my 2006 Kodiak 450. I should have them on by the weekend. I also put on an EPI oversized tire clutch kit and K&N filter kit with Dyno jet. I'm predicting it will be a whole new ballgame. I'll update with pics as soon as I can.
I upgraded from stock to Gators. Everyone I ride with has Mudbugs and a stock tire just can't keep up. Gators are the same as bugs, handle everything they do(couldn't get bugs in my size).
You will not believe the difference if you ride in any mud.
Edit: Personally, I had a set of Mud Lites and they are made of a much softer rubber and get chewed up really easy. XTR's might be better, but the regular lites are soft. Something to consider, they are cheaper, but last no where near as long as Bugs or Gators or whatever.
You will not believe the difference if you ride in any mud.
Edit: Personally, I had a set of Mud Lites and they are made of a much softer rubber and get chewed up really easy. XTR's might be better, but the regular lites are soft. Something to consider, they are cheaper, but last no where near as long as Bugs or Gators or whatever.
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I've got bearclaws on a 600 grizzly....there is no comparing them to stock tires they will chew there way through anything...the only complaint I have about them is if your on a side hill and you are crossing obstacles like wet roots that are really hard and slippy the tires will tend to slide as the tall lugs have nothing to bite into (i guess stock tires wouldn't be much better tho).
In swamp or mud you may as well give up with the stockers as they fill up with mud and don't clean themselves out so your basically wheelin on slicks after the first mud hole.
In swamp or mud you may as well give up with the stockers as they fill up with mud and don't clean themselves out so your basically wheelin on slicks after the first mud hole.
As an update, I put in the Dyno Kit last night. It was pretty easy. Had to take off the gas tank and air filter box to get at the carburator. It came out with ease. Putting the new rod and jet in was as simple as following the instructions. Set it to the right elevation, and ride! I noticed a slight increase in power, more noticeable in Low gear.
Hopefully I can get the tires on today.
Slight difference!
Hopefully I can get the tires on today.
Slight difference!
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senior said:One size taller & one size wider all around will indeed make you wonder if it's the same bike!
While the new wave of tires for ATVs is radial's
While Mud Lites work well as an all around tire, they do wear at a much faster rate than some others, for my money Mud Bugs are by far the best bang for the buck! They cost the same as Lites, are slightly more aggressive & last much longer. I speak from experience as I have a set of Mud Lites on one bike & a set of Mud Bugs on another both installed at the same time.
I've got a set of 26" Mud Bugs on my Kodiak and a set of 28" Mud Lites on my 660 Grizzly. The Mud Bugs are superior to any other tire I've used in mud and bog. Despite the best efforts of my brother, you simply can't get stuck with them on, even after burying the bike. Give it gas and it'll pull itself out! However, they're hell on bearings and your back if you run them on hard pack trails, or woods roads. They're extremely rough on hard surfaces and you'll be physically exhausted after a full day of riding on hard surfaces with the Bugs...
The Mud Lites, on the other hand, are a fantastic compromise between the performance offered by the Mud Bugs and the "ridability" of most stock tires. The Mud Lites offer almost as much performance as the Mud Bugs, but unlike the latter, also offer a surprisingly smooth ride on hard pack surfaces. The Radial XTRs are well worth the extra cost, as they flex less than the standard XLs, but in practical terms, I haven't had any problems with tire flex on mine. I've used my Mud Lites on all terrain types, including hard pack and ashphalt and have detected NO undue wear. They are a great value for the price and offer substantial performance upgrades for a stock ATV.
Word of warning, however, depending on the ATV, you may need to purchase extenders or even go with a lift kit for proper installation and clearance. Otherwise you'll have the tire rubbing on the plastic cowling/fenders and/or suspension. This is true, especially if you go several sizes over the stock tire. Most manufacturers/dealers will tell you to limit your size upgrade to 1", i.e., stock 25" tires, go no bigger than a 26" Mud Lite, otherwise you'll probably experience some drop in felt/available power and/or run into bearing problems. I've got a new Polaris X2 that is waiting for a new set of Mud Lites. They'll be going on shortly! However, unlike the Yamahas, extenders are required for the Sportsman, unlike the Grizzly and Kodiak.
X-man: I have got stuck with Mud Bugs many times! Once your dug in & hung up it makes no diff what tire you have your stuck. If you have never got stuck with your Kodiak you have never been in a serious hole
The angled lugs on the Bug forces them to clear even when the tires are turning slow where as the Lites (non radial) with the lug angled to 90* will plug up. Having both tires on my bikes I can def tell you (as have others) Lites will wear faster! The rougher ride to the Bugs is true but it is so small a diff as to be negligable! Bearing trouble on a Grizzly with TIRES is a given & I don't go thru any more than my bud does that has the Lites in the same size. I have to wonder what you run for air pressure?? I run 3 1/2lbs for max ride quality, & max traction maybe if I was gonna spend the day on a road I'd run em up to 5lb or so but man they are rough then. I do many "all day" rides on mine & find them only slightly if any more exhausting than anytime you spend a day out (again see above for air pressure)! Seeing as the Bugs & Lites are vertually the same price Lites $403.80 vs Bugs $381.80 for 26x10x12 & 26x12x12 you gotta give the nod to the Bugs .
I also don't understand your comment on the XTRs
The Radial XTRs are well worth the extra cost, as they flex less than the standard XLs, but in practical terms, I haven't had any problems with tire flex on mine.
Are the advantages of a radial not in the ability to flex more! That's what gives a better ride, provides more traction & allows for better wear !
Win94: I looked at a set of those Dirt Devils & consider them to be a very good looking tire but until reciently they always carried a premium price compared to Bugs. I see now they are quite reasonable at $373.80 & would consider a set myself
The angled lugs on the Bug forces them to clear even when the tires are turning slow where as the Lites (non radial) with the lug angled to 90* will plug up. Having both tires on my bikes I can def tell you (as have others) Lites will wear faster! The rougher ride to the Bugs is true but it is so small a diff as to be negligable! Bearing trouble on a Grizzly with TIRES is a given
& I don't go thru any more than my bud does that has the Lites in the same size. I have to wonder what you run for air pressure?? I run 3 1/2lbs for max ride quality, & max traction maybe if I was gonna spend the day on a road I'd run em up to 5lb or so but man they are rough then. I do many "all day" rides on mine & find them only slightly if any more exhausting than anytime you spend a day out (again see above for air pressure)! Seeing as the Bugs & Lites are vertually the same price Lites $403.80 vs Bugs $381.80 for 26x10x12 & 26x12x12 you gotta give the nod to the Bugs .I also don't understand your comment on the XTRs
The Radial XTRs are well worth the extra cost, as they flex less than the standard XLs, but in practical terms, I haven't had any problems with tire flex on mine.
Are the advantages of a radial not in the ability to flex more! That's what gives a better ride, provides more traction & allows for better wear
!Win94: I looked at a set of those Dirt Devils & consider them to be a very good looking tire but until reciently they always carried a premium price compared to Bugs. I see now they are quite reasonable at $373.80 & would consider a set myself
Thats what I was told. Better ride with the XTRs. I looked at Mub Bugs, Bear CLaws and Vampires, but I couldn't pass up the deal I got on the ML XTRs. I also put them on a set of stock Grizz rims which have a 3/4 inch extra offset.senior said:Are the advantages of a radial not in the ability to flex more! That's what gives a better ride, provides more traction & allows for better wear
Out of the guys I ride with, I'm always hitting the holes first and getting stuck. Hopefully things will change!
I agree with the guy that said that it's the right thumb that breaks stuff, I have ran a Honda Rincon 650 with a lift that I made cause I couldn't buy one high enough and some performance upgrades and 27x12 Mudzillas all the way around and never broke a thing but lent it to my little bro for the weekend and he snapped both front axles, but now I upgraded them also, I stay off the roads as much as possible and these tires are great for what I do but I would not recommend them for the average rider, had gators before much better in beach sand and on the road but can't compare in the goo, but the gators cracked so bad in 7 months that the manufacturer gave me my full money back including taxes and shipping.
