1packabs wrote:and I'm wondering if I can go wider with a lower profile to get a bigger foot print for more grip when pulling.
Hi...This will only work on tarmac/concrete etc, where a wider tyre will afford more grip....Offroad the opposite applies, as you are relying on the weight of the vehicle to forces the tread into the ground to afford you more traction, the wider the tyre, the more it will stay on the surface and scrabble around unless you increase the weight of the vehicle dramatically. This is one of the reason why in car tests like on top gear where they put an old series 1 landrover up against a much more modern RR, the series always wins when it gets muddy, as it has much narrower tyres that cut in and give it more traction.
Same applies with tractors, those huge floatation tyres they run when spreading and spraying are great for not compressing the ground, but when it comes to ploughing a much narrower tyre is used with way more agrresive tread so it cuts in.
Floatation doesnt give you traction off road, but can help on bottomless ground (beaches, desserts, swaps) where are narrow tyre is not going to be able to cut through the slosh and find something to grip on...Floatation can also be less damaging to the ground underneath you, hence why farmers use them.
So with tyre choice and size you really need to consider exactly what you need the vehicle to do, and how you plan to use it and it what conditions as the tyre choice will vary considerably...
Fat is cool though, when it comes to tyres, but you need to expect the guy on better selected tyres to drive straight past you when you are stuck if you use it with a vengance off road.