BFG A/Ts vs M/Ts-sizes and thoughts

[maestro]

Next week I am upgrading to either 32s or 33s BFG tires. The dealer is a friend of mine so he let me try out several combinations. I have a total spring lift of 3-1/2" and Mickey Thompson classic locks with 3-1/4 backspacing. The surprising thing for me was that the 32 M/Ts looked bigger than the 32 A/Ts although they have the same diameter (1/10" difference). I guess it is because of the aggressive tread pattern. I also tried out the 33x10.5 and 33x12.5 M/Ts. The second ones looked way too fat for me and they really passed out the flares much. The 33x10.5 looked really good although I experienced some slight rubbing at full turns with the front springs fully compressed. The 33x10.5 A/Ts are not available overseas for some reason.
I am getting closer to the choice of the 32x11.5 M/Ts in spite of the fact that the A/Ts would cover most of my needs better (daily driver, highways, not too heavy off-roading). Has anybody else choosen tires only for the looks? Would it be a stupid idea?
Please don't ask me why I got a lift and big tires since I am not a real off-roader.
The answer is ... you wouldn't understand...
Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated. I am mostly interested in hearing how the M/Ts are on road and if anybody else thinks that they look bigger than the A/Ts. Thnks!

[BillM]

I think my 33" MT's (Pro-Comp) look bigger than most AT's of the same size. As far as getting a lift and bog tires and you not offroading, I think it is a fine idea. Why do I have 18" wheels and low profile tires on a lowered S-10? Because I like the way it looks. Whether you offroad or not is not important to me. I say do what you like with your money. If I had a tow rig then I might lift it a little and make it look better but I surely would not take it offroad. Just MHO.

[Fred]

I would say for little to NO offroading you will be happier with BFG AT's. I had them on my old cherokee and they were just fine on road, as for off road they didn't handle mud worth a crap, they did everything else just fine. They wear nicely and have good street manners. I think you will be pleased with them.
As for MT's on road, some have fair road manners some do not! You must note all true MT's are gonna "roar" and be load on road. Most MT's will wear faster onroad compared to AT's and they also do not provide the best grip to the asphalt.
In my humble opinion MT's = offroad, AT's = onroad

[Tomster]

Maestro:

Not a thing wrong with giving "looks" a high priority in your tire selection. Nothing wrong with lifting a Jeep that will not be taken off road either. Jeeps definitely look better with lifts and bigger tires.

If you like the Muds, then go for them, as long as you are aware that they will make noise (Jeeps are noisy anyway, so what's the big deal?) and that they will not give you as much tread life as the AT's. I think their life will be pretty decent as long as you keep them balanced, rotated, and inflated properly.

I have owned both the BFG All Terrains and the BFG Mud Terrains in 31 x 10.50 size. I didn't notice any difference in the ride or handling between the two.

Just be sure that whatever tire you get, you run the proper tire pressure. I like about 28 psi. in either the 31 x 10.50 AT or the 31 x 10.50 Mud tires. The ideal tire pressure for a particular tire is determined by the weight of the vehicle it is on. Just because the tire will handle a maximum of 50 psi does not mean that you should be anywhere near that on a Jeep. The tire manufacturer doesn't know what vehicle a tire will end up on, so they just state the maximum load and the maximum pressure on the side of the tire.

Good luck.

Tom

[gmbtj]

I love my 32 BFG M/T's. They have gotten me everywhere I have needed too, and they are actually more quiet than my old worn out GSA's. They are prolly the quietest M/T out there. Also, MasterCraft A/T lugs make it look pretty similar to an M/T.

By the way, I got a Teraflex 3T lift kit, but I actually got aroun 4 inches out of it.