[tweeder82o]

So my timberjack came with OEM 2.8" wide WTB tires (67-584); the rest of WTB's 2.8" tires are all listed as 67-584 as well

Maxxis' and Schwalbe's 2.8" tires are 71-584 and 70-584 respectively; WTB lists their 3.0" as 72-584.

Maxxis' and Schwalbe's 2.6" wt tires are 66-584 and 65-584

So if i were to get maxxis's or schwalbe's 2.8" tires, that's a 4mm and 3mm difference

whereas if i were to get maxxi's or schwalbe's 2.6", it's only a 1mm and 2mm difference

Do I replace my OEM 2.8" tires with other brands' 2.8" tires or do I replace them with other brands' tires that have more similar etrto sizes even though their "2.6""?

p.s. the wheels are 41mm internal width. most everywhere I've read says that 2.6" tires are too narrow for those wheels.

sources:

maxxis
schwalbe
wtb

 

[Forest Rider]

You posted a lot of numbers but I can't find your question between the numbers.

What are you trying to figure out?

 

[tweeder82o]

You posted a lot of numbers but I can't find your question between the numbers.

What are you trying to figure out?

ha, you're right, I was so busy getting the info in I forgot the question. I've edited my post.

my question is
Do I replace my OEM 2.8" tires with other brands' 2.8" tires or do I replace them with other brands' tires that have more similar etrto sizes?

and a lot of my searches regarding 41mm internal width wheels is that the 2.6" tires are too narrow. Hence why I am even bringing this up.

 

[azjonboy]

As long as they clear the frame it doesn’t matter. See how much clearance your current tires have and use that as your baseline.

 

[MSU Alum]

If you want to get a good idea of actual tire width, in my experience ETRTO is more accurate

 

[bikeny]

It's pretty simple, if you want wider tires, get something with a larger number. If you want narrower tires, get something with a smaller number. If you are happy with the current width, stay around the same number. A couple of mm won't make much of a difference.

 

[tweeder82o]

replies

so I've gotten some replies from the industry and answers are across the board. with concerns boiling down to two things:

1. squaring off the profile
2. bb height

and i guess a third thing: that nothing is exact...

the same question in the original post was asked.

Maxxis:

I would not suggest Maxxis 2.60WT tires on your 41mm rims. The Maxxis 2.80 tires however will be perfect for 41mm rims. I can only speak for Maxxis tires and know the various sizes are designed around a certain rim width. All 2.40-2.60 Maxxis WT tires are designed around a 35mm rim and the 2.80 plus tires are designed around a 39mm rim. I currently have 2.60WT tires mounted on 37mm rims and would not want to go to a wider rim because the sidewalls would slowly become more vulnerable and the tire would square off. I would say the sweet spot to achieve optimum performance for your 41mm rims would be 2.80-3.0 width tires.

WTB:

Any of these should be compatible I would imagine, though you would need to confirm with those tire manufacturers. Ultimately its a personal choice of the tires you want to run, non of them are going to be perfectly identical in size... people typically follow the Inch measurements as opposed to the actual MM measurements of the casing.

Salsa (Evan):

It really depends on how big of a tire you would like. If you want a very similar sized tire then I would go with a WTB tire like the OEM Rangers. Exact tire widths are never exact, and can even depend on PSI and how old the tire is so I would focus on the tread style and other functional aspects you are looking for in a tire rather than focusing solely on width alone!

Salsa (Chris):

You bring up a good point! It is definitely the case that different manufacturers both measure and label their tires differently. As much as it seems that the ISO widths would be more accurate, they can be just as subjective. As you know, the measured width of a tire will vary based on the rim it is used on, the pressure it is inflated to, and how long it sits at that pressure.

The issue with using a tire that is too small is not just with the rim width, but also with the overall geometry of the bike. Using a smaller tire lowers your bottom bracket and makes it more likely you will hit your crank on the ground. On a bike like the Timberjack that is already pretty low, this is an important thing to think about.

The bottom line is that I would stick to a tire that is labeled as a 2.8 regardless of what the ISO width says.

Sunringle:

The tire size range for the Duroc45 is 2.6-3.0

The duroc45 is the OEM wheel that came on my bike

No response from Schwalbe... yet.