35x11.5 on a Sasquatch – Bigger or Smaller? I finally have my answer…

[Coupe68GT390]

I went back and forth on 12.5 or 11.5 to replace my Goodyears a few months ago. I went with Nitto Recon Grapplers in 11.5 due to the weight savings of a C load rating over the E on the 12.5. They are just over 34" tall aired up to 38. They ride way better and quieter than the Goodyears and I actually get about the same MPG out of a much beefier tire. I'm not a fan of spacers, so I mounted them on some cheap used Rock Trix wheels I found on FB Marketplace that are 17x9 with a +12 offset. The actual tread width on the Recon Grapplers are about a 1/4" narrower than the Goodyears, which just had more ballooned sidewalls maki g them look wider, and with the slightly higher offset they fill the Sas flares perfectly IMO. I couldn't be happier.

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[Mr Nick]

My factory Goodyears were at 39 psi and measured just under 34”.

The new KO3s at 39 psi measure over 34” but under 34.5”.

Keep in mind, your Goodyears had 60k miles worth of tread missing. That could easily be 0.5" worth of measured height.

 

[BCT1212]

My original plan was actually a 37x11.5, but I couldn’t find one with the snowflake rating, so I settled on the 35x11.5 to see what all the pizza cutter hype was about. Didn’t expect it to change the stance this much. You might’ve been right.

Yeah I’ve done it too. It’s disappointing and I was never happy. 12.5 fixes this honestly

I think a significant factor in these new tires looking smaller is caused by the white lettering. It draws your vision inward, creating the optical illusion of a smaller tire. Notice it even makes your white wheels appear smaller too.

the white wall picture on the right looks to fill the fender wells more causing a larger tire appearance then the left.

 

[crzyhawk]

Keep in mind, your Goodyears had 60k miles worth of tread missing. That could easily be 0.5" worth of measured height.

Every video I have seen where people measure them comes out at about 34.0 inches. Goodyear and by extension, Ford, lie about the tire size.

 

[BCT1212]

Every video I have seen where people measure them comes out at about 34.0 inches. Goodyear and by extension, Ford, lie about the tire size.

Nah there is no such thing as a true 35

 

[Sundy]

For when the time comes I too am looking at 35x11.5. The weight jump from the Goodyears is crazy. I am currently eyeballing the Nitto Ridge Grappler.
thanks for the write up and pics. Helpful!

Glad it helped! The Ridge Grappler was on my list too. I don’t think you can really go wrong with it. Looking forward to seeing some pics once you get them on!

 

[Sundy]

I think a significant factor in these new tires looking smaller is caused by the white lettering. It draws your vision inward, creating the optical illusion of a smaller tire. Notice it even makes your white wheels appear smaller too.

You might be onto something there. Never thought the white letters could make the whole setup look smaller.

 

[Gambitl7]

I just went to 35x11.5 AT4W's and have been super happy with them. Took them on a 6500 mile road trip right after getting them and they are so much better than the 33 Ko2's that came on my Badlands. They are much quieter and much better in the rain we get in Florida. They were great on the trails we went on in SD and Montana. So for me they have been a great improvement.

 

[crzyhawk]

Nah there is no such thing as a true 35

34.0 does not round to 35.

 

[Harry The Heritage]

A while back I made a post asking whether a 35x11.5 would actually look smaller on a Sasquatch. Got a ton of replies and really appreciate everyone who took the time to share their experience. I couldn’t reply to everyone, but I read every single one.


Well… today I finally have my own answer.


I just swapped my factory Sas Goodyears for KO3 35x11.50R17.

Here’s what I noticed right away:

• You can feel a little extra weight, but in a good way. It feels more planted on the road and less like it’s floating around.
• The steering feels more planted. The factory Goodyears always felt a little soft to me, while the KO3 feels much more solid.
• Road noise is noticeably lower.
• Surprisingly, steering at a standstill actually feels lighter than before.

Out of curiosity I measured them before and after.


My factory Goodyears were at 39 psi and measured just under 34”.

The new KO3s at 39 psi measure over 34” but under 34.5”.

So yes… they are technically a little taller.


But here’s the part that surprised me…


Even though they’re slightly taller on paper, the truck actually looks a little smaller from a distance.

I still have 1.5” spacers, so they’re definitely sticking out past the fenders, but somehow they just don’t have the same chunky presence as the factory Sas tires. I’m guessing it’s probably the tread pattern and shoulder design more than the actual dimensions.


It’s not ugly by any means… it just doesn’t have that “beefy” factory Sas look anymore.


I already have a set of Retro Bronc slim fenders sitting in the garage that I’ve been too lazy to install. I think this might finally be the motivation to put them on since they’ll expose more of the tire.


For anyone who’s considering switching to a 35x11.5, my advice would be this:


If your #1 priority is appearance, I’d seriously look at the AT4W too. I haven’t run them myself, so I can’t say they’re definitely bigger, but since they’re listed at a true 35” on paper, I suspect they’ll keep a little more visual presence than the KO3. Unfortunately they were backordered when I needed tires, so I couldn’t wait.


I got almost 60,000 miles out of my factory Goodyears over the last two years (and somehow managed to destroy three of them ), so hopefully the KO3s will be tougher.


Now I’m just hoping that in another couple of years BFG gives us a 37x11.50 with a 3PMSF rating.


Right now I haven’t found a 37x11.5 that has the snowflake rating, and since I spend a lot of time driving rainy, snowy, twisty mountain highways, I wasn’t willing to give that up.


Hope this helps the next person who’s overthinking the exact same thing I was.

I got the KO3s 35/12.5 so wider and kind of wishing I went narrow sometimes since the passenger front tire kisses the sway bar at full articulation. To fix the issue I’ll probably get some aftermarket wheels with a negative offset.

How are you liking the day to day drive with narrow tires and off roading performance with them?

 

[BCT1212]

34.0 does not round to 35.

Like I said, there is no such thing as a true 35! lol

 

[ericramz]

The extra weight shouldn't make that much difference on highway MPG.
Once the extra mass is up to speed, the energy needed to keep it up to speed is minimal, but getting the extra mass up to speed is quite a different story. Acceleration will consume more fuel with heavier tires; therefore, the city mileage should show the bigger difference in MPG's.

if you wanted to save some weight and keep the same look you could go with these: https://fifteen52.com/products/analog-hd-classic-white

 

[Beach_Bum]

Every video I have seen where people measure them comes out at about 34.0 inches. Goodyear and by extension, Ford, lie about the tire size.

34.0 does not round to 35.

It's not that they "lie". But no one should be taking measure from under load. For the OP's case, he was comparing the old/new under load so it is a somewhat apples to apples comparison. Though, it doesn't account for the tread wear and softer sidewall.

The stock GY tires are soft C rated tires so under load, height is lost. You are correct that they always come out to 34" under load. Measuring the spare will yield a better measurement.

With regards to tire dimensions and rounding, if the tire measures a fraction beyond the closest whole number then they get rounded up to the next whole number. 34.2" and it suddenly is considered a 35" even though under load, that tire can easily measure smaller than 34".

 

[BCT1212]

It's not that they "lie". But no one should be taking measure from under load. For the OP's case, he was comparing the old/new under load so it is a somewhat apples to apples comparison. Though, it doesn't account for the tread wear and softer sidewall.

The stock GY tires are soft C rated tires so under load, height is lost. You are correct that they always come out to 34" under load. Measuring the spare will yield a better measurement.

With regards to tire dimensions and rounding, if the tire measures a fraction beyond the closest whole number then they get rounded up to the next whole number. 34.2" and it suddenly is considered a 35" even though under load, that tire can easily measure smaller than 34".

 

[timhood]

.

I’m not sure if you feel these are smaller because they stick out less, or if it’s because you think they look smaller from the side as in the photos above, but in the photos, the BFGs are in shadow and blend in with the fender liner, so you aren’t seeing the tire as well-defined as the Goodyears.

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