Tyre size/profile v rim width?

Submitted: Thursday, Feb 11, 2016 at 17:50
ThreadID: 131582 Views:2888 Replies:8 FollowUps:9
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We have recently had a thread about tyre selection brand and construction, this is more about the rims we choose to fit our favoured tyre to. I'm talking about the prefered width for a particular tyre not whether a steel is prefered over ally or vice versa.

Now I fully realise that tyre manufacturers recommend a width for whatever the tyre is and usually there is a range that satisfies their criteria.
For example a certain manufacturer recommends a range of rim widths between 7" and 9" as being suitable for a 31x10.5R15 tyre. I'm not picking this tyre for any particular reaon, just as an example. I do acknowledge that this can vary between manufacturers for whatever reason.

So if you had to choose a rim at the same time, which would be your choice and why?
Regardless of the tyre I had picked, personally I would go with the narrower end of the scale.
My reasoning, right or wrong, is that there is less of the sidewall exposed to rocks or sticks or whatever in the rough stuff. Particularly when reducing pressures to attempt to limit the vunerability of the more exposed aforementioned sidewall which is usually the weakest part of the tyre and damage to that area usually procludes any repair from being undertaken for the long term use.

Yeah, I know we let our tyre down to increase footprint length rather than width, as well as provide a softer ride, but obviously the sides of the tyre do bag out more.

So do you guys agree or disagree with my theory and why???

Cheers
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