is there something in the makeup of an MT that makes the sidewall look fatter then an AT?

i love my nitto terra grapplers 285/75/16 but they look very "square" compared to the Mud Grappler of the same size?

am i high?

 

Depends on the tire size, rim size, and air pressure. Also depends on the general make-up of the tire itself. Some (mostly M/Ts) are made with a more rounded shape in mind and others (mainly A/Ts) are made like yours. It's so you get more rubber in contact with the pavement, which they assume is probably going to be the majority of your driving if you have A/Ts.

 

Rim size meaning width? i'm running 16s, but not sure how wide they are..

does the width of the wheel make a difference?

 

A flotation tire is designed to support more weight at lower inflation levels whereas a metric tire is designed for supporting weight at higher inflation rates. This will lend itself to the look as you are describing, and most MTs are flotation tires.

 

Although it is very case specific, MTs tend to have more tread wrap around the shoulder on to the side wall . The wrap over tread has a tendency to make the tires look rounder in comparison to the ATs whose tread ends on the shoulder.

Regarding rim width, the rule of thumb is that for every 1/2" of additional rim width you get about 0.2" of additional tire section width.

 

It really makes a big difference. Check out 10" wheels with 35's, it is alot different looking. I personally don't like the wide wheel look, but to each their own. I will add the wider the wheel the more chance you have of hurting the wheel on rocks & the like. I happen to really like factory wheels, although they do limit you on tires when you get bigger. JOE>