• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Any 35 regrets?

M

md11freighter

FRIEND
Wasilla
My 31’s are starting to show a little weather checking, it’s winter and I am thinking too much. Anyone have any regrets on going 35s instead of buying another set of 31s? I know stupid question…..or is it?

Thanks
 
Pros- Better AOA. Better shock absorption. Better flotation and rolling on soft and bumpy surfaces.

Cons- 35# added weight at the front of the envelope. New wheels required. Spendy. Hard to climb onto.
 
I loved my 35s until I took them off and realized how much better my Super Cub handled without an additional 42 lbs of weight hanging off the end of the axles. They acted like a pendulum. I ended up getting a tug and letting some air out of my 31s as a compromise.
 
Are you doing things that requires 35s or just wanting to look cool? I wold bet that 95% or better of the people running 35s could get away with 850s the places they actually fly into.
 
We put the Grove kit on the instructional J3 and ran 26" tires for a half year - appearance only. Even at 20 psi they were not pleasant on pavement and we could feel the performance hit. I put used 8:00x6 on, at 30 psi, and am quite pleased!

Of course, I vastly prefer the 8:00x4s on the little Cub, and have a lifetime supply of those, but for instruction the 8:00x6 are actually better. Opinion.m
 
bob turner said:
We put the Grove kit on the instructional J3 and ran 26" tires for a half year - appearance only. Even at 20 psi they were not pleasant on pavement and we could feel the performance hit.
Click to expand...

Well there's your problem, you should have tried 35's first! The bigger the better! The performance hit is well worth it to look cool

The 35's will allow you to land some crazy places and get away with things that you simply can't with 31's. Like others have said there is a 40lb weight penalty over 31's so there's definitely a cost both in weight and in drag/airspeed.
 
I haven’t done it yet, but thought upgraded suspension would be a good compromise rather than going to 35’s. Less weight and less cost. I have run 31’s and 35’s. 31’s are the best all around tire. 35’s are good but for me are best for swamps for 2 weeks a year. I don’t make a living with the cub. If I did 35’s would probably be the right move. I run bungee’s, I would like to try some modern suspension
 
The 35s would come out of the clump grass in Utah where as the 31s had a hard time. I understand there are some favorite landing areas like that in parts of Alaska as well, some kind of berry patches?
 
jrb said:
I haven’t done it yet, but thought upgraded suspension would be a good compromise rather than going to 35’s. Less weight and less cost. I have run 31’s and 35’s. 31’s are the best all around tire. 35’s are good but for me are best for swamps for 2 weeks a year. I don’t make a living with the cub. If I did 35’s would probably be the right move. I run bungee’s, I would like to try some modern suspension
Click to expand...

One of the benefits of these new suspensions is running the 35s harder to reduce rolling resistance and run the shocks softer to soak up the hard landings.... I mean bumps. ;)
At normal inflations/pressures the combo of 35s and TK-1/Acme suspensions hard to believe until you experience it.
 
When i Rebuilt my cub i went with 35's as i wanted a second set of wheels for 8.50's and skis. With the 35's you can go into more and more places that i really had no business going into. I went back to 31's. Nice weight loss, and I don't want to be rebuilding the cub again. Like steve said, my cub feels better in the air on 31's
 
The lesson I have learned to be careful following someone on 35s. They can sucker you in to places you shouldn't be without them.
 
With 35's you slide further on slippery surfaces. Brakes aren't as authoritative. Loading and unloading a heavy piece of meat is much more difficult. Taking a pee in a real strong wind requires emergency brakes.

Edit: I forgot an important one. I have to wear pumps to hand prop.

Jerry
 
Last edited:
alaskadrifter said:
35s are cheap insurance if you misjudge a spot.
Click to expand...
Yep for that reason I have no regrets with 35s. A sharp pilot with 31s could land all the places I land easy. For me they add a lot of margin that I need occasionally. There is a huge difference between 35s and 31s. My 31s are old bias ply and stiff. The plane does fly better with 31s for sure. I have them on right now for some longer trips with easier strips. 20211222_171705.jpeg

Sent from my SM-G965U1 using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 

Attachments

  • 20211222_171705.jpeg
    20211222_171705.jpeg
    97.5 KB · Views: 151
akavidflyer said:
Are you doing things that requires 35s or just wanting to look cool? I wold bet that 95% or better of the people running 35s could get away with 850s the places they actually fly into.
Click to expand...

sure, you can do alot with 8.50's, but it's really about increasing the safety envelope.

I hear you though, most people with 35's don't need them. And even the guys that *need* 35's - only need them less than 5% of the time anyway.
 
I use the standard line when guys ask why I use 35s. Because they don’t make 40s.

On the serious side? 35s have less sidewall wobble than 31s. No tendency to roll laterally. Not on a Cub, at least.
 
The lateral roll resistance is interesting. Might be a benefit on a slope or sharp turn. Just an observer of both...seen a 31 that ate a brake caliper on one plane.

Gary
 
If all you are doing is going with guys that have small tires, and to known areas don't bother.

If you are trying to find places to land to hunt, fish and get away, they quickly become valuable.

My only regret is not seeing the stick on the gravel bar that impaled one after less than 200 hours. I have not replaced it yet.
 
35’s are bought and in the hangar till the snow melts. For now it’s 8.00-6’s with skis.
There ain’t no way I’d land those or 8.50s in quite a few places I regular. Swamp and deep sand I’d be on my back with those. I got in to a few places that rattled my teeth on 31’s this year and figured I’d step up to the next size tires. I think I’ll keep the 31’s around in case I don’t seem to like the 35’s, but I don’t see that as happening.
 
I ran 35s for many years. Never really did anything I couldn't do on 31s, they look great, but I got tired of climbing up to check fuel rather than stepping. Probably eventually going to have to go down to 600 x 6s to "step up"....
 
stewartb said:
One of the benefits of these new suspensions is running the 35s harder to reduce rolling resistance and run the shocks softer to soak up the hard landings.... I mean bumps. ;)
At normal inflations/pressures the combo of 35s and TK-1/Acme suspensions hard to believe until you experience it.
Click to expand...

What inflation/pressure are you using in the 35 and TK-1?


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org mobile app
 
md11freighter said:
I got in to a few places that rattled my teeth on 31’s this year and figured I’d step up to the next size tires.
Click to expand...

That's the thing right there. I've landed a few places where I could do it safely on 29's but I thought it would about shake my teeth out. It's not that you can't do it on smaller tires but those smaller tires are just really hard on the airframe. 35's save a lot of beating on the gear and fuselage.
 
I honestly don’t know where the shock pressures are right now. I think they were at 280 when I changed the gear but I adjusted the forks in after that and let some pressure out as it sat on the tires. I think the tires are at 8# but that’s been awhile and they aren’t even on the plane right now. Tony says the travel is 4” at the shock and we want 1” used on the ground after taxiing it to settle the shocks. You can set zip ties on the shafts to measure what deflection you get after flying. As the shocks compress it moves the zip tie. That helps to decide on the best pressure for your plane and use.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

High Country
35" vs 31" Bushwheels
2
Replies
51
Views
24K
stewartb
S
Scouter
AKBushwheels vs Airstreak 29s
2
Replies
48
Views
20K
courierguy
courierguy
18180
Stick with 31 inch or go to 35 inch tires?
Replies
6
Views
7K
OLDCROWE
O
N
Spare set of wheels & tires
Replies
13
Views
3K
stewartb
S
Henny
Bushwheel/Gear Configuration Opinions
2
Replies
50
Views
13K
Henny
Henny
Back
Top