For perspective:
A 33" only sticks out 0.5" more than the 32" tire.
You're talking about this as if you'll be on stilts.
(Frankly, I'd just use the OEM tires until they wear out/you get sick of them...)
The melt mod is just some soft black plastic IN YOUR WHEEL WELL, and you're shrinking it back with a blow drier/heat gun, etc...not going Mad Max on it with a fire axe.
33's clear on compression off road on the 2nd gen X's (Because a 33 is so close to a 32" in clearance...)
The recommendation is to get a wider tire, say a 305/70/16, as the TREAD is wider than a 33x12.5/15's...but the sidewall is a little narrower....and its a 33" diameter tire.
In a corner, the added contact patch adds lateral acceleration ability (Higher G forces) because you have more rubber on the road for handling and braking.
Now, if you get an AT or MT tire, regardless of size, if it works better OFF road, except for deep snow, etc...you will not handle ON the road as well.
So, if you want ZERO compromises in ON road performance, get a ROAD (High speed highway and or performance tire) tire.
If you are OK giving up some ON road performance to get more OFF ROAD performance, then a more aggressive treaded tire (AT or MT) adds a LOT of off road capability.
MT treaded tires are NOT as good on the road, regardless of size....its just the trade offs in design.
If they were shoes, the highway tires are smooth soled basketball sneakers that can grip a wooden floor like an octopus tentacle....and the MT's are Soccer Cleats, that can dig into wet grass and grip the dirt for traction.
If you try to play basketball on a wood court in soccer cleats, you will skid all over the place with very little traction.
If you try to play soccer on a wet grass pitch wearing basketball sneakers, you will skid all over the place with very little traction.
An AT tire is sort of like getting a pair of Cross Trainers, and wearing them for both basketball and soccer...so they are not totally crippled in either sport, but, are not optimized for either sport either.
Those giant paddle-like lugs on an MT are like wearing rubber high heels ON the road...but cleats off the road.
An AT's smaller "cleats" are less wobbly ON the road, so the handling is better than an MT, but not as good as a hwy tread's...and better off road than a hwy tread, but not as good as an MT.
You need to evaluate how much off road prowess you need and how much ON road prowess you need, and decide on where your priorities are.
MOST guys who drive their rigs every day for work, etc...get AT tires for this very reason...as they are going for jack of all trades and master of none.
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