Interesting to see some of those pictures, including a couple from Uwharrie out here in NC (where people from here don't seem to like to go). Anyway as far as running 35"s go both sides of the argument have good points (stated above).
WIDE VS NARROW
This is an underlying thing I see between the 35x12.5 (Wide) and 33x10.5 (Narrow) discussion. Here is a link that goes more in depth but I will summarize it plus add to it:
Expeditions West: Tire Selection for Expedition Travel
- Wide tires don't offer more traction than narrow tires EXCEPT in flotation instances where the wider tires would "float" over the terrain. Deep Mud and Sand being the only instances (snow is debatable). On Rocks, Dirt, Regular Mud, etc that you encounter on trails narrow tires will give more bite due to contact pressure.
- Narrow tires take less to spin and put less stress on the axles, drivetrain etc. Its very simple they have less rolling resistance and weight.
- To protect your vehicle from side damage wider tires do give an advantage. They stick out and will hold your truck up off obstacles. Running a wheel with 4" Backspacing or Less can fix this if you run narrow tires.
I have run 34x12.5 TSLs and 34x9.5 TSLs and can attest that the above is true. The 9.5s grip better, put less strain on my truck, and because I don't have the right backspacing have left my truck open to a lot more side body damage.
REAL TIRE SIZES
Keep in mind when selecting tires they don't measure out to what they advertise as usually. Radial tires usually measure .2" to .3" smaller than what the sidewall says. Most 33" tires are 32.8" or 32.7". Swampers are the exception where they usually measure bigger. 33x12.5" TSLs are actually 33.7", which compared to the 34x10.5 LTB is 33.6". You mentioned Q78 TSLs, which will be my next set of tires (on 15" instead of 16"). Keep in mind they are not 35"s, they are a small 36" at 35.5". I like them because they are narrow and tall, but just remember when planning on lift etc you will be going with small 36"s not 35"s.
TIRES ARE THE ONLY TRUE SOURCE OF LIFT
Tires are the only thing that bring everything up off the ground including your axle clearance. Body lifts raise the body, and suspension lifts raise parts of the suspension, the frame, and the body. Tires lift the axles, body, entire suspension, and frame.
THE AMOUNT OF CLEARANCE NEEDED IS DETERMINED BY THE WHEELING CONDITIONS
Buzzard hasn't posted what kind of wheeling conditions he wants to run these tires on. There is no point in arguing 33"s vs 35"s etc if we don't know what kind of terrain and challenge he wants to put this truck through. If he is doing extreme wheeling with rocks, then yeah he will want 35"s. But he will want the traction aids to go with it, including lockers etc which will include upgrading axles etc. If he does more moderate wheeling with less hardcore stuff 33"s will probably be fine, and will not need as many upgrades to run them. Keep in mind the bigger the tires you run the more likely you are to try harder stuff, which usually means you need bigger tires, more traction aids, etc etc. Its a vicious cycle.
34" TIRES
No one mentioned 34" tires, a happy medium between 33"s and 35"s what I am running now. If you are all ready considering running bias ply Q78s then your 34" options will be good:
34x9.5 TSLs (33.8)
34x10.5 LTBs (33.6)
33x12.5 TSLs (33.7)
34x12.5 TrXuS M/Ts (34.0)
TIRES,LIFT, AND TRACTION
- It doesn't matter how much traction you have if you can't clear the obstacle.
- It doesn't matter how much lift you have if you don't have the traction to get up/through the obstacle
Unless you plan to winch a lot keep the above in mind. As you go bigger in tires and lift you will need to add traction to go with it. And vice versa. The stuff you will be doing on 33"s will require less modifications than what you will be encountering on 35"s.
Not having more information from Buzzard on what kind of wheeling he does/plans on doing there isn't much more to say without getting into specifics. This includes terrain(rocks?), wheeling style (skinny pedal fan?), and budget.