What size dirt tires with Microstubs?

[acefuture]

In the past year or so we've been headed to the desert a bit more than in the past and been having a blast. Even though my desert dynamics is set up for the dunes, it does pretty damn well in the dirt as well. I don't currently have a desert specific tire setup yet, so I'm looking around to see what i'd like to do. Up to this point i've borrowed some 35" baja mud terrains from a buddy for the rear, and run my 33 baja pros that I run up front in the dunes and in the dirt. I have 2" hollows up front, so no worries about tire size there. But in baja after about 500 miles my trans (2D) said no more. Given we did some pretty bad ass trails (San Felipe power line whoops, goat trail, washes out of Valley T, etc.) and we didn't milk anything, it was pretty much full bore the entire time. That was also the third season of my 2D and I don't drive my car soft at all, so not a huge surprise. But I also had a micro stub bearing that went bad on that trip at all. So long story longer, my question is: What tire do you suggest for the rear of the car? Step down to a 33" or keep the 35" on. It's hard to tell if those two issues were caused by the 35s in baja, but I'm sure it didn't help. 

Pic of the car for reference:

 

[Mjmtrsprt]

I ran 35” Bfg’s on my car for 13 seasons with micro stubs (switched to mid boards last year and now 37’s this year). Car is over 3k lbs. i broke one stub early on, it was chromoly switched to 300m and never a problem. Bearings lasted usually 5-6 years. 
  Those also werent the bigger 33spline they were RBP 27 spline stuff. I honestly think big wide paddles put more stress on them vs a narrow dirt tire. 

 

[2turbofords]

I have run 35"x10.50  tires on my 091 bus trans since 2010 and show no mercy in the whoops, we mainly do ocatillo. Front tires are the same size also with Honda v-6.

 

[L.R.S.]

I ran 35" BFGs on my Chenowth Genesis A arm car with micro stubs for 5 years and only went to Glamis twice so it was mostly hardpack. Never had an issue.

 

[cali kid]

My old DD ran 35’s it’s entire life with a 2d and micro stubs with no issues.

 

[acefuture]

Thanks for the input guys. Went to ocotillo and ran the exact setup as @cali kid. 33" Bajas up front and 35" projects in the rear, was a great setup.