Tires..again

[ScottinMA]

Hi,

It's that time again. My scorpion zeros are about toast (285-50-18s) and I'm looking for something that will be good with New England winters yet sporty enough to get me through the summer. The zeros were Great in the summer and Sucked in snow....wide tread, etc. So listas that drive in all four seasons...what is the suggested tire??

[Ldub]

SURVEY SAY'S...

In no particular order...

Nitto Terra Grapplers

Yoko Geolanders

Bridgestone A/T REVO

Also ran (maybe a little more noisy/agressive than you want) Goodyear MTR

[VXDRUMMER2]

I currently have the Nitto Terra Grapplers on my VX and they are awesome! They arent very loud and i drove with them in the snow this past winter and they were great.

[LittleBeast]

Nitto Terra Grapplers....... yeah that is all I am going to say...... the end

[chosen one]

What kind of miles do you guys get out of these tires?

[ScottinMA]

What size Nitto Terra Grapplers are you running?

[LittleBeast]

285/60 R18 - no lift just great tires. I think there might be a little small bit of trimming on the front under side plastic, but you cannot see it at all. Last set of these I had lasted around 45k miles and probably still had another 5k on them at least, I still have all four of those old ones out in the garage. Never had a problem or complaint and I drive the heck outta tires, before these I was averaging a full set of tires a year. Of course I drive quit a bit, and do not slow down for much of anything.

[ScottinMA]

Would these work? Nitto Tires Terra Grappler P255/55R18 without cutting the cladding and changing the speedo too much? I was hoping for something wider but I'm not going to get out the saw on my baby. BTW, 131 hits on this thread. What a forum! Scott (the moderator), thank you for making this forum and all who offer their perspectives.

[LittleBeast]

Well, to be honest for the best external appearance in my opinion and many others on this forum the wider 285's are the best bet. Once they are mounted they just look like the VX was meant for a 285 tire, and the cutting is to the underside of the plastic, it is very minimal and only on the front. If they had not already been on the VX when I got it I probably would not have taken the chance either, but man I am glad they were already on there. But it is your call, and the 255/55's would definitely fit on the rim here is the info from Nitto on the 255/55's:

Tire Size = *255/55R18 109S
Stock # = 200-440
Tread Depth = 10.1
Inflated overall diameter in inches = 29.02
Overall width in inches = 10.43
Approved rim width in inches = 7.0-(8.0)-9.0
Max load pressure = 2271@50
Revs per mile = 717
* - Indicates Extra Load (XL)

[VehiX]

I live in NH and I'm currently running the Toyo Open Country A/T's (on stock 16's). There's good siping on the treads for the snow and ice and performed quite well last winter. The sidewall is still pretty stiff to allow for good handeling on the pavement when it's dry and there is minimal hydro-planing in the wet puddles. The price wasn't bad either :)

[biju]

Mmmmm.... grapplers.

I have roughly 21k on mine now (yikes). Couldn't give you the specs - but they look to be in really good shape (and that's after two Zu's). Plenty of tread, no uneven wear...

there are other great tires out there, but I just haven't found (used) them yet. for now I can say the nitto's are keen.

-biju.

[ScottinMA]

Ok, I'm convinced that Grapplers are THE choice. So I guess I just need to figure out whether to go conservative or cut cladding. Appreciate all your input.

[NYVX]

decided on Geolandars...285/60/18 on stock rims....this tire is rate xl and has higher load capacity than Nittos and other tires this size...seems more nitto's and others out here...interested in what tire pressure you all are running?

What is minimum safe pressure for on road highway speed operation?

if there are any Geolandars in my size out there would love to hear your experiences and advice???

Thanks

[psychos2]

What capacity are they? my nittos are LT265/75R16 E and have a load capacity of 3415 lbs @ 80psi . And the 285/60R18 have a capacity of 3086lbs @ 50psi . I do not think the geolanders are rated higher than that. I ran my last set at 45 psi. my new set a little lower at 40 psi . As the rears had a little extra wear in the middle which would mean too much pressure causing uneven wear. You may be able to find out from Yokohama what psi they would recommend. shawn

[NYVX]

thanks..you're right.....(must have looked on wrong line)... the duelers,kumho,sumitomo's and scorpions are the ones with lower load rating.actually glad that the favorite has similar load rating...was afraid of extreme rough ride.

[WyrreJ]

Get the big ones and cut. That's what I did. It takes like 30 seconds to trim the corner off the cladding at the same time the wheels are going on. It isn't like you really have to measure or make sure you get the same amount taken off on both sides - it is so unobtrusive that you could cut off twice as much as you need to and still no one would notice.

[ISCE]

decided on Geolandars...285/60/18 on stock rims....this tire is rate xl and has higher load capacity than Nittos and other tires this size...seems more nitto's and others out here...interested in what tire pressure you all are running?


I have ran my Nitto's at 38psi right from the start and they are holding up VERY well. I did try 43psi, but this firmed up the ride just enough to cause my rear seat passengers to complain TOO much about the ride back there.... darn kids... :)

[ScottinMA]

Wyrrej

I was just looking at the front cladding this morning and wondering what the trimming looks like. You (or anyone else for that matter) wouldn't happen to have some pics of the cladding after the trim would ya??

[etlsport]

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3927

[ScottinMA]

that was fast! Thanks Etlsport..my curiosity has been quenched and I'm in for the big paws.

[NYVX]

geolandars installed...look great!....with the 285/60/18's...trimmed less than an inch wedge from passenger side cladding, was not rubbing on drivers side , but was so close, trimmed 1/2 wedge, JIC

been searching for tire pressure used in theses larger tires...no mention of these geolandars but the nittos seemed to run 38, 40 and 45 from threads I have seen

...tire installer said 32 lbs, tire rack said use manufactures # EVEN with any larger tires. installer logic was taller side wall would flex more , but after thinking a bit , seems since i stayed with 60 series..still same ratio of sidewall?
feel tireracks answer is from their lawyers, not tire experts...Any 285/60/18 geolandars and others willing to chime in?

[Ldub]

The sidewall height (aspect ratio, I believe, in tire industry terms) increases with tread width.
A 60 series tire has a sidewall height approximately 60% of the tread width.
A 50 series is 50% & so on.
Wider tread = taller sidewall.
I'm running 285/75 R 16" & keep em' at about 45 psi in summer for a little less rolling resistance & will be dropping them down to about 35-38 psi for a little better traction this winter.

[WormGod]

The street VX will no longer be a member of my auto collection. The Nitto Grapplers arrived by UPS today and it shall soon be transformed into a more rugged shoe wearing vehicle. Loved the Yokohama AVS Sports, but they were not snow friendly and the wear was pretty heavy on the soft rubber. I shall miss them.

[WormGod]

Tomorrow starts a big weekend for the VX. I was granted some space at a shop that a buddy owns and I am tearing her down for some heavy work. No work this weekend so I am gonna try to squeeze in a LOT of vehicle work. Mount and balance of new tires, alignment, repack bearings, MAYBE S/C install (finally!), hood and fender repaint, headlight replacement, wetsand and buff, undercoating, and steam cleaning interior. It's a lot of work and I seriously hope I can get it all done over the weekend. I have some other skilled pals helping out so we should be able to tackle a few at once. Right now though, the tires and the big thing since I have one tire with a few plugs in it and they are all running very low of tread. Keeping my fingers crossed on avoiding any snags.

[ScottinMA]

Go for it Gary...and put in the SC...imagine new tread and more power to push em. I'm waiting on my Terra Grapplers. Should have them next week.

BTW, my SC took a total of 8 hours to install.

[WormGod]

I should have asked everyone to cross their fingers and sacrifice a goat for me. Didnt happen. I had to go to my mothers house to pick up the S/C (which I have been storing in her basement for the passed 3 years.... like the good son I am, a LOT of my stuff still rests in mom's house, haha). Well, she wasnt home and I didnt have that set of keys on me. SO, I just headed to the shop with what I had. Ended up getting the tires mounted, balanced, and got the alignment done. Here is a bummer.... the 2 lifts in the shop would NOT fit the VX! The wheelbase is short enough that their lifts wouldnt extend far enough to land proper frame footholds, hahaha. Never seen such a thing in my life! But, we got around that and just lifted it by front then back. In the end, those Nittos are SICK! strangely, I had to do MORE cutting on the front cladding since rubbing took place. 285/60s still, like the old Yokos, but I guess the tread was just enough to give me some rub. No biggy. The tires and alignment took 100% care of the pull I had on the road. The VX drives itself once again. The ride is wonderful. The new tires are quiet on the highway and really grab well. Recommended.

Thats about all I got done. Big plans didnt go so big. Other than the tires and other minor things, I just conditioned the leather and steam cleaned the interior. Looks almost brand spanking new. It was still a worthwhile day.

I have her home all torn down in the garage now. Took the cladding off and pulled the grill and headlights. Changing the bulbs throughout for some brighter, clearer light. Also, you would be surprised at how much CRAP gets stored behind that cladding. I have some zesty dead leaves and other crud inside there. Gonna wax up the metal beneath the cladding before cleaning it up and replacing it.

In all, the itch pushed me to order the brushguard from Tone. Been in love with that thing since the day we were shown the modified ML guard on a VX. Tone is surely the man for offering us such toys.

The tranformation of my street VX to an urban offroader continues, hahaha....

[Cyrk]

Gary, lets see some pics with the new tires on! Does it handle much different then the street tires? Feel allot slower of the line?

[WormGod]

Ya, definately more weight and rotation in these tires and you can feel it off the line. Getting on the highway, I cant just zip into traffic at the set speed. The S/C should remedy most of that. Then again, I am also used to my Rex and EVERYTHING I drive besides that feels sluggish, heh.

It feels good though. The rubber isnt as soft and forgiving as the Yoko Sports, so the ride a somewhat more rough, as you feel more of the road condition now. No big deal to me though. I am just glad that the tread doesnt roar down the highway at 65mph. I kinda dreaded that would be the case, but it is not, and for that I am grateful.

I will get some pics as soon as I get the cladding all back on. Without cladding, it looks like Mad Max meets Baja, heh. Kinda cool looking and the tires make it even more sinister with that look. Might just grab a pic of THAT for the heck of it. Might even look for some good replacemeents for the small round driving lights in the flnt cladding. The stocks are as worthless as you can get so I should get something that actually has more purpose.

[ScottinMA]

Finally my Nitto's arrived (took three weeks). Had them mounted yesterday and I'm much appreciative for the recommendation. The tire looks great and my VX runs smoother (and could be faster) with the new shoes. I went with the 255/55/18s rather than the 285s. I found that running the 285 zeros in New England winters damn near dangerous since they are so wide it's like runnning skis through the snow. I wanted something with a bite and the treads on these are just want I hoped for. Now bring on the mud and snow!

[WormGod]

Yep, I am totally digging the Nittos. Drove the VX to work on Monday to get some highway time in on them and see how they worked out. Excellent. No road rumble at all!!!! Although, even though they are the same size as my Yokos, I have some serious rubbing on the front cladding. I swear, I am the only person here who has rubbing issues with tires, heh. Looks like I have to shave back about 1/2" this time according to the abrasions on the cladding. Its much worse in reverse of course, but I do get some minor rubbing turning going forward. No big deal though.

I got her all wetsanded and buffed though. Took me a few nights in the garage to get her done, but she is showroom quality. Been raining the passed couple of days now though so I am leaving her in the garage for now, heh. Dont wanna spot up that insane shine, hahaha.

The ML clone brushguard that Tone offers should be on its way sometime soon, so I look forward to mounting that on there. Should add to the Urban-Guy-Moves-to-Rural-Land-and-Tries-to-Fit-in-With-the-Other-Rednecks syndrome, hahaha. Man, she was turning some SERIOUS heads on Monday when I had her out. I am giddy all over again for the VX!!!

Oh, apparently, the shop that I had her in a couple months ago for the battery pop repairs forgot to put the rubber hood bumpers back in, so the hood was hopping from side to side on the highway at speeds at 55+. They were pretty dry rotted anyways, so I am hoping St Charles can snag me some.