tire sizing question-general

[blujfan9293]

a great calculator RiffRaff--I like the mulitple side by side, but mostly the speedometer offset. I am trading in my Wranglers for Grabber HTs.

[Riff Raff]

a great calculator RiffRaff--I like the mulitple side by side, but mostly the speedometer offset. I am trading in my Wranglers for Grabber HTs.

BLUJFAN9293--- Your most very welcome!!! I'm glad I could be of some assistance.

[Ldub]

GUSSIE 2000--- LOL, that's OK. Just when you think you've got me all figured out, I'll deliberately change on your happy-@ss!!!

You certainly are a clever boy...

[l.ectric]

Um,... biggest you can REALLY run are 31x11.5x16 (292/65/16)... I know cause I just put on a set of tsl's... Oh, come on! they arent that bad! besides, i only paid $100 a piece for 'em.... Though, i have noticed a slight decrease in gas mileage... damn.

[mrtew]

285/60/18 is the biggest you can put on the 18" wheels and they look GREAT! It's like a new car but you're speed is off by 7mph at 70! Saves your odometer a little tho.

[tom4bren]

HMMM. My 33's put my speedo/odo off by 10% (measured on speedo with GPS). I would have thought that 285/60/18's would have been less.

[Riff Raff]

285/60/18 is the biggest you can put on the 18" wheels and they look GREAT!

Nice lookin' Proton Mr. Tew, but there is still too much available space within your wheel-wells for more additional tire. A 100% "NON-LIFTED" stock OEM-VX is easily capable of mounting 32" -- 33" O.D. tires with only minor trimming and/or hammering within the front wheel-wells.

An example of BFG A/T's in LT285/65R18 (32.4" O.D.) on a stock "NON-LIFTED" VX, please visit the photo gallery of fellow VX member "LITTLE LAURIE".

[mrtew]

I don't think that counts.... she mentions something about cranking her front torsion bars and the front is clearly riding a LOT higher than the rear which is TOTALLY the opposite of my actual stock VX. Look how tight my front fenders are to my tires compared to hers. I love those tires though so maybe I'll give it a try.

[Riff Raff]

MR. TEW--- I agree with you 100% that Little Laurie has her Front Torsion Bars cranked (there is no way those big LT285/65R18 (32.4" O.D./60 lbs) tires would possibly fit otherwise). Although, I do believe she is using the stock OEM rear springs (only mod was the front T/B crank). If you read about Little Laurie's "history", you'll quickly discover she made numerous changes with multiple tire sets and originally had her VX "lifted" and then later on went back to "non-lifted" status.

I truly love the BFG - A/T and I currently have them on my FJ-40. When I first bought my VX, I wanted only the BFG - A/T on it. However, the BFG - A/T in LT285/65R18 (32.4" O.D.) weighs frickin' 60 lbs, when compared to the stocker's of only 34 lbs (see "specs" at www.TireRack.com). If you install these very heavy tires; you should also upgrade the stock OEM brakes, as the VX will be very difficult to stop during an emergency panic stop in traffic and may result in you causing a rear-end collision (extremely dangerous).

A better (and much safer) choice for you may be to do exactly what I did. I installed the lightweight P275/65R18 General - Grabber AT2 (32" O.D./44 lbs) in P-series (aka "P-Metric") and they sell them on TireRack for only $150 each (a true bargain). The Grabber AT2 is a look-alike "clone" copy of the BFG - A/T. The Grabber AT2 is absolutely bolt-on perfect ("NO" T/B cranks) on a 100% stock OEM "non-lifted" VX. However, they are only bolt-on perfect "IF" the tires are mounted on the stock OEM 18x7 rims (any aftermarket wheel will result in severe rubbing issues). No front Torsion Bar cranks of any kind, and using OEM rear springs. They will totally "fill-up" the huge VX wheelwells with PURE TIRE (no gaps). Only very minor front trimming is required (as normal), and they just barely miss the famous inner fender "bolt" located on the bottom-rear of the driver-side front wheelwell.

You can see pictures of the Grabber AT2 in P275/65R18 (32" O.D./44 lbs) installed on my "non-lifted" Proton by visiting the thread entitled "P.N.W. 14 June" (my Proton is the only one in the pictures without roof accessories and has the vanity plate of "V-X"). I hope this info helps you in some way.

FYI-- It is also possible to mount 33" O.D. tires in the 275/70R18 size using the stock OEM 18x7 rims on a "non-lifted" VX without cranking the front T/B's. However, the back of the front fenderwells will need to be hammered-in a bit to provide additional clearance during the tires taller swing-arc. A great example of a lightweight P275/70R18 (33" O.D./46 lbs) tire is the BFG - Rugged Trail T/A. Generally speaking, it is easier to go taller O.D. in the narrower 275 series width without lifting. The wider 285 series tire has a wider "swing-arc" that likes to rub within the VX front wheelwells; consequently, the stubbier 285/60R18 (31.3" O.D.) is normally the widest size tire to be comfortably mounted on a "non-lifted" VX.

[mrtew]

I got some 18 x 9 rims today for my Coopers because my stock wheels were peeling and leaking so bad. They fit the 285 width so much better and get rid of the puffy sidewall look you get with the 7" stock rims. They stick out a lot more from the car too for that toy truck look. I had to trim and hammer the cladding so I can turn the wheels but it was pretty easy and you can't even tell. I love them. They are KMC Enduros.

http://img573.imageshack.us/img573/6176/img1356.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4844/img1352i.jpg

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/2882/img1386i.jpg

http://img576.imageshack.us/img576/9241/img1360o.jpg

[blacksambo]

Just for commernt. Just bought a set of Michelin 255x70x16 LTX MS2's for my '99. Had OEM Bridgestone Duelers before. Boy what a positive change (No off roading , of course).