Thread: tyre size

I think you will find that in most cases ( no pun intended ) the 235 85 has a greater load rating which would suggest a stronger tyre overall and taller than the 31 and very similar to the 265 so it ( 235 ) would be my choice , should steer better than the fatter options also, but take a seat for the great debate.

I run 265/75's and about to swap these to 16x8 dynamic rims so i am biased, for mainly touring i would go with 235/85's on stock rims as you dont need any off set for this size.

Think you will find they will all touch the guards at some point in time with those offset rims.... lift and camel cut or not.


31x10.5"s on +10?? rims will certainly contact the tops of the rear guards on my D1. 245/75x16 on +26 rims just touch as well.

3dr or 5dr? The rear guards are different between them - the 5drs have bigger arches (front of arches further forwards) and therefore less issues with bigger tyres.

Mine's a 3dr and I previously ran 31x10.5R15 muddies on +19mm 15x7" rims and now run 265/75R16 muddies on standard (16x7" +33mm) rims. A mate of mine (5dr) ran 245/75R16 and now 235/85R16s on standard rims. Both cars have 2" lift, but that's largely irrelevant as the suspension travel zone is identical lifted or not.

The 31s fitted OK with my version of a camel cut (trim the rolled under lip at the rear, flatten the arch lip and push the trailing edge outboard slightly with a longer stay bracket). I also had to trim the leading edge of the rear guards (this is not reqd on 5drs).

The 32s (265/75s) required a little bit more finessing, but this is due to the 3dr's smaller arches. I also had to extend the bump stops at the rear as you would with an 32s or bigger.

Either of the 32s (265/75 or 235/85) will contact the rear mudflap bracket at full bump. Extended bumpstops required.

My two-bob's worth? Keep the standard rims and fit 235/85s and extend the bump stops at the rear. The wider tyres can limit your steering lock more, rub more, and aren't as sharp steering. Plus they use more fuel and I'm not convinced there is any advantage off-road. However the 31s don't bugger up your gearing as much and I found them to be a really good size all-round. I had slightly more steering lock with my 31s as the wheels were tracked out slightly and they're not as tall as the 32s (Duh!)

A couple of pictures attached for reference. The side shot is on 265/75R16s. The front-on shot (where I am 'helping out' a mate in his Raptor) is on the 31x10.5R15s.

I still have the 31s (KL71s) on those bullet-proof Fomb alloy rims sitting in my shed gathering dust. PM me if interested.

Cheers

The car is a 5 door 300 tdi !!
Do the 235 85 16 tyres pull much more power out of the motor than the 31" tyres ???

Originally Posted by Dustin1600

The car is a 5 door 300 tdi !!
Do the 235 85 16 tyres pull much more power out of the motor than the 31" tyres ???

No, 31-33 is pretty much the same- auto or manual ? , auto will hide it better.

Originally Posted by Dustin1600

The car is a 5 door 300 tdi !!
Do the 235 85 16 tyres pull much more power out of the motor than the 31" tyres ???

Also 300TDI Auto, with Allisport Intercooler, tweaked pump etc. I found that 235/85 16's were fine on the flat, but robbed power when on long hills, and the trans lockup happened right at 80kmh, so hunted up and down when right on that speed, which is a lot around town. I now run 31x10.5R 15 and are much better all round. Something else to consider is price if that is a factor, if you do a lot of K's like me - in BFG AT KO (and KM2) the 235/85 16's are around $150 more expensive each than the 31x10.5R 15's, adds up. Also, the 31x10.5's are almost spot on on the speedo - indicated 100kmh is only 1 kmh off when compared to GPS.