Thread: Experience with 235/85R16 AND 265/75R16?

Originally Posted by nice1guv

Is there anyone that has run BOTH these sizes before on their D1, preferably 300Tdi and auto?

I'm not after advice on lifts or guard trimming, but more after some real world experience of the gereral feel of the 2 different widths,
and if you thought one suited the car better?
ie: Did the 265/75 require more effort to keep rolling at 100km/h compared to the 235/85?

preferred the 235 myself. didnt feel as vague on the road as the 265 did was no difference power wise that i remember noting, just the degree of wander etc.

So far it appears there aren't many people who have tried both 235/85 and 265/75 on a D1.

What about anyone running either of these sizes:

Would you run that size again?
Or wish you had gone for the wider or thinner option?

I have '94 D1 with 300tdi and am running 235/85/16s
I also have the original 205 sized tyres for daily running
Using the larger tyres increases fuel consumption noticibily, getting around 700km from tank instead of 800+ (uncorrected as speedo will read fast on smaller tyres and slow on larger tyres)
So far I have had limited off road experience with the tyres - Hankook RT03 - but using them in soft shingle with my 4wd club and the truck kept up with all others who were using 33" and larger sizes.
Power on the road is reduced vs 205 tyres, offroad i have no problems with power. The most obvious issue is starting from traffic lights, you need to use more boost and revs to keep up with the traffic.
I had to cut guards at the rear, and also hit the mudflap support bracket which limits wheel travel a bit. I need to reshape these so the tyres don't hit them. i needed to wind out the steering stops and trim the front plastic bumper.
I would not consider 265/75 tyres at the moment as I don't have suspension lift yet and don't want to cut guards anymore!

Originally Posted by nice1guv

So far it appears there aren't many people who have tried both 235/85 and 265/75 on a D1.

What about anyone running either of these sizes:

Would you run that size again?
Or wish you had gone for the wider or thinner option?

There is only a smidgen difference in rolling diameter between the 2 , 265/75's are my choice as they fill the guards nicely and i actually found that the pickup was better than stock 235/70's and makes the speedo almost dead on .

Originally Posted by loanrangie

There is only a smidgen difference in rolling diameter between the 2 , 265/75's are my choice as they fill the guards nicely and i actually found that the pickup was better than stock 235/70's and makes the speedo almost dead on .

I've just put 235/85s on today and agree 100% there with the pick up versus stock, though I'd say this effect wouldn't be applicable to manuals.

That looks awesome! What kind of tyres are they?

Do you mean that it feels as if there is actually a bit better pickup?

How close are the front tyres to the plastic sills and have you lost much in the way of turning circle?

Originally Posted by nice1guv

That looks awesome! What kind of tyres are they?

Do you mean that it feels as if there is actually a bit better pickup?

How close are the front tyres to the plastic sills and have you lost much in the way of turning circle?

Cheers, they're Maxxis 754s. The price was very hard to ignore. There is about 25-30 mm clearance between the plastic sills, but I think I'll be changing over to better sill protection soonish anyway. I didn't have to adjust the stops, but I mentioned it to the fitter so they might have done it at the time.

Personally I always felt the automatics revved like hell and went no where. They're literally screaming out for a lower stall converter. Now it revs less, actually digs in and uses the torque of the diesel engine. Although having had a manual too, I reckon the first gear take off would be a bit irritating.

The 235/85 works out to be 31.7" which is close enough to 32" so what difference does this make to the auto when going down steep descents, compared to the stock 29". But I do like the extra 1.5" diff clearance. Am looking at new tyres for my D1 but don't know which way or tyre to go. (Considering 245/75 (30.5"))