Thread: Tyre size

A 285 would have to be more absorbent than a 265.

Very happy with KO2’s

im booked in for some nitto terra grappler G2 275/55/20 on friday, Ill report how the go. done nearly 50K on the factory pirellias, but have lost a tyre dues to screws int he sidewalls during that time, plus rotated the spare, so unsure if thats acceptable lifetime, they still have loads of tread depth, we are just tired of punctures (got glass bottle through a sidewall during the xmas break)

Ive got a friend with a D4 running the same rubber and he loves it, no more noisier, and good all rounder..

this specific size BTW is not LT rated, the two either side of it apparently, are though? i dont do a huge amount of offroading (got a trip on 18th with thelocal LR club) so im not overly bothered, just want a tyre with better sidewall tread faces so i hopefully wont get any more screws through. Nearly always front left too..wierd..

Originally Posted by JGuestyBoy

Tossing up between 285/60/R18 and 265/60/R18.

How bad is the rubbing on the larger size?

I'm heading up to the cape in a couple of months and I'm undecided as to what size to pick! Of course I'm mindful that off road, I don't want to damage anything at full articulation and still want it to drive as good as it does now on the bitumen.

I've narrowed the tyres down to 3:
Nitto Terra Grapper G2
Hankook Dynapro ATM RF10
Kumho Road Venture MT51

Would love some opinions on choice of tyre and size!

For 285 60 18s:
Zero rubbing on the front, will rub on the rear plastic inner guard if you don't partially remove it to bend a bit of excess steel poking through that it rubs on before putting the guard back on. Most people dont bother though and the only damage is a 10mm long slit to the plastic, zero tyre damage. I didn't bother and I've driven around on the bump stops several times with nothing but a slit in the plastic on one side only.

It is the largest overall size I'd go though as any bigger could cause problems if you were stranded on the bump stops.

As previously mentioned, i own 265 60s and 285 60s and the 285s give a noticeably smoother ride for touring. 265s you can feel every bump in the road by comparison. If you like a firmer ride, go the 265s.

Russ, I have two friends with KO2s (both D4s); one on 265/65 and one on 285/60. These sizes are almost identical for diameter and both have rubbing at the front on the chassis protrusion and slightly on the liner. The rubbing is relatively mild and I’ve read other people mention the same thing in here, so I’m surprised you’ve got zero rubbing on the front.

Another thing to consider is how much the spare protrudes in 285, it noticeably reduces clearance at the back and I’ve seen it drag a lot more comparatively exiting steep gullies. Getting the spare up in place is quite difficult even when fully deflated for both 265/65 and 285/60 (I’ve helped with both).

These factors are not showstoppers but should be considered when choosing a size. I also wonder about increased load on CVs etc with the larger diameters. Obviously no way to quantify this but is something in the back of my mind.

Cheers,
Scott

Regarding the relative comfort of the various tyre sizes, I assume the reported greater comfort of the 285/60R18s over the 265/60R18s is mainly due to the greater sidewall height of the 285/60s?
If that is correct, then will a switch from OEM 255/50R20 Pirelli Scorpion tyres to 265/60R18 D697s also result in a more comfortable ride, given the LT construction of the D697s?

Originally Posted by Disco4Dave

.... will a switch from OEM 255/50R20 Pirelli Scorpion tyres to 265/60R18 D697s also result in a more comfortable ride, given the LT construction of the D697s?

I can report an improvement in ride comfort going from 255/55/R19 HTs to 265/60/R18 D697s.
Not a huge difference and not a main criteria to change (for me).
The flip side is not as tight for handling on the road.

Scott

Originally Posted by LRD414

The flip side is not as tight for handling on the road.
Scott

Hi Scott.

Could you expand on this? What downside is there exactly? Not sure what you mean by "not as tight".

Martin