need rims, tires hdj81

[61ihc]

hey guys,

So i'm running 285 75 16 Yokahama Geolander all seasons which are more than 50% down. I have a brand new Geolander M/S as a spare which is nice and aggressive and would suit my needs with the slushy deep snow here in Fernie. Ideally I'd like two sets of rims and tires M/S for winter and off road use and a set for road trips which wouldn't be as loud as the M/S.

My dilema is do I get a spare set of 15" rims and run two different sets of tires or get the pricier 16" as my second set also. If I opt for 15" rims what is the equivalent in the tire I have? what's the narrowest tire I can get to fit my 16" rim? Now where do i find an inexpensive set of 16" stealies in BC?

I believe i can run the 15" rims since it's a 1990, correct?

thanks
Bo

 

[dieseldan]

some info in the thread below..

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=120130

 

[Kalawang]

It's probably better to stay with 16" rims and the corresponding tires. At the very least, you'll have 1" more clearance than with 15" rims which can sometimes be meaningfull in mud, flood, sand and rocks.


Kalawang

 

[83bj60]

hey guys,

So i'm running 285 75 16 Yokahama Geolander all seasons which are more than 50% down. I have a brand new Geolander M/S as a spare which is nice and aggressive and would suit my needs with the slushy deep snow here in Fernie. Ideally I'd like two sets of rims and tires M/S for winter and off road use and a set for road trips which wouldn't be as loud as the M/S.

My dilema is do I get a spare set of 15" rims and run two different sets of tires or get the pricier 16" as my second set also. If I opt for 15" rims what is the equivalent in the tire I have? what's the narrowest tire I can get to fit my 16" rim? Now where do i find an inexpensive set of 16" stealies in BC?

I believe i can run the 15" rims since it's a 1990, correct?

thanks
Bo

After several days of research I have come to the comclusion that for the HDJ81, based on a standard tire size of between 30 and 30.5 inches measured from the OEM spare I have on my tire carrier and on other people's GPS speed calculations based on their tire sizes, the best all around winter tire for roads in harsh winter conditions (very cold winters) that corresponds to th OEM tire diameter and and narrower tread width ideal for good performance cutting trhough slush and snow for a 4300lb vehicle must be a 215/85R16 tire. Of course, you will need 16" rims in the 6"to 7" rim width range.

In partcicular, the Blizzak W95 in that size has a diameter of 30.6 inches, tread width is about 6.6 inches for higher pressure on the road (OEM is about 7), it is extra tough for harsh winter condition such as potholes, ices ridges and lifted/broken up road surfaces (load range E and 85% aspect ratio for better shock absorption).

15" rims are also possible, but they will have to be at least 7" wide for the 30x or 31x type tires, and the tread width will be at least 1" greater. Provided the tire has a lot of open space you wuill have good pressure (good for snow), but these tires usually are not very good on ice. In our case in Québec, we have very cold weather and snow, but cold and icy compared to snowier and wetter like you seem to have out west. So for these conditions, HDJ81 OEM alloys whcih are 15" by 7" wide would allow you to use an M/S type of tire that may actually work pretty well for your conditions. Other 15" rims could be used, I guess, the 60 series chrome rims are great when they have no rust, but the max size tire that can fit on them are 235/75/R15, which is only 28.5 inches tall, or about FOUR inches smaller than your geolanders and 3" smaller than the OEM tire diameter for that vehicle.

For summer, you may want a slightly wider and lower profile tire if you trend to drive faster on asphalt (better cornering and grip), or an even wider and taller tire if you tend to do more off-road (obviously for floatation); your existing rims would be better suited for this wider, higher performance tire.

I've been thinking long and hard about tires for the past week, hope this helps in your decision making.


Best Regards,
Chris

 

[61ihc]

thanks guys,

i'm no closer to making a decision yet. I've heard that swapping winter and all season tires on aluminum rims wears the rims too much hence contemplating an extra set of rims. at the same time it doesn't seem like there's a cost effective option. agghh.

 

["N8"]

screw radial tres

 

[wussyPup]

I believe i can run the 15" rims since it's a 1990, correct?

15x7 were OEM for the 1990, but not all 15"s will fit. For example, the aftermarket spare that came with my 1990 HDJ81 fits the front but rubs the calipers if fitted on the rear.

-Steve

 

[Kalawang]

I feel swapping tires to one set of rims is NOT cost effective what with labor, balance and time consumed. I'd just as soon have 2 sets of tires and rims, mostly because I'm currently driving a set of Yoko MT's and they truly melt on the road, and I'm doing a DD on my 80. By the time I'm ready to do the off road thing, they'll only have enough rubber for the road. In your case, I'd also want to preserve the tires for the season you need it most.


Kalawang

thanks guys,

i'm no closer to making a decision yet. I've heard that swapping winter and all season tires on aluminum rims wears the rims too much hence contemplating an extra set of rims. at the same time it doesn't seem like there's a cost effective option. agghh.

 

[83bj60]

thanks guys,

i'm no closer to making a decision yet. I've heard that swapping winter and all season tires on aluminum rims wears the rims too much hence contemplating an extra set of rims. at the same time it doesn't seem like there's a cost effective option. agghh.

Depending on how long you plan to keep your vehicle, having two sets of tires and rims may or may not be cost effective. It is definitely cost effective for me because:

- winter destroys alloy rims
- alloy rims are too wide to install effective winter ice and snow tires on
- installing tires cost an eaverage of $50 per 4 on steel, double that and more on alloys.
- every time a tire is unmounted damage to the lip and rim can occur.
- of course, winter tires are a necessity for me, ahiovng 5 months of icy road surfaces, not 3 days every month like many city folk seem to have. Our roads are plowed but there remains a hardebned snow/ice surface underneath from december to end of april, and although only our local roads are like that (highways are free of ice much more frequently up north, and the autoroute is basically dry except during storms), these local roads are the most treacherous with steep hills, curves that are banked the wrong way with steep cliffs to the lake, etc... So having super grippy tires is a must there.
- Being able to switch wheels fast is a great way to reduce wear (rotation) and select the proper type of tire for the conditions (being able to wait at the last moment to put winter tires on, for example)

Is that any help?

 

[61ihc]

thanks Chris, those are the pros and cons i've been weighing. i guess i was hoping to stumble upon some sort of second hand rims or cheap stealies. I don't really drive much so I'll take my time locating rims i'm happy with, i do want two sets. thanks for the help.