What tire size should i get? (1 Viewer)

[bckelly31]

hey everybody.
Im new to the off road truck community. Just bought a 69 Land Cruiser for 800 and it runs great, but the brakes are shot. So im converting both axels to disk and getting a new master cylinder. Also gotta replace the clutch. Anyways, onto my tire question. The tires are weathered and cracking so they need to be replaced. I live in LA, and Im probably going to use this truck to and from work, but would like to start out doing some amateur rock crawling. What would you recommend as far as tire size? Ill be getting a 16 inch rim, unless enough people state otherwise. Thanks for all the help!!

 

[bckelly31]

Also, id like to get 32" tires, but if enough people tell me its not good, ill reconsider.

 

[rusty_tlc]

If you are buying new wheels I'd go 17", there seem to be more tire options for that size.

How do you define rock crawling? From my perspective 32's are small tires suitable for a DD and running fire roads on the weekends.

 

[bckelly31]

The biggest I can go on the tires is a 32" given the amount of backspaceing that I am going to have. I did notice there are a lot more options for that rim size. Also, is that going to mess with my engine, havin to turn a bigger rim. Might be a novice question, but I'm learning!

 

[rusty_tlc]

The biggest I can go on the tires is a 32" given the amount of backspaceing that I am going to have. I did notice there are a lot more options for that rim size. Also, is that going to mess with my engine, havin to turn a bigger rim. Might be a novice question, but I'm learning!

Rim size is immaterial, however total tire diameter will affect the performance. A larger tire will act like a over drive because it will take fewer revolutions of the axle to move the same distance, of course this will require more force so the engine will have to work harder.

I'd suggest you put some inexpensive stock size tires on the truck and daily drive it for a while to ring out all the little problems you will find in an $800 truck. While you are doing that research lifts and gearing options. By the time you have chased all the gremlins out of your truck you should be ready to decide how far you want to go with modifying it. Plus you will have learned a lot about the basic care and feeding of an old Land Cruiser.

A suspension lift and 33" tires will get you pretty far off road. Add lockers and you open up even more territory. Power steering will be a nice up grade, I wish I had done it earlier in my ownership.

A spring over and 35's will get you into rock crawling. You can get into some serious cash when you get into rack crawling, tread lightly and keep in mind the investment in time and money you will need to make if you don't want to be "That guy."

Just some stuff to think about.