fishsponge's ongoing thread of problems!

[fishsponge]

how would that solution cope on tarmac (which is most of my miles) and how would they last on tarmac?

I know my current tyres (when new) will last between 15,000 and 20,000 miles, and also what would it do to my MPG?

(I'm not being picky here... just living to financial capacity, so have to be careful!)

 

[gtland]

Checking the "Tyre Bible", (recommended), 265/70/16 need 7.5 to 9 J rims, 245/75/16 are ok on 7 to 8.5 J rims. I think FreeStyles are 7" so 265/70s are not gonna be a correct fit on your existing wheels.
Selling alloys and buying steels? Depends how much you sell/pay on the day.
Fuel economy? How long is a piece of string? Depends on YOUR use of the vehicle. Talking only about on road use: a bigger diameter tyre gives higher gearing, (about 5/10% in the sizes you`re considering), so is like having a higher gear, permanently. With a higher, so less aerodynamic, vehicle with heavier wheels/tyres spinning round, you`ll probably spend longer in the lower gears= less mpg. May not be a lot, may not be noticeable around town, but would show up on long m-way runs.
A higher gear doesn`t automatcally mean more economy. If it did it`d come like that out of the box!

 

[Mr Noisy]

We ran a disco on 31x10.5x15 for ages and it was great, felt spot on on road, drove like normal. Thats why I can recommend it as a good option.

My 33s however are pretty grim on road, it's slow to say the least...

 

[thebiglad]

how would that solution cope on tarmac (which is most of my miles) and how would they last on tarmac?

I know my current tyres (when new) will last between 15,000 and 20,000 miles, and also what would it do to my MPG?

(I'm not being picky here... just living to financial capacity, so have to be careful!)

1. You spend most of your time on-road.

2. You sound as though you want to optimise your fuel consumption and overall running costs?


Ok wider tyres use more fuel - Fact!

More aggressive tread patterns use more fuel - Fact!

Cheaper tyres wear more quickly and therefore need replacement sooner than better quality ones - Fact!


What I would advise is a set of std size 235/70/16 BF Goodrich AT's. They are an ideal compromise between on-road grip in all weathers and durability plus excellent off-road in all but the very worst mud conditions. Due to their multi-ply construction they are very stable and safe-feeling in all conditions as well.

Their tread pattern is not too aggressive to be noisy or create drag and reduce mpg, their durability is legendary - 80 to 100,000 miles is not at all unusual.

This size is the legal and therefore the insurance company acceptable size for the vehicle - very important if anything 'bad' happens.

Please do not buy wide tyres because they look 'well hard' - you will regret it.

 

[gtland]

As above. Or save up for a set of cheap remoulds on steel rims for off-roading, and use Scorpions or whatever on your alloys??

 

[Mr Noisy]

I don't regret my well 'ard 12.5s, but they are **** most of the time!

 

[fishsponge]

Mr Noisy: What are 31x10.5x15 equivalent to? I only know tyre sizes written as 245/75R16 etc...

thebiglad: thanks for the advice... more aggresive tread pattern is a definite no, purely because the M/Ts i'm on now suit me just fine for everything. I'm happy with the road noise and lower MPG because of them because when I do go off road they're fantastic.

wider tyres is a no i think - i'd need extra mudguards (at least!), and i'm trying to save money here.

As for going back to a set of 235/70R16s, I don't think I want to do that either - i've had a 2" lift, winch bumper, etc, etc... it'd look like it had been done up for off roading and then had tiny ickle road tyres put on it!

BF Goodrich ATs look good though. Some ATs actually have patterns and tread depths that look like they'd be terrible off road, but the BF Goodrich ATs actually look ok!

I think i'd have to get 245/75R16s again though.

When you say "the size is legal", of course it is - 235/75R16 is nothing special. Even my 245/75R16 tyres are legal, and i told the insurance company about them anyway.

Finally, as for selling the alloys and buying a set of steels, I know it depends on the price I get on the say for each, and I can look on eBay for a guide on what my alloys might sell for, but can anyone provide a link to a set of 5 black steels?

There are so many steel rims out there, it's confusing as hell. I want them to be able to take 245/75R16 tyres & i want them to be black (although I guess I could respray them)!

I've found many sites selling them already, and I know they'll all fit, but there are so many types that i don't know what'd good and what isn't, so what would you guys recommend?

Oh, and I'd rather not go second hand - cheap & new is best for me... hope i'm not asking too much!

 

[thebiglad]

thebiglad: thanks for the advice... more aggressive tread pattern is a definite no, purely because the M/Ts i'm on now suit me just fine for everything. I'm happy with the road noise and lower MPG because of them because when I do go off road they're fantastic.

wider tyres is a no i think - i'd need extra mudguards (at least!), and i'm trying to save money here.

As for going back to a set of 235/70R16s, I don't think I want to do that either - i've had a 2" lift, winch bumper, etc, etc... it'd look like it had been done up for off roading and then had tiny ickle road tyres put on it!

BF Goodrich ATs look good though. Some ATs actually have patterns and tread depths that look like they'd be terrible off road, but the BF Goodrich ATs actually look ok!

I think i'd have to get 245/75R16s again though.

When you say "the size is legal", of course it is - 235/75R16 is nothing special. Even my 245/75R16 tyres are legal, and i told the insurance company about them anyway.

I seriously wonder why I get sucked into helping you. You ask for advice and then tell me why I'm wrong.

Let me tell you a little story about offroaders, the law and insurance companies.

A couple of years ago a guy modified his Def 110 by lifting it and amongst other things fitting wider wheels and tyres. He had an accident in which children were killed. The law found him responsible because had modified his truck away from the std spec and in the opinion of the Police accident investigator had created instability in the vehicle.

The results - children died, he ended up in prison and his insurance didn't pay up.


You modify your truck as much as you like but if you ask for advice and I give it, please don't dismiss it - it was intended to keep you away from trouble.

 

[fishsponge]

I seriously wonder why I get sucked into helping you. You ask for advice and then tell me why I'm wrong.

I didn't mean for it to sound like you were wrong... really I didn't.

I agreed with your first point - wider tyres is a no, mainly as i'm trying to save money and it'll harm my MPG and i'll need extra mudguards.

I then agreed with your second point - more aggressive tread pattern is bad for road use. I said I was happy with my current tread pattern (which happens to be mud-terrain as you can see from the pics).

As for cheaper tyres wearing faster, I agree entirely. I know it's a false economy in most cases. I didn't dispute this anyway...

As for your advice of buying a set of 235/70R16s, I can see your point entirely, but i'd rather not go any smaller than what I already have. I was considering either like for like or something bigger.

You have certainly put me off going any bigger, with good reasons, so thank you for that

You also recommended BF Goodrich ATs - i said I like the look of those and they are certainly on my list of potentials, as long as they're the same size as my current tyres.

Let me tell you a little story about offroaders, the law and insurance companies.

A couple of years ago a guy modified his Def 110 by lifting it and amongst other things fitting wider wheels and tyres. He had an accident in which children were killed. The law found him responsible because had modified his truck away from the std spec and in the opinion of the Police accident investigator had created instability in the vehicle.

The results - children died, he ended up in prison and his insurance didn't pay up.

You modify your truck as much as you like but if you ask for advice and I give it, please don't dismiss it - it was intended to keep you away from trouble.

I certainly thank you for your advice, and despite what my last post must have read like, I certainly didn't dismiss it. I took in every word and agreed with most of it.

As far as modifications go, I agree that one can go too far. With a 2" lift and 245/75R16 tyres, I don't feel I've gone too far. In fact, I feel there is still room within the "safe" boundaries to go further, but with the points you said earlier, I'm fairly certain i'm going to stick with what I have now... a good compromise - 245/75R16 tyres with a similar tread to what I have now.

I hope this clears things up...

 

[fishsponge]

right... with a little further investigation, I think I have decided that I am not going to go any wider or taller. Every dimension will stay the same (I'm gonna stick with 245/75R16 tyres).

I would quite like them to be on black steel rims, so any suggestions for what to buy and where to buy them gratefully received!

I phoned my local tyre place and got quoted:

£114 inc. VAT for each 245/75R16 Hankook Dynamic MT RT03, fitted.
£138 inc. VAT for each 245/75R16 BF Goodrich AT, fitted.

Those are the only two tyres on my list at the moment, and I think i'm leaning towards the BFGs...

 

[thebiglad]

A seller of Black Modular steel wheels:

Paddock Spares - 16x7 Black Modular

 

[fishsponge]

fantastic... presumably "modular" is just how they're constructed, right?

Are modular cheaper than non-modular?

Also, judging from what i've seen on eBay, a set of 4 Freestyle alloys went for £80. A set of 5 went for £127. With tyres they tend to go for a bit more, but I won't be selling them with usable tyres on anyway (I'm gonna run them right down).

So... An average of £22.70 per alloy wheel without tyre!

The black modular rims cost £34.80 each, so that is certainly not a profit.

I think I'll stick with the alloys... despite hating them! lol

 

[Mr Noisy]

just buy a goddamm set of 16x7 8 spokes off ebay for 50-60 quid second hand.

there will be nothing wrong with them, and they'll be a lower offset which will give your disco the stance you require.

you worry FAR too much!

 

[thebiglad]

just buy a goddamm set of 16x7 8 spokes off ebay for 50-60 quid second hand.

there will be nothing wrong with them, and they'll be a lower offset which will give your disco the stance you require.

you worry FAR too much!

Hi there, you've only just come to that conclusion???? Beats me why this thread keeps going:



"I think I want to go to the toilet - do you think I should go?

Do you think I should use toilet paper?

I've heard that it comes in white, blue and pink - which is best?

Does the one with the puppies do a good job?

Where is the best place to buy good value toilet paper as I need to control my budget?"

 

[goonarmy]

right... with a little further investigation, I think I have decided that I am not going to go any wider or taller. Every dimension will stay the same (I'm gonna stick with 245/75R16 tyres).

I would quite like them to be on black steel rims, so any suggestions for what to buy and where to buy them gratefully received!

I phoned my local tyre place and got quoted:

£114 inc. VAT for each 245/75R16 Hankook Dynamic MT RT03, fitted.
£138 inc. VAT for each 245/75R16 BF Goodrich AT, fitted.

Those are the only two tyres on my list at the moment, and I think i'm leaning towards the BFGs...

the rt03s are a mud tire but there not much more aggressive than the at's. if yer thinking mud get a proper mud

 

[Mr Noisy]

Hi there, you've only just come to that conclusion???? Beats me why this thread keeps going:



"I think I want to go to the toilet - do you think I should go?

Do you think I should use toilet paper?

I've heard that it comes in white, blue and pink - which is best?

Does the one with the puppies do a good job?

Where is the best place to buy good value toilet paper as I need to control my budget?"

fishsponge, please make immediate purchase:

5 Landrover 8 spoke weller rims with tyres 31 10.5 15 | eBay

 

[fishsponge]

right... i do worry too much. you are spot on. I wish i didn't, but sooooo many times in life i've gone and bought something only to be told by someone three days later, "you should have gone for these ones - cheaper, better and they'll last longer", so i've developed a tendency to investigate everything to the death, especially when spending several hundred quid!

BUT i do agree - i worry far too much.

As for buying a set of 16x7 8 spoke steel rims off eBay, i'd love to, but there appears to only be one set on there at the moment, for £150 - 16x7 8 spoke | eBay

I think i've also decided on BF Goodrich AT - they're £138 each inc. VAT, fitted.

The Hankook Dynamic MT RT03 tyres are £114 each inc. VAT, fitted.

They are cheaper, but will they last as long? I've only heard good things about BF Goodrich tyres, so it's very tempting to not go for the cheaper Hankooks.

Mr Noisy: as for lower offset, do you mean steels will stick out further? If so, will I need extra plastic mudguards?

 

[fishsponge]

fishsponge, please make immediate purchase:

5 Landrover 8 spoke weller rims with tyres 31 10.5 15 | eBay

Seems like good value, but what the hell are those tyres?

Plus... it'd cost £77 in diesel to get there and back (just worked it out)... I'm sure I could arrange for them to be posted, but it wouldn't be cheap either.

Thanks for finding it, but the diesel cost and the unknown tyres (and unknown amount of tread remaining) does put me off somewhat...

 

[goonarmy]

tires are:4 tyres are technic radial tracker II's

1 tyre is a colway

 

[fishsponge]

tires are:4 tyres are technic radial tracker II's

1 tyre is a colway

i got that much from the description... what I mean is, i've never heard of 'em, google image search brought up nothing and on that basis, combined with not knowing how much tread is actually left and the fact that it'd cost a fortune to get there and back means it could end up being a false economy... and I really don't have any choice... if I spend £200 on these and they only last a few months, I have no money to buy a set of new ones... Are "Technic Radial Tracker II" tyres any good? I would assume not...

A quick web search seems to suggest they're an "average remould mud tyre"... not ideal for me unfortunately. with the road miles I do, i'm steering away from mud terrain tyres, and i've been told by many people that remoulds aren't good tyres generally.