Tires, tires, tires!

[abracadabra]

I'm trying to find the best tire at the best price, there seems to be a number of options out there. This is for a 1987 4X4. Any suggestions would be great! Especially for places to look in the NW.

thanks!

[EZHIKER]

I recently found this LT tire in the correct size. I'm considering a set because of the moderate off road like tread pattern
http://www.falkentire.com/Tires/Radial-A-P-8

This is a H725 High mileage plus (not optimo) all-season radial that gets good reviews in snow and rain.
http://www.hankooktireusa.com/Psearch/Search.aspx?pageNum=1&subNum=2

For Over-sized options I know a few member that successfully use the
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+AT+2&sidewall=&partnum=785QR4GRAT2OWL&tab=Specs
Minor suspension mods required.

[timsrv]

Welcome to the site! FYI the stock tire size for the 4wd van is 205-75R 14. 84-85 2wd stock size is 185-75R 14. IMO I think 185's are too small and suspect Toyota came to the same conclusion because in 86 they changed the stock tire size to 195-75R 14 on the 2wd vans. The 205s and the 195s are close enough to be interchanged from 2wd to 4wd and visa versa (205s are about 5/8" taller). The Hankooks I'm running on my 2wd are actually 195R 14C. The C stands for commercial and these are load range "D" They are also bigger than all of the tire sizes above (and the absolute biggest you can run on a heavily loaded 2wd without scraping the body).

Depending on how you load the van passenger rated tires could be okay. Just remember that vans are a bit heavier due to the extra body metal so load range is an important consideration..........especially if you're running it with a heavy load. Before the Hankooks I was running Nankang 195 14C tires (and was generally happy with them). They are listed as a summer tire though and I found out why when I got caught in a snow storm (they really suck in the snow and ice). I was caught in another snow storm shortly after I installed the Hankooks and found they do MUCH better on slick surfaces (as they are constructed of a softer compound and have a slightly more aggressive tread)..........but softer compound usually means faster tread wear. I've only put about 7,000 miles on the Hankooks so far, so I can't comment yet on how they wear (time will tell).

Here's a link to an Internet tire site I found: http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&cart_id=46056852.135.13704&Cookie=Shopzilla&sowigan=&Breite=195&Quer=&Felge=14&Speed=&kategorie=6&LoadRange=Load+Range+D&Marke=&ranzahl=4&search_tool=standard&rsmFahrzeugart=ALL&suchen=View+Tires

That site is great for finding tires based on size and load rating. Their search feature lets you enter the criteria you want and it pulls up tires from a huge list. The ones on this page are all 195R 14C load range D (My favorite size and the highest load rating you'll find in 14"). The Hankooks I got are the 2nd down from the top. I was going to drive down to pick my tires up from these guys as they are located just across the river. They wouldn't allow a local pick-up though and wanted $80 just to ship them a few miles. That annoyed me so I went to Les Schwab and gave them the information on the Hankooks I wanted. I paid a bit more for them at Les Schwab (even while compensating for the shipping), but I got their road hazard warranty deal and free rotations so I'm happy.

Important note: When you're shopping stay away from anything that starts with "ST". That stands for "Special Trailer" and they don't have the safety or quality you want for a passenger vehicle. Any tire shop that knows what they are doing won't install them anyhow (liability issues).

To help you figure out what other tires might fit, here's a link to a tire size calculator: http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos . Since your van is a 4wd, start with the 205 75R 14 size and compare to that. This calculator won't recognize 195 14C but I can tell you the overall diameter of those is 26.3" and they are 7.6" wide. If you can find them, I found the LT27 X 8.5 14" (like what EZHIKER posted above) are ideal for the 4wd vans but this size tire is almost impossible to find anymore. To my knowledge, they are only made in load range "C". C is a notch up from regular passenger tires and are a pretty good match for the van. It's been my experience that LT27 X 8.5 14" are a tight fit, but I was able to run them on a stock (non lifted) 4wd van without body trimming. Some guys lift their vans, hack the fender wells, and go even bigger, but in this write-up I'm just going to stick with what fits on a stock non-lifted, non-hacked van.

It's really a personal decision as to what type and size tire will work best. I like bigger tires (that don't require trimming) because they ride nicer and I can cruise at a lower RPM. Due to the heavy load I carry with my 89 2wd cargo van, I always go with the highest rated tires I can find. I don't mind the look, noise, or feel of aggressive treads, but they typically don't wear as well. Highway or mild all-season treads work best for me. Highway tread can also increase your economy by as much as a couple more miles per gallon on the freeway.

When shopping for tires, date of manufacture (age) is also worth consideration. As tires age they become weaker inside (adhesives break down). Even the ones stored indoors in heated shops degrade over time. If you're buying new, and you have the luxury of inspecting 1st, check the date code and avoid anything older than a few years (tires are considered to have a 5-7 year shelf life). This doesn't mean they're unsafe, but it does make them a bit more questionable. Date codes have been required on all tires since 2000. Here's a couple examples of tire serial numbers:

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/suspension/IMG_0331.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/suspension/IMG_0335.jpg

The last 4 digits are date code. The serial number in the 1st picture is DOT WE54 233 4805. This tire was manufactured the 48th week of the year 05 (end of November 2005). The serial number in the 2nd picture is DOT TJ78 JMH 2010. This tire was manufactured the 20th week of the year 10 (mid May 2010). So if you get a chance to pick them out yourself, look for the freshest set you can find. That last picture is of one of my new Hankooks...........I got lucky with a pretty fresh set. I hope this information helps. Good luck. Tim

[wayoffline]

Wow Tim. I wish I had room in my head to retain all of the great information you seem to have limitless storage space for! Do you happen to have a truckload of knowledge about 15" tire options? I am looking in to getting a set of the steel tracker wheels and would like to go as big as possible without cutting or lifting.

[timsrv]

Thanks for the compliment :). I actually don't know much about 15" tires because I've never seriously looked into running those. I really like the stock 14" 4wd rims and consider them a defining characteristic of the 4wd van. Due to the US manufacturer's attempt to phase out 14" LT tires, I was almost ready to bite the bullet and switch to 15" myself, but was saved when the flood of foreign made tires came into the US market.

I was very skeptical at 1st, but what choice was there? Until I tried Nankangs I was forced to run load range "C" and those choices had dwindled to almost nothing. The last set of US tires I purchased was Cooper Discoverers LT195 75R 14's (and that was not a good experience). They cost me over $150 each and were total junk (weak side walls). 3 of the 4 failed before the tread was even half gone. When the 3rd one failed I had enough and junked them all. When I switched over to the Nankang commercial tires it blew me away how much stiffer they were. I could actually go around a corner without feeling like I was fish-tailing. These things are some seriously stiff tires! 8 plies and 26 lbs per tire (I weighed one before mounting). Oh, and did I mention they cost $69 each? Price has gone up since then, but IMO still worth every penny..........and now we have such a large selection in this size. So far I'm liking the Hankooks even more. If they hold up as well as the Nankangs I'll have a new favorite :wnk:. Tim

PS: In fairness, regarding the Cooper tires, I should point out that I carry a 3,000 lb fixed load in my van (I have modified my suspension to handle the load). I should also point out that the ratings of this tire were not exceeded (I think I still had about 50 lbs to go :lol:). And yes, I ran them at maximum rated inflation and had checked weight per tire using the scale at the weigh station. Tim

[ar kay]

.....and don't put off getting them if you feel the need. In the "should have known better category" , I just rolled my van into the ditch on hwy 26 coming into Portland from the Oregon coast the other morning. It was clear, but cold, and I hit some ice that sent me ditch-bound. I had been thinking about new tires, but sometimes in our daily lives we neglect to take action quick enough. Don't know if newer tires could've prevented this, but can't shake the idea I didn't do enough to prevent it. Maybe accidents are just accidents, but until I put my tires next to new ones did I realize how sub-par they were. Now my really straight 85 has a really beat up rear quarter. I climbed out unhurt and got the van towed home and then running again, all doors working at least, but I'm seriously bummed. I live at the coast and drive the road a lot, but it's a safety issue I neglected to address. Just a reminder to not take it lightly...

[VanSurfer]

I can speak first hand about the General Grabber AT2 in 27x8.5x14 on an '87 4wd,,, and they are great tires! I put new shocks on F&R, added Mr.Gasket 1" spacers above and below rear coils, and cranked torsion bars until no rubbing was heard or felt. Like Tim, I want to keep my 14" rims as long as I can. Anyways, these tires roll good on the hwy and have plenty of traction off road (beach, dirt, mud, snow). Just got back from spending 3 weeks in Baja and didn't have any issues with the tires. :drunk:

[trestlehed]

Vansurfer,

What is the load rating of your Grabber AT's? Are the sidewalls stiff enough to prevent side-to side van tilt? Are they light truck (LT) tires or just passenger car tires?

Thanks!

[timsrv]

Here's a picture of my 87 cargo conversion 5 speed 4wd van with the Dean Wildcat 27 X 8.5R 14LT Tires on it. In my case I was able to run these with no lifting and I had no issues with rubbing.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/04manualhubs.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/01LF4wdvan.jpg

Unfortunately the Wildcat's are no longer available (they were a Les Schwab brand) in this size. These tires are load range "C". That's 1,515 lbs per tire. Tim

[gushaman]

ok, so between here and "theothersite.com" :wnk:, am i to understand that the nankangs are no longer available?

[timsrv]

I'm not sure what the story is on them. I hadn't heard they were going away. I can still find them on-line, but after using the Hankooks I wouldn't go back to Nankangs anyhow (at least not their summer tire). Don't get me wrong, if I lived in a climate of no snow & ice they'd be fine. If you want them either order on-line or ask your local tire store if they can get them. BTW, it's okay to mention www.toyotavanpeople.com and other van sites on TVT. Our goal here is to make all van information easily accessible. Tim

[bald josh]

Hankooks!!! i had never heard of them till the wifes trooper needed rubber and for the $ they have worked out way better than expected. Ride and handling, snow ice mud ...bring it on!!!
j-

[gushaman]

tim: so the hankooks dont give the "flat look" like most tires? I have a tendency to carry alot of weight in tools and parts in a van, and thats why i was looking at the nankangs.

[timsrv]

The ones I got (Hankook #RA08 195R14C) are every bit as tough and rigid as the Nankangs. They are an 8 ply tire and rated at 2,100 lbs per tire (just like the Nankangs). They can safely be inflated up to 65psi. Because of my heavy loads I run the rears at around 60 psi & my fronts at around 50 psi. They are rock solid at those pressures. At 1st I was a little concerned the tread would wear quickly, but I've got over 10k miles on them now and so far they still look almost new. The ride is nicer too. The Nankangs seemed to be ride a bit rough, like they were all just slightly out-of-round...........and they sucked in the snow & ice. I got caught in a snow storm again a couple of weeks ago and the Hankooks did very well.

Here's a picture of one of my front tires @ 50psi. Keep in mind my van has over 3,000 lbs of cargo in it. Tim
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/suspension/IMG_0660.jpg

[Burntboot]

You guys are lucky to have some choice. When I went looking, all I could find was cheap standard passenger car tires (205/75R14), all the dealers I queried said no dice on 14" LT tires. Only thing available was trailer tires which are not rated for drive wheel applications and would void the insurance if installed.

I found a set of 15" chromed steel Sidekick rims that look surprisingly similar to the originals and mounted Pirelli Scorpion STR (205/70R15 96H).
Really nice tires, wear well, track well, stick well and they are stiff.
If I didn't already have snows, I would run them year round.
Best of all they are quiet.

The sidekick rims are bit lighter than stock but I have had no issues so far and they are WAY easier to balance.

Tim makes a very good point on date codes.
The first set of STR's that came in were almost at their BBD, dealer kindly reordered fresh stock.

[timsrv]

I'm not sure about Canada, but 6 or 7 years ago I 1st found these Korean tires on-line only AFTER being told by my local tire store (Les Schwab) that LT 14" tires were no longer available (from anywhere). I went back and asked if they could get me these but they said something like "Chinese junk" and they wouldn't sell due to liability reasons. I was also very skeptical, but due to the exceptional load rating & the fact I had no other viable choices I decided to take a chance & ordered them from gearworks.com/ (http://shop.gearworkstireandwheel.com/195-14-Nankang-N810-19514na.htm) in Illinois (only $69 each). Of course price has gone up significantly since then.

I just purchased another set of Hankooks for my daughter earlier this month. They seem to be readily available almost anywhere now, but it's not unusual for retailers to still give you the "run around" if you don't put your foot down and demand the specific product you want. I ended up purchasing and having these installed by my local Les Schwab (who BTW, had told me earlier that same day they weren't available). :wnk: Tim

[Burntboot]

There is definitely an attitude to get past sometimes, I found that at every place in town.
Was even more surprised when they would only quote me an installed price, when I explained it would be cash and carry they all said install was free.
I had to break down and impose upon my brother, his supplier was at least willing to SO the Pirelli's.

Just checked Gearworks and found little available save the standard load passenger car tires.
Tirerack has little to offer as well.

Seems the tire industry is abandoning all the older smaller sized tires, 13's and 14's are down right scarce and even some 15's are disappearing.
Doesn't bode well for the future.
BB

[timsrv]

Here's a copy/paste of the website I listed earlier (from my 1st post in this thread): http://ssl.delti.com/cgi-bin/rshop.pl?dsco=135&cart_id=46056852.135.13704&Cookie=Shopzilla&sowigan=&Breite=195&Quer=&Felge=14&Speed=&kategorie=6&LoadRange=Load+Range+D&Marke=&ranzahl=4&search_tool=standard&rsmFahrzeugart=ALL&suchen=View+Tires

Looks like there's quite a choice from this site and they show >40 of the Hankook RA08 195R14C tires on-hand.

[gushaman]

also for anyone looking to spend $$$$$$$ on extreme tires, there are two or three interco/TSL super swamper tires available in 14 inch rim sizes. they dont have the weight ratings like nankang or hankook

[Burntboot]

Thanks Tim
I have now bookmarked that page.
They certainly have a lot of options available.
Too bad freight, duty and taxes are so prohibitive, but I can still see using them in the future.

[timsrv]

Yeah, the address they have listed on that site is just across the river from me (about 20 miles) so I called to arrange a local pick-up. They wouldn't allow it and said I'd have to pay $80 shipping. The only reason I could think of why they wouldn't let me pick-up was perhaps no tires are actually on location? Maybe they're just a store front that has tires drop shipped from someplace else??? I couldn't see paying $80 for shipping so I ended up going to Les Schwab armed with the tire information and I ordered from them. Les Schwab wanted $120 per tire (which worked out about the same). Since I purchased from Schwab I got the road hazard warranty available to me here at my local tire store (so I was happy). If you want them I suggest you print that page, then go to your tire store and say "I want these!". Don't forget to smile :)>:. I'm guessing they can make a call and have the tires delivered within a couple days. Tim

[micah202]

I can speak first hand about the General Grabber AT2 in 27x8.5x14 on an '87 4wd,,, and they are great tires! I put new shocks on F&R, added Mr.Gasket 1" spacers above and below rear coils, and cranked torsion bars until no rubbing was heard or felt. Like Tim, I want to keep my 14" rims as long as I can. Anyways, these tires roll good on the hwy and have plenty of traction off road (beach, dirt, mud, snow). Just got back from spending 3 weeks in Baja and didn't have any issues with the tires. :drunk:

TOTALLY agree about the General Grabbers,,27x8,1/2 x14's,are LT's,snow rated,,about max size before you need to do any cutting or raising the van,,though a tiny bit of rb when oversteering,,,quiet on highway,,a great tire allround
...tirerack has them for ~$550 for 5,,,and in canada ,'OK-TIRE' has 'em,,~625 for 5 methinks.
--just-- enough space to fit one of these as a spare tire,,,needs a slight lengthening at the back of the tire-rack:wnk:

..edit-corrected the source in canada,,,OK-tire,,kingsway,in vancouver

[Burntboot]

Well, that is almost too funny.
Back when I was hunting, I had heard about the grabber's and called all the local General dealers and they all claimed that tire was NLA in Canada.
I actually would have preferred to have them, would have eliminated the need for snows to boot.

Don't get me wrong, the Pirelli/15 combo is the cats meow from a ride and handling standpoint but would have been nice to keep the 14's.
Even with the PITA of trying to balance the OEM wheels, they look nicer and are heavier built.
Well, maybe next time around.

[micah202]

Well, that is almost too funny.
Back when I was hunting, I had heard about the grabber's and called all the local General dealers and they all claimed that tire was NLA in Canada.
I actually would have preferred to have them, would have eliminated the need for snows to boot.

Don't get me wrong, the Pirelli/15 combo is the cats meow from a ride and handling standpoint but would have been nice to keep the 14's.
Even with the PITA of trying to balance the OEM wheels, they look nicer and are heavier built.
Well, maybe next time around.

..it was funny for me that I arranged to get the tires from 'tirerack',picked them up in seattle,,,brought them across the border,,,took them to get mounted at 'general',,only to see the same tire sitting in the showroom!!:dizzy:
...OOPS,,JUST CHECKED THE RECEIPT,,,IT WAS 'OK-TIRE',,kingsway in vancouver!!

[abracadabra]

I've searched and can't find a specific answer to this.

I'm running the Nankook 8 ply 195s on my '87 4WD and have been neglecting tire pressure. I forget that these can be quite low and not look like it. My front driver tire was 28 PSI!

Now the tag in the wheel well mentions 30 something PSI for the stock tires, the Nankooks say max 65 PSI. I'm running around with no load and just topped them all off at 40 PSI. Whats a good spot for these, mostly city with some highway driving? It handles/drives much better now that I've got them even, I'll be curious at how my MPG changes too.

thanks!

mark

[timsrv]

If you're running a tire at it's maximum rated load, then (and only then) should you run a tire at it's maximum recommended PSI. For normal loads, it's best to stick with Toyota's recommended tire pressure. Different tire constructions have slightly different sliding scales for recommended PSI (based on load), but this information isn't widely circulated. It doesn't really matter anyhow because you would need to put each tire on a scale individually to determine the ideal inflation pressure. Of course loads change depending on what you're hauling, so approximate "guesstimates" are typically good enough.

I am also running the 195 Hankooks but my van has a heavy fixed load (about 3,000 lbs). Because of this I typically run my rear tires at 60psi and my fronts at 50. That seems to be the magic number for me. Each time I rotate tires I check tire wear. So far it's been pretty even, but if I start seeing uneven wear (due to over or under inflation), I will adjust tire pressure as required to compensate.

FWIW, if you're not sure, when it comes to safety, it's better to err on the side of too much pressure rather than too little (as long as you never exceed maximum rated inflation). These are rigid tires though, so if your van is empty or lightly loaded, I wouldn't go above the 40psi that Toyota recommends for the LT tires. Tim

[abracadabra]

I just double checked the wheel well tag, mine says 35 PSI so I just evened mine out to that.

Funny, they were actually already pretty much at 35-36 PSI even though a few hours ago I just thought I aired them to 40 PSI. I used the gauge built in to the air dispenser at the gas station, must be innaccurate! Next time I'll use my own gauge.

mark

[timsrv]

I just checked my door tag too and see it only lists "P" tires (which are passenger rated) and the recommended PSI for these is 35psi. The owner's manual lists both "p" and "LT" (Light Truck) tires (these Hankooks would be considered an LT). Anyhow, according to the manual, if you run LT tires, Toyota recommends 40psi. You are however "in the zone" with 35psi, just check the tread during rotations and adjust PSI as required to compensate for any "inflation related" wear. Tim

[User1]

Hello all,

I just got back from visiting my local CostCo and was informed of a tire that looks like it would do the trick for me. I'm not really interested in carrying 1000s of pounds in my van, but I would like to stay away from passenger car tires. So if I had to lean a certain direction, it would be a light duty truck tire.

My question is this, will a passenger car tires performance fairly well if I always have the van pretty much unloaded? Let's say for argument sake the van is a 7 passenger van. If every passenger weighs 250 lbs, that would be 1750 lbs. I really wouldn't see myself carrying more than 2000 lbs, but of course moving something may be a "one in a million."

OK so the tires I saw that was available at CostCo were the Michelin X-Radial DT (http://michelinman.com/tire-selector/category/passenger-car-minivan/x-radial-dt/tire-details). Anyone used these before and what's the verdict? Oh and they have the 205/75R 14 size and the price was $98.99.

While I'm at it, also looking for comments on the General Grabber AT2 (https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=27X&ratio=8.5&diameter=14) in size 27x8.5 This was the tire tops on my list till the DT above came up.

[timsrv]

The 4wd passenger van weighs roughly 3,500 lbs empty. Divided by 4 that's 875 lbs per tire. The loaded weight of the van is around 5,000 lbs (assuming you're not overloading it), so that works out to 1,250 lbs per tire (assuming it's loaded evenly). User1, those Michelin tires are rated to carry 1,532 lbs @ 35 psi, so they would be adequate.......especially if you run the van mostly empty. Tim

[Burntboot]

I can't see the correct tire listed in the specs, the only 14in they list is the 185/65 with a load index rating of 85.
Perhaps the list is incomplete or my "canadian" filters are interfering with the full list?

[timsrv]

Here's the list that populates for me:

16393 P175/70R13 82 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 4.5" - 6" 7" on 5" 22.7 917 10 1036@44 15.9
36903 P185/65R14 85 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 6.5" 7.4" on 5.5" 23.5 887 10 1124@44 18.1
82357 P185/65R15 86 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 6.5" 7.4" on 5.5" 24.5 851 10 1168@44 18.54
08663 P185/70R14 87 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 4.5" - 6" 7.5" on 5.5" 24 868 10 1201@44 18.7
58769 P195/60R15 87 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5.5" - 7" 7.9" on 6" 24 868 10 1190@44 19.14
18459 P195/65R15 89 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5.5" - 7" 7.9" on 6" 24.7 841 10 1279@44 20.06
29698 P195/70R14 90 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 6.5" 7.9" on 6" 24.5 848 10 1312@44 20.75
19282 P195/75R14 92 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 6.5" 7.7" on 5.5" 25.3 823 10 1400@35 20.72
12142 P205/55R16 89 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5.5" - 7.5" 8.4" on 6.5" 24.8 842 10 1279@44 22.16
00987 P205/75R14 95 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 7" 8" on 5.5" 25.8 805 10 1532@35 23.32
14729 P205/75R15 97 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5" - 7" 8" on 5.5" 26.8 776 10 1598@35 24.47
05081 P215/60R15 93 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 6" - 7.5" 7" on 6.5" 24.9 835 10 1411@44 21.65
21894 P215/65R15 95 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 6" - 7.5" 8.6" on 6.5" 25.8 805 10 1510@44 22.88
03825 P215/75R15 100 S BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 5.5" - 7" 8.7" on 6" 27.3 761 10 1742@35 26.76
11649 P225/55R17 95 T BSW 80,000 Mile 740 A B 6" - 8" 9.2" on 7" 26.8 777 10 1521@44 24.85

[Burntboot]

Okay Tim, this "being right ALL the time thing" is starting to get a little annoying.
Site seems to work fine when I access it with my new computer, keep forgetting WHY I bought a replacement.
Doh.
Old habits I guess, the old 'puter is so much more user friendly, I find it hard to put away.

Tires look good and the load rating is decent too.
I will interested to hear how they work out.

[User1]

I was hoping on getting a response on General Grabbers Tim. I've yet to get your opinion on these tires. No comment? :?:

I'm going to see if I can find someone that has bought the Michelin before I commit. I'm not really dying for tires and I'm pretty much in my "shopping phase". Price looks nice. Looks like about $400 out the door. I look at the other tires and they're about $600 or better, out the door. That's without a tire use rating. The DTs come with 80,000 miles!

Getting back to my CostCo visit. Just goes to show, don't take one service provider word on what's out there. I went to the same installers and managed to talk to someone else, which gave me the recent info. Thanks guys!

[micah202]

I was hoping on getting a response on General Grabbers Tim. I've yet to get your opinion on these tires. No comment? :?:

I'm going to see if I can find someone that has bought the Michelin before I commit. I'm not really dying for tires and I'm pretty much in my "shopping phase". Price looks nice. Looks like about $400 out the door. I look at the other tires and they're about $600 or better, out the door. That's without a tire use rating. The DTs come with 80,000 miles!

Getting back to my CostCo visit. Just goes to show, don't take one service provider word on what's out there. I went to the same installers and managed to talk to someone else, which gave me the recent info. Thanks guys!

...I had the General Grabbers for a few months,till my van was swiped,,,loved 'em.
had good mileage,,not noticeably noisy,,got me places in Baja I hadn't gotten before,,
,,,read other reports that they last well...............anything else??

[timsrv]

I was hoping on getting a response on General Grabbers Tim. I've yet to get your opinion on these tires. No comment? :?:

I answered as best I could the last time you asked.....perhaps you missed it?


Excellent write up here Tim!

I'm hoping to get your opinion on the General Tire Grabber, http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+AT+2&sidewall=&partnum=785QR4GRAT2OWL&tab=Specs

I'm kinda leaning towards these the furthest at the moment.


Hi User1, thanks for the kudos! Sorry for the late reply (for some reason I don't get notifications when comments are made to articles. I personally haven't used the Grabber, but I have used tires in this size group (27X8.5R14) with similar tread. I was very happy with them and consider this size to be the absolute best for the 4wd van. I have read posts from others who have used the Grabbers and they give these tires high marks. From what I've heard the Grabbers are slightly bigger than other tires in this size group, so you can expect to do some minor trimming and/or hammering on your front wheel wells. I would also recommend cranking up the torsion bars and using some spacers on your rear springs. If you get these be sure to post some pics. For posting pics use the "view original post" link at the bottom of the article (above). Tim

This was originally posted here: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/content.php?219-Re-Tires-tires-tires!

If you're wondering about weight ratings, the Grabbers are about the same as the passenger tires you mentioned from Costco. Tim

[User1]

For some reason I'm not getting any notices of response back either. I come back to this thread and there's like 3-4 responses! Thought it was my computer conspiring against me, but I guess it's something else? :cnfsd:

My bad on the thread posted Tim. I looked back at that thread and didn't see any respond to it. Didn't get a notice either. I just assumed there wasn't anything posted.

Looks like things are opening up abit on the options out there for tires. It's nice to see that CostCo's in the game too.

Oh and I am getting some notices on the responses.

[timsrv]

I don't see an option to "subscribe" to article comments but tech questions are best left in the forums anyhow. One cool feature to the site is the "What's New?" tab on the top left of each page. That will display all new site activity in the last 24 hrs. I recently started using that and I think it's pretty awesome. There hasn't been any article comments since I started using it but I'm pretty sure those will display too. Tim

Correction: I just logged in using a test account and I see using the "What's New?" tab displays all new post activity since your last visit..........That's even better! :yes: Tim

[User1]

Hey Tim,

What do you know about Kumho tires? I don't know too much about the tires in question, but someone fairly near to me has these on CL.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/pts/2931923894.html

What should I asked them?

Thanks as always!

[micah202]

Hey Tim,

What do you know about Kumho tires? I don't know too much about the tires in question, but someone fairly near to me has these on CL.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/pts/2931923894.html

What should I asked them?

Thanks as always!

..ask them why they keep the tires in the garden?,,
,,and if that's really cracking on the sidewall just above the tread?,,
,,and what you should do if one of those tires turns out to be delaminated once you've paid for mounting??

[timsrv]

I don't know. I'm a bit leery of used tires. Ask for the date code and weight rating I guess. Who knows what they've been through........

[toad]

What do you know about Kumho tires? I don't know too much about the tires in question, but someone fairly near to me has these on CL.

I've been running on a set of Kumho Solus KR21 for the past 2 years on my 2WD. They had good reviews on tirerack and were one of the few I could find locally in the stock size. For such a cheap set of tires I didn't expect much but they have a really quiet, smooth ride on the highway and good rain traction and even ok snow traction (for an all season tire). They ride a lot like the Michelin X's I had on another vehicle. They're sure better than the ancient tires that came on the van when I bought it. They rode like bricks and literally started bursting apart through the treads! I'm lucky I caught it before a blowout. Like Tim pointed out in his earlier post, it's a good idea to look at the date stamp especially if you're looking at used tires.

[User1]

OK so the tires I saw that was available at CostCo were the Michelin X-Radial DT (http://michelinman.com/tire-selector/category/passenger-car-minivan/x-radial-dt/tire-details). Anyone used these before and what's the verdict? Oh and they have the 205/75R 14 size and the price was $98.99.




GOOD NEWS for those that are looking at these tires at CostCo. Looks like CostCo is going to have these tires on-sale in their next sales flyer that they put out each month. It will be reduced by $70 for a set of four tires. NOT BAD! $330 if you have a membership with CostCo. Looks like this is what I'll be getting. They will be advertised around May 6-10.

[toad]

I got a set of those Michelin's on a Mazda pickup during one of those Costco sales and I really liked them. They had decent wet traction for an all season tire and a comfortable, quiet ride. They even got me home through a freak snowstorm that left a lot of other vehicles stuck. I would have gotten them for my 2WD van too but they don't make the right size.

[User1]

Hey toad,

Thanks for the feedback on the tires. Yeah that's somewhat how I thought of the tires after reading a few reviews on them from others. They seems like they would be marginal for any off-roading, but as long as they could handle some. That's about as often as I'm going to find myself off-road I'm thinking. Would nice to think I'll be a big cowboy heading out each weekend into the dessert, but the thing has 238,000 miles on it! Lets be a little realistic here. I'd rather have the advantages in a good highway tire and survive with a bit of dirt roading. I'm looking at building up a little camper mobile too.

[toad]

Yeah that’s my take on them too—well suited to a van you don’t want to abuse too badly, but want to get out on some dirt roads for camping and hiking. I logged a lot of miles on dirt roads in my old mazda pickup and they held up well. They also seemed to stand taller and gave a little extra clearance than the ones I had on it previously. Good luck camperizing it—I miss my old (72) Westfalia too... and my old 4x4 Toyota van...

[User1]

Oh I'm never going to get over that Westfalia. It was taken from me by the city I live in! I got some parking tickets at this one place I was living. I always forgot the day they had their street sweeping day. I come out to place I moved to after this one with the tickets and they're towing it away! They said it was abandon! I did some investigation on what made that determination and it's where a car gets three parking tickets in a row. I never got three in a row. I think I had three, but not in a row. Anyways they dung up a few other parking tickets on that and the killer one was a parking ticket I got on it in a red zone in Sacramento. Ended up that the cost to pay to get it out far exceeded what it was worth. Back 20 years ago, not today's prices. Had alot of things done to that van too. It was mostly stock. What was nice was disc brakes and that engine would come out in about an hour or two. Oh and those engines were so easy and cheap to rebuild or replace. 71 was the last year with that style and first year with disc brakes. After that it was bigger engine, smog equipment, and more accessories.

Such is life.:violn:

Oh those Michelin will be on sale (http://www.costco.com/Service/FeaturePage.aspx?ProductNo=11682988) from 5/10/12 to 6/3/12. $330 for four 80,000 mile tires.

[User1]

Looks like CostCo is extending the offer on these Michelins. I told them there's alot of rad folks that driving Toyota Vans and they would love to get in on this deal! So we negotiated back and forth and looks like we managed to agree to get it extended for another month. I would call the CostCo you shop at cause I called three in the surrounding area and got three different dates of when it will expire. :LOL2:

[PNW vanwagon]

i'll be getting new tires at some point - i searched carefully but most info was about 4wd: current setup is 2wd stock 14" wheels with stock size 195/75/14 - i'm looking to change to either 205/70/14 and 215/70/14

i'm hoping slightly lower profile but wider helps with handling and not getting blown around so much

i see 205/70/14 are ok but has anyone used 215/70/14 no problem?

[brentlehr]

I'm considering two options for new tires. Gonna swap my low milage tires from the 89 onto the 86 so I'm in the tire shopping business again.

I've been running Hankook Optimo H727 All-Seasons. I like them well enough and they wear very well. Pair with the KYB's in the front they handle pretty good too.
Looking for something with thicker side walls this time around. 2 options have come up.

Hankook Vantra RA18- 185R14 102R 8 Ply (http://Hankook Vantra RA18- 185R14 102R 8 Ply) - Vanagon owners love them.
Also looking at these (https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Tire-LT-195-75-14-All-Terrain-LRC-AT-LT195-75R14-LRC-6PR-USA-Built/332571981841?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.M BE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D47301%26meid%3D8a678dcc5c7b46d ab32a472a0eb43119%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D 12%26sd%3D232656019961%26itm%3D332571981841&_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850) - 195 75 14 - 6 Ply all-terrain - I've almost gotten stuck pretty often when camping lately so thought they could be a good option.

Any input?

[timsrv]

The best tires I've had so far were the Hankook RA08 (now discontinued). The RA18 is the direct replacement for them & that's what I'm running now. They are not quite as stiff as the RA08's but are acceptable (and better than anything else I'm aware of that's currently in production). I've only been running them since December, but no problems so far.

Regarding stiffness, I'm running my van extremely overloaded (I'm grossing @ ~ 6,000 lbs). If you put these on a "reasonably" loaded van I'm sure they'd seem plenty stiff. I'm running the biggest ones that will fit on the van 195R14C 106/104R. They throw my speedo off a little, but I do a lot of freeway driving and I like keeping the engine at slightly lower RPMs. Tim

[csimocrespo]

Hello can I drive with a Toyota 1984 2wd van 185/55/14 winter tires? Thanks!!

[PearlVan]

Just bought a set of Thunderer Ranger 195 R14C and they would not fit on my 1984 2wd :(:, Do the 84 85 2wd have less clearance than the 86-89? The tire guy ended up selling me a set of travelstar UN106 185 r14 and even those seem to have only a finger or two of clearance at the front wheel well by the lower edge door frame. Any 1st gen van owners chime in with their experience trying to run some beefier tires?

[JDM VANMAN]

Pearlvan,

did you look in the driverside door jamb and see the recommended tire size?

Here’s a link to the SpecSheets that’ll give you all kinds of great info:thmbup:

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/content.php?249-Specifications-and-Options

JDM

[PearlVan]

Pearlvan,

did you look in the driverside door jamb and see the recommended tire size?

Here’s a link to the SpecSheets that’ll give you all kinds of great info:thmbup:

https://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/content.php?249-Specifications-and-Options

JDM

That's a neat reference. Thanks, JDM

But I was not asking about the recommended tire size. I was asking about fitting a larger than spec'd size tire in a first generation van. The reason I bring it up is Tim endorsed the 195R14C size and even showed a picture of the clearance on his laden 2wd van. Tim's endorsement of this larger tire size for 2wd vans may be only applicable to later model years and not the 3Y vans of 84-85, as I was unable to fit this tire size in my wheel wells (at least according to the guy at the tire shop). The shop guy said it rubbed significantly and would require massive trimming. I was under the impression that the body and wheel wells of all 2wd vans were identical regardless of model year, or at least I had not heard of any significant difference in body style between model years. Does anyone know what the deal is? perhaps someone who has owned an 84 or 85 and gotten bigger tires to fit. Perhaps the tire store guy was lying to me? Perhaps the Thunderer Rangers were much larger than the 195r14C Hankooks Tim uses? Or maybe 1st gen Vans really do have smaller wheel wells?


Thanks for your help in solving this mystery.

[llamavan]

I'll go out and check some tire sizes for you later today.

Gwen

[Burntboot]

Might be worth checking ride height?

2WD torsion bars are adjustable.

[llamavan]

As I thought, my '85 wears 195/75R14. The speedo is dead on with these, and no rubbing or damage issues. The 84/85 owners manuals specifies 185/75s, but that size doesn't result in an accurate speed.

I've used 205/70/R14 for studded snow tires, but winter tires are softer rubber and that's why I got away with that.

The 1985 not-my-Van (spouse's) sitting in my carport for repair is wearing 205/70/R14 and has some spooky damage to the inside sidewalls (near the tread) of both front tires. The tread still has some wear left (not a lot), but with the sidewall damage, they're toast. Of course that Van also has dead shocks (one of the pending repairs), and that doesn't help any.

I'd agree with Burntboot (check and adjust torsion bars) after verifying that your Van's front shocks are OK.

Gwen

[JDM VANMAN]

Have a look in this thread page 2 posting 32-

Tim provides detailed information on tire sizes and thier OD size. That’ll give you an idea of what your supposed to be running and how much space the larger tire will take up in the wheel well.

Then you’ll have a better idea like BB and Gwen have mentioned about torsion bars, shocks, and how much hammering your gonna need to do to make the clearance.:thmbup:

JDM

[SoORYotas]

So Bigger is Better?

When I bought the '87 4x4 last year it needed tires badly. I should have never driven it south from the Corvallis OR area with the tires on it but I did not know how bad those Michelin tires were aged - about 13 years old. Started looking with local dealers like LS and others. Found a highway tire with a little aggression - Chinese 'Go Form' which is a 6 ply on both top and side wall. The folks on a Toyota Pick-up Camper site like these for the Dolphins and other 3/4 ton camper pickups. Only about 1200 miles so far but I am happy with the ride. The other set of stock rims are out for bead blast and powder coat. I will look into to a more aggressive tire when I get these stock rims back. With the 195 SR 14 70 tires my speedo is dead on. With the -205 tires I originally had the speedo is about 6mph high.

[timsrv]

Just bought a set of Thunderer Ranger 195 R14C and they would not fit on my 1984 2wd :(:, Do the 84 85 2wd have less clearance than the 86-89? The tire guy ended up selling me a set of travelstar UN106 185 r14 and even those seem to have only a finger or two of clearance at the front wheel well by the lower edge door frame. Any 1st gen van owners chime in with their experience trying to run some beefier tires?

Hi PearlVan, sorry to hear of your experience. Please keep in mind that different manufacturers will make slightly different sizes that will fall into the same specs......but in this case you should have been fine. I looked up the manufacturer specs for the Thunderer Ranger 195 R14C tires and found them to be slightly smaller than the specs for my Hankooks of the same rated size (both diameter and width).............Although it's possible there could be differences in the tire shape that wouldn't show up in the specs (like tall square corners where the tread ends and the sidewall begins).


I guess it's possible it's a 1st gen van issue, but I doubt it (FYI I know nothing of 84 - 85 vans). I know they have a smaller recommended tire size, but wasn't aware of any differences regarding height or tire clearances.

Another possibility is perhaps somebody lowered the van. Usually when this is done the rear springs are cut, but the front is usually dropped by torsion bar adjustment. I checked the service manuals and found the 1st gen vans show slightly higher specs for the front torsion bar adjustments than the 2nd gen vans (go figure). Check your ride height using the information from the 1987 service manual below.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/suspension/rideheight.jpg

Note: The height dimension (9.21") is shown (above) for 86 - 89 2wd vans with P195/75 R14 tires. For the 84 - 85 vans, the called out height is 9.57" even though it has the smaller P185/75 R14 tires. Tim

[PearlVan]

Cool! thanks for the help everybody.

I ended up returning the tires I got online because I needed tires real bad, so I bought a new set of 185s from the tire shop. As for the Thunderer Rangers that were returned, unbelievably they paid shipping both ways so I got a full refund. I'll take this opportunity to recommend using Simpletire.com for online tire sales as they made returns a real breeze.

So I measured the van height today. Looks like the front sits at 8inches instead of 9.57" so that would explain my greatly diminished clearance. The torsion bar appears to have plenty of threads to tighten down on and raise it. For good measure I will replace my front shocks too.

The manual says jack up the vehicle and remove the shocks, simple as that huh?

After I replace the shocks and raise the van should I get alignment done? I just had it done when I got the new tires:doh:

[timsrv]

It's always a good idea to align after any changes to the suspension. I doubt raising it 1 ½" would affect it much, but I'd still recommend it. I'm not sure about the place you got it aligned, but Les Schwab (the tire store I use) only charges $$$ if they change things. I've brought vehicles in before and been told "we checked and it was good......no charge". If they do try to charge, you could always claim the height adjustment should have also been checked when they aligned (part of their job) and try to get a freebie, but considering alignments only typically cost ~ $50, I probably wouldn't risk annoying them (you never know when you might need help again). Good luck. Tim

[Mtn_Van]

Can someone with a stock 2WD (no lift) please reply with the wheel center to fender measurement for the front and rear? I had taken pics of these measurements before lifting and adding grabbers, but my phone crapped out and I didn't have these backed up. :/
Many thanks in advance!

[jweez]

On my stock 85, 2wd it's about 13" in the front, and about 14" in the rear.

[jweez]

Wow.
Just noticed that was from 2020!
:)

[jweez]

What are everyone's thoughts on hankook kinergy touring 185/75/14 on my 85 2wd?

Thanks.