Well, I'm at the point of needing new tires for my 87 4wd.
There's a chance that I'll be purchasing another van, (2wd,) in the near future.
I'm leaning towards some 195 75r14's for the 4wd with the thought that I could swap them to a 2wd if I pick one up. Is this a lousy idea since the 4wd comes with the 205's? I'm not too concerns about overall ride height.
Is there something else I'm not considering?
4wd tires and 2wd tires aren't all that different (size wise) and some can be interchanged. For highway & mild off-road, one of the best tires IMHO is the Hankook RA08 (which has been replaced by the RA18). This tire in a 195 is a tiny bit big for the 2wd, but fits very well on stock rims (no rubbing or other negative effects). This same tire fits the 4wd nice too (I've run these on my 4wd and they performed well). For more information, check out my article on tires and use the link to the tire calculator within:
http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/c...es-tires-tires!
Yep what tim said. The 195s are a little smaller so your odometer will spin faster and speedometer will be slower, about 1.5 MPH. When weighed down with camping gear these vans are pretty gutless, so I acutually like the lower gearing on hills with the 195s.
I run the BFG T/A KO on my '87 4x4. If you call around you can get a deal on them. I paid around $600 OTD for 4 installed on a price match from America's Tire Co.
http://www.tirebuyer.com/tires/bf-go.../p/tv100000183
This is true for the most 195 tires & certainly the case with the BFG T/A KO's. Commercial tires like the Hancooks I mentioned are sized different though. The actual spec is "195R 14C" where-as normal 195 tires are something like "LT195/75R14". Most LT195/75R14's are around 25 1/2" OD. The standard 205-75R 14 tires (the factory recommended size for the 4wd) are usually around 26" OD. The Hancook 195R 14C tires are a whopping 26.3" (biggest OD of the 3). But as with anything, there are variances from brand to brand, so your results may vary. TimOriginally Posted by CleverUserName
Thanks for the input folks!
I'm mostly likely going with the BFGs, so definitely nice to have a good opinion there.
I'll post some photos when they mount up.
https://www.goodyear.com/en-US/tires...ullTireDetails
Came across this tire searchin for 14" 4x4 tires for my van project.
You might want to inquire locally as to who maintains your local USPS fleet vehicles...you might (or not?) be surprised what the government agencies discard.
New - $233 each.
Used take offs - $70 each!
If interested, i might be able locate a few more.
Send a pm to discuss
Those look like pretty beefy tires... And nice rims too!! I just put on a set of TOYO Eclipse on my 4WD stock size with 26.1 OD, they look good and ride nice. There's a spring tire sale going on at Les Schawb so I walked out paying $500 with addtional discount the tire guy offered.
Last edited by JDM VANMAN; 04-07-2016 at 05:05 PM.
I went on the hunt for these tires today. No inventory anywhere! One of two things is going on over at BFG - Tires are now discontinued OR according to one place, they will periodically stop making a particular model until inventory runs out and then make a new batch. Now I need either play the waiting game or go with something boring.
You want something exciting? Have you checked on the Bighorns? http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...6445#post16445
These look awesome! So glad I didnt go with the boring ones today! Im going back to Les Schwab tomorrow for a quote. Looks like they are going to be $800+!
I have the 2WD version though, think they will fit?
Oh, that complicates things a bit. The 14" Bighorns are actually not that huge in diameter (26.3"), and I can tell you from experience this diameter works well on 2wd vans (it's the exact diameter that I run). However, the width might be an issue. The tires I run on my overloaded 2wd are 7.6" wide. With mine the fronts will just slightly rub on the edges of my front door trim if I hit a bump during a low speed sharp turn. The 14" Bighorns have an 8.8" width (a full .6" more overhang on each side). Depending on load and how high the torsions are cranked, you may or may not get away with that. The other problem with width is some tire shops will refuse to put a tire that wide on a stock van 5.5" rim (Maxxis specifies 6" - 7.5" rim width). FYI, 4wd vans also have 5.5" wide rims, and I'd consider this a non-issue, but since the liability belongs to the tire shop, it's their call. I'm pretty sure if one place refuses to install, it wouldn't be hard to find another that would (you might need to shop around). The only other thing you might want to negotiate with the tire shop is letting you try them out. Many tire shops will install and let you drive a short distance (typically in their parking lot) to determine if something will work. If you decide against, they may ding you for installation, but some will not (assuming you end up buying something else from them).
If your van is not overloaded and if you have your torsions cranked, I'm guessing they will work, but it will be close and the fronts may rub during hard bumps and/or sharp turns. Tim
I just realized this thread is in the regular van section of the forum. Since it mostly applies to 4wd vans (even says it in the title), I'm moving it to the 4wd section. Tim
I have learned a lot about tires today and it seems like the Bighorns might be the only option to get this cool look. What about changing the rim? Or adding a wheel spacer to push the tire out a bit?
(I have a 2wd)
Last edited by LateralTech; 05-18-2016 at 11:03 AM.
Further out (more negative offset) will increase rubbing issues. Supra rims are wider (7" I think), but have slightly more negative offset. Putting a wide tire like this on a Supra rim would almost certainly be a problem. If you really want this tire, I think stock van rims are your best bet. Tire stores are a lot less likely to give you grief regarding rim width & application if you take them your rims (leave the van at home).........however, if they don't work, you might end up owning a set of expensive tires that you can't use. I'd talk to the tire store 1st to see if they'll let you try them on for size. Tim
....getting confusled here,, talk of supra rims,, this is sounding like a 2wd
....I have some nice alloy supra rims on my 2wd, with 215 70r 14's on,, a low, very sporty look,, with just enough width for the sliding door to squeeek by.
There was also some rub on the rear tires in a big bump,,, until I doubled up the rear springs, now it's a little rodster van.. with double springs,, they fit together nicely if you get another set from an old van. It took an hour the first side, 1/2 hr for the second side,, second vehicle I've done,,, makes handling very punchy in acceleration and through the turns
I was going to save mention until I was back home on my own computer,, have some pics to download
I would be interested to see your mods!....getting confusled here,, talk of supra rims,, this is sounding like a 2wd
....I have some nice alloy supra rims on my 2wd, with 215 70r 14's on,, a low, very sporty look,, with just enough width for the sliding door to squeeek by.
There was also some rub on the rear tires in a big bump,,, until I doubled up the rear springs, now it's a little rodster van.. with double springs,, they fit together nicely if you get another set from an old van. It took an hour the first side, 1/2 hr for the second side,, second vehicle I've done,,, makes handling very punchy in acceleration and through the turns
I was going to save mention until I was back home on my own computer,, have some pics to download
Yeah, been talking 2wd since post #10. Somehow this thread had been in the regular forum (until I moved it yesterday). Perhaps now I should move it back??? Or split it.......maybe???Tim....getting confusled here,, talk of supra rims,, this is sounding like a 2wd
...............
....yeh,, sometimes yer can't win fer tryin'
I guess that's the 'zen' of all this mechanicing,,,th'3 P's....patience, patience, patience
...here's how a 2wd looks with supra rims and 215 75 14's on,,
...you'll have to wait a week before I show you the 'double-sprung' look
...this is what it looks with the '30-year-springs' look
I ordered the BigHorns for my 2WD from Les Schwab Tires. They should be here next week. They said if they didn't fit, I wouldn't have to pay for them so I had nothing to lose! I will report back next week.
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