Tyres & towing

[River Rat]

G'day all

I am looking at alternative wheels and tyres for my 2013 D40 (Spanish build) and would like to fit a tyre with a bit more off road capability than the standard "street" tyres, looking at 265/70/17 or 265/65/17 at just over 5% and 1% increase in circumference respectively

As I tow an 18' poptop van I am a bit concerned about the effect of changing to a tyre with a significant increase in circumference on the towing capability (i.e. up to 5% decrease in available grunt)

I would be very interested to hear about any experiences in this regard

Cheers

John

 

[happy john]

You will mostly notice it on take off particularly with the van fuel economy will be a tad higher and your speedo will change a bit.

 

[TigerST]

You cant really go up in tire size with out a lift as well. Also look into how common the tire size is. As far as tread patten you'll need to look at where you want to go and how far you plan on towing you van.

 

[Tappet]

If your towing mate, I would really stick to the standard diameter. 1 or 2% would be fine but more and you will notice it. Don't forget not only does the larger diameter effect your acceleration or grunt but also you braking performance. Important if towing.

So any good brand A/T that will suit in a good brand and load rating.

 

[Old.Tony]

Our 2009 D40 came with 255/70R16 tyres. When they were toast (at 47300km) we changed to BFG All-Terrains in 265/70R16 and immediately noticed a couple of things:

1) Take-off performance was marginally reduced
2) Fuel economy worsened by between 1 and 3LPHK depending on the type of driving
3) The extra ground clearance meant precisely squat on standard (sagged) suspension
4) Climbing hills became more of an issue
5) It was more difficult to maintain a locked torque converter when towing
6) As the tyres wore, economy and power improved

We've changed back to BFG AT 255/70R16s (local tyre place had to order them, it took a whole day).

I have to emphasise here that the difference is not great, and by the time the 265/70R16s had worn to the point of replacing them, the brand new 255/70R16s were almost the same diameter so the only real difference I can point to is the economy figures that I maintain.

 

[doc]

I dunno, I've run 265/75R16 since the first set of rubber got replaced. We tow a 2.5T van without a problem at all.

 

[Old.Tony]

The difference is only marginal between 255/70 and 265/70 - it's about 2%. It's 5% up to your 265/75s, but really 5% is not that large a difference. It is (just barely) noticeable if you're watching for it, which I was (and have the fuel figures for).

 

[River Rat]

Don't forget not only does the larger diameter effect your acceleration or grunt but also you braking performance. Important if towing.

Thanks mate, good point, hadn't thought about that

 

[doc]

An 18' pop top is more than likely going to have electric brakes fitted. If adjusted and used properly, they should be more than capable of slowing the van even in an emergency situation. Your vehicle brakes should not have to provide additional braking effort to slow a van or trailer that has properly functioning electric brakes.