Grand Vitara Tires

I am looking for new tires for my Grand Vitara. I want more of a all terrain tire than the stock one. Unfortunately, they don't come in the same size as stock (235/60/16).

What tires are other people using? What will fit?

Marc

Hi binkie - I have a Grand Vitara, same dilema. I ended up puting on 225/75/R16. There is just enough room in the fenders for them. No tire chains for sure! I'm hopeful for a better solution, if you find one, PLEASE let me know!

Thanks for responding. My father in law just got me some free (case of beer) Uniroyal Tiger Paws. They are crap tires, I know, but the price is right. 85% tread left, all even wear. The previous owner peeled 'em off and put Michelin Rainforce on. This probably is strong proof they are crap.

I was heading towards 215/70/16 tires, but I do not know if they are too narrow for the orignal rims.

Marc

you would think with all of the 16 inch rims coming out on 4X4 suv's they'd come out with a low profile traction tire. I called all over the local area looking for SOMETHING, all I came up with in low profile was a snow tire. AARGH! I live on 6 mile of dirt road and need a tough tire! Like I say, keep in touch, still looking!

Yokohama makes a few half decent tires that have some traction - they are used on subaru's with lots of luck

The problem is the size. If you want a truck type tread, you have to go to either a much bigger diameter, or you have to use a narrower tire. There are no truck type treads in a 235/60/16.

Selecting the name brand isn't the problem, it's the way tires are sized.

Update: The Tiger paws seem OK. They are no better than the Bridgestones, possibly slightly worse. For two cases of beer, I can put up with them for 1-2 years. If I have a problem when snow hits, I'll re-evaluate.

Marc

Get 15" rims from a Tracker, and you can choose any Off-Road tire you want.........

I did think about that, actually.

MArc

Sorry guys! 15 inch rims don't fit on the GV! I would have done that in a heart beat! The root of our problem is the high performance brakes on the front. 15" rims would fit on the back, but they don't clear the calipers and other crap in the front. I'm not willing to go to the expense of swapping out the brakes, so the tire makers are going to have to conform to me!
Happy Hunting! Let's keep looking!

ya this really sux doesnt it?! i have found some bfg all terrains (apparently only sold in canada) that come in a LT235/70R/16...does anyone have any input as to how well this size might look/perform? its only more sidewall, right?

http://www.1010tires.com/tire.asp?tirebrand=BFGoodrich&tiremodel=All%2DTerrain+T%2FA%AE+KO

I wish I knew more about tire sizing numbers. I like the size I have on my Cherokee, 30X9.50, no question of how big that tire is! I looked at the fit list on that page, they say it won't fit the GV... I wonder if there is a 235/65/r16 out there...

I have an '02 GV and the standard tires that come with it are OK, but really crappy on snow and ice - even in 4wd. For winter, best to get really snow tires - got some Coopers and they are awesome!

I just went to the tire size compare site (http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculator.asp) and it says there's a 1.85" difference in diameter from the 235/60r16 (27.10 in) to the 235/70r16 (28.95 in). Here again, the prob is trying to find that low profile off-road traction tire that will fit in the fenders. I have 225/75R16 (29.28 in) on my GV right now, and they barely fit in there.

Running the 235/70 compared to my 225/75, the 235/70 is actually .33" smaller in diameter, giving you a whole .165" (1/16") more room. I think the 235/70R16 might be the closest yet...although I'd still like to see a 235/65R16 (28.02 in)...

Hi binkie - I have a Grand Vitara, same dilema. I ended up puting on 225/75/R16. There is just enough room in the fenders for them. No tire chains for sure! I'm hopeful for a better solution, if you find one, PLEASE let me know!

I was wondering if you get any rubbing with thoes?
I have a 2000 GV that I would like to put some larger tires on. The stock tires look too small for the wheel wells :-/

I haven't had any problem with the tires rubbing, but with the all terrains I'm running, there's not much room for a rock stuck in the tread or mud built up in the fenders. I actually had a rock stuck in the tread once and it scared the hell out of me (scrape-scrape-scrape), until I stopped and figured out what it was...

Like I said above, a 235/70R16 is a little smaller diameter than what I have now (225/75R16) and unless the extra width causes a rubbing problem on a sharp turn, I'll probably go with that... A 235/65R16 would be perfect, but impossible to find in traction!

if you get the 235/70R16 in the next few months would you please let me know how they run. I will be buying tires in the summer and would like to have a more offroad tire. I have taken my zuke off road many times with the stock tires but there have been times I wished the tread was a little more rugged.

Binki,
I had the same problem w/ tire size and finally settled on Kumbo ECSTA STX 255X55SVRX16.
People are always asking about them. Great ride, Quiet, $80.00 a tire
and I know use them on my Solo I solo II Rally cars also.

Binki,
I had the same problem w/ tire size and finally settled on Kumbo ECSTA STX 255X55SVRX16.
People are always asking about them. Great ride, Quiet, $80.00 a tire
and I know use them on my Solo I solo II Rally cars also.

Do you have a pic and where can we find them? It is a traction tire? My road has lots of sharp rocks, if it doesn't have more than 3 plies and good tread, I'm just asking for flats...

Do you have a pic and where can we find them? It is a traction tire? My road has lots of sharp rocks, if it doesn't have more than 3 plies and good tread, I'm just asking for flats...
Kumbo.com will get you all the info you need, also tirerack.com has all the pictures and data. It's defenitely a traction tire, a looker too. But what I like is the fit on the vehicle, about as wide and low as you can get w/o hitting inside the wheel well.

I just got BF Goodrich All Terrain K/O's, 225/70/16.

I am very happy with them so far. They are amazingly queit for an all terrain!

At 28.5" dia, vs. 27.2" on the originals, they filled up the front wells perfectly, maybe a tad tight in the rear. The vehicle is over an inch taller than it was before. There is definately no room for chains. There was about 1/2" to the frame on full lock turning, and about 3/4-1" to the front under guards.

If not using the GV for off road, or not planning to lift it, I would recommend going for the 215/70/16's which they also offer. You might still get the chains in, but they are still bigger than stock.

I will be testing the severe snow service rating next week going through the Rockies!.

Marc