Best tyre size and tread for my L Series and tired EA82?

[2nd Hand Yank]

I checked today with my oversize spare,
that 195/70R-14 will clear the front fenders with about 1cm gap as the edge of the tyre swings around the fender.
It looks like a great fit. But I'm also curious if a 205/65R-14 (if that exists?) might be even better. It's 0.25" diameter shorter, so that could mean the car sits 0.125" lower (3mm) but it would also be slightly better floatation, possibly being equal or taller than the 195/70R-14 when it's aired down to 15psi for beach driving. Then I'm reminded that 205/65R-14 with its bigger footprint would take more power to get rolling when it isn't aired down. If 205/65R-14's are also heavier than the 195/70R-14's, that would be another downside.

If I had a strong motor, the choice would be easy;
cut off the mud flaps and put on at least 215/65R-14's.
But my motor is a bit lacking, even slowish to rev with the engine in neutral.
My fuel economy is also around 10.5L/100km, last time I checked.
It'd probably go over 12L/100km with this motor on 215's.

I'll want new tyres in the next 5,000 or so kilometres.

I think I need bigger tyres since at the Preston Beach gathering,
my car hit a big piece of driftwood, probably bouncing off the bash plate, but Dan's L Series driving the same track didn't.
His L Series has 1" more lift, plus 195/70R-14's, so about 1.5" higher ride height.

I weighed my spare 195/70R-14 on Sunraysias with a luggage scale and it came out 40lbs or 18kg.
I weighed my nearly-bald 185/70R-14's also on Sunraysias and it came out 33lbs or 15kg.
That's quite a big difference, though my spare has large, deep, chunky, all-terrainish tread.

My suspicion is until I get a more powerful motor,
a tyre tread pattern meant for low rolling resistance might be the best way to go,
with the condition that I might like to visit Karijini NP in NW Oz.
People go there in cars, so my Subi should be better,
but I don't want to get a tyre that has very low toughness to prevent a blowout.

I have pictures of the 195's on my car that I might load later, if that'd help.

Thoughts?

[MTB92]

i think you have too much time if you are thinking that hard about it :P

to get the tyre size you are looking for, you are not going to have a big range in tyres anyway. i run 185/75, maxxis A1 (i think) and they are considered a 'touring' tyre. there will be +'s and -'s about any tyre. work out what you want to do with it and select the best option (there wont be too many for you in those sizes, honestly). a road tyre should be fine for what you want, they go as well as anything on the sand and by the sound of it you wont be doiing a whole lot of rock crawling or mud driving. i think you will notice a difference in speed not by weight but by the circumference of the tyre anyway. i wouldnt go to too much effort with weighing and stuff, if you wanted a lightning quick car you wouldn't have an L series.

the tyres i have have been pretty good, no punctures, not the road noise of a big tyre, no scrubbing (just) but good enough to match any other 4wd i have been out with. At karijini your car will be fine, shouldn't matter too much what tyre you have on, unless your trying to rally around the national park. shocks might take a battering though :P

there is heaps of info on here already about tyre options, do a bit of a search and see what others have found.

[GOD]

I vote 185R14LT because:
185 = easy on wheel bearings and steering, lower rolling resistance than wider tyres.
80% profile= good height for offroading, without being too tall to drive with an EA (I've tried)
14 = 14s are the shiz on an L Series
LT = tough.
Also, they fit, they're cheap and there's a decent range of tread patterns out there. You can get all terrains in this size, but if you're only doing beaches and gravel roads I'd recommend a highway tyre.

"Flotation" comes from contact area between the ground and the tyre, and contact area is a product of vehicle weight and inflation pressure (and sidewall stiffness to a much lesser extent, but let's not go into that). i.e. wide tyres won't make your car float.

Dane.

[2nd Hand Yank]

I vote 185R14LT because:
185 = easy on wheel bearings and steering, lower rolling resistance than wider tyres.
80% profile= good height for offroading, without being too tall to drive with an EA (I've tried)
14 = 14s are the shiz on an L Series
LT = tough.
Also, they fit, they're cheap and there's a decent range of tread patterns out there. You can get all terrains in this size, but if you're only doing beaches and gravel roads I'd recommend a highway tyre.

"Flotation" comes from contact area between the ground and the tyre, and contact area is a product of vehicle weight and inflation pressure (and sidewall stiffness to a much lesser extent, but let's not go into that). i.e. wide tyres won't make your car float.

Dane.

They make 185/80R-14's?
That's 0.9" taller than 195/70R-14.
I just checked, but 185/75R-14 is also 0.15" taller than 195/70R-14.

So maybe I don't want 195's?
I mostly want ground clearance, especially when my tyres are aired down.

Yeah I like the look of 14's.
13's with 70R rubber make it look like a "cute car" as some girls might say.

I think I'd very seldom see anything other than sand, gravel and bitumen.
Is clay mud common anywhere in SW WA?
SW WA seems quite sandy in most parts.

Flotation with wider tyres is what I've heard in some 4x4 books. If it doesn't actually work that way, or at least with such a small increase in width then I won't bother.

How much heavier are LT tyres in compared to a highway tyre in that size?

[2nd Hand Yank]

Wait GOD, you live in Tom Price,
and I'd like to visit Karijini someday... that's in your backyard!

Do you have any Karijini stories with your L Series?
Where can they go that cars don't go?

[GOD]

They make 185/80R-14's?

Dunno if they're 80. They're just labelled 185R14, and I have heard that implies an 80% sidewall height. Measured mine at 640mm outside diameter.

How much heavier are LT tyres in compared to a highway tyre in that size?

Probably a bit. Never really looked into it.

Wait GOD, you live in Tom Price,
and I'd like to visit Karijini someday... that's in your backyard!

Do you have any Karijini stories with your L Series?
Where can they go that cars don't go?

Yep, it's about 16km from my front door to the nearest good part of the national park. The roads into all the tourist traps are easily suitable for any 2wd car, the only problems are bad corrugations, dust and the occasional tyre-killing sharp rock.

A well-driven L Series will get to any of the less tourist-ridden interesting spots. A few of the big hills are tricky but doable, the only obstacles to completely stop a Subie would be flooded creeks in the wet season. That's getting well off the beaten track though.

The only trouble I've had while out adventuring was when my Jackaroo's flywheel shat itself about 3km off the highway. Side angles and water crossings that seemed pretty tame in the car were a lot more exciting when it was on the back of a tilt tray truck .

Dane.

[NachaLuva]

Side angles and water crossings that seemed pretty tame in the car were a lot more exciting when it was on the back of a tilt tray truck .

Dane.

hehehe

[2nd Hand Yank]

hehehe

That must have been an interesting ride.

[2nd Hand Yank]

Dunno if they're 80. They're just labelled 185R14, and I have heard that implies an 80% sidewall height. Measured mine at 640mm outside diameter.

I just did the conversion and your tyre diameter comes out at 25.2".
That's 0.45" taller than a 195/70R-14
and 0.27" taller than a 185/75R-14 would be, if they make them.

They'd probably call that a 185/77R-14.

Yep, it's about 16km from my front door to the nearest good part of the national park. The roads into all the tourist traps are easily suitable for any 2wd car, the only problems are bad corrugations, dust and the occasional tyre-killing sharp rock.

A well-driven L Series will get to any of the less tourist-ridden interesting spots. A few of the big hills are tricky but doable, the only obstacles to completely stop a Subie would be flooded creeks in the wet season. That's getting well off the beaten track though.

The only trouble I've had while out adventuring was when my Jackaroo's flywheel shat itself about 3km off the highway. Side angles and water crossings that seemed pretty tame in the car were a lot more exciting when it was on the back of a tilt tray truck .

Dane.

Glad to hear. Is that why you live there?

Bad corrugations seem to be a problem everywhere with less than 1000 people in WA.
I've seen heaps of rough graded roads around Boyup Brook.
They felt the same when I visited Gnaraloo Station.

[2nd Hand Yank]

Bob Jane's "all rounder" @ 185/75R-14
9 mm taller
http://www.bobjane.com.au/tyreset-detai ... .html?sid=

I also see Kumho, Kelly, Toyo and Bridgestone offering this size.

Michelin's "Agilis" @ 185/80R-14
17mm taller
http://www.michelin.com.au/tyre/pattern ... uck/agilis

Light truck commercial tyres @ 185R14 from Tyre Mart


A 195/70R-14 comes out at 7mm taller than my 185/70R-14's.
I seemed to have 1cm clearance all around the front when I tried my oversize spare.

Doing a brief check on the American "Tire Rack" website,
it seems that a 195/70R-14 is about the same weight as a 185/75-14,
but a 185R14 (80R) ends up being 2-4lbs heavier per tyre.
I also checked the tyre tests, and it seem Kumho might have the best wet traction.
Obviously it would depend on the actual tread design, but I'll have a look when shopping, if I don't buy online.

I'm not sure I want the extra weight on each corner
unless GOD has had very good experience with his L Series on that tyre size.