New tire questions

[Leslie]

Good perspective on saving a few bucks versus being happier w/ a bit better quality. But, sometimes there are budget limitations, so I mentioned such...


In this case, I think the Coopers or the BFG (or the Dunlops) would be fine... I know a lot have been happy w/ the Kuhmo's too, I've just never run them myself, either.

If snow's your concern, I'd take a look at the Dunlop R/T....

[Rosie]

Does anyone know what the "bead to bead" width is on the 15' wheel?

[LH Drive]

15" wheel width

There should be a number stamped on the face side of your steel wheels. This might help determin what width they are. Some came with a wider offset wheel but I think most are 5 inches wide.
Tire shops want to know the rim/wheel width so they can mount the correct safe tire size. Most 15" tires here in the US are about 8-9 1/2 inches wide and mount to a wheel 7-7 1/2 inches wide. They will give you a puzzled look when you show up with a 5 inch wheel that you want a 9 inch wide tire mounted. My advise is try to find a tall skinny tire.
I was flat towing my Series 1600 miles with dry rotted tires behind a Penski rental truck. The front R tire blew and caused me to change lane towards oncoming traffic. Lucky me an 18 wheeler had just passed by and no other traffic was in sight. So I instantly stopped at the next town with a tire shop and purchased 4 new tires. All they had in my size or I should say near my size was a set of 265/75R16 Dunlop Mud Rovers for my 16" wheels. Yep, a 9 inch wide tire on a 5 1/2 inch wheel. So on they went and off I was. They towed fine on the Series but I had issues later when I drove my Series for the first time and had to adjust the wheel stops. This killed my turning radious and I now have to live with it till this set wears out.

[Rosie]

I think I just found it. Rovers North had a tire size page on their website in 2003 ( I found a print out ) under their Rovers North tech tips page.
The chart says that the 15" wheels used on the 67-74 Rover was 6" wide, with an offset of 1".
I guess I answered my own question!

[Blueboy]

you might also want to verify this like LH Drive mentioned as you are assuming these are the original wheels which may or may not be the case.

food for thought.


Jaime

[JimCT]

255's

255-85x16's fit nicely on our ambulance...but of course it has the lifted military chassis.

[Rosie]

The only way to really know the exact width of the wheel is to take the spare tire off the wheel and measure it. As they all have to come off anyway...
I am rethinking the tire choice....considering what all you have said here, and comparing with what I am going to be doing with the Rover, I am thinking to get Dunlop RVXT tires. They are better than average on wet, dry and off road, but excellent in snow and ice. They are an all terrain truck tire. So not as aggressive as what you guys are using, but then, I am not going to off road much. I compared with the Cooper M+S, which is also not as aggressive as the Cooper Disc.S/T, which is great in snow, but pretty bad for off road and not so good on wet and dry.
Anybody have any negatives regarding Dunlop RVXT?

[Blueboy]

I would suggest you first personally see both tires first hand as the R/T really isn't as agressive as it appears on the Dunlop site.

Also check the load rating for the size you are considering.

LT rated tires can be load rated E which you probably don't need and will cause a stiffer ride than say a load rated C tire.

The R/Ts usually are considered an all terrain tire.


Jaime

[Rosie]

Thanks Jaime, I will do that!

[SafeAirOne]

Having just read through 6 pages of this thread, I've got a question and please forgive me, it's been decades since I owned a rover with 15" rims...

Were any of the 15" rims tube-type rims? If so (and Rosie has them) this will play a major factor in tire choices.

I know my 109 originally had the 16" tube-type rims, essentially limiting me to older non-metric bias-ply tires. Oh how I celebrated when I replaced the tube-type riveted rims with NATO steel rims. This opened up a whole new world of tire types and sizes to me. No more inner tubes and it turns out they have these new-fangled tires called "steel-belted radials" now! I was actually able to repair a nail puncture WITHOUT DISASSEMBLING THE ENTIRE WHEEL ASSEMBLY! I could start off on a cold morning without 10 minutes of thumpity-thump while the flat spots worked themselves back to round!

Anyhow, were there ever 15" tube-type rims on Rovers?

[Jim-ME]

To the best of my knowledge there were no tube type 15" rims.
Jim

[Rosie]

Looking at the General Grabber AT2 tire.
Has anyone used these tires? More choices for the 15" rim, and very good ratings on and off road, and in snow.

[Leslie]

Jaime,
Rosie mentioned the RVXT, which is *not* the same tire as the R/T.
I've not used the RVXT, was more street-oriented than I'd consider.

Rosie,
The R/T, I loved, as a 'bit more aggressive than an A/T" tire. No, it's not a true mud-tire, but it *is* rated as a snow tire.

I think the R/T would suit your potential needs, but, I can only guess there...

I don't know about the grabbers.... sorry.....

[Blueboy]

Rosie mentioned the RVXT, which is *not* the same tire as the R/T

yep, and when I checked it out on the Dunlop site (as like you, I hadn't heard of it) I noticed that is was rated as a LT tire which could mean an "E" rating and very stiff.

the RVXT was more street-oriented than I'd consider

I agree, yet, if you are not familiar with the R/T and you look at the site, it is pictured more like an agressive tire vs the RVXT.

this why I suggested to Rosie she really needs to see them in person as I also feel the R/T would be a good choice for her.

and now actually having gone through the review process again, I'm leaning towards the R/T as replacements for the TracEdges on Blueboy.


Jaime

[Terrys]

I ran Dunlop Radial Rover RTs for the last 5 years (235x85R16) but have just replaced them with RVXT in a 255x85R16 size.
RT's are not really good for quick stops on wet or slightly snow covered roads. I get off the pavement pretty frequently, but the ground I travel will not tax the RVXT remotely. Fire roads, wet swails, general dry woods conditions. The grooving in the RVXT is very large and should shed well, but the tire has much more siping and will no doubt be a safer pavement tire.