tires

[siii8873]

I am reasearching tires for my SIII. I dont want to spend the 300+ each for Michelin XZL's. Looking for a good snow/mud tire with decent road performance. I currently have 235/85/16 tires. Is this the standard 16 tire for a SIII 88, any suggestions?
Bob

[rwollschlager]

235/85/16 is a great tall and narrow size for a series tire much like the 7.50X16. As for the different tread patterns and styles, there are hundreds, it depends on how aggressive you want them, and how much you would like to pay.

-Rob

[Lalo88DK]

The standard size for a Series III 88" is 6 x 16" or 6,5 x 16" standard size for a Series III 109" is 7,5 x 16"
I use and prefer 235/85 x 16" on my Series III 88" on one ton rims (6,5 x 16)

[KevinNY]

Cooper ST, quiet and smooth on the road, great in snow and mud. Plus they "look right" on a series truck.

[NickDawson]

put 235/85/16 BFG All Terrains on my III this summer... they look awesome! A bit more narrow than I would prefer for effectiveness, but they preform really well. I took it out on a super muddy trail a few weeks ago and cruised through holes that had a jeep with tires 3x as wide stuck and spinning.

I got the BFG A/Ts from Merchant Tire which had the best price in town - better than anything I found online in fact.

They do rub just a bit at a full turn of the wheel

[yorker]

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27715

[bmohan55]

I am very happy with these, awsome in mud, good on the road, considering it's a Series. Great price

I'm told by some friends that have them on their large p/u's that they wear a bit fast but as I don't daily drive my Series that wasn't an issue.

http://www.offroaders.com/tech/AT-MT-Tires/Federal-Couragia-MT-Tire.htm

https://www.tiresavings.com/tireShop.php?action=findCombined

[amcordo]

I got my tires from NTB. Mesa brand (their store brand) for $104 each. They're nice tires for snow, light to mid offroading, and highway driving. They also look good on the truck - close to what the originals look like without being rediculously off-road looking.

Check out availability near you:

http://ntb.com/Tires.aspx

[yorker]

I forgot about these, I know quite a few people who have them and like them:

http://www.treadwright.com/

for Plattsburgh I think I'd get the ones with the most siping and with the glass and crushed up walnut shells in the rubber(aka KEDGE GRIP). then a set of chains from www.tirechains.com for when it really, really gets bad.

[edit]
Most people nowadays opt for 235-85-16s, now while that isn't technically a correct size for an 88" it does look better to today's eyes as a rule. Tires sized like the old SWB sizes look really small. Your speedometer is calibrated for the smaller tires but everything else in your LR is the same- gearing- as a LWB which DID come with the larger tires.

[brucejohn]

I forgot about these, I know quite a few people who have them and like them:

http://www.treadwright.com/

I like the look of those Crawler (formerly OTR's) they appear quite similar to the Michelin ZXL's and much more affordable.

I would assume a retread on a series would hold up well? The problems I have had with retreads seemed to be related to too much weight or heat (from driving fast). Any thoughts from the crowd?

[scott]

i've the cooper sst discovery on mine. i like the tall skinny tire as they sink a bit deeper in the mud and snow for a better grip and if needed in the sand i can air way down to get a wider floaty kind of ground contact. granted most of my driving is on asphalt but lucky for me the wind through all the holes in the bulkhead, the lack of door seals and the general rattling covers up the whinny sound of an aggressive tread on pavement.

[yorker]

I really haven't heard of anyone having trouble with the Treadwright recaps, google them and you'll run across a lot of feedback on the various 4X4 forums.

[siii8873]

tires / speedo

What was the original size for a 73 SIII. If it were smaller that 235/85/16 the speedometer should me reading low. I have some 235/85/16's on my truck but when my wife followed me my speedo reads >5mph fast. Has never concerned me as I'm very seldom doing the passing, usually backing them up behind me looking for a place to pass.

[siii8873]

Yorker,
I see that you are from N New york. Does that mean northern NY?
I think from your note you know where Plattsburgh is (can't get much further north in NY)
Bob

[yorker]

I think the speedos are "self calibrating". the one in my 1965 88" reads spot on but it is definitely a SWB speedometer, I suspect after 45 years or so it has gone out of kilter and just happens to read correctly with the wrong sized tires.

A North American spec Series III 88" would have originally come with something like H78 15s.



I'm from mid-upstate NY, near Albany. I used the archaic state abbreviation just to be different. I have been to the Plattsburgh area in the winter though and have a pretty good idea of what you deal with!