Just wondering if there's a consensus here for the best option for tyres on a Syncro?
Mine has the standard 14" wheels, currently fitted with Michelins.
Looking for the best choice for on road driving, and also the best choice for on/off road as well!
Thanks!
--
Best regards, Scott Pitcher SPB Consulting
I run two sets of tires, I run the stock rims with 205/75R14 (slightly smaller than stock) when not going off road. They are Michelin commercial (Aglis) tires which I have been happy with. Quieter and smoother than 4WD tires when not off road, and helps a bit with towing!
Richard
Cooper AT/3; 225/70R15 100T (703mm O.D.) (mild 5 rib, raised white letters).
Other tyres that look pretty good are;
Hancook Dynapro; AT-M RF10 215/75R15 97S - moderately aggressive.
You might also consider;
Goodyear Wrangler ATS; 225/75R15 108Q 733mm (too large for spare-wheel well).
Falken LA AT 195/80R15 103L quiet mild tyre.
Kumho AT KL78 205/75 R15 or 215/75R15 - Possibly NLA
Pirelli Scorpion ATR; 215/80R15 102T (Mild pattern but good reviews)
Michelin Latitude Cross; 205/70R15 100H or 215/70R15 98T (mild but quiet)
Bridgestone Desert Dueler; AT D697 205/75 R15 96S 669mm (inadequate load rating).
Dunlop Grand Trek AT3; 205/70R15 100T, 225/70R15 100T - very mild
Continental Cross Contact AT; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate), 225/70R15 100S - very mild
Nitto Dura Gripper: Highway Terrain 215/70R15 98H, 225/70R15 100T 699mm
Deestone R403; 225/70 R15 109S
Kelly Safari; ATR 225/75R15 102S 718mm – probably too big.
Unfortunately there are few choices in off-road tyres available in 14" diameter.
Most people go to 15" or even larger rims.
You require a tyre with a minimum load rating of 97, and if you are running a stock engine you should stick to a tyre with an outside diameter as close as possible to the original factory tyre, about 670mm. Aspect ratio of less than 70% probably won't hack it in off-road use.
Large diameter tyres increase fuel consumption, reduce braking efficiency, place more stress on the transmission, and make "G" gear less capable of climbing steep slopes. They do, however, make highway cruising more relaxed and have a larger footprint in sand.
The largest tyre you can fit in the spare-wheel well is around 703 to 705mm diameter. Tyres wider than 205 section may require minor modifications to fit the spare wheel carrier.
Most chat groups consider that 225 is the widest you can go without modification. As well as the usual clearance issues with bodywork and components, check that you can open and close the sliding door with wider tyres fitted.
Probably the most popular tyres among the group are;
Firestone Destination A/T 205/75R15 103S (689mm O.D),BFG AT 15/75R15 100S (706mm O.D)Cooper AT/3; 225/70R15 100T (703mm O.D.) (mild 5 rib, raised white letters).
Other tyres that look pretty good are;
Kumho Road Venture AT51 215/75R15 106R - moderately aggressive.Toyo Open Country ATII; 215/70R15 98H 683mm, 225/70R15 100T 697mm, 215/75R15 100S 703mm.Hancook Dynapro; AT-M RF10 215/75R15 97S - moderately aggressive.
You might also consider;
Goodyear Wrangler ATS; 225/75R15 108Q 733mm (too large for spare-wheel well).
General Grabber AT2 and AT3; look good, but are hard to find.
Yokohama Geolander; AT/S GO12 215/70R15 98S – mild and quiet.Falken LA AT 195/80R15 103L quiet mild tyre.
Kumho AT KL78 205/75 R15 or 215/75R15 - Possibly NLA
Pirelli Scorpion ATR; 215/80R15 102T (Mild pattern but good reviews)
Michelin Latitude Cross; 205/70R15 100H or 215/70R15 98T (mild but quiet)
Bridgestone Desert Dueler; AT D697 205/75 R15 96S 669mm (inadequate load rating).
Dunlop Grand Trek AT3; 205/70R15 100T, 225/70R15 100T - very mild
Continental Cross Contact AT; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate), 225/70R15 100S - very mild
Nitto Dura Gripper: Highway Terrain 215/70R15 98H, 225/70R15 100T 699mm
Deestone R403; 225/70 R15 109S
Kelly Safari; ATR 225/75R15 102S 718mm – probably too big.
Goodride SL369; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate load rating).
Achilles Desert Hawk AT; 215/75R15 100S moderately aggressive and cheap.
Road Claw; RP65 215/70R15 98T. Very cheap.
I used the BFG's when they were available in 14". They are an excellent tyre, very tough, but noisy, and have a high rolling resistance which reduces performance and increases fuel consumption.. I love them to death and use them on my other 4WD, but in my opinion they are too large in 15" guise. (Others will disagree). I have used Coopers, but never again. I tried Pirelli's and found them superb on the highway and in sand, but useless climbing mountains or churning through mud. I have been running Firestone Destinations for several years now and found them to be an excellent all-rounder, offering good wear, low noise, low rolling resistance, and tough as nails - I have never had a puncture, and they are wearing very well. The downside is a harsh ride until they warm up, and they are a bit on the mild side for extreme four-wheel-driving, and don't look as flash as some other tyres.
I recently bought a new set of rims to fit over my 'big brakes' and as they are 7" wide the Firestones looked a bit anaemic, so I started looking around for new rubber.
I wanted something slightly wider and more aggressive than the Firestones, and ended up tossing up between Kumho, Toyo and Hancook. Toyo won the toss and I will let you know how they go.
My best advice is to check out independent Australian tyre reviews, as they steered me away from some truly appalling tyres ....
Roger.
--
Best regards, Scott Pitcher SPB Consulting
On 16 May 2018, at 19:51, Scott Pitcher spbconsulting@bigpond.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
An excellent tyre review Roger.
I am still running 235 x 75 x 15 BFG KO1 but I am planning to upgrade to the KO2 for the sidewall protection.
Need to sort my wheel alignment first.
Dont want to kill a new set.
Skot
On 16/05/2018 9:31 PM, Roger Bayley gullyraker53@gmail.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] wrote:
Unfortunately there are few choices in off-road tyres available in 14" diameter.
Most people go to 15" or even larger rims.
You require a tyre with a minimum load rating of 97, and if you are running a stock engine you should stick to a tyre with an outside diameter as close as possible to the original factory tyre, about 670mm. Aspect ratio of less than 70% probably won't hack it in off-road use.
Large diameter tyres increase fuel consumption, reduce braking efficiency, place more stress on the transmission, and make "G" gear less capable of climbing steep slopes. They do, however, make highway cruising more relaxed and have a larger footprint in sand.
The largest tyre you can fit in the spare-wheel well is around 703 to 705mm diameter. Tyres wider than 205 section may require minor modifications to fit the spare wheel carrier.
Most chat groups consider that 225 is the widest you can go without modification. As well as the usual clearance issues with bodywork and components, check that you can open and close the sliding door with wider tyres fitted.
Probably the most popular tyres among the group are;
Firestone Destination A/T 205/75R15 103S (689mm O.D),BFG AT 15/75R15 100S (706mm O.D)Cooper AT/3; 225/70R15 100T (703mm O.D.) (mild 5 rib, raised white letters).
Other tyres that look pretty good are;
Kumho Road Venture AT51 215/75R15 106R - moderately aggressive.Toyo Open Country ATII; 215/70R15 98H 683mm, 225/70R15 100T 697mm, 215/75R15 100S 703mm.Hancook Dynapro; AT-M RF10 215/75R15 97S - moderately aggressive.
You might also consider;
Goodyear Wrangler ATS; 225/75R15 108Q 733mm (too large for spare-wheel well).
General Grabber AT2 and AT3; look good, but are hard to find.
Yokohama Geolander; AT/S GO12 215/70R15 98S – mild and quiet.Falken LA AT 195/80R15 103L quiet mild tyre.
Kumho AT KL78 205/75 R15 or 215/75R15 - Possibly NLA
Pirelli Scorpion ATR; 215/80R15 102T (Mild pattern but good reviews)
Michelin Latitude Cross; 205/70R15 100H or 215/70R15 98T (mild but quiet)
Bridgestone Desert Dueler; AT D697 205/75 R15 96S 669mm (inadequate load rating).
Dunlop Grand Trek AT3; 205/70R15 100T, 225/70R15 100T - very mild
Continental Cross Contact AT; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate), 225/70R15 100S - very mild
Nitto Dura Gripper: Highway Terrain 215/70R15 98H, 225/70R15 100T 699mm
Deestone R403; 225/70 R15 109S
Kelly Safari; ATR 225/75R15 102S 718mm – probably too big.
Goodride SL369; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate load rating).
Achilles Desert Hawk AT; 215/75R15 100S moderately aggressive and cheap.
Road Claw; RP65 215/70R15 98T. Very cheap.
I used the BFG's when they were available in 14". They are an excellent tyre, very tough, but noisy, and have a high rolling resistance which reduces performance and increases fuel consumption.. I love them to death and use them on my other 4WD, but in my opinion they are too large in 15" guise. (Others will disagree). I have used Coopers, but never again. I tried Pirelli's and found them superb on the highway and in sand, but useless climbing mountains or churning through mud. I have been running Firestone Destinations for several years now and found them to be an excellent all-rounder, offering good wear, low noise, low rolling resistance, and tough as nails - I have never had a puncture, and they are wearing very well. The downside is a harsh ride until they warm up, and they are a bit on the mild side for extreme four-wheel-driving, and don't look as flash as some other tyres.
I recently bought a new set of rims to fit over my 'big brakes' and as they are 7" wide the Firestones looked a bit anaemic, so I started looking around for new rubber.
I wanted something slightly wider and more aggressive than the Firestones, and ended up tossing up between Kumho, Toyo and Hancook. Toyo won the toss and I will let you know how they go.
My best advice is to check out independent Australian tyre reviews, as they steered me away from some truly appalling tyres ....
Roger.
--
Best regards, Scott Pitcher SPB Consulting
On Wed, 16 May 2018, 22:38 Gaetan Schurrer lepews@me.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:Roger that is awesome info! So really for off road I need to get 15” rims by the sound of it. Now, what’s the best source for rims? Is there a standard VW or other car/truck whose rims are a direct fit? Or is it aftermarket only?
Also, if I were to get 15” I would prolly keep a set of 14” for road use. Is that the best option and is there a favourite road tyre people prefer to run?Thanks againGaetanSent from my iNuke
On 16 May 2018, at 19:51, Scott Pitcher spbconsulting@bigpond.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:An excellent tyre review Roger.
I am still running 235 x 75 x 15 BFG KO1 but I am planning to upgrade to the KO2 for the sidewall protection.
Need to sort my wheel alignment first.
Dont want to kill a new set.
Skot
On 16/05/2018 9:31 PM, Roger Bayley gullyraker53@gmail.com [Syncro_T3_Australia] wrote:
Unfortunately there are few choices in off-road tyres available in 14" diameter.
Most people go to 15" or even larger rims.
You require a tyre with a minimum load rating of 97, and if you are running a stock engine you should stick to a tyre with an outside diameter as close as possible to the original factory tyre, about 670mm. Aspect ratio of less than 70% probably won't hack it in off-road use.
Large diameter tyres increase fuel consumption, reduce braking efficiency, place more stress on the transmission, and make "G" gear less capable of climbing steep slopes. They do, however, make highway cruising more relaxed and have a larger footprint in sand.
The largest tyre you can fit in the spare-wheel well is around 703 to 705mm diameter. Tyres wider than 205 section may require minor modifications to fit the spare wheel carrier.
Most chat groups consider that 225 is the widest you can go without modification. As well as the usual clearance issues with bodywork and components, check that you can open and close the sliding door with wider tyres fitted.
Probably the most popular tyres among the group are;
Firestone Destination A/T 205/75R15 103S (689mm O.D),BFG AT 15/75R15 100S (706mm O.D)Cooper AT/3; 225/70R15 100T (703mm O.D.) (mild 5 rib, raised white letters).
Other tyres that look pretty good are;
Kumho Road Venture AT51 215/75R15 106R - moderately aggressive.Toyo Open Country ATII; 215/70R15 98H 683mm, 225/70R15 100T 697mm, 215/75R15 100S 703mm.Hancook Dynapro; AT-M RF10 215/75R15 97S - moderately aggressive.
You might also consider;
Goodyear Wrangler ATS; 225/75R15 108Q 733mm (too large for spare-wheel well).
General Grabber AT2 and AT3; look good, but are hard to find.
Yokohama Geolander; AT/S GO12 215/70R15 98S – mild and quiet.Falken LA AT 195/80R15 103L quiet mild tyre.
Kumho AT KL78 205/75 R15 or 215/75R15 - Possibly NLA
Pirelli Scorpion ATR; 215/80R15 102T (Mild pattern but good reviews)
Michelin Latitude Cross; 205/70R15 100H or 215/70R15 98T (mild but quiet)
Bridgestone Desert Dueler; AT D697 205/75 R15 96S 669mm (inadequate load rating).
Dunlop Grand Trek AT3; 205/70R15 100T, 225/70R15 100T - very mild
Continental Cross Contact AT; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate), 225/70R15 100S - very mild
Nitto Dura Gripper: Highway Terrain 215/70R15 98H, 225/70R15 100T 699mm
Deestone R403; 225/70 R15 109S
Kelly Safari; ATR 225/75R15 102S 718mm – probably too big.
Goodride SL369; 205/70R15 96H (inadequate load rating).
Achilles Desert Hawk AT; 215/75R15 100S moderately aggressive and cheap.
Road Claw; RP65 215/70R15 98T. Very cheap.
I used the BFG's when they were available in 14". They are an excellent tyre, very tough, but noisy, and have a high rolling resistance which reduces performance and increases fuel consumption.. I love them to death and use them on my other 4WD, but in my opinion they are too large in 15" guise. (Others will disagree). I have used Coopers, but never again. I tried Pirelli's and found them superb on the highway and in sand, but useless climbing mountains or churning through mud. I have been running Firestone Destinations for several years now and found them to be an excellent all-rounder, offering good wear, low noise, low rolling resistance, and tough as nails - I have never had a puncture, and they are wearing very well. The downside is a harsh ride until they warm up, and they are a bit on the mild side for extreme four-wheel-driving, and don't look as flash as some other tyres.
I recently bought a new set of rims to fit over my 'big brakes' and as they are 7" wide the Firestones looked a bit anaemic, so I started looking around for new rubber.
I wanted something slightly wider and more aggressive than the Firestones, and ended up tossing up between Kumho, Toyo and Hancook. Toyo won the toss and I will let you know how they go.
My best advice is to check out independent Australian tyre reviews, as they steered me away from some truly appalling tyres ....
Roger.
--
Best regards, Scott Pitcher SPB Consulting
Standard wheels are 6Jx14 and you should probably aim for a 6” to 7.5” wide rim in 15” or 16” diameter.
There are 5 14mm x 1.5 studs with a 112 mm PCD and the centre-hole of the wheel needs to be at least 66.7 mm diameter to fit over the rear axle nut. [T3.tecnique.com recommends that the centre-bore machined to 66.56 mm with a 5mm deep 45 degree chamfer].
The Load Rating [TUV] is 700 kg minimum.
When fitting non-standard wheels it's usually necessary to remove the bolts that locate the rear brake drum. The wheel will hold the drums in place.
The wheel offset (ET) should be between 30 and 42mm, although this can vary with different setups.
Beware of rims or mags from T2 kombis or 2WD T3 vans – they have the wrong ET (around 25) and although they work fine on the pavement, with wide tyres they will rub on the front guards under suspension compression, and make the steering heavy.
I haven’t been able to source any locally available mags with the correct offset, and the cost of importing wheels will make your eyes water. Custom-made wheels are available, but expensive.
Luckily for us, many early model Mercedes wheels bolt straight on, as will some Audi and later-model VW rims with minor machining.
Some folk run VW Tiguan 16” rims, ET 42. The stud holes are the correct diameter but the center-bore needs machining to make it fit.
The simplest solution is to use early Mercedes steel rims or imported “Mefro” steel wheels. They bolt straight on.
Mags usually require the installation of longer wheel studs, which requires partial dismantling of the front end. Some mags with conical lug-nuts don’t require long studs.
Let me know if you need longer studs as I recently went down that route.
Some Mercedes steel rims known to be a good fit;
6J x15 H2 ET31, p/n 203 4000 002, are a popular choice.
6.5 x 15 H2 ET49 (p/n 124 400 1202) – this is what I am running. They fit perfectly with 205/75/R15 Firestone Destination tyres, with about 10mm clearance between the tyre and the upper ball joint on the inside, and about 25mm clearance between the outer tyre and the guard lip below the door. Steering is nice and light with this ET, but lack of clearance means this set-up would not accept a wider tyre.
The 6.5X15 ET37 (2104000202) will fit very well.
Early model Mercedes Vito van rims might also be worth a look; 5x112, 45 mm ET, 66.6mm c/bore, 14x1.5 bolts 28 mm long. Early models wore 15’ rims with 195/15 tyres. Later models [post 2002 or 2003 I think] wore 6.5x16’’ rims with ET 60.
Mercedes “Bundt” or “Barok” mags were forged aluminium, frequently copied by other manufacturers in cast alloy. Genuine wheels can be identified by the stamped numbers on the inside of the wheel. Aftermarket wheels have the numbers on the outside.
Mercedes Deneb or Alamac mags, (reproduced as Zimmer “Hammer”) were fitted to the 124 series from 1982-96 in a variety of widths and offsets. Similar wheels are still manufactured in 15” and 16” and are available to suit the Syncro on the GoWesty website. They are the way to go if you want to fit the “Big Brakes” available on that site.
Other wheels that might fit;
VW T4 15” & 16” rims; 5x112, ET35 or ET44 (1990-95 15” 195 section tyre.), ET55 (1996-2003 16”). 57.1mm c/bore, 900 kg rating.14x1.5 bolts 28 mm long. Might be a good fit, except for the centrebore. Hubcaps are different to the T3.
VW Passat B5 (1996-2005) ET 37 and W8 (2001-2005) ET 37 probably aren't up to the load.
Audi wheels; 1990+ models; 5x112, 35-42 ET, 57mm c/bore, [probably 12mm studs]. A4, A6, A8, V8, S2, S4, S6; 5x112, 35mm ET, 57mm c/bore.
A6 (2011- ?) ET 37
Allroad (2012- ?) ET 37
Q5 (2008- ?) ET 40
RS7 Sportback (2013- ?) ET 35
S7 (2011- ?) ET 32
S8 4H (2011- ?) ET 32
A8 4E (2002-2010) ET 40.
A8 D2 1994-2002 ET 40
RS6 2002-2004 ET 30
RS6 4F 2008-2010 ET 38
S2 1990-1995 ET 37
S4 2003-2009 ET 40
S6 1999-2004 ET 40
S8 1996-2002 ET 40
S8 2006-2010 ET 40
ROH Wheels - I bought four second-hand mags marked 15x7JJ ET 30 rated to 620kg which carried p/n 213C 97 NVIA. They were fitted with Pirelli Scorpion 235/75/R15 108S tyres which rubbed when off-roading or turning sharp corners. I fitted Toyo tyres, but haven’t tried them out on the van yet. They required longer wheel studs.
BMW i8 2014 -? ET 40
Seat Alhambra 2010- ET 39
Hope that helps!
On 19 May 2018, at 6:52 am, plander@optusnet.com.au [Syncro_T3_Australia] <Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
Standard wheels are 5.5x14" (exactly the same as T2 and 2wd wheels). Later model Australian imports were supplied with the optional 6x14".
7x14" ET23 will not rub depending on tyre choice. BFG AT 215/75 x 15 will rub slightly on compression with wheels turned at a certain angle. Other tyres 205s or 70s are OK. Steering will not be any heavier.
Standard wheels are 5.5x14" (exactly the same as T2 and 2wd wheels). Later model Australian imports were supplied with the optional 6x14".
7x14" ET23 will not rub depending on tyre choice. BFG AT 215/75 x 15 will rub slightly on compression with wheels turned at a certain angle. Other tyres 205s or 70s are OK. Steering will not be any heavier.
An archive thread that needs a bump given current discussion on wheels and tyres
Agree Ken.
A great load of info in there from Roger which should help quite a few people considering a change.