New Tires - Lift Kit or Not

[eugenesantos]

I have a 2003 Eurovan Westfalia and am in need a new set of tires. While I would like to get the benefits of a GoWesty lift kit, the price tag is a problem at the moment.

I have read through GoWesty's tech article about this as well as multiple forum postings about tires, but am hoping to get some simply tire recommendations that do NOT require a lift kit to prevent rubbing in the wheel wells.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[greenlaker]

I upsized the width to 235/60/16" tires on my first EuroVan, first with Michelin Primacy HP tires, followed by a set of Yokohama Geolander ATs. Both sets fit with no rubbing issue, and at stock ride height. The Yokes had a more aggressive tread than than the luxury SUV-oriented Michelins.

My current EV has a set of Kumho AT tires that the previous owner bought. Again, stock ride height, no rubbing.

Going to 235s adds about 6mm in sidewall height. I think it's the only way to go when replacing tires on our vans. I did make an exception on the last van I owned, having bought Nokians in the stock 225/60 size, but I knew that I was going to flip that van when the project was done, and those tires were only about $75/ea. shipped from Amazon.
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[eugenesantos]

greenlaker,

Thanks for the detailed reply. After reading GoWesty's tech sheet, I was given the impression that both tires discussed (Michelin Defenders and Yokohama Geolanders) would result in rubbing within the wheel well. It is good to know they will not. I was leaning more towards the Geolanders. I live in Rhode Island. We got 4 inches of snow yesterday and another snow coming this Tuesday. It would be nice to have better traction even at the cost of faster tire wear.

Some additional questions about the Geoloanders. Could you comment on noise and vibration? And second, how many miles before you had to replace them? Lastly, I am guessing that going wider on the tire is fine (say, 215 to 235), but smart to keep the aspect ratio close to 60. Thoughts on this?

Thanks again.

[fkahlert]

chiming in here.
So you have a late model weekender?
What are the tires on the van right now?

if you currently run 225/60-16 you have a bunch of choices.

1. you can go with some snows like Michelin X-ice2
2. you can go with Nokians Rotiva (jjvincent has them i think) in 215-65-16
3. you can go with any other 225-60-16 or 215-65-16 tire as long as load rating is >99 (so they gotta be xl rated).

none of them require a lift kit. Personally I have the x-ice2 in the winter in ct and they are great in the snow.

Good luck
Florian
03 MVWK

[eugenesantos]

Thanks for the post.

I have Bridgestone Duelers - 215 /65 r16. They were on the van when I bought it 25K ago. They have been good, but I am definitely looking for a tire with more bite. I have been looking at tires online as well as other posts, and I have seen others recommend both the Nokians and the X-Ice. Right now, I am still leaning towards the Yokohama Geolandars.

As for the lift, now that I have looked into a bit, I don't see any reason not to do it. The spacers can be found for less $100, and the clearance is at least insurance when bouncing on a dirt road to the campground. The only downside see is the recommendation to replace the CV joints. It all adds up pretty quickly.

My next thought is whether or not I want to purchase some Bilstein heavy duty shocks. Several posts have got me thinking this would be a good investment, especially with a big trip in the queue.

Thanks again for the advice.

[jjvincent]

If you change the ride height, you'll need to reset the front toe. The EV has lots of bumpsteer (toe change during suspension travel). If you don't you'll get unusual front tire wear. As a rule of thumb, the front should have zero toe.

As for shocks, I don't how many miles you have but remember it's a 14 year old vehicle. Probably time to change the shocks and check all 4 ball joints and tie rods.

I am running the Nokian Rotiva AT tire in the 215/65/16. So far so good. From looking at your Bridgestones, those are load rated 96 which is not what you want. Stick with a 102 and you'll be fine. It's easy to find what you need in that load rating today as opposed to 15 years ago. Plus, 215/65/16 is what every T4-T6 uses as a standard size for every country except for the US.

[eugenesantos]

jjvincent,

Thanks for the reply, as well as all the other posts you have here. I have read through quite a few threads over the past two days. Lots of good info. I will definitely check the tie rods and ball joints. Thanks for the advice.

A quick question. Do you prefer narrow tires over wider ones? I am contemplating moving to 235's. Online conversations seem to go both ways regarding the pros and cons of tire width.

Thoughts?.

[jjvincent]

One of the reasons why people started to go to 235's was about 10-15 years ago, getting a 225/60/16/102 load rated tire was relegated to Michelin and Dunlop. Both were not good at all and really expensive (just like when EV's were new, brake pads were $250/axle and rotors were $150/ea). So, people went with 235 because of the selection. In the last 10 years, the 215 has become easier to get just because the rest of the world uses them on their VW's and other European vans. Thus, many more options have shown up here.

The main problem was getting a 102 load rating. If you have a Camper or Weekender and go camping with it loaded all up, you have lots of weight you need to haul (with a full tank of gas and a driver, you can be at 1800 lbs just on the LF. If you are driving around with a GLS and nothing in it, you can get away with a 98.

I prefer a 215 just because of the snow and it's practical (I've been running that size since 2005). Others like the 235 because it makes the EV look more off roady. This is the same thing people are doing with the Alltrack. They want a more off roady looking tire. If you are going to be doing some serious off roading, then I can see going with a 235.

One thing to remember, some of the info on GoWesty is dated. Their tire recommendations were good 10 years ago but things have changed.

[eugenesantos]

Thanks, again jjvincent. Very helpful.

[fkahlert]

I think it has been said well.

also, rule of thumb, more narrow tire - better for the snow.. Wider tire - advantage on a dry road.
Taller sidewall (65), better comfort but softer turn in for cornering.

But I would take a bet that you will not be able to tell any difference between a 215/65-16 and a 225/60 - 16 (same tire of course). Difference between different tire brands and models is far larger.
Go for the 102 load rating though.

[jjvincent]

I will tell you this. Do not use a 109 load rated tire. You'll regret it. I did that once with the original Vanco tire back in 2005 and the ride was not good at all. I can see if you had a Rialta because of the weight but not for a regular EV.

The Nokian Rotiva AT tires I now have, actually ride better than any other tire I've had on my EV. I don't know why but they do. They worked great when we were in Killington and they got 10" of snow but had ice the night before.

[eugenesantos]

Many thanks for the advice, everyone.

[northvan]

Has anyone run BFG ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO2 LT215/70R16. I am putting in 1.5-inch lift and just wondering if they would rub fully cranked?

[Gruppe B]

Here is the link to the Nokian 225/60R16 102H as discussed in the above posts.

https://www.amazon.com/Nokian-eNTYRE-All-Season-Ra...rds=nokian

$75.00 for a proper rated 2001- 2003 Eurovan tire!

[Xtremjeepn]

[Xtremjeepn]

[Xtremjeepn]

FWIW, This is my own van with a 1.5" CaveVan spacer set on it. You can see that even with a motorcycle hanging on the back you still have room. Which was part of the point of the 1.5" kit.

Those are also 225/70/16s. Many more tire choices available in the larger size.

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http://www.cavevan.com

[Arctic Taco]

Hi new to the forum. Just got a 95 EV camper with a lift kit . I'm thinking about trying some of these for a winter tire:
Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV (Studded) 215/65R16XL 102T BSW.
Everything I've read points toward these working ok, I like a 215 as a winter tire. What do you all think?