Jimny LCV - Wheel/Tyre size question...

Hello all, this is my first tentative post as a (soon to be) new Jimny owner... please be gentle!

I'm hoping to purchase a 2022 LCV model shortly.  The Jimny apparently had it's stock steel wheels replaced with (admittedly very nice looking!) alloys by the Suzuki dealership when sold new - the new tyres are T265/60 R18 Geolanders.

My question is - this wheel/tyre size seems on the large size; could anyone more knowledgeable than me (that's 99.9% of you!) tell me if this is OK or whether it will it cause me problems?  

For info., I do very much like the "look" of the alloys/tyres and only anticipate a very small proportion of my time going remotely off road (unfortunately!)...

Thank you!

Personally I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole - the T in front of the tire size says it's meant to be a temporary spare, not for normal use.

Are you sure it's a T265/60R18 - removing the T and using 265/60R18 a much wider, much taller tire, that I would expect to cause other issues, gearing will be affected, braking will be affected, fuel consumption will be affected and then there's the possibility of it fouling the bodywork or suspension.

Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! Soooo glad I joined this forum...

OK, so I went back to the seller to query it and he'd made a mistake - the (Yokohama Geolander) tyres on the aftermarket alloys show:

LT 235/70 R16

How does this sound, please?

Thanks again!

235/70R16 works out similar to 235/75R15 size wise. Which people run on the factory wheels. However with no lift they stand a chance of rubbing. But might also depend on the offset and rim widths used.

If you aren’t planning to off road I’d say that size is Big and Heavy and will impact road performance and mpg quite a bit. I’d also suggest you are on the cusp of wanting to re-gear.

However if it just wheels and tyres, then they are fairly easy to change out for something else.

I also wouldn't want LT (Light Truck) tires on a Jimny, light truck tires are built for heavier vehicles that are designed to carry a load, so they have stiffer sidewalls, and are generally heavier - which again affects braking acceleration, etc., but the main reason I'm against LT tires on a light vehicle is the ride quality suffers.

235/70R16 is a big tire for a Jimny, I would hesitate to put that on my Jimny, but I know other people who have done it.

Thanks for the reply.

Would *not* re-gearing be problematic (e.g. engine/gearbox strain-wise etc.?)

It's to a point a matter of personal opinion but assuming it's a manual then it will exhibit increased clutch wear which may be a problem if it's a forever car but less so if it's a lease period then gone car. It will also probably take up all of the head room in the speedometer indeed it may be actually be under reading which is bad. You can calibrate somewhere near with a GPS but if you forget you might have a fairly short lived license. You would also expect shorter service intervals for wheel and kingpin bearings. And then there is the alteration of the scrub radius of the new tyres which may have been compensated in the wheel offset or might not have been and if it were neglected then you will potentially have stability and cornering issues and uneven tyre wear. Now there are loads of people out there who are prepared to live with the above in some combination without a care and then there are others like me that prefer the reliability and predictability of the standard car.

I wouldn't run such big tyres unless you are looking for good off road performance, even then as already suggested, it probably needs a re-gear.

On the road, the big tyres are heavy and raise the vehicle up a bit, that extra un-sprung weight does nothing for on-road stability and fuel consumption will be off the chart.

I went from 195/80R15 Highway Tread to 215/75R15 All Terrain, the diameter is very similar, but they are a much heavier tyre. Fuel consumption went from about 42mpg to 39mpg on a run, just the extra weight. I wouldn't want to go any bigger.

Could you ask the seller (or garage) to change the R16 back to R15 and put something more suited to 90% highway and 10% off-road on before purchasing?

Robin

No I don't think so - private seller...

Think I'll probably just run what is on there, then swap to a smaller tyres once they've had it...
Might just keep the big tyres for any off-road stuff or crappy winter weather etc.

I have LT tyres on mine, albeit in 215/75R15 and they are a bit stiffer, but the ride is still fine. Check the load rating on them, you'll be ok with 100, but anything higher is for a van and will be rock hard on a Jimny.

Thanks EssexJimny. Incidentally, I'll be another Essex (based) Jimny... but I promise not to nick your Insta handle! Lol