Narrow or wide MT-Tires: 215/75 R 15 or 195 R 15?

Hi Folks,

I am new here and the proud owner of this 1998 Jimny VX FJ which I just bought as my hunting car (I have two other cars for the street etc):


(no jokes about the color please)

I only want to use the Jimny for the 10Km to my hunting grounds and the partially extreme terrain there. We have an altitude difference of 200m, steep forrest and wet areas. Since I live in Austria, we have all surfaces from forrest ground to mud, snow and ice.

I have Cooper Whether Masters in 205/70 R 15 on my Jimny (see above), and I want to replace them with reasonable terrain tires. I will also install an OME or TM 2"/50mm Suspension (other thread). So here I'd be very grateful for advice on the tires. I like the Road Venture MT KL71, it looks like this:



And now I wonder, in which dimension I should get these tires. I do not want to alter anything on the car. The tires should fit and work. As far as I know, the following dimensions should fit:

195 R 15 REINF
215/75 R 15 LT

would these also fit:

205/80 R 16 XL

This source advocates narrow over wide tires in heavy terrain:
www.expeditionswest.com/research/white_p..._selection_rev1.html

But do these conclusions apply to the Jimny and the dimensions availiabe for it?

Have a good day,
CM

Those kumhos are great on road and in mud!

Go for 215/75

welcome!

basically narrow tires dig in and wide tires stay on the surface but 215's will be perfect

Within reason, any width tyre will dig down to the bottom of mud if it is spun enough and the widths you are talking about are not particularly wide in either case.

Think more about overall diameter in respect of what will fit on your car with the suspension it has. 205/80/16's are considerably bigger in overall diameter than the other sizes you have mentioned and certainly will NOT fit on the standard car you have shown in the picture and I would suggest you'd need a 3" lift for them rather than the 2" you suggest.

In respect of the Kumho KL71, they are a good all round tyre but not brilliant at anything other than sand and rocks. I have run them for the last few years and get by in mud but you might also want to consider the new BFG's or a copy of the old BFG's, such as Cooper Discoverer's or such like.

Kirkynut

215's r15 will with a 2" lift will be a great combo. You can get a 215's under with no lift, but is will rub a little bit. A tyre that is very over looked is the Brigdestone M/T's i'm running them and could not be happier, in saying that the kumho's are a great tyre.

...will I need a bodylift for the 215/75R15 or will a 2" suspension suffice?

As far as I know, the 2" suspension allows for full shock strut compression so, if the terrain calls for it, the car comes as close to the tires as the standard suspension. Hence, If 215/75 R15 might rub without lift, they might also rub with "only" a 2" suspension. So, maybe the 215/75R15 need a little bodylift also?