Everything about tires for LR4/ LR3 with 18" wheels

[atlantaM3]

Gents,

For the guys with Anthracite Compo's, where did you get centercaps for your wheels?

J

 

[bullmrkt]

Gents,

For the guys with Anthracite Compo's, where did you get centercaps for your wheels?

J

From my OEM 20's. I added electrical tape to each prong and popped them in.

 

[danrhiggins]

I have 265/65/18 compo spare, heatshield off, slightly deflated, tow receiver is not an issue. It's tight against the back of the receiver but the hitch goes in fine.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I was one of those who has tow hitch clearance issues but that is because I had to resort to an aftermarket (Curt) hitch receiver (to tow a 6500 lbs travel trailer with a 700 lbs hitch weight not supported by the OEM hitch) which protrudes and additional 1" into the spare tire space. So even an OEM full size spare will not fit. But if you are able to use the OEM hitch receiver you will be find as mbw says. In other words, if you can use the OEM hitch for whatever your are towing then you can ignore my whining about the fit.

 

[danrhiggins]

New 265/60R18 Mounted Yesterday - Best PSI?

No problem. That's the same conclusion I came to–the various compromises and headaches weren't worth a 0.5" lift to me.

Alright. They're on. (I'll show pics on the Show Off thread next week after my Voyager sliders are installed.)

The 265/60R18's (on Compos) fit great for me. I'm OK without the additional inch. It was a trade off I am willing to live with. And I don't need to mess with the spare fit as these fit underneath with a quarter inch to spare. Not that this helped the young man at Discount Tire who installed them! He and the on duty manager came to me and told me that they were sorry but they couldn't fit the spare underneath. So when I got home I installed it myself. (I then went back to the Discount Tire and showed the young man how to do it. Teachable moment?)

The other thing the young man missed is what tire does where. I do not have TPMS sensor on my spare Compo wheel. Later in the day, after Discount Tire had closed, I got a TPMS fault. While checking the tire pressure I noticed that he had mounted the "spare" wheel, the one without the TPMS sensor, on the left rear.

All of this is course not the end of the world. And I figure I can get Discount Tire to do a free balancing and rotation for me next go around. Maybe I can even get them to cover the cost of a 5th TPMS sensor for my spare!

I did find the earlier comments on PSI so I think I have that covered. Thanks.

 

[danrhiggins]

Thanks! Just what I needed as Discount Tire didn't have a clue!

No that's incorrect. When going from a standard load (SL) tire to D or E-load rated tire you have to increase pressures for a given load because of the construction of the tire. The heavier construction necessitates higher pressures to maintain the physical form of the heavier, stiffer construction of the tire. In other words, they need more pressure to keep the sidewalls from flexing too much and creating excessive, tire damaging heat at speed. The tire shop said their rule of thumb is 8psi per additional ply. I didn't like that "rule of thumb" so I did some actual calculations. See my post #378 above.

An article on the subject from FourWheeler: http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/1407-understanding-tire-load-ratings/

"When comparing tires that are the same size/same internal static air volume but have different load ranges, one with a higher load range at higher air pressures actually may have a lower LCC. For example, a P275/65R18 can have a 2,500-pound maximum LCC at 35 psi, whereas an LT275/65R18/C (six-ply rated) might only have a 1,948-pound capacity at its maximum 50 psi. The difference: P versus LT."

Also see the example on page 11 of this Toyo document: https://toyotires2-1524598101.netdn...ication_of_Load_Inflation_Tables_20151020.pdf

Thanks, bullmkt, I had new 265/60R18 KO2s mounted yesterday and the Discount Tire guys didn't really have a clue about the PSI. I thought I remembered a discussion of this on the forum and am glad I found it this morning. I'm going to run mine up to around 50. I'm just trying to decide how much to offset the front from the rear.

BTW, I really hope that your "handle" becomes true over the next few months. January was a very painful month! ;-)

 

[Finlayforprez]

Thanks, bullmkt, I had new 265/60R18 KO2s mounted yesterday and the Discount Tire guys didn't really have a clue about the PSI. I thought I remembered a discussion of this on the forum and am glad I found it this morning. I'm going to run mine up to around 50. I'm just trying to decide how much to offset the front from the rear.

BTW, I really hope that your "handle" becomes true over the next few months. January was a very painful month! ;-)

Hello Dan,

Congratulations on the new tire, I think you will really love the KO2s. I've had them now since they came out in the 265/65R18 size last year and have been extremely impressed in all terrains and conditions. I think I gave you a bit of information via e-mail.

Optimum tire pressure has been something I have been working on and trying to figure out just the right numbers for my situation. My LR4 is really heavy with the steel bumpers and sliders/skids, so I want to take that into account as well. With that said, for a little while now I have been running (measurements taken cold) 48 front/50 rear. I definitely think you need to keep the PSI above 44-45 and these tires handle high 40s/low 50s very well. I've done the "chalk" test and used a digital thermometer and high 40s/low 50s seems to work really well on the road. Of course, you can air down quite a bit off road and they work great (I've gone down to 15 psi).

Please keep us posted as to what you find out. My steps are to actually weight my truck and then maybe do some calculations, though I would love to learn more.

I can't wait to see photos!!!

Regards, David

PS..... I find going to the tire place so frustrating!

 

[bullmrkt]

Thanks, bullmkt, I had new 265/60R18 KO2s mounted yesterday and the Discount Tire guys didn't really have a clue about the PSI. I thought I remembered a discussion of this on the forum and am glad I found it this morning. I'm going to run mine up to around 50. I'm just trying to decide how much to offset the front from the rear.

BTW, I really hope that your "handle" becomes true over the next few months. January was a very painful month! ;-)

No problem Dan. When I first installed the tires I inflated them to the 44psi front 51psi rear I had calculated, but backed off a couple psi because it was riding really rough. Since then, the tires must have broken in through heat cycles and mechanical load, because I have them back up to 44psi front and 51psi rear and the ride is great. For others reading, those pressures are based on a stock LR4, so if you're loaded up with off-road gear and/or towing, you'll have to run the calcs for higher pressures. See post 378.

On the market, yes it's been a dreadful start to the year, but I'm beginning to feel a little more confident now. Oil seems to be stabilizing and hopefully it sticks.

 

[Finlayforprez]

No problem Dan. When I first installed the tires I inflated them to the 44psi front 51psi rear I had calculated, but backed off a couple psi because it was riding really rough. Since then, the tires must have broken in through heat cycles and mechanical load, because I have them back up to 44psi front and 51psi rear and the ride is great. For others reading, those pressures are based on a stock LR4, so if you're loaded up with off-road gear and/or towing, you'll have to run the calcs for higher pressures. See post 378.

On the market, yes it's been a dreadful start to the year, but I'm beginning to feel a little more confident now. Oil seems to be stabilizing and hopefully it sticks.

Thanks for providing this information to Dan, it also helps me. I think I really need to get my LR4 weighed and see how heavy it is with the modifications. In checking my tire pressure this morning, I made a slight adjustment to the front tires because they seemed slightly under-inflated at 47 psi (based on chalk test and drive), so I increased to 51 psi and the rear is still at 51 psi. I know I have heard of others with modifications running all 4 tires at the same pressure, but not sure if it's most appropriate. I really think I need to be running above 50 psi for all tires, but still trying to figure out the sweet spot. I'll get a weight and then run the calculations you describe in your post.

 

[danrhiggins]

Drove up into the "foothills" today to try out the KO2s. I inflated them to 46/50-ish (may have been 51 as my gauge is analog and not that easy to read). I drove 65-70 on the interstate. 55-65 on a fair bit of "highway" then did a bit of offloading including some snow and ice work. (See below)

I love the tires. To be honest, they did not "feel" that harsh at those pressures. My wife an I didn't even notice the tires and for the past 4 months we have been running Nokian snow tires that, with the 60-degree weather we have been getting, are probably a bit soft. I might bump up the front a bit after I get my sliders on tomorrow. And I'll increase the rears to maybe 55 when towing this summer. But I have not done any scientific tests. I am simply going off of what bullmrkt and Finlayforprez do and land somewhere in between. I expect David's LR4 is a fair bit heavier than bullmrkt's!

In the picture below I am about to enter a very shallow stream. The trick was that both banks consisted not of rock but an ice shelf. So I need the tires to "climb" the ice or at least get enough push from the tires in the stream. The ice shelf that you can't see, the closest one, was about 8-9" high. When I hit the shelf the tires spun for about 1 second and then I was up, out and through. By the way, 20' to the left of the picture there was a bridge I could have used. But that wouldn't have tested the tires.

 

[Finlayforprez]

Drove up into the "foothills" today to try out the KO2s. I inflated them to 46/50-ish (may have been 51 as my gauge is analog and not that easy to read). I drove 65-70 on the interstate. 55-65 on a fair bit of "highway" then did a bit of offloading including some snow and ice work. (See below)

I love the tires. To be honest, they did not "feel" that harsh at those pressures. My wife an I didn't even notice the tires and for the past 4 months we have been running Nokian snow tires that, with the 60-degree weather we have been getting, are probably a bit soft. I might bump up the front a bit after I get my sliders on tomorrow. And I'll increase the rears to maybe 55 when towing this summer. But I have not done any scientific tests. I am simply going off of what bullmrkt and Finlayforprez do and land somewhere in between. I expect David's LR4 is a fair bit heavier than bullmrkt's!

In the picture below I am about to enter a very shallow stream. The trick was that both banks consisted not of rock but an ice shelf. So I need the tires to "climb" the ice or at least get enough push from the tires in the stream. The ice shelf that you can't see, the closest one, was about 8-9" high. When I hit the shelf the tires spun for about 1 second and then I was up, out and through. By the way, 20' to the left of the picture there was a bridge I could have used. But that wouldn't have tested the tires.

Hello Dan,

Thanks for the post. I am very happy to hear you like the KO2s and had a chance to test them out both on and off the load. I had the original KOs and was pretty impressed, but BFG really did an excellent job improving all aspects of these tires with the launch of the KO2s.

I loved your photo and description of the terrain, very cool! Let's continue to see where we land with optimal pressures and see if we can help each other land on just the right numbers. Your experience has been very helpful.

My next step is to actually weigh my LR4. I'm almost afraid to know! ;-)

Regards, David