Toyo tires. Manual HUBS.

[James Morse]

I'm having a hard time finding 265/75R15 tires (oem size) in a somewhat aggressive tread. I know I can go 31" and be ok, there may be some minor rub issues. 265's should have zero issues of that kind.
Coopers might be ok for me but I'm pretty sure I want a bit more aggressive, but not a mud tire. The only thing I find in 265 is this: Toyo Open Country A/T III | P265/75R15 (tirerack.com)
They have the sidewall tread I want, don't like the white lettering but I think you could mount that inside. What I'm asking is if anyone has experience with the Toyo. Or if you know any 265's that are similar. I can't find K02, K03, Grabbers, etc in that size. I might be wrong, but seems like narrower tread (compared to 31") is actually better traction because more psi since less surface. It might be insignificant as far as performance (in rain, dirt, minor mud, etc). Noise is somewhat of an issue but I'll sacrifice some roadability for better off road performance.
Not saying I won't go 33" at some point but it probably won't happen before I have to get new tires because the 235's on there are starting to get marginal for the tread wear.
Also would appreciate any comments about bead balancing vs normal weights. I understand lead weights can react with the aluminum but there are coated ones or other metals, so I'm led to believe.
Date code on them is something I'd check too.
But if Toyos aren't so good and that's my only choice in 265 then I'd probably go 31" because likely they will be newer-made and there's much more selection.
Thanks.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Last time I got tires for my 2000, I just went to 31x10.50-15 and called it a day. On stock rims I didn’t have any rubbing really, but I didn’t really off-road it either beyond dirt roads and going across a friend’s field or the like. The 2000 may or may not have had more lift than your 97. I got Mastercraft Courser CXT tires, very happy with them. Dad got a set for his 99 after seeing how well mine did. My F-150 is almost done with its second set of those in the older tread pattern, the CT.

If you have rubbing in the front with them, it’s easy enough to add a spring perch/spacer/stack of washers under the front coils and get 1-2” of lift and it should work.

I, personally, prefer using internal balancing media, preferably ceramic beads. Not many tire shops are willing to do it though and at least around here, none sell the ceramic beads. Have to get it online. One local shop does glass beads for balancing if you ask, but I’m not impressed with their performance. They don’t seem to balance as well and I suspect it has something to do with not being exactly round. I had a friendly relationship with a local shop and did my own tires up until it changed management. Now I have my own tire machine, so doing the balancing media is just part of the job. The ceramic beads in the tires of my F-150 are headed for use in their fourth set of tires, just as soon as I buy new tires. I’ve buried the needle past 85 in it and as long as the rest of my suspension and drivetrain was in good shape, it’s smooth sailing.

 

[James Morse]

How much ceramic beads by weight or volume do you put in each tire?

 

[superj]

i got these for my wrangler, in 30s or 31s. i can't remember the size but they went on the ranger just fine and it drove nicely. i only tried them out, to see how they would look and fit since it has the 235s on it still.

Mud Claw Mud Claw Extreme M/T | Big O Tires

it was 235 for all four with free shipping on ebay

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

How much ceramic beads by weight or volume do you put in each tire?

Goes by tire size, I think it’s 6 oz for a 31x10.50-15 of the “off-road” beads. They have charts.

www.innovativebalancing.com

 

[James Morse]

I see prerunners with Toyos so they can't be all bad, they put tons of money into those trucks they wouldn't scrimp on tires.
Bead-lock. Great. One more thing to learn about. Do I need them, who knows. Only if you build a prerunner I suppose.

 

[superj]

You dont need beadlocks unless you are airing down so far you are afraid of the bead coming off or the wheel spinning in the tire.

For most people, fake beadlocks are fine

 

[James Morse]

Fake doesn't turn me on. Form follows function. But that's me.

 

[2011Supercab]

Bead-lock. Great. One more thing to learn about.

True Bead locks aren't DOT approved and not street legal in most states

 

[James Morse]

Seems like there's another ridiculous law. Wonder what is the thinking behind that.

 

[superj]

good question

 

[Shran]

Seems like there's another ridiculous law. Wonder what is the thinking behind that.

My guess is that it's because there are a bunch of different types of beadlocks, and most of them use a metal ring that's held on by about 30 little bolts that all have to be torqued down just right. A normal wheel has like a handful of failure points at most... beadlocks have a lot more.

The only people I know who run beadlocks are rock crawler guys with very large tires that get aired down to single digit pressure and some of the desert racing/mud racing crowd. I've run 35's for many years on 15x8 wheels with zero issues, even aired down to 10psi or lower. Wide tires and skinny wheels are a good combo, hard to lose a bead that way.

That said you do not need beadlocks, I have read a lot of your threads and they would serve no purpose for you.

 

[Curious Hound]

My guess is that it's because there are a bunch of different types of beadlocks, and most of them use a metal ring that's held on by about 30 little bolts that all have to be torqued down just right. A normal wheel has like a handful of failure points at most... beadlocks have a lot more.

The only people I know who run beadlocks are rock crawler guys with very large tires that get aired down to single digit pressure and some of the desert racing/mud racing crowd. I've run 35's for many years on 15x8 wheels with zero issues, even aired down to 10psi or lower. Wide tires and skinny wheels are a good combo, hard to lose a bead that way.

That said you do not need beadlocks, I have read a lot of your threads and they would serve no purpose for you.

Agreed. You can do an amazing amount of wheeling at12psi with no bead locks.

there are some DOT approved bead locks. But they are suuuuuper pricey. I’ll see if I can find the ones I had looked at.

Rock Monster Internal Double Beadlock Technology | Hutchinson

Learn how the internal double beadlock technology system works in Hutchinson's DOT approved, street legal Rock Monster Wheels.

www.hutchinsoninc.com

 

[00t444e]

265/75/16 is the metric equivalent to a 31x10.50x15.

 

[James Morse]

Yeah beadlocks are totally not for me. Nice to know the story behind them though.

Those 2 tires are "equivalent" but not totally equivalent. 31" are a bit wider. That's why guys that run 31" have said, there can be inside rubbing at full steering cut. 265's I'd be totally safe because I doubt very much Ford would oem a tire that would rub. Also, and you tell me if I'm wrong, but narrower tires have more traction because more force psi tread. Relatively insignificant, and obviously one wouldn't say, then I should go 195's because they are way narrow. Which I couldn't anyway because of weight capacity of the smaller tires, I believe, but just saying, is my theory behind that wrong.

To me, wider tires (to a point) look better, so there's that, and as I've said much more selection in 31". I see eventually 33" or maybe even 35" but that is not in the immediate future because it opens up several cans of worms and I need more time on the trails with just oem or close to oem size to find out, maybe that's (265 or 31") fine for me.

If you reduce pressure in the tires, you're reducing the clearance, right? The reverse of what I want, but I don't know how much it changes. And it depends where you are going. To date my issue isn't traction, it's clearance. And I'm running 235 Coopers that somebody put on (not oem). I could put 265 Coopers and might be fine for now, it's just not as aggressive as [I think] I'd like, I'm trying to find the balance between on-road and off-road performance but I think a somewhat aggressive tread for instance K02, K03 type tread, would be fine on the highway, just a bit noisier, but not horrible.