Prado RV 1996 Model recommended Tyres

[Snaggit Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Snaggit]

Hi all, this is my first post, bear with me......

I have just picked up a Prado RV 1996 with a lift kit (think it's 2")

It has 225/75 16R tyres on it, at 36psi warm... I had a fair load in it on the weekend on a camp/fishing trip......

I notice on high speed cornering (within the speed limit of-course :wink: ) there was a lot of body roll and unpredictable steering, as in, it seemed to grab in corners and the front end seemed to move around a lot, but was fine on the straight.....quite un-nerving as I am getting to know the vehicle characteristics, and know that these vehicles do travel better than this.

I am thinking that because of the suspension kit, the tyres are no longer suitable for the vehicle, due to load and travel factors......are there any suggestions out there on a suitable upgrade for 70/30 tyre? Maybe the origonal owner put the origonal wheels/tyres back on for sale?

Any help/critique would be appreciated....cheers

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

Welcome to the Forum and congrats on your purchase.

You have asked a bit of an open ended question there. What is the intended use for your Prado? Purely offroad and stays in the garage the rest of the time? Week end bush bashing/daily driver? Tow vehicle/mums taxi?

If the first option, 265/75/R16 will fit with a 2" lift but will through your speedo out by about 7% (can't remember exactly). BFG Mud Terrains or Mickey Thomson MTZ, while expensive options are some of the best.
If the second, 265/75/R16 or even 265/70/R16 would be good sizes to use but will affect the speedo. There are plenty of options for tread pattern/brand but BFG All terrains deserve a mention.
If the third, stick to the factory tyre size of 215/80/R16 and go for a road going tyre.

[mathewmeldrum Member Find all posts View Profile Close mathewmeldrum]

Being a RV is it a 2.7L or 3.4L or is it a diesel 3.0?

i hear that they have different diffs to the GXl and so on so up sizing tires isn't as advised by some.
so 265's are good. as well as being available everywhere.
i have an RV6 with a 1" lift and i have 275/70 R16. no problem with them. it does put the speedo out about 5-6% and it sticks out about 10 mm out side the wheel arch.
if you want to put flares on and do a body lift then get some 285's.
but depending on the budget a set of A/T 265's will be fine.
just depends on what you want to use it for and how much money you want to spend.

[Allfour4x4 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Allfour4x4]

We have an RV-TD yes the TD has longer legs than the others. It now runs 265/75 Coopers, you'd need to change the standard 6" rims (if it still has them?) We just put the wider GXL rims on...and they're quite cheap now, compared to the old days
Not convinced your load carrying ability or cornering will necessarily be improved with wider tyre though. Are you running those original miserable Grandtreks by any chance?
We've always run 40lb in the rears and 32lb front on road - unloaded, with both the Coopers and our earlier BFG's. You can buy aftermarket flares (Same as the old Toyota supplied RV Flares) which cover the arches well.

[luked Member Find all posts View Profile Close luked]

My RV6 rides like a boat compared to most cars on the road. I have fitted a 2" lift and 235/85 (same diameter as 265/75) tyres. If you are concerned about the handling and all your suspension is in a servicable condition going back to standard height suspension and tyres makes a huge difference or drive at a speed that is comfortable. Can't have it both ways unfortunately.

If my car lives back in the city again for an extended period I'll be putting standard tyres back on for handling and braking reasons.

[Derb Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Derb]

Hi Fellas. Regarding tyre sizes throwing speedo reading. My KZJ95R (1KZ-TE/Manual) is running 265/70R16's and at 100 kph indicated is showing 98 kph on GPS. 100 kph GPS = 102.5 indicated on speedo. Not far enough out to worry about and on the right side for the law. If you were a little pedantic it could be suggested that this size is better for towing. Cheers.

[rags Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close rags]

on my previous RV6 i ran 245/70/16 BF Gs on 16x7 rims and also had 2 spares with same tyre but on the 16x6 standard rims with the same again on the trailer.Speedo remained acurate as the final roling dia remains same as your 215/80/16,ride was improved also.Sometimes i though a larger size would have been good but was overall happy and the 245s are cheaper than 265