2002/03 Hilux Sr5 tyre choices + suspension

If you can find a clear anwser from some legal authority i would love to hear about it, if you run 15 inch rims your options are somewhat limited. I hear the ARB suspension is good.

I'll have to check - standard alloys that came with the Sr5 model. I'm also considering the ATRs. I personally think 40,000kms is great out of a set of tyres. I ran some searches on this site and there is a lot of talk about Coopers tyres warranty. I haven't had mine rotated or whatever since I got them put on - after 45,000kms on mainly bitumen (not much 4x4in this year) - I believe I could get another 40,000 or so before they're illegal - but why? As a tyre does more kms the tread dissappears (depth is reduced) and it's use as a 4x4 tyre is greatly effected IMO.
After owning non 4x4 vehicles and getting max 25,000kms on similarly priced tyres I'm happy with anything above that mileage. 40,000 to 50,000km is great. If I only wanted to drive on the road then I guess getting 80,000+kms is great. The original tyres on the Hilux lasted about 27,000kms before almost illegal.

g'day mate,

I gotta 2003 Hilux V6 also with a bleep load of accessories on it. In regards to your tyre choices i bought the car originally with 235?70x16 Bridgestone duelers which were absolutely crap. Then I went to Dunlop MT1 mud-terrains which worked well but due to me doing higher mileage I traded them in on a set of BFG AT's in 265/75x16 (equivalent 32.5x11.2x16) on sunraysia rims (16x7). Now, I have raised the suspension bout year and a half ago, bought a set of tough dog torsion bars and rear spring from the trading post and had them fitted along with Ironman man foam-cell shock absorbers. Might not be as big a name as some other brands but for me it's doing the job. The rear springs have raised the hilux 2.5" and up-front I've cut/shortened the bump stomp under the upper control arm to gain ean extra half in on the torsion bars. Aswell as this, I've trimmed back the plasrtic inner gurard at the back end of the front wheel well's to gain heaps of extra clearance. It works fine for me, no problems at all. When this set of tyres wears out, im thinking of getting either 33/10.5x15 BFG AT's or 286/75x16 which I worked out would just fit, and look pretty damn tuff! If you want some pics just email me and i'll send 'em to ya of me truck!

Hope the info helped!

Hi there cookymonster, have the ome suspesion all round in the old lux (89 model leaf front end) and is great Is booked in next week to get new springs in front end, back still ok. Great for the rutted roads, yours should be even better having ifs front end, standard toyota suspension to me is crap and will fail very quickly on you especially on rutted roads, ome also gives you that extra ground clearance which can come in handy sometimes, my mate bought a brand new navara d/ cab 2 months before xmas and has just come back from up top end and all the suspension is stuffed from the rutted roads, is putting it in 2morrow for warranty to get replaced then is pulling out sticking in shed and putting ome all the way through. I have bfg's on mine and have not had a punture( maybe luck) or any side walls torn and they cop a pretty hard time. Just my thoughts on the question. Have a great day. Regards Vitara

Hi there Hilux V6 owners
I have 04 model (basic) I still have steels on but just about to change to ROH
Was thinking of 245 or 265 x16 x7inch
any thoughts on which size best all round considering speedo error etc
bit nervous i am new at this fourum thing

Thanks a lot Steve will take your advice

G'day there Cookymonster,

I have OME allround on my 2003 SR5 with 15" (Standard SR5 rims) Cooper STT's.
This suspension has done around 60,000 kms and is still going strong. When I went to ARB about the suspension, I told them what I was going to do with the car and what extras I would be adding. At least this way they had a better idea as to what they should put on.
I went with the Cooper STT's because they appear to be a pretty strong tyre with excellent side wall protection. I have notice a drop in fuel economy as well as an increase in road noise but this is to be expected. I have had no dramas with these tyres as yet on asst bush tracks and will hopefully get to try them on sand soon.

Cheers

Cheiffy

Will do Cooky,

Just give me a few days to get some snap shots together. Get back to you soon.

Cheiffy

thanks mate. If it's not before Saturday I might be able to provide pictures of my own. I'm heading out west to Charters Towers for a cricket carnival and a bloke who owns a 4x4 shop was very helpful 2 years ago. I couldn't spend any money with him at the time because his compressor broke down (was going to get him to put on some Coopers for me), but he gave us some beers, fixed my spotlights - cabling and was generally very helpful.
Since I'll be there, I might as well take the opportunity to spend some dollars with him.
I called him and he's a big fan of the STT and runs them on own truck. He's ordered another size for me and we'll have a look at the 2 sizes and decide then