New Tyres for Frontera 235/75 R15 & Raising the height - HOW..??
Submitted: Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 09:32
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Member - Straps (SA)
Hi All,
I have spent much time reading many different forums, including archives on here, looking for what to buy for my 2001 Frontera. Whilst I knew bugger all about tyres before starting, now I am completely confuzzled..!!!!!
I am hoping to ask two questions and maybe in the next couple of days have some replies that might help me decide. I am aiming to get the before friday, this week.
I went to a couple of tyre
places around
home and the information is below.
Bridgestone A/T D694 - $208 / tyre
Coopers ATR - $210 / tyre
Yokohama SD05 - $220 / tyre
Pirelli STR - $226 / tyre
Goodyear ATR - $199 / tyre
Mickey Thompson ATZ - $219 / tyre
Mickey Thompson MTZ - $210 / tyre
My usage at present is for highway driving and I have done a couple of sand related trips (and will do more -
Beach fishing mainly). Haven't done much off road 4wd yet, but would like to keep that option possibly open during the lifespan of these tyres. I have been looking at A/T type tyres to try and accommodate most of what I want to do.
1) ANy advice regarding tyres relevant to Fronteras and / or the above tyres mentioned would be very much appreciated
2) Through researching for tyres, I have come across stuff for shocks / raising the height of 4wd's. I am hoping that a few of you might offer some basic principles / ideas, and then brands / prices (if possible), about how I can go about raising my Frontera.
Cheers
Shane
Reply By: Member - Bruce and Anne - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 09:58
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 09:58
Hi Shane, I have a Isuzu MU Wizard which is the same as the Frontera but with a 3.1 Turbo Diesel, IT has 245/70X16 tyres and had raised coils on the back, Rancho 9000 shocks, torsion bars wound up about 1 inch for the front.
Now Iam about to fit a set of Cooper STs 265/75X16s, took them off my other two door MU and put Mickey Thompson MTZ, but Iam going to be a little illegal with those on the Wizard as the rule is 15mm over what is on the tyre placard, but thats me.
Anyway I had a set of ATR Goodyear did 60k and are a good Hw and sand tyre and that price sounds pretty good, The MT ATZ sound like a good price also.
Cheers Bruce.
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Reply By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 10:05
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 10:05
Hey Straps.
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Follow Up By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 10:22
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 10:22
Brain Fade try again.
I swear by Bridgestone A/T duellers, I run them on 4 Landcruisers and done so for the last 6 years.
These tour trucks work hard between Arnhemland,
Kakadu and
Broome, just make sure that there Oz Made as they are a much stronger tyre than the Japanese made ones.
I've never had a tyre let go yet, in fact I put another set on my new truck last Saturday and I need to replace another set on the troopy soon and that will be my 11th set.
To me that is tried and tested.
Cheers Steve.
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Reply By: Member - Straps (SA) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 13:07
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 13:07
I should also add, that the Bob Jane dealer, reckoned that BFG's would be no good as they have too aggressive tyre pattern for sand. That's why there are no BFG prices on the list..
Cheers
Shane
AnswerID:
235098
Follow Up By: BennyGU - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 07:46
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 07:46
Thats a tad wierd.
I had BFG All Terrain T/A's on fatso for over 7 years now and a lot of that on sand(Simpson and Fraser), yet to be bogged (touch wood). Originally got 45,000km out of Bridgestone Dueler A/T's before now on my second set of BFG's witht the first set now on the camper. Not a
puncture with the BFG's in all the trips. They are 285/75/R16's (inc spare) and cost $275 each fitted and balanced.
I got them from a Bob Janes
Redcliffe (north
Brisbane) ...........your guy must have been to a different course or alliegances have shifted lately. I didn't go into the store to look at tyres as I knew what I wanted but he said they were the best all terrrain boots for what I was wanting to do.
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Follow Up By: Member - Steve T (NT) - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 14:47
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 14:47
If you only got 45000 km out of your Bridgestones you must have had the Japaese made ones.
I get 60/65000 km out of
mine and then use them as spares.
I've been through the desert and to Frazer Island, trust me the dirt roads I take in these trucks are a tad harder on the tyres than sand.
Bonz will confirm the tyres I use as spares are still in good condition, as he saw them on his resent trip here.
Buy the way Straps the Bridgestone dealer in
Darwin sells the Oz made A/T dueller size that your after for $190 fitted and balanced, I can get the 285s at $230 fitted and balanced.
Another thing PROFITS say in OZ.
Cheers Steve.
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Follow Up By: BennyGU - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 17:11
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 17:11
The Bridgestones would have beent he jappo ones as they were the factory fitted originals.
Originally had the Bridgestone A/T's on my 79 ute as
well but these also wore out (probably jappo as
well ) before going experimenting with Pirelli, Yokohama ect..
Have had cooper ST's on another other fourby ( got very pitted after 50,000km) before settling on the BFG's for the lot
(HJZ79 RV TD, HJ75 (bush basher), GU 2.8 ,Jeep J10 360ci V8 HEMI trayback )
Haven't looked back.
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Reply By: Brian B (Brisbane) - Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:03
Sunday, Apr 22, 2007 at 20:03
Hi Straps,
Up until a year ago I owned a 2000 Frontera. A great car with some of the best power going around IMO.
They are let down in two areas and that is the position of the fuel tank which helps lead to the other problem of a slight lack of ground clearance.
To get around this I installed King springs to the rear and heavy duty torsion bars which I wound up on the front along with new Rancho shocks all round. This achieved a 60mm lift and I finished this off with a set of BFG AT tyres.
The tyres went like a dream and 90% of my off road work is on soft sand. They were also lasting
well and while I don't know what final mileage they would have given as I sold the car, I think they would have been good. I have the same tyres on my Hilux and they are going great guns.
The improvement in capabilities was great but the ride quality was a bit harder but I am led to believe that this is a common side effect of this kind of
suspension modification.
Hope you get it sorted.
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Reply By: Strawb - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 13:10
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 13:10
Hi Shane
Well I reckon the BobJane guy is talking through his clacker valve. They are not too aggressive in sand. I am on to my second set of BFG All Terrains (bought from BJane!!) and can honestly say they have never let me down. Beach driving; towing or not, I have the tyres down to 22psi. If it is especially soft sand I go down to 18 psi. To date have not been bogged :-)
These tyres have taken me twice to the Simpson, Arkaroola and
the Rock. No punctures or dramas. On the black stuff the car behaves like any other with little tyre noise if set to 38 - 42 psi. Below that it does drone.
The Frontera is a 2002 Model with 2" ARB OME Lift kit and Poly Air. The torsion bars are wound out to give an extra 50mm above std. Must say though the car was very loose in the rear end in the wet until a long range tank went in. Funnily even if the tank is empty, that extra weight behind the axle makes it very safe in the wet.
NB. Suggest you DO NOT GET OME. Will not get in detail here but it might have just been the
Brisbane sales guy. Was told a load of crap and I did not find out how much until stuck in Alice 4 years later.
Strawb
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Reply By: Member - MrBitchi (QLD) - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 14:19
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 14:19
Any of the AT style tyres will be fine on sand. Should base your decision more on on road manners as that's where you spend most of your time.
Personally I run Cooper ATR's.
King springs on the rear along with wound up torsion bars will do the job. No real need for heavy duty torsion bars until you start getting serious off road, or carry heavy loads frequently. If the current shocks are OK, keep them. When they die put a set of Bilstiens on.
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Reply By: Camoco - Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 19:39
Monday, Apr 23, 2007 at 19:39
Hi Shane,
I run the Pirelli Scorpion AT's on my '02 Frontera and am very happy with the noise and road/dirt manners. I haven't used it on sand since the changeover but I am sure they would be fine.
I have 245/75 16's and I think they were about $195ea or so. Much cheaper than the Bridgies I was going to put on.
These tyres run about the same rolling diameter as the originals.
I have been thinking about getting a Calmini 2" or 3" lift kit for the 'ol girl when the time is right. I priced these a little while back at about $1200 for the springs/Tbar shocks and plates to get the fuel tank a little less vulnerable, and also the LPG tank that is now the lowest point at the back.
The Calmini kit is Yank and is aimed at upgrading the Isuzu vehicles with little effort. I have a mate with an '00 Frontera with a 4" Calmini lift and it is just a bit far. He also has 33" tyres and had to trim the front forward section of the guards to clear. Ended up with a TJM bar and that removed that problem. No clearance issue though :).
Cheers Cam
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