Help me decide on tires. I don't know much about 19.5 tires and there isn't a lot of info out there so would appreciate any suggestions

I carry a camper on a SRW and have bought some used Vision 19.5" rims to up my wheel/tire weight capacity.

I currently use Toyo ATs in 285/75/17 because they have the highest weight rating on a 17" rim that I could find: 3970 lbs. Of course the rims are rated that high and these tires only lasted about 25k miles with the weight I haul.
I also like the look of this size, but did loose a little MPGs, power, and braking with the overall size and rolling resistance increase (vs stock tires)

I have two decisions to make:
Tire size: 265/70/19.5 or 245/70/19.5
Which tire: Toyo M608Z or Hankook DH01

It is a 4x4 truck so all 4 tires will be the same.
I don't like the idea of the 245 width but don't really want taller tires than I already have. The 265/70/19.5 is a little taller than the 285/75/17 and the 245/70/19.5 is a little shorter. Of course, both are narrower.

So, what do you think? Will 265 be too tall and drop my RPMs too much? I have a NV5600 with 3.73 axles raio. Will the 265 size fit without rubbing?

The advantages of the 245 size are that they are a little cheaper, a little easier on front end parts, braking will be slightly improved, and this size may provide better MPGs. I just don't like the thought of tires "that" skinny. 265 width is already pretty skinny. I want a 265/65/19.5, but that doesn't exist!

Any opinions on the the M608Z vs DH01 tires?

Thanks,
FB

 

I'm running the M608Z tires in 245/70x19.5 on Rickson steel wheels. At first I thought I'd made a big mistake because of the way the truck seemed to wander. After about a thousand miles on the tires the truck tracks like it is glued to the road. The M608Z is quieter than the M-55's they replaced. Traction is on par with the M-55's.

I have no experience with the Dunlop DH01 tires. I hear the may cost less than the Toyo's.

 

Unless your truck is lifted, go with the 245's. Anything bigger will rub because the Visions are zero offset.
The tires you mentioned are both load range G... IMHO I'd go with H's.
I have been very happy with my Michelins, but when (if!) they wear out I'm planning to replace them with Bridgestone M729F's.
Keep in mind that new 19.5 tires can have a lot of tread squirm... That'll go away after a thousand miles or so.
Hope this helps,
Mark

 

I went with 19.5 traction tires all around, instead of steers up front and traction rears, since I have a 4x4 and DO use it off road, I thought it was a good idea to have all the tires the same. I also took the time to study ratings on the 19.5 tires, I found that the Double Coin tires had better overall ratings than most all of the big name brands, so I got Double Coins . . they are EXCELLENT TIRES, I have had them 2 years, lots of miles, and they still look new with little to no wear. The Double Coins are used a lot in Europe on mid-size delivery trucks and started to become very popular here in the US over the last year. I had some initial tread squirm, but it was gone in 500-700 miles. I am running the 245's on Vision wheels.



CD

 

Great advice already! Thanks for the help.

It looks like most people go with the 245 size. Does this “skinny” tire look out of place on these big trucks? I’ve seen some pictures but it is hard to tell. What do you guys think?

I have a ~$600 credit at Les Schwab to replace the Toyo ATs that are near bald after 25k. LS carries the Toyo M608Z and Hankook DH01. I will ask about the Michelin (my preferred USA made brand), Bridgestone and Double Coin tires.

LongBlackRam, thanks for the personal experience with the M608Z. That tire is my current preference, depending on my research of the other brands mentioned.

msiminoff, I plan on a slight (1” – 1.5”) lift in front. Will 265’s still rub with the Visions? The only advantages I can see with the 265s, other than appearance, are a little more sidewall to soften ride a little and more weight capacity without more air pressure (again, slightly softer ride). Also, why would you go to load range H? I know these high load range tires can ride rough when empty so I would think that the lower load range, that still covers my weight requirements, would be provide a slight ride improvement.

CD in NM, I also see some off road, slick boat ramps and some snow and ice. I definitely want drive tires all around. I’ll check on the Double Coins. Are they the RLB 490 model? I must admit, that is not a brand I would have checked into. I am also biased against Chinese made tires but I'll do some research.

Thanks again,
FB

 

FB.

Yep, Double Coin RLB 490's. When you read all the threads on all the truck websites, many people complain about 19.5 tires being too stiff/firm and the associated ride, so when I decided to go to them I figured I'd go with the cheaper Chinese tires and see if I liked the ride, etc. They cost less or about the same than most aftermarket 17" tires, and my investment in the tires was about the same as if I had bought 17" that would go about 35-40K miles. Little did I know that I would like the Double Coins tires so much, in fact, I now have a replacement set sitting in my garage when these wear out. What most people don't realize is that all those 'designer' label, prestige tires are not made in the US anyway, in fact, many are made in China also AND they exit one end of a build line and the Double Coins exit the other end, come across the pond on the same boat, and are shipped side-by-side to distributors. When you look at tire treads, you will find a major designer brand has the same tread . . what does that tell you?



CD

 

CD

The RLB490 looks like a good tire spec wise. How is the traction in mud? snow? wet roads? It has got to better than the stock Michelins but I wonder how they compare to my current Toyo ATs?

FB

 

I live on a mostly dirt, sparsely graveled road that can be absolutely horrible more often than not during rain and snow storms. I travel these type of roads more than paved ones, and our paved roads here are horrible also. Roads in New Mexico scrub and chew the rubber off your tires really fast. My road turns to mud, calechi mud, the calechi stuff is sticky and usually a good 6-8 inches of mud ruts, and sometimes deep mud of a foot or so. I have had no problems getting around in the mud, in fact, these tires are much better than the aftermarket 17" ATs I was running. I also live at 7K ft elevation, in a ski resort area, we get many snow storms, usually a foot or more snow, it can be wet snow and dry snow mix, again, I have had no problems getting around. We also get a LOT of black ice and I have been out and about when many others are stuck at home or off on the side of the road after sliding every which way . . like I said previously, I love these Double Coin tires. When it comes to running on paved blacktop in the rain, I have had no problems there either, no hydroplaning, we get heavy rains, monsoon rains, and also a lot of ponding and flooding, I have had no problems getting around, and like I said earlier, I am out when others cannot be.

They are absolutely GREAT for towing too. I am getting excellent fuel economy as well, going to the harder rubber added a little mileage gain, especially when towing. I just bought two sets of the Vision SRW wheels to put on my flatbed and GN trailers, the bolt pattern is the same, and the offset is the same, I will be running the Double Coins on my two trailers real soon.


CD

 

CD, that is quite the endorsement. I'll definitely check them out.

msiminoff, do you still think 265s would rub with the visions and slight lift? Why do you recommend load range H?

Anyone else?

FB

 

Where can a guy find a Double Coin dealer?

 

I'd probably get Treadwright's.

 

What are treadwrights? Never heard of them either. Do they make a 275 or 285

 

Treadwright's are retread tires. Have a look:

http://treadwright.com/