Tire Size 01 Rx

[KatoC]

Hello Everyone...

Need a quick advice. I need to change tire and want to put 235 70 16 instead of 225 70 16 and need some advice. Also is there any good brand. BTW, I have sets of winter so I need for summer..

Thanks

[KatoC]

Another question. If I go with 235 - do I need to put 235 65 17 - please advise.

Kato.

[wwest]

Another question. If I go with 235 - do I need to put 235 65 17 - please advise.

Kato.

Due to poor, TIGHT, tire/suspension clearance in the rear (the reason you can only use tire chains on the front) you will likely need wheel spacers to go to wider tread. I added 1.5" wheel spacers and upgraded to 17X8 wheels all around on mine.

Now instead of the patently unsafe method of using tire chains only on the front I put them on the rear first and then add the fronts if it becomes necessary. Also, I run on summer only Bridgestone turanzas all year around due to their comfort and quietness.

Use the tire chains for the low traction exceptions.

[Checkpoint]

Another question. If I go with 235 - do I need to put 235 65 17 - please advise.

Kato.

I put 235/70R16 on my '02 Highlander (very similar vehicle) with no clearance problems at all. You will lose a little load carrying capacity with 235/65R16, but again probably not a problem. Going to 17" will be expensive since that means new rims (17" tires need 17" rims).

You probably have a brand new spare - most people forget about that - and you might get away less expensively by matching that, buying only 3 new and putting the best old tire as spare. Technically, your spare should be the same size as the tires on the ground (AWD).

Finally, don't do anything that requires spacers. There are just too many reasons they are a bad idea, from lug nuts being maybe too short to changing alignment dimensions to subjecting components such as bearings to forces that they weren't designed to handle.

[zeusigchi]

I went with 235/70/16. I got the Michelin Cross Terrains and have no problems at all.

[KatoC]

Thanks everyone...

I found two tires - Yokohama Geolandar H/TS GO51 and Bridgestone Alenza. Any thoughts on these tires.

Thanks

Kato

[RX in NC]

The Yokohamas get a majority of good reviews at tirerack.com. So do the Alenzas, but they are considerably pricier as you'll find out. I have the Alenzas on my wife's 2004 RX330 AWD with 18-inch rims. I believe that they are the best tire of the very limited choices in the 18-inch size requirement.

If we still had my wife's 2000 RX300 AWD with 16-inch rims, I would go with another set of the Firestone Destination LE tires. Her first set was pushing 53,000 miles and still had a few thousand miles left when I sold the vehicle back in January. Great wet weather performance, good snow performance, a good riding tire, and obviously great treadwear capability. The Destination LE tires never hydroplaned on her RX300 and she drives in some pretty nasty summer thunderstorms between here and Tampa, Florida. They are usually priced a little less than the Yokohamas at tirerack.com.

My second choice would be the Yokohamas.

Good luck to you.