Hello fellow "E" freaks,

When I pick up my Element in April, one the first things I'm going to do is put some BFG TA/KO tires on ..either 225/70/r16 or 235/70/r16. I have seen that others on this board have done both. One reporting the 235's rubbed another saying his 235's didn't rub.

Anyway, my question is.. by putting on these tires (either the 225's or the 235's) do I have to worry about the increased tire size causing any excessive or abnormal wear on any of the suspension parts or any other parts ie. brakes etc........??????

Thanks,

Rich

Just the parts they rub on. The 235/70/16's will rub on the side of the strut tower, for sure. Especially if you drive hard.

How do you know this? Did it happen for you or did you read it on another post?

Please let me know cuz I'm thinking about Kumho Ecsta 235/70-16 versus Dunlop A2 235/60-16 for my summer tires. :?:

Oversized 225/70-16 snow tires worked just fine all winter without rubbing on the shock tower.

[quote:208682f5a9=" "]Just the parts they rub on. The 235/70/16's will rub on the side of the strut tower, for sure. Especially if you drive hard.[/quote:208682f5a9]

Einstein,

I'm talking about the BFG's 235/70/r16. Because of the very squared off edges on the design of that specific tire. I have these tires on my current pickup and love them. Ride is nice, wear is slow and noise level is low. Very aggressive looking thread.

Rich

I've been riding on a set of the 235/70/16 Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revos for about 13k miles now and they still look, feel, and grip great. No rubbing and I've rotated them twice so far. I think the 235 vs. 225 really depends on the profile of the tread. I had to reasure the Bridgestone installer the 235's would fit with no rub. He kept shaking his head until he actually test fit one of the front ones on and turned the wheel. As I watched him turn the wheel back and forth for over 2 minutes and wedge his hand and flashlight all around the tire he came back into the waiting room with a card in his hand. He told me as long as he could slip the card between anything close to the the tire he was cool with it........but he said he still couldn't believe it fit. When I ordered another Revo tire for the roof mounted full size spare I had to go thru the same thing reassuring the TireRack.com tech that called me 3 minutes after I placed the online order that the 235/70/16 would work. He kept asking me, "Are you SURE you drive a Honda Element?" I laughed but but told him I appreciate the swift customer service. I think if the Revos were any knobbier then there would absolutely be some rubbing.
They are about 1 inch taller than the stock Wranglers and add about a 1/2 inch more ground clearance. The filling of the tire well is what's noticed the most when compared to the stock set.

http://www.tirerack.com/images/tires/bridgestone/bs_dueler_at_revo_wl_ci2_l.jpg

Here's a picture the Kumho tires I hope to get soon. The tread looks rounded, not knobby.

http://www.truckxpressions.com/images/tires/kumho02.jpg

Here's some information about the tire sizes for tires I've had (1st 2),
--
and summer tires I'm considering (Next 2),
--
the aforementioned tire that works for Empire, and finally the 235/ BFG tires that started the thread:

Section width
8.7" OEM Wrangler 215/70-SR16
9.0" Bridgestone Winter Dueller DM-Z2 225/70-QR16
--
9.4" Kumho Ecsta 235/70-HR16
9.5" Dunlop SPSportA2 235/60-HR16
--
9.5" Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 235/70SR16
9.5" BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A 235/70SR16

Tread width
N/A" OEM Wrangler 215/70-SR16
7.2" Bridgestone Winter Dueller DM-Z2 225/70-QR16
--
N/A" Kumho Ecsta 235/70-HR16
7.4" Dunlop SPSportA2 235/60-HR16
--
6.9" Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 235/70SR16
6.9" BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A 235/70SR16

Overall Diameter
27.7" OEM Wrangler 215/70-SR16
28.5" Bridgestone Winter Dueller DM-Z2 225/70-QR16
--
29.0" Kumho Ecsta 235/70-HR16
27.0" Dunlop SPSportA2 235/60-HR16
--
29.0" Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 235/70SR16
29.2" BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A 235/70SR16

Tires vary so much within a size, it's difficult to say which one is going to interfere and which isn't.

The reason I have both a 60 and a 70 listed for the 235's I am considering, there is no 65. The 60 will lower my car slightly while the 70 will definitely raise it. I think I'd rather lower my car for a better center of gravity, but I'm not sure yet. So I'm still using OEM tires in the summer as of yet...

I also have the Bridgestone Dueler A/T 235/70/16 and have had no issues with them whatsoever. They have awesome performance, aren't really that loud, and give the E a much better look. You can't really go wrong with this tire. I did research on a larger tire before I even bought my E. I knew I didn't really like the stock tire, way too small. Had the new tires on is less than a week.

I'm running Michelin Cross terrain 225/70/16 and they are awesome, but I must say that those Revos look like another super tire.

Empire, I wonder if the 235s ever rub when you have the wheel displaced fully, and are on a rutted road. Seems like a "card" is pretty slim margin.

I actually drive several miles of rough, rutted gravel/dirt roads every week. No signs or sounds of tire rub from what I can tell. Even when in a tight turn across uneven terrain. I do know while parked and with the wheel turned all the way I could just barely fit a finger tip between the edge of the tread and the wheel well. The 235's are definitely a tight fit.

Hello ALL:

Would anyone be able to discuss the impact of the larger tires with respect to:

Overall Ratio's

Changing the overall diameter of the tire in effect changes the final ratio of the "gear, between the tire and the road.

Top end speed
Low end speed / Torque

Unsprung mass.. the tires and wheels weigh considerably more so there is an impact to the suspension of the vehicle?

Thanks

Guess not.
]

Going to 235/70/16 tires, you are increasing tire diameter by about 4%. Changes in gear ratios, torque, speed, etc will also be in that range. To find out the change in tire weight, you will have to look up the spec tables for the specific tire models; it will also depend on the load range of the tire. 4 lb/tire comes to mind.

paulj

This link will help for relative tire size to stock. For weight and clearance you are on your own.

http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

I have General Grabber AT2's on mine, 235/70/16. They are VERY close. I'd bet the BFG's will rub.

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29816

I was researching various tire sizes to put on my stock 16 inch EX wheels, and wanted to keep the same outside diameter. I considered basically three sizes: 215/70/16 (stock tire), and 225/70/16 (about 0.5 inch taller outside diameter but about 0.25 inch taller at axel), and 235/65/16 (0.2 inch slightly taller outside diameter than stock tire). I did not know if the 235's would have interference when turning wheel to side, but the 225's do not have any problems.

I made the decision to purchase four new Dunlap Rover A/T 225/70/16 tires, and am very happy with them. These are some of the feature of this tire that is rated 60,000 miles.

High-density siping - Excellent All-Season performance

Five-pitch variable tread pattern - Very quiet ride

Deep, circumferential grooves with a center rib design - Confident stability

Square shoulder profile - Optimum traction under all conditions

Dimensionally Stable Polyester body plies - Extraordinary uniformity and ride comfort

I've been looking for an inexpensive on/off road tire and was about to give up, but then I found "the deal"... $75 each + tax out the door for new Kuhmos. I've got a steep half mile long gravel drive to negotiate. I've also got an extra set of rims to mount them on.

Here's my problem, I'm looking at a set of Kuhmo Road Venture AT KL78 in 235/70-16... I'd prefer 225's but they don't make them. Does anyone have any input on these tires? Has anyone used them? Do you think they will rub?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes.jsp?make=Kumho&model=Road+Venture+AT+KL-78
http://www.kumhousa.com/Products/PtnDetails.asp?mainCatID=2&PtnID=KL78

Hello ALL:

Would anyone be able to discuss the impact of the larger tires with respect to:

Overall Ratio's

Changing the overall diameter of the tire in effect changes the final ratio of the "gear, between the tire and the road.

Top end speed
Low end speed / Torque

Unsprung mass.. the tires and wheels weigh considerably more so there is an impact to the suspension of the vehicle?

Thanks

Sure.
Taller tire is similar to having a slightly 'taller' gear ratio. The tire rotates fewer times per mile making your speedometer read a bit lower than you are actually traveling. There are on line calculators that will allow you to find the % variation in speedometer reading vs. true speed.

Torque to the pavement will be slightly reduced by the loss of mechanical advantage caused by taller tires. However, I doubt it would be noticable. If you drag race, go with smaller tires.

Top end speed might be slightly effected. Top speed is typically limited by drag or 'air resistance'. Again, I doubt you would notice a difference. Plenty of other minor factors would influence top speed so it would be hard to demonstrate any effect from minor changes in tire size.

As for the suspension, tire and wheel changes can have a big influence. The weight does effect handling and would be noticable to an auto crosser if it went up by any significant amount. It might not be very noticable on the street.

The brakes can be affected. The brakes are designed for wheel/tires of a specific diameter and contact patch. Larger diameter tires can put more stress on the brakes. A bigger contact patch can cause a lot more stress on the brakes prior to locking up. The good news is that brake systems are generally over designed. If properly maintained and monitored you should be ok. They are ulikely to fail without some warning signs.

All that said, the E is not a sports car. The typical tire/wheel changes considered by E owners are not outrageous. 235x70 replacing 215x70 is not going to make any major negative differences in the issues mentioned here.

What is good is replacing the stock wranglers with just about anything improves handling and traction. The stock tires on all Es (not the SC, no opinion here) are a travesty. Trash tires that do not do the car or Honda justice.

I've pretty much decided on buying Pirelli Scorpion ATR's.Of course my quandry is to get 235's or 225's.Does anyone have either of these tires?I go to Mammoth often and the CHP requires all vehicles to carry chains/cables.Can you put cables on the 235's without any rubbing?

I've got Pirelli Scorpion ATR's, bhcollier, but not in a size you're considering (30x9.50x15). Love the tires! Someone here showed a pic of tire cables on an oversized tire, but on a different brand:

http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29175

I put a set of 4, 225/70/16 BFG Long Trail T/A on my 2006 EX-P today and they are working very well. No rubbing. They look more aggressive than "car" tires. I had this brand and type on my old Nisssan Frontier, and they performed very well. Overall, I think they are a good tire for the price and seem to be very popular so local availability is very good.

When I ordered these from the Tire Rack, they called me and noted that they were not the recommended size for the Element and that I needed to ensure that they did not rub or the warranty would be void.