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All Terrain Tires

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by Marcilla Smith, May 14, 2018.

  1. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    After reading through a few other threads on similar topics, and considering my own up-coming tire purchase, i thought I would revive this idea.

    Cutting to the chase, I'm considering replacing my current tires with Yokohama Geolandar g015 all terrains in 205/75R15

    As I understand it, these will be the trade-offs:
    + enhanced traction in poor driving conditions (gravel, mud, snow, rain)
    - decrease in fuel economy, inaccuracy of speedo, reduced cornering

    From my searching, these tires seem to be the A/T's that will most easily fit my Prius, and most closely (short of running some 25" ATV's on a 12" rim with a 5x100 bolt pattern adapter). Before I go through with it, any words of caution on something I may have missed?
     
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  2. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    Sorry, I meant 205/70R15
     
  3. Kevin_Denver

    Kevin_Denver Active Member

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    I don't believe a tire that large will fit without rubbing or modification. The stock 2nd gen size is 185/65R15 or 195/55R16. The car has extra space that allows it to fit 195/65R15, 205/60R15 or 205/55R16 (as long as you don't use snow chains on tires these sizes, the extra space for the snow chains gets "used up".

    205/65R15 will probably slightly rub on big bumps. 205/70R15 will probably rub a lot.

    Granted, if you're adding a lift kit or rolling out the wheel wells, that's a whole 'nother story.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Unless I'm missing something, that's roughly a 1.5" increase in tire radius? I can't see that working: it'll wildly throw off the odometer, and fit??

    upload_2018-5-15_11-11-39.png

    If you're driving conditions are bad, consider another vehicle?
     
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  5. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Assuming you can't buy a car suited to you actual use, have you considered snow tires for off road traction?

    https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=X-Ice+Xi3&partnum=865TR5XI3XL&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2005&autoModel=Prius&autoModClar=

    These are LRR, so will not take the full 10 MPG hit your proposed tires will. They fit your car. The speedometer and odometer will be accurate.

    Gen 2 will cut power any time the tires spin so it will never be ideal. it really sounds like a used Subaru Forester is the vehicle you need.

    Forester 2.5X | eBay
     
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  6. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    Thank you for the responses. I appreciate the feedback.

    Not that anyone said this, but just so there's no confusion, let me give assurance that I did not purchase my Prius with the misunderstanding that it would be ideal for rock-crawling or mud-bogging. I'm now spending less than half of what I previously budgeted for fuel, so it's just that I'm in a position that I can accept a 10% (or 25%, for that matter) drop in fuel economy and still come out ahead.

    Growing up in Florida, snow tires are relatively unfamiliar to me. While they do have an appeal, my understanding is that they are not for year round use, and I need to stick with a single set of tires. If I can use them year round, that would be a possibility.

    Regarding the change in size, as I figure, the sidewall height of the stock 185/65 would be 120.25mm whereas the sidewall height of the 205/70 would be 143.5. This is a difference in radius of 23.25mm or ~0.92".

    As for rubbing when bottoming out, even assuming there's no spare room, wouldn't 1" of lift more than cover it? Even the $20 spacers at Autozone advertise up to 2" of lift possible.

    :: shrugs ::
     
  7. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    Lifting will further reduce MPG.
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Your numbers are right. I meant to calculate rad diff but inadvertently did dia diff, ugh. Even that doesn't explain. And when I do the calc on my phone my result agrees completely, something must have gone pear-shaped in my spreadsheet.

    That said, the increase is still a lot, too much methinks.
     
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  9. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    So in the end, it looks like y'all's advice will prevail. The death knell was my mechanic who assured me that a decent set of all season tires should be adequate for anything that doesn't bottom me out, and that for anything that does, no A/T's will save me, anyway.

    Of course, I interpret this to mean: "if you're throwing the speedo off any way, don't go part way - open up those wheel wells and let's see you put some 32" M/T's in there!"

    In the meantime, therefore, I think I'll pick up a set of Douglas All Season in 185/65R15 :: sigh ::
     
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  10. Kevin_Denver

    Kevin_Denver Active Member

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    Well if you want a touch more ground clearance can go up to a 195/65/R15. This basically corrects the speedo to being exactly accurate anyway. It over-rates 2-3% normally. - which is normal across pretty much all car manufacturer's - IIRC this is due to a lawsuit where someone tried to get a auto manufacturer to pay for speeding tickets.

    I have 205/55/R16s on mine currently and the extra clearance is noticeable on dirt roads.
     
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  11. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    205's work great; 215's fit easy with the right wheels
     
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  12. LDPosse

    LDPosse Member

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    I would love to see a Prius on some aggressive tires. I live on a farm and have nearly gotten mine stuck a few times when I ventured onto soft ground.
     
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  13. 69shovlhed

    69shovlhed Surly tree hugger

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    someone needs to put a prius body on a bronco or S10 frame, complete with a big block
     
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  14. Vman455

    Vman455 Senior Member

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  15. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    The article says they fit 29's on, but how? When I test measure for 215/75R15's, my template hits the spring perch, and that would represent a tire of <28" in diameter :: scratches head ::
     
  16. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    If you are talking about the land speed record Prius, they replaced the suspension, and grinded away the inner fenders. They only ran it on perfectly flat salt. A 215/75R15 I looked up is 27.5 inches
     
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  17. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    Sorry, I meant the Jalopnik article posted by Vman about the Gambler 500 Prius
     
  18. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    The builders are named Matt Kempton and Sarah Cooley. He works for Boeing, and she for Microsoft. They live in Seattle with their cat, Jean Luc Piccat. I can find their social media, but not their contact info.

    Based on graphics on the car, I tried Hoonigan, but they claimed no knowledge. There's also a Kempton Auto in the northeast, but they said they are unaffiliated
     
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  19. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    The article mentions a 3 inch lift kit, I bet that allows larger tires.
     
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  20. Marcilla Smith

    Marcilla Smith Active Member

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    The same company is sending me the lift kit also (the largest was 40mm, so I think the article is a little off on their measurements). The thing is that the strut spacers would go at the top of the strut, which would give more clearance to the wheel wells, but I wouldn't think it would do any good as far as the spring perch.

    My theories are 1) wheel spacers or 2) my measurements do not account enough for the curvature of the tire's cross-section
     
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