Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
With a big winter storm coming and forecasts of snow and plunging temps, I decided it was time to put new tires on the Pathy. The Kumhos that were on it originally were getting worn out and they appeared to be pretty marginal for the snow anyway (they were really just cheap, cheap street tires, the kind you put on when you just need new tires and you don't care about whether they're any good.)
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Since size was an issue I thought I'd post up here. Factory size on the R50 Pathfinder SE is 255/65/16 which works out to about a 29.05" diameter tire. The Kumhos were 235/70/16 which is the same diameter as the factory tire but almost an inch narrower.
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The tire itself I'd already picked based on previous experience: The Cooper Discoverer M+S. I had those on my '07 4runner when I first bought it in 2012 and I remember being very impressed at how well they handled in snow. It doesn't hurt that they are also pretty bargain priced ($100/ea.)
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Wanting to go a little taller (the better to go over the snow vs. through it) I spent a lot of time on the Discount Tire web page comparing tire sizes. 245/70 would have gotten me to a nominal size of about 29.5", while 245/75 would have gotten me to 31.4. I could have split the difference and gone with 255/70, which would have restored the factory width and been about a 30" tire, but for some reason that size isn't offered in our market. Ultimately I decided to take a chance on the 245/75's. While it seemed like a big jump to go from 29" to 31.4" I looked at the wheel wells and decided that an additional 3/4" of radius should fit just fine.
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Turns out I was right, no fitment issues with the new tires and they fill the wheel wells up nicely:
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Close up of wheel wells:
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I haven't checked my speedo/odometer to see how much they're off (to be honest I never checked it before either.) Hoping these might lead to a slight increase in MPG (due to the bigger diameter) but either way they should serve me well in the snow and also the occasional dirt or forest service road.
.
Since size was an issue I thought I'd post up here. Factory size on the R50 Pathfinder SE is 255/65/16 which works out to about a 29.05" diameter tire. The Kumhos were 235/70/16 which is the same diameter as the factory tire but almost an inch narrower.
.
The tire itself I'd already picked based on previous experience: The Cooper Discoverer M+S. I had those on my '07 4runner when I first bought it in 2012 and I remember being very impressed at how well they handled in snow. It doesn't hurt that they are also pretty bargain priced ($100/ea.)
.
Wanting to go a little taller (the better to go over the snow vs. through it) I spent a lot of time on the Discount Tire web page comparing tire sizes. 245/70 would have gotten me to a nominal size of about 29.5", while 245/75 would have gotten me to 31.4. I could have split the difference and gone with 255/70, which would have restored the factory width and been about a 30" tire, but for some reason that size isn't offered in our market. Ultimately I decided to take a chance on the 245/75's. While it seemed like a big jump to go from 29" to 31.4" I looked at the wheel wells and decided that an additional 3/4" of radius should fit just fine.
.
Turns out I was right, no fitment issues with the new tires and they fill the wheel wells up nicely:
.
.
Close up of wheel wells:
.
.
.
I haven't checked my speedo/odometer to see how much they're off (to be honest I never checked it before either.) Hoping these might lead to a slight increase in MPG (due to the bigger diameter) but either way they should serve me well in the snow and also the occasional dirt or forest service road.