265/75/15 availability

[Dazed & Confused]

Hi,

I've got some 265/75/15 BFG AT K02s on my Hilux (actually 31/10.5-R15) and have found them to be frankly excellent for our preferred mix of on and off road.

We're looking at starting a longer trip across Asia (the 'stans, Russia, Mongolia, etc.) in the new year, and the tyres have 20,000+ miles on them now, so I'm on the fence about keeping them, or starting with fresh ones.

If I'm going to spend the money on a new set, one major consideration is how easy it would be to get replacements of a similar size in case we irreparably damage one. I know lots of people prefer 16s for this reason, but given Hiluxs came with 15s as standard for a long time does that mean 15 inch tyres are relatively common too?

Thanks in advance.

 

[nitro_rat]

I haven't been to Russia or Mongolia but I have been to Europe, the Middle East, SE Asia, and Central/South America. Mexico and Central America are really the only places I've seen large numbers of older Hilux trucks. Everywhere else has newer Hilux trucks. I'd say you could probably GET 15" tires but they may not be IN STOCK. Good luck with your travels!!!

 

[Dazed & Confused]

I'd say you could probably GET 15" tires but they may not be IN STOCK. Good luck with your travels!!!

Thanks. But 16" ones would be in stock, I assume? Would there be a choice of sizes (e.g. 265/75r16), or does it tend to be a standard size?

 

[nitro_rat]

you never can really tell what will be in stock out there. some areas still run some really old style looking tires (like 7.00x16 etc). i'm not sure what size is on a newer hilux (i can try to look at one tomorrow) but that tire would probably be obtainable anywhere tires are obtainable...

 

[WOODY2]

Hi,

I've got some 265/75/15 BFG AT K02s on my Hilux (actually 31/10.5-R15) and have found them to be frankly excellent for our preferred mix of on and off road.

We're looking at starting a longer trip across Asia (the 'stans, Russia, Mongolia, etc.) in the new year, and the tyres have 20,000+ miles on them now, so I'm on the fence about keeping them, or starting with fresh ones.

If I'm going to spend the money on a new set, one major consideration is how easy it would be to get replacements of a similar size in case we irreparably damage one. I know lots of people prefer 16s for this reason, but given Hiluxs came with 15s as standard for a long time does that mean 15 inch tyres are relatively common too?

Thanks in advance.

I would replace them but strap the best 2 onto your rig for spares for the spare. If they become cumbersome I'm sure some local would love your castoffs.

 

[1stDeuce]

You may find that a 31x10.50R15 is more widely available than a 265/75R15, and I wouldn't hesitate to mix the two if you had to replace one...
In the countries you mention, I would suspect that finding ANY 15" tire in truck-ish size and "in stock" may be fairly difficult...
I wouild take two spares if you have room, and call it good. I see no reason to replace good tires, but you could always buy two more matching what you have and bump the two most worn tires to spare duty. I'd probalby only mount one spare on a wheel. Keeping the 2nd unmounted simply saves weight. Easy enough to spoon it on when and if you need it.

 

[Dazed & Confused]

31x10.50R15 is more widely available than a 265/75R15, and I wouldn't hesitate to mix the two if you had to replace one

Thanks - yeah, I definitely had that in mind to effectively give me a choice of 2 sizes.

I would suspect that finding ANY 15" tire in truck-ish size and "in stock" may be fairly difficult...

Yeah - that's my main concern.

I actually realised there's a lot more miles on the current set than I thought, and they're pretty worn in places. I'm more and more tempted to just jump to 16-inch. There's 5 of us, so finding space for a second spare isn't so easy - even for a tyre only there's no obvious place that wouldn't impede access, even if we added a swinging rear-mounted wheel holder somehow. It makes the idea of having more easily sourced replacements that much more appealing.

If I was to go to 16-inch, 265/75R16 are actually very close to what we've got now, but I have no idea if it's a common tyre size. Or there's 235/85R16, which I understand are a popular choice, and from reading around seem to be common in Asia too.

 

[1stDeuce]

Both are common here in the states. They're also pretty much the same height, so if you could only find the opposite of what you're running, it's still OK to use it as a spare.

I personally like tires that are a bit more skinny, so my choice for our Comanche was 235/85R16. They keep the truck cleaner, take less time to air up or down, and tend to do well in both muddy conditions, and soft when properly aired down. I would think the 235/85 might be a more common size in Asia...

The downside is that the 265's are usually available in a Load Range C tire, which is probably all you need, while the 235/85's are LR E only. I have not found this to be a ride quality issue on our Comanche. I run the LR E tires at 30-33 psi and they ride very well. I air them down to 15psi and they soften right up and float well on sand too. A normal 235/85 is probably not heavier than a load range C 265. Or not enough to notice, anyway.