Truck Tires & Suspension Help

[r136dg]

I have an older (2008) Isuzu 4x4 with low mileage I would like to keep. Don't use it often but when I do, the ride is horrible.

Can anyone recommend tires (245/70R16) that are soft enough for gripping the roads (dirty or wet)? I don't care if they wear fast as long as they improve the ride & hold to the road for safety.

Also shocks. The local auto parts store sell them cheap, but I can't get a good answer on quality shocks that keep the wheels on the road in all conditions while improving the comfort of the ride.

Appreciate any experience & advise on this!

[KannikaP]

Which tyres and shocks did Izuzu put on originally, and what pressure are you putting in?

I have a Vigo for which Toyota recommend in the manual 29psi all round. After a recent service I noticed that the ride was very bumpy & hard. Checked the pressure they had put in.......35 psi. Let them down to 29 = perfect.

[Dante99]

Got my tires rotated last week and the mechanic said I had a worn out lower ball joint that needed to be replaced.  He was correct, the truck rides much smoother with the new ball joints.

 

You might try to find a good tire shop where they have mechanic that can check your suspension, no tires or shocks are going to help much if you have worn out ball joints or some other suspension issue.

[transam]

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Which tyres and shocks did Izuzu put on originally, and what pressure are you putting in?

I have a Vigo for which Toyota recommend in the manual 29psi all round. After a recent service I noticed that the ride was very bumpy & hard. Checked the pressure they had put in.......35 psi. Let them down to 29 = perfect.

29psi is the pressure for Vigo with 265 tyres, the same year ride with 245's will have a different psi, but yes, on a Vigo a couple of pounds over will make a difference to the comfort zone.....

[Liverpool Lou]

If the ride has always been "horrible" (it is a cart-sprung pickup, after all) new shocks won't help except to restore the original "horrible" ride.  Softer springs are what will provide a more comfortable ride than standard (to you), but that's an option that will be much more difficult to source than new, quality shocks (unless you're prepared to take leaves out of the springs).  Or, take it to Isuzu, or buy OE Isuzu shock absorbers.

Edited April 2, 2023 by Liverpool Lou

[r136dg]

Thanks for the input. Interestingly, and maybe it's accounting for a load, the book & door say 29 front/41 rear. The 225's, which I don't have says 54 rear. Seams pretty high in the rear without a load. I've been running 32 in the rear.

That said, I still need tires & shocks. Tires are of age & shocks have showed signs of leaking some time ago. Last rotation I had an alignment done & everything checked out mechanically.

I'll do some more research on the shocks, but probably go with OEM as Liverpool Lou said.

I was hoping someone might have had a Wow moment with some brand of truck tires here. I've had those impressed moments with certain motorcycle tires, and no doubt, some disappointments also.

Couldn't find anything through the search here, but found this & more searching internet.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1041402-new-tires-for-my-truck/

I'll add, driving my wife's new car & riding my new bike most likely made me more sensitive to all this.

Thanks again!

[JoeW]

Tires: Falken Wildpeak AT3/W. Really good tire and price is reasonable. Quiet, grippy, good wear, etc.

Shocks: Profender Adjustable Shocks (yellow) is really good. Around 18.000 for 4.

[r136dg]

That's some great help JoeW! Just what I'm looking for.

https://www.profender-shocks.com/adjustable-Gas-Shock-D-Max.html

https://stamfordtyresthailand.com/product/tyres/falken/wildpeak-at3wa/

[JoeW]

2 hours ago, r136dg said:

That's some great help JoeW! Just what I'm looking for.

https://www.profender-shocks.com/adjustable-Gas-Shock-D-Max.html

https://stamfordtyresthailand.com/product/tyres/falken/wildpeak-at3wa/

Yeah, I have them on my Ranger and I am satisfied with them. Profender shocks are available throughout Thailand, but Falken might be a bit harder to find. Big shops will carry them though.

[DavisH]

17 hours ago, r136dg said:

That's some great help JoeW! Just what I'm looking for.

https://www.profender-shocks.com/adjustable-Gas-Shock-D-Max.html

https://stamfordtyresthailand.com/product/tyres/falken/wildpeak-at3wa/

Michelin suv+ are also available in your quoted size. I don't think you will get more comfortable and quiet than that. I've heard good things about profender. They have a number of different applications. 

[Issanman]

I replaced the Bridgestone Dueler HT tires on my pickup yesterday with Michelin LTX Trail tires. There is a big difference in the smoothness of the ride. The steering feels more precise also. Highly recommended.

[NanLaew]

On 4/11/2023 at 2:44 PM, Issanman said:

I replaced the Bridgestone Dueler HT tires on my pickup yesterday with Michelin LTX Trail tires. There is a big difference in the smoothness of the ride. The steering feels more precise also. Highly recommended.

How old/hard were the Duelers? If they were end-of-life, pretty much any new tire will provide a ride epiphany. Not saying that your Michelin's are a poor choice mind you. They were on my list but I replaced the 6 year-old Duelers on the Ranger with Maxxis rubber and even infrequent driver Mrs NL commented on the difference.

 

Now the Ranger is 8 years old, I think I may pursue a set of those Profender shocks. I have seen reasonably priced Monroe shock kits on lazada but are they genuine?

[Issanman]

5 hours ago, NanLaew said:

How old/hard were the Duelers? If they were end-of-life, pretty much any new tire will provide a ride epiphany. Not saying that your Michelin's are a poor choice mind you. They were on my list but I replaced the 6 year-old Duelers on the Ranger with Maxxis rubber and even infrequent driver Mrs NL commented on the difference.

 

The Duelers were from 2017 and had 42000km on them.