Pajero Sport - New Tires /Wheels, Recommendations?

[transam]

As for me, the dealership pumped it at 32/front 35/back, upon receipt. That makes for a taunt ride (feel every "big" bump), but I don't mind as it gives better gas efficiency.

But, tyres wear out quicker if wrong advised pressure.

[SoloFlyer]

Here's some pics, hopefully. The first one should show an example of the 'flakey' bit. Third one down should show where tread is worn to the 'bridge'.

Edited August 21, 2012 by SoloFlyer

[transam]

To be honest the tyre looks perfect to me.

[Spoonman]

To be honest the tyre looks perfect to me.

Same here, I reckon atleast another 10k in those.

[thailoht]

Here's some pics, hopefully. The first one should show an example of the 'flakey' bit. Third one down should show where tread is worn to the 'bridge'.

To be honest the tyre looks perfect to me.

To be honest the tyre looks perfect to me.

Same here, I reckon at least another 10k in those.

Is it me (and SoloFlyer) or what?!! It seems that the groove where the key is inserted is visibly shallower (worn down) more so than the grooves on the other side of the tire. Bad alignment, tie rod, etc.?

[mogandave]

Were it my money, from what I can see of the tires, and assuming what you’ve shown is the worst of it I would move the front back, have the tires all balanced and get an alignment. You do have a good spare, correct?

In the photos, the tread is not worn down to the wear bars. When the tire is down to the minimum tread depth recommended by the manufacturer, the wear bars will form “bald” spots with the tread. The one picture where the tire is run down on the outer edge, looks like an alignment issue. The “flaking” looks to me like you ran over something. New tires or old, running over crap in the road often results in being stuck on the side of the road, sometimes damaging tires beyond repair.

If you have plenty of money and would just like to have new tires, or if you would feel safer and more confident with new tires, than by all means, buy new tires. But remember, the guy at the tire shop makes a living by selling tires, not giving free advice to motorists on how to save money.

When I shop tires I don’t get too caught up worrying about a small price difference. I look for a good shop with competent people and first class equipment close to home and go with it.

[DJH77]

No Claim with Bridgestone but Michilin have a 6 year warranty which nis filled in by the dealer and you are given a copy. If your 2 WD PJS has 16 in wheels why dont you check around and see if you can get a set of the 17in standard wheels, i'm sure that many tyre dealers will have traded them in when guy want 20in wheel which is only for looks in my opinion. I guarantee you these Michelins stick like shit to a blanket.

You never mentioned what model PJS you have. My PJS 3.2Lt GT got 80,000 from the origional Bridgestones on the 17 inch standard wheels and i drive at any average speed of about 120 Ks. I thought about putting Bigger Diameter wheels etc on the car but after a lot of research i decided to stick with the standard 17 in wheels and fitted Michilin Latitude Cross Tyres which are Manufactured in Poland, Not Thailand. These have now done 20,000 Ks and are fantastic. The Wet Weather Grip is so good that i rarely have to go to 4 Wheel Drive where as with the Bridgestones i would engage 4 WD in even the lightest rain and the Michilins out handle them in 2 WD. I Compare these tyres to the Michilins of the early 1970's. If you drove on Michilin X tyres which had a very high milage factor but where Not good in the Wet and then Bought the then New Michelin XAS the transformation was unbelievable on both Dry and Wet Conditions. These Latitude Cross are exactely the same, In fact the tread pattern even reminds me of the XAS which i actually Raced on in Touring Cars in Oz before Slicks hit the market.. When you look at them on the Michilin Site or at a dealer which is the way to go you will see what i mean. And don't think that because of the Chunky Tread Pattern that they will be Noisy because they are Not, they are just as quiet as Highway style tread patterns and the wear factor seems to be very good, mine have worn from 1 to 1,5 mm in the first 20,000 K's. The recommended Retail Price from Michelin is 7,690 Baht per tyre so don't be ripped off as in Ubon i was quoted 8,500 Bht but in Mukdahan they actually Discounted them to 7,500 each. So my recommendation is to Save Your Money and Stick to the Standard 17 inch Wheels that the car was designed to run on and Fit these Michilin Latitude Cross Tyres and you will be Super Happy and a Whole Lot Safer.

Thanks. Great post. Its the 2010 2.5L 2wd. 80K on originals???? wow. I drive .... mixed. Dont hoon, sometimes agressive, but never screeching, use gears to help break, try to keep revs moderate ...

If I only got 40k with regular service and keeping an eye on pressure levels, I don't suppose I could make a claim??

[Jitar]

SoloFlyer, I'm curious what "original" tyres you have. I don't think you mentioned the type or the pressure you use.

The recent PJS / Fortuner / Vigo all used Bridgestone Dueler HT 384 tyre (I think), but your tyres look different.

The pictures of our Bridgestones after 70,000 km show a more blocky, closer tread with more even wear than yours.

Your tyres tread looks low on the shoulder but better in the centre. This might be from the original design or uneven wear from alignment or low pressure.

Are all 4 tyres the same?

The flaking you mention looks like a cut to me, maybe from rocks or sheet metal. Looks to be some cracking at the base of the tread but that may be aging. How old are the tyres? You can check the DOT code on the sidewall.

I would not rely to much on the service mechanic for tyre advice. A Decent tyre shop should be able to do an alignment and tell you if it is out etc.

[SoloFlyer]

Thanks for all this great input guys, really, really appreciate it as I'm no expert.

[SoloFlyer]

Thailot: Yeah, thats my concern. I know the middle of the tire looks fine, but that outer/inner ring looks low. I would have thought alignment would be checked at the 10k services??

[SoloFlyer]

DJ, I will look into the Michellins. thx.

[SoloFlyer]

According to the tire wall:

Bridgestone Dueller 265/70 R16

112S

BT 575418

D840NZ

1V CEF 3410

I keep them at 30psi at the front, 32 back.

We swapped front and back at the 40k service, now 2k ago.

[SoloFlyer]

SoloFlyer, I'm curious what "original" tyres you have. I don't think you mentioned the type or the pressure you use.

The recent PJS / Fortuner / Vigo all used Bridgestone Dueler HT 384 tyre (I think), but your tyres look different.

The pictures of our Bridgestones after 70,000 km show a more blocky, closer tread with more even wear than yours.

Your tyres tread looks low on the shoulder but better in the centre. This might be from the original design or uneven wear from alignment or low pressure.

Are all 4 tyres the same?

The flaking you mention looks like a cut to me, maybe from rocks or sheet metal. Looks to be some cracking at the base of the tread but that may be aging. How old are the tyres? You can check the DOT code on the sidewall.

I would not rely to much on the service mechanic for tyre advice. A Decent tyre shop should be able to do an alignment and tell you if it is out etc.

Yeah, I'm not trusting the service guy - I pointed the wear out to him and he suggested another 5k before changing. But he's got no incentive for me to change sooner than needed, right? That's why Im asking here before going to a tire shop, where I'm sure they will be pushing the cause for change.

[thailoht]

Thanks for all this great input guys, really, really appreciate it as I'm no expert.

Thailot: Yeah, that.s my concern. I know the middle of the tire looks fine, but that outer/inner ring looks low. I would have thought alignment would be checked at the 10k services??

According to the tire wall:

Bridgestone Dueller 265/70 R16

112S

BT 575418

D840NZ

1V CEF 3410

I keep them at 30psi at the front, 32 back.

We swapped front and back at the 40k service, now 2k ago.

Now we're getting the rest of the story.....

Driving 40K km on a set of tires w/o at the very least rotating (swapping) them or or alignment checks, you're begging for trouble.

Just being straight up, and especially here in LOS, it's pertinent for all car owners to become familiar with the basic mechanics of their vehicle. Trust others to do this for you at your peril.

As for the tires, (as well as oil changes, etc.), the more often they are performed / rotated the better - I rotate every 5K km but you could stretch it to10K km intervals), it's the driver's responsibility to know and dictate when the tires are to be rotated. I would have regular alignment checks, too:

For purposes of this, a simplified explanation is that the tires are held in position, (aligned), perpendicular to the road surface (so that the tire can wear evenly all the way across its tread) by a series of metal rods and components that are connected together with (rubber) bushings, bolts and nuts. The further you drive and the more obstacles your wheels encounter, the greater the chance of those 'bolts' loosening and the otherwise tight-fitting rubber bushings 'wearing down' and becoming loose, too. The extent of this 'loosening' and 'wearing down' will be the degree that your tires are 'less than perpendicular to the road surface' ('cocked' on an angle or 'tilted' - tire's tread is not uniformly siting on the road surface) or 'out-of-alignmenment' - and thus your post here. If you keep this picture always in mind when it comes to scheduled interval checks and changes, your vehicle will give you that much more trouble-free service. The fancier the wheel, tire or component, the more exponentially you must check and adjust as indicated to maintain their condition.

In your present circumstance, I would immediately have your alignment checked, then, you could keep those 'worn edge tires' on the rear axle and drive on them until you have worn any of your tires down to the 'bridge' (bar) or until the 'front' tires show any 'extreme' wear (which they won't if you adhere to the above check and change regiment).

Edited August 22, 2012 by thailoht

[fredob43]

Thailoht, I had my Yokohamas swapped front to rear at 30,000 km. Have not rechecked alignment yet but probably should.

Tyre manufacturer sometime quote indices for tread wear / compound softness but they are not consistent. The easiest crude comparison is the speed rating. Many of the standard light truck tyres like the Bridgestone Dueler HT are S rated. The more performance oriented tyres are rated higher like the V rated Yokohama Parada Spec-X. While either is fine, the higher speed rating usually means a more expensive performance oriented tyre that will wear faster.

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expencive around 10,000bt each Edited August 22, 2012 by fredob43

[transam]

Thailoht, I had my Yokohamas swapped front to rear at 30,000 km. Have not rechecked alignment yet but probably should.

Tyre manufacturer sometime quote indices for tread wear / compound softness but they are not consistent. The easiest crude comparison is the speed rating. Many of the standard light truck tyres like the Bridgestone Dueler HT are S rated. The more performance oriented tyres are rated higher like the V rated Yokohama Parada Spec-X. While either is fine, the higher speed rating usually means a more expensive performance oriented tyre that will wear faster.

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expencive around 10,000bt each

You have correctly pointed out how a minor pressure difference really does make a lot of difference.

[mogandave]

And be advised, the manufacturer’s recommendation is cold pressure. Measure this in the morning before you drive the vehicle. This will most always allow you the best ride out of the OEM tires.

When you’re driving and the tires get hot, the pressure will increase 1-3 PSI. If you are inflating your tires to the manufacturer’s recommendation when they are hot, you are under inflating.

[fredob43]

And be advised, the manufacturer’s recommendation is cold pressure. Measure this in the morning before you drive the vehicle. This will most always allow you the best ride out of the OEM tires.

When you’re driving and the tires get hot, the pressure will increase 1-3 PSI. If you are inflating your tires to the manufacturer’s recommendation when they are hot, you are under inflating.

Agree, I have a tyre pressure gauge fitted in the car read out every 10 second's or so on each tyre, start off cold 29psi but if I do a long run in hot weather they can go up to 34psi and that's normal driving. 2 or 3psi just round town on a 15 min: run. I think it's called hot road's.

[Jitar]

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expencive around 10,000bt each

That is remarkable mileage for performance tyres. I believe the sizes available are limited but if the OP is still interested in going to larger wheels, a set of these and an alignment might be a good solution.

[thailoht]

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expensive around 10,000bt each

That is remarkable mileage for performance tyres. I believe the sizes available are limited but if the OP is still interested in going to larger wheels, a set of these and an alignment might be a good solution.

These tires have limited sizes though are ranked almost as highly as the the Yokohama Paradas though surprisingly(?), not as high in tread-wear category. With the Dueler H/P on a smaller wheel plus the (theoretically?) more appropriate(?) tire pressure in relation to OEM recommendation that fredob43 maintained, maybe this is why the nice tread wear kilometers?

Edited August 22, 2012 by thailoht

[hedonist44]

Thailoht, I had my Yokohamas swapped front to rear at 30,000 km. Have not rechecked alignment yet but probably should.

Tyre manufacturer sometime quote indices for tread wear / compound softness but they are not consistent. The easiest crude comparison is the speed rating. Many of the standard light truck tyres like the Bridgestone Dueler HT are S rated. The more performance oriented tyres are rated higher like the V rated Yokohama Parada Spec-X. While either is fine, the higher speed rating usually means a more expensive performance oriented tyre that will wear faster.

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expencive around 10,000bt each

On my Fortuner I got 140 kms out of the original set of tires and they could have gone more, but the brakes needed to be changed so did it all at one go. I like a softer ride plus I'm out in the field a lot running in soft sand and mud so I run 32psi in the fronts and 29psi in the rear. Works great for my application.

[mogandave]

Thailoht, I had my Yokohamas swapped front to rear at 30,000 km. Have not rechecked alignment yet but probably should.

Tyre manufacturer sometime quote indices for tread wear / compound softness but they are not consistent. The easiest crude comparison is the speed rating. Many of the standard light truck tyres like the Bridgestone Dueler HT are S rated. The more performance oriented tyres are rated higher like the V rated Yokohama Parada Spec-X. While either is fine, the higher speed rating usually means a more expensive performance oriented tyre that will wear faster.

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expencive around 10,000bt each

On my Fortuner I got 140 kms out of the original set of tires and they could have gone more, but the brakes needed to be changed so did it all at one go. I like a softer ride plus I'm out in the field a lot running in soft sand and mud so I run 32psi in the fronts and 29psi in the rear. Works great for my application.

Wow, the most I ever got was about a 100K

[Jitar]

I have Dueler H/P V rated on my Fortuner sportivo standard fit, had them checked last week was told only about 40% worn and that's after 55/th kl and no I don't drive slow. Toyota recommend 30 psi all round I put in 29 as it's feel's better. But they are expensive around 10,000bt each

That is remarkable mileage for performance tyres. I believe the sizes available are limited but if the OP is still interested in going to larger wheels, a set of these and an alignment might be a good solution.

These tires have limited sizes though are ranked almost as highly as the the Yokohama Paradas though surprisingly(?), not as high in tread-wear category. With the Dueler H/P on a smaller wheel plus the (theoretically?) more appropriate(?) tire pressure in relation to OEM recommendation that fredob43 maintained, maybe this is why the nice tread wear kilometers?

Assuming everyone is talking cold pressure, most posters seem to be close to recommended values. fredob43 said he uses 1 psi less than Toyota recommend with the Deuler H/P. The OP and most other posters are 1 or 2 psi more. I doubt that would change tyre wear much.

On my Fortuner I got 140 kms out of the original set of tires and they could have gone more, but the brakes needed to be changed so did it all at one go. I like a softer ride plus I'm out in the field a lot running in soft sand and mud so I run 32psi in the fronts and 29psi in the rear. Works great for my application.

That is excellent mileage. Were they the Dueler H/P (TRD) or the standard Fortuner Dueler H/T?

Any other Dueler H/P users with comments on tyre mileage and perfomance?

[thailoht]

Assuming everyone is talking cold pressure, most posters seem to be close to recommended values. fredob43 said he uses 1 psi less than Toyota recommend with the Deuler H/P. The OP and most other posters are 1 or 2 psi more. I doubt that would change tyre wear much.

That's my point exactly! It's those who go 'off-the-reservation' so to speak with their tire pressures to get a 'comfortable ride' or to get the best fuel usage et., etc.,, (instead of focusing on whether their tire's entire tread width is sitting evenly on the pavement - as they should be) that are bound to shorten their tires tread wear life expectancy.

The optimum tire pressure (usually the mfg recommended) is the one that keeps the tire tread evenly in contact with the road across the entire width of the tread. To the degree one has more or less air pressure from their 'optimum' tire pressure - the tire tread begins to 'bulge' (assumes the shape of a concave aka the shape of a semi-colon in the form of a 'smile') or assumes a 'convex shape' (aka the shape of a semi-colon in the form of a 'frown').

The biggest problem is the lack of a readily available chart or calculations that lists the optimum tire pressures for upgrades of any compatible tire (size or load class) / wheel combination for all vehicles.....

Edited August 23, 2012 by thailoht

[PETERTHEEATER]

The standard Bridgestone Dueler HT on PJS, Fortuner etc. should last a lot longer than 40,000 km. The Fortuner we have with these tyres currently has done 70,000 km and will do maybe another 10,000km. We have had Michelin and Maxxis tyres running similar distances. I reckon there would need to be an alignment or tyre quality problem or extreme driving to wear a set at 40k.

My 2005 Fortuner (2.7 Auto AWD L/R gearbox) has just clocked 157,000 kms on the original set of Bridgestone Dueller H/T tyres. I have always rotated then at 20k intervals, maintained correct (Toyota advised) pressures. I have never rotated the spare in although there are different arguments about doing so.Apart from one slow puncture in the first year no other tyre problems. Now down to the treadwear bars on one tyre she will have a new set of Duellers this week.

[JaiLai]

The standard Bridgestone Dueler HT on PJS, Fortuner etc. should last a lot longer than 40,000 km. The Fortuner we have with these tyres currently has done 70,000 km and will do maybe another 10,000km. We have had Michelin and Maxxis tyres running similar distances. I reckon there would need to be an alignment or tyre quality problem or extreme driving to wear a set at 40k.

My 2005 Fortuner (2.7 Auto AWD L/R gearbox) has just clocked 157,000 kms on the original set of Bridgestone Dueller H/T tyres. I have always rotated then at 20k intervals, maintained correct (Toyota advised) pressures. I have never rotated the spare in although there are different arguments about doing so.Apart from one slow puncture in the first year no other tyre problems. Now down to the treadwear bars on one tyre she will have a new set of Duellers this week.

Cool name!

[mogandave]

Pick the best old tire for the spare and you can sell the “new” spare to the tire shop….

[hedonist44]

"That is excellent mileage. Were they the Dueler H/P (TRD) or the standard Fortuner Dueler H/T?

Any other Dueler H/P users with comments on tyre mileage and perfomance?"

​They were the Standard Fortuner Dueler H/T. I now have Michelins bolted onto her and like the ride much more. Will I get the same milage as before, don't know and not sure I care. It rides great and feels very safe doing a good clip on the highway though Lampang and coming into Lamphun when driving to Cm for the monthly trip home.

[SoloFlyer]

Went to mitsu yesterday, and their alignment machine is out of action (out of alignment??). They say they rotate every 20k, but will more frequently if asked, so will def do every 10k.

[mogandave]

Get your tire work done at a tire shop.