1976gmc20

Is it okay to run different tread patterns of the same size tire on the front and back of a Jeep with Selec-trac (has the "full-time" 4wd option)


For example, highway tread on the front and all-season on the rear. I've done this with 4wd pickups (part time 4wd) many times in the past.

Crazy 8s

If they are the same O.D., all should be well.

1976gmc20

Thanks


Should be the same OD except for slight variation between brand/wear/tread.


I hope to just buy 4 new LT235/75R15 to replace the P225's that it came with, but I've got a bunch of partial sets of LT235's that have come off my Suburban over the years, so I might just use them up on the XJ which is way lighter than the V1500. The gravel roads out here are really hard on tires and I wonder if the P tires will even last the summer even though they have lots of tread left.

Turbo X_J

Depending on how old these tires in question are, you may just be better off scrapping them.

Cheddarnut

As long as they are same size it doesn't hurt. I would try and keep them in groups of two, keep one style up front and one in the back.

Good point by Turbo above. If the tires are old, ditch them. It's not worth a blow out at 70 to save a few bucks. That size starts around 75 bucks new, that's 300 plus mount and balance for piece of mind.

1976gmc20

Last ones I bought for the Suburban were $130 each a couple years ago and that was the cheapest they had


I've got a couple of highway tread Toyos and a couple of m/s Hancooks that I thought I might put on for a while, but yeah - I'd rather buy new.


Also would be nice to get some more wheels and mount up some of these used ones for extra spares.

DFlintstone

I might measure them to double check they ARE really the same diameter. Different makes can be different. Just on GP. It shouldn't bind in full time anyway.

Stabsthedrama

Rule of thumb - anything that keeps you off the ground is worth spending good money on.

Tires, mattresses, chairs, shoes, boots, sleeping bags/pads, etc...

Anyway I would always recommend having matching, good tires on a Jeep. One less thing to cause wobble.

1976gmc20

Maybe I could do better getting tires online but I still have to have them mounted. The thing is that we have been doing business with the same shop in town since 1997.


The roads out here just eat tires and we were always having a flat and ruining one on the Suburban - hence all the remaining sets of 2 or 3

mschi772

I buy all my tires from Tirerack or Discount Tire Direct so far and have never spent more than $100 per tire. They ship directly to a shop of your choosing for mounting. I just bought a set of 5 Kumho APT's to use as 3-season tires for $85 each and had them mounted for $15 each. $100 per tire TOTAL that time. I use P235/75R15. LT is usually unnecessary on an XJ unless you're into some really rough wheeling. Heck, a Suburban prolly doesn't need LT unless hauling heavy loads. If I had wanted AT's, there were many fantastic options available for only about $15 more per tire. If I were you, I'd be using a whole new set instead of mixing and matching old partial sets.

1976gmc20

An empty Suburban is a heavy load. We can't hardly keep tires on the darn thing because of 15" wheels on the old "square bodies" and only C range tires available. Of course the newer ones (and my 1989 K1500 p/u) come with 16" and you can put load range E on those. Unfortunately the wheels don't swap.


So I'm hoping that LT235 C range will hold up okay on our XJ out here on these rocky roads, being that it's about a ton lighter.


The LT235/75R15 Kumhos were $130 per tire at our local shop.


I've got a virtually brand new P235/75R15 that was the original spare for the Suburban that I'm thinking of using for a spare to match a new set of LT235's.

mschi772

Local shops haven't been able to compete with online suppliers for me for quite some time. I have no use for them beyond their mounting and balancing service.

Often, C-rated LT and standard load P are about the same load rating by the way. They're just two different construction standards (LT and P).

If you want more toughness, seeking higher load ratings is a rather indirect way to go about achieving that goal. LT's do tend to be a little tougher than P's, but going up to D or E rated will only provide minimal increases in toughness while increasing the price and reducing your ride quality.

If I was you: Buy an tire with a load rating appropriate for the vehicle it is under (LT C under the Jeep for sure; anything from C to E depending on the loads carried by the Suburban) and make it a model with tougher construction if that is necessary. General Grabber AT2 is a great tire and a relatively tough tire compared to other AT's for example ($112 on Tirerack).

1976gmc20

What about when you need a flat fixed in a hurry? I'd rather have a good relationship with a local shop than just be the guy that buys his tires elsewhere and uses them as pawns for mounting/balancing. Maybe it's different in the big city where you can just go down the street a few blocks and find five more tire shops.




And my (and most of my neighbors') experience is that the higher load rated tires do hold up much better and longer. The E rated tires just don't get flats except for an occasional nail/screw but they don't get the often irreparable rock breaks very often (the very reason that I have a bunch of incomplete sets of LT235 C range tires lying around ).


Actually the old bias ply 700-15 tires held up to gravel road damage much better but then you paid a penalty in tread wear, traction, ride quality, etc compared to radials.

Morat

+1 Vote for the Grabbers! Superb all rounders for a good price and they wear well under an XJ.

Crazy 8s

I don't think tire shops make that much money from the tire sales themselves, rather they make their money from the service of putting them on your wheels and balancing them and whatnot. I am sure they would still be very happy to mount your tires on your wheels even if you bought the tires elsewhere.