[makes]

Hi Guys,

I am currently restoring an LJ80 Stockman and need to get hold of some new tyres for it. The car is still running original 16 inch steel rims (5" inch wide) fitted with ancient Dunlop tyres marked with 6.00-16 4Ply.

I would like to keep the original rims. However 6.00-16 seems to be an obsolete sizing standard, I was wondering if anyone had any advice/suggestions for new tyres that might be suitable?.

Thanks

[Fatzook]

They are in melbourne, but they may have a stockist up here.

If you are restoring to original, you can't go past a set of 6.00 x 16 bar treads.

Antique Tyres

[Ben_Sierra]

600-16s are still available.

Antique Tyres stock them, though at a price. Other places can get them too. Firestone still produce a 600-16 bar tread tyre, and there are some Indian knock offs floating around.

I've recently been quoted around 140 each for the Indian ones and 170ish for the Firestones. Keep shopping, you cannot beat those tyres for looks on the LJ...

[303zuke]

205R16 will be a close fit, but fractionally wider. You can find tyre suppliers who buy these from Toyota dealers who have removed Dunlop Road Grippers from Hiluxes as virtually new tyres for 50% of the price. I had a set of these on an LJ 50 and they were fine, being a Radial tyre they were certainly much safer on wet roads than crossply Bar Treads, but not as agressive as BFG Mud Terrains.

Suzuki owners are cheap charlies.

[Ben_Sierra]

But Road Grippers won't look anything like as good on an LJ...

[Highway-Star]

303zuke wrote:

205R16 will be a close fit, but fractionally wider. You can find tyre suppliers who buy these from Toyota dealers who have removed Dunlop Road Grippers from Hiluxes as virtually new tyres for 50% of the price. I had a set of these on an LJ 50 and they were fine, being a Radial tyre they were certainly much safer on wet roads than crossply Bar Treads, but not as agressive as BFG Mud Terrains.

Suzuki owners are cheap charlies.

I would have thought the 205 a bit too wide on a 4.5" wide rim? was it OK?


There was also a Suzuki optional tyre size of 6.50-16 (am not sure whether it was only certain markets), a bit bigger than a 6.00-16, but they seem to be a bit more available than 6.00-16's.

[Zook_Fan]

my LWB had 6.50-16 on the tyre placard.

[303zuke]

Highway-Star wrote:

303zuke wrote:

205R16 will be a close fit, but fractionally wider. You can find tyre suppliers who buy these from Toyota dealers who have removed Dunlop Road Grippers from Hiluxes as virtually new tyres for 50% of the price. I had a set of these on an LJ 50 and they were fine, being a Radial tyre they were certainly much safer on wet roads than crossply Bar Treads, but not as agressive as BFG Mud Terrains.

Suzuki owners are cheap charlies.

I would have thought the 205 a bit too wide on a 4.5" wide rim? was it OK?

I was quite happy with them for the price. They were slightly taller and wider (but not massively so) and didn't scrub. They were quieter and handled better than the Barneys. Off-road, they weren't the best tread for sticky mud, but they performed well all round.

I've been trying to find a pic of them on my LJ, but this is the closest I've dug out. The LJ81 has 205R16 Wranglers, while the Sierra Ute in front has 7.00-16 Olympic Trojans

[303zuke]

The BEST thing with skinny tyres is that they tuck up nicely in all positions of lock and wheel articulation and don't scrub on the body or suspension, but the WORST thing is that the most commonly available ones are crossply construction and usually too heavy a ply rating for a poor 'lil Zuke, which absolutely sucks for noise, ride and handling. Suzuki tyres need to be 4 ply, but most of the ones available are 6, 8 or even 10 ply. I was given a set of 10 ply tyres for the LJ50, and they were that hard and with no give that I eventually (God's truth, I swear this is true!) tek-screwed them to the rims with no tubes in them, but even at 0psi they still wouldn't bag off-road!! They ended up on a farm trailer. I have had the scariest rides on normal roads in wet weather all due to crossplies

[Highway-Star]

Cheers, those tyre look good size wise on both those utes

WOW, 10 ply tyres!

[makes]

Thanks for the info and suggestions guys, much appreciated !.

303zuke, I think i will go with your suggestion of 205R16 tyres. These seem readily available and as you said would be much safer on road than bar-treads. Looks like some brands offer really chunky tread patterns in this size that won't look too out of place and should perform pretty well off-road also... might even be able to get some cheap 2nd hand ones from a Toyota hopefully.

The Bar tread pattern seems to be the only option now available in Oz for the original 6.00-16 or 6.50-16 size according to a tyre place i found in Brisbane that can get them. Not too bad price wise - about $130 each fitted for an Indian brand but eally long delays to get hold of stock.

I contacted the antique company mentioned by FatZook today for a quote on the Avon 'traction mileage' tyre, thinking they might be a good compromise bar tread, they have these in stock but the price almost gave me a heart attack... much too expensive for me !

[Fatzook]

makes wrote:

I contacted the antique company .... for a quote on the Avon 'traction mileage' tyre....but the price almost gave me a heart attack...

What was the damage?

[makes]

They were asking over $400 each... ouch !.

[Fatzook]

makes wrote:

They were asking over $400 each... ouch !.

I'm guessing they don't sell many then

Thats outragious. You could buy them from the states for $80 ea and sea freight them for $30 each! Which is probably what they do anyway