205R16 or 205/80R16 AT tires on Forester SJ

wujaszek_misza

Forum Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2020
Messages
17
Location
Poland
Car Year
2014
Car Model
Forester
Transmission
CVT
Hi. Did anyone tried sth like this? My aim is more clearance but not too much grip (not to force CVT too much). I hope to achieve wheel spin when necessary that is why 205.
It is possible to find such AT tires that have less than 73 cm (less than 28,7 inch) diameter. I am sure they will fit but not sure how they behave on light off road.
 
I kinda want 205/75r16 or 205/80r15 ATs for my SG but it's not available in the model tires I want. Mostly because I wanna keep fuel economy and keep the weight down, while having extra clearance
 
This size shouldn’t be for daily I think, only for off... journeys 🙂
I also did’t find 205/75/16, but 205/80/16 (or other use 205R16) is very popular fir off road cars 15-20 years back, eg. Hilux. Maybe there is no point to wait for particular model, but choose from what can be found on the market.
 
I have great all weather, Nokian Entyre 2.0s in 215/65r17s now. They're actually good for some trails and great in snow. But I want the 205s for off-road excursions. But some of those off-road journeys may mean I'm driving 500km of pavement or more. I'm planning a trip to Alaska and back. I'd definitely be on my ATs for that. But that trip may have 8000-10000k of pavement😂
 
So You need kind of adventure tires good on road and off road. I searched for typical only off the road tires. Yes I searched, after today excursion I found that the tires I have are perfectly enough for playing in mud. I can complain nothing
Chinese Gripmax AT 225/70R16 on standard subaru rims.
 
That's why I'm probably sticking with Nokian Rotiiva's even though they don't make the size I want.
*I'm also vegan so there's a lot of tires I won't buy. It has to be Nokian or Michelin. Michelin's smallest AT tire is way too big
 
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They have a 235/75r15, 215/70r16 and 225/70r16.

I don't really want the offset wheels needed for the 235s, or the extra tire weight. I may actually buy the 225s but I'm worried they'll hit the strut perch when aired down...assuming they'll even fit with my 1" lift. The 215/70r16s are actually smaller than my all weather tires. They'll be great tires but I really don't wanna size down for my AT tires. Especially since I'd be airing them down
 
Rottiva what I noticed has low weight comparing to its size as AT tire. 215/70r16 or 225/70r16 are great ( besides they are 50% more expensive than mine).
i think they won’t hit anything but wheel arch cover while turning - minor especially with 1” lift even after deflating the tire (tire will change its shape only on the lower part).
 
I drive for a living and love my Nokian WRG4s. I'd take those as an AT if they had a bit better sidewall protection. They're spectacular in the snow for a tire that drives well in the summer. Michelin Cross Climate's are great too. If they had better puncture and sidewall protection,I'd consider those too. I'd maybe modify the treads a bit, but they'd otherwise be pretty good
 
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Veganpotter said:
Michelin's smallest AT tire is way too big
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What about the Latitude Cross? I'm looking at those for the SVX if/when lift it, mainly for the highway rating.
They might be a bit wider than you want to get your height though (closest I could find to yours is the 225/70R16)
No Idea what they are like compared to the A/Ts

*I'm also vegan
Click to expand...
I'm intrigued, what goes into making a brand of tyre acceptable to vegans? (this would probably be better in a PM as it's soo off topic and potentially very controversial, but I just can't help myself. :D)
 
Ha, I'm good with poopstorms😎
Stearic acid is used in vulcanizing. Michelin and Nokian are the only brands that only use plant sources. Continental occasionally does but they don't track what's using what
 
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I have the Nokian Rotiiva AT's in 215/70 16, the sidewalls are very tough, I would recommend them to all people living in similar to north european conditions. The smallest available size here is 215/65 16
 
What's the lowest you're comfortable airing them down to?
 
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I drive normally at 2.0 bar but already aired them down at 1.4 bar in deep snow going slowly avoiding sharp turns and its just fine. Its the best set of tires I've had so far....
 
Awesome, that's roughly what I was hoping for. I wonder how they would tolerate 1.2. I'd be going a bit bigger than you are. This would really be for sand at that pressure and not rocks. We have some great sand dune areas here in Utah
 
I drove in the Sahara (south Morocco) sand dunes at 1.4 bar and it was just easy, but It was with my previous set, the General Grabber AT's, not with the Nokian Rotiiva AT's.

https://www.offroadsubarus.com/threads/morocco-spring-2015.6144/

You can deflate to 0.8 bar if you need to go through very soft sand but better go back to 1.2-1.4 bar as soon as possible.
 
I definitely see myself going to at least 1 bar. I'll go lower if I can. I'm guessing that was some hella soft sand which is similar to what we have here in Utah. Hopefully it'll never cause any burping. My build is gonna be pretty light. Me, dogs, food, water and gear should stay under 3600lbs/1600kg. I wish we could fit 14" wheels over our brakes or aftermarket brakes(without having crap braking). We could drive rocky stuff at 1.2 bar or so if we could run 28s on 14s.
 
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