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Nick
Dodge Dakota
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5/09/2004
19:38:10

Subject: 255/65 R15 Handling package
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Since this site saved me like $100 on my last repair I figured its only fair to post a little bit of information I knew about the dakota from a previous experience. I had the 255/65 R15 Handling package on my dakota when I bought it. I think this package was available on dakota's 97-00??? Now for whatever reason, I went through two sets of tires only lasting around 20k miles each set. At $800 for this size and only 2 manufactures of that size (goodyear/pirelli) and what a pain this probelm was, I started lookin at the other sizes I could put on but wanted to stay stock and not lower or raise my truck really. Bad thing was this was right after the whole firestone ordeal so not many were willing to take a chance. They told me the 235/75 R15 tires were too thin to replace what I had, yet for the model year this was another option. After doing some research through the spec books you can find out what tires will fit what rim size. The 235/75 R15's WILL fit the 15x8 rims, just check the specs at the differnet manufactures websites to make sure the tire will handle up to an 8" rim cause there are a few out there that will only go to 7.5". Another good place to look is at walmart...now I'm not giving them a plug here but they have the spec books that the tire resellers have (but probably won't show you) out in the open, usually in automotive. About 10 mins with that and your good to go! The truck doesn't handle any differently in my opinion and the tires last a whole lot longer, I have about 25k on the new set and there hardly showing wear and there the walmart land terrain BFG's, lol!! I take my truck up to the snow to go snowboarding 5-7 times a year...went through the snow no problem, if anything handled better than the 255's since the land terrains are like an A/T tire and the 255's are just standard a street radial. I don't know about the 4x4's as my truck is a 4x2 club cab, SLT, 3.9 v6, but if anybody knows you might post to this and save us all a little more searching...I know the 4x4 options were 30x9.5 and 31x10(??). Anyways, I hope this helps someone, gives you quite a few more options on tire type in the 235's anyways and hopefully will save you a little bit in cost and replacement frequency!!



kelly
Dodge Dakota
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5/09/2004
21:57:09

RE: 255/65 R15 Handling package
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Hey Nick, i too have the same tires (p255/65r15's on my 2000 quad cab and was thinking of getting a set of the BFG's land terrain, but what i was wondering is do they rub in the front at all, i have a 4x2 as well and from the looks of it, it looks as if they would rub, can you please let me know how your tires are performing. thanx



Nick
Dodge Dakota
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5/10/2004
01:35:23

RE: 255/65 R15 Handling package
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Kelly,

That was one thing I forgot to post and I'm glad you brought it up!! NO, they DO NOT rub on the wheel wells or anything. I was hovering over the mechanic at walmart like a hawk when I had em put on. I had him turn the wheel full left and then full right when he installed the one wheel and then they were nice enough to allow me into the chained off area and near my truck when it was up on the lift to see for myself and there was plenty of clearance. It was kinda a while ago but I'm gonna say minimum of 3" clearance, the mechanic there (which I take with a grain of salt) said even if I hit bumps it be more than enough.
Kind of a second to that, today I just had to change my rear differential speed sensor and had to drop the spare to get to it. The spare is the old package...the 255/65 R15 tire still. I rolled that up right next to the other cause I had always wondered about the size difference and the 235 was at the most 1/2" taller. Really the only difference and this I'm not sure about, I think my speedometer runs 2-3mph under what I'm actually going. I set my CC at 70 and went by one of the caltrans "watch your speed boxes" and I've had anywhere from 70-75, that's the inaccuracy of any speedometer and if cops gonna pull you over for that, fight it, lol.



Nick
Dodge Dakota
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5/10/2004
02:08:02

RE: 255/65 R15 Handling package
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Kelly,
Just a second thought on that the more that I think about it. Before I tried to have the 235's installed at costco and the guy there told me I had some kind of stock lowering package on it with the 255's. Thats not true so don't let them use that, I called dodge on that and they said nope. Again, this was right during the firestone ordeal so everyone was skiddish. Now I don't know on the QC if dodge had maybe changed somethin but the easist way to tell is have them do the same test I did and check the clearance yourself. Just mount one of the tires on the rims have em install it and turn the wheel full right/left and check for clearance. Before you do that you might have them do that test with the old wheel still on so you can compare the clearances, that'll give you a good idea. Especially in a 4x2, we're not gonna be goin off road that much and even with some of the roads almost requiring a 4x4 around here and on the jobsites with some shock busters I haven't had a problem. I haven't had any showing of marks from the tires on the plastic in my wells and they are still just as good as the day I bought it. One thing I did do though, I got it aligned within like 2 days of when I got the new set, not sure if they tweaked anything or not but I don't think so cause the report came back and said it was within specs for the alignment. All and all, they are good tires, at about $400 your saving a good amount and I have at least another 25k left on em, already have 25k on em now.



kelly
Dodge Dakota
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5/10/2004
03:07:03

RE: 255/65 R15 Handling package
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Thanxs for the tips Nick, i think that i will probably go with the BFG land terrain tires but i think i will probably ask the installer to check and show me the clearance before hand, i would prefer to install the original goodyear LS tires but they want 295 bucks a tire and the only other tire in the p255/65/r15's is the pirelli scorpion, but they are only supposed to have only a 80,000k life to them and cost 160 and no dealer seems to be able to locate them for me, but as far as my truck, it sits pretty low and wide, wich i have had people ask me if i had lowered it, wich i did not, it came like that stock, but i will definetly try the BFG's, anyway thanks for the info and the time.



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