Cooper LTZ Zeons in 285/60/R18 Mounted!

[zuhl]

I got Discount Tire to swap out those horrible Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors finally. They gave me an even swap on these Coopers. The ride does not compare. They are so much smoother. They were able to balance them and do the road force test in half the time and a quarter of the weights of the goodyears. And these actually ride smooth, not all wobbly.

I had Nitto TerraGrapplers in this same size and they still rubbed slightly even after the trimming. So far however, these Coopers have not rubbed at all other than one minor little buzz I heard that most people would not even notice. I think I can go in and trim a little more off of the pinch weld and never have to worry about it.

I will try to post some outdoor pics from a better angle if I can ever get home before dark.

[TexRidge2008]

Sweet!!! I like the look of those tires, my mind is made up now no question. I will be putting the lift on tomorrow. Thanks for all the info you have given so far. I think I will go with 20 in. wheels, just not enough choices in 17 or 18 in. black wheels. I will post some before and after pics after.

Just a question, the pics of the pinch weld. Is the bottom picture at wheel lock? Did you have to trim anything other than the weld?

[zuhl]

The bottom pic is at wheel lock, but the second to the bottom is where the rubbing is most likely. At wheel lock you are past the pinch weld. You will notice on mine the ugly welds I put on them to strengthen it back up after I grinded it down. I am actually considering grinding the pinch completely off and adding a flat plate over it and welding that in to keep it strong.

You will also have to trim the mudflaps if you want to keep them. And the fenderwell liner will need a little trimming. It will all be readily apparent to you when you get to working on it. Put on the tires and go to a full turn and mark the rub spots with a paint pen, then cut it out with a razor. The plastic is soft.

I really recommend keeping the front flaps if you dont have nerfbars or sidesteps. They do help keep mud and other crap from being slung on the drivers door. These tires stick out a lot farther than the factory ones and the ridgeline body panels curve under at the bottom, so it really pics up a lot of funk on dirt roads.

[Stackedape]

I used a dremel tool for the mud flaps and pinch weld - worked great and cut like butter. Just make sure you don't exceed the spot welds on the metal tab. If you do eventually the firewall and side panel will seperate.... I needed to do the same exact mod to fit 265/70 R17 BFG A/T's - 31.7" in diameter gave me 1/4" between the Strut Perch and the Tire.

[alleman55]

zuhl, they look great!
Stackedape, I have posted a request for pics of the bfg's a few times. The suspence is killing me!

[zuhl]

Stackadepe,

This size tire is essentially the height as the BFGs you have, but about an inch wider. That little bit of difference requires that you trim more of the pinch. I actually had to go past the weld points and then re-weld it to keep it closed. No big deal. And welding on it did not hurt the truck in any way. You just have to keep the ground located close by so the return path does not travel through the vehicle.

What kind of tip on the dremel did you use to cut the metal?

Also, I second the motion for the pics of the BFGs :-)

[MrAC1980]

Come on Stack, where are the pics???

[curacer1]

I Have A Black Ridgline And I Am Thinking About Going With Those Same Tires But With 20 In Wheels And Lowering It 2 Inches, It Will Give It A Baja Look As I Seen On Another Truck. I Can't Wait

[D R E W]

Originally Posted by curacer1

I Have A Black Ridgline And I Am Thinking About Going With Those Same Tires But With 20 In Wheels And Lowering It 2 Inches, It Will Give It A Baja Look As I Seen On Another Truck. I Can't Wait

You will need to go with the 275/45R20 Cooper Zeon LTZ tires if your going to lower the RL with a 2in drop. Also, watch your wheel offset.

[zuhl]

Took a trip to Austin, TX this weekend. Drive there was into 20mph north wind. MPG was pretty bad at only 16 mpg. The trip home then had a light head/crosswind but not too noticeable. Got 19.7 mpg on the way home. Not scientifc to count just one or two trips, but good to know that the larger tires did not have a huge effect on MPG. That is about what I was getting before and these are 2" larger than factory.