The Nissan Path

Quick tire question as its that time. Been fine with 265/70 for over a decade, but any reason not to do 265/75?

No lift, just Moog medium springs so I do have 1/2" more clearance than stock. No interest in lifting or serious off roading but thinking why not for looks and beach sand (I mostly haul surfboards to the beach in this thing).

This is for Michelin LTX Defenders if it matters. No I am not interested in deviating from those either

Personally, if you've been fine with 265/70 for over a decade. No need to do it now with a chance of losing some mpgs.

I agree with SA, if its been working for you why not stick with it?

I been happy with 265/65-18, which is one small step bigger than (my) stock 265/60-18

For a slightly bigger tire to fill out the wheel well, and to do something different. The OR rides 265/75/16 AT tires...so mostly curious if anyone has done this and can verify no rubbing,

Common switch on XTerras and Frontiers, just thought I'd ask here.

ShipFixer wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 07, 2022 8:08 pm

For a slightly bigger tire to fill out the wheel well, and to do something different. The OR rides 265/75/16 AT tires...so mostly curious if anyone has done this and can verify no rubbing,

Common switch on XTerras and Frontiers, just thought I'd ask here.

if thats the tire size for the OR version it seems like a fine safe swap, I did not realize at first thats what it was.
I was thinking about doing same when I had my original 2012 pathy years ago.

Yes on Xterras its also a common swap to take the base tire size up ot the PRO4X size. guaranteed no rubbing or alignment issues.

Getting a set installed tomorrow, in between road trips, along with new TPMS sensors. I'm hoping going 31 -> 32" and tiny bit taller sidewalls also gives a little smoother ride Weight is only going up 3 lbs, so it's not like going to an AT tire or something, and I have gobs of midrange torque with the intake spacer anyway.

FWIW, 265/75 is one of the five stock sizes listed on my in-door sticker too.

Photos to come, but got them on and really like the change. Looks better, rides better...

Not great photos. But...before and after:





Really wish I'd done this sooner...this size tire is a waaaaaay better fit for the truck. It's now obvious to me the difference between my Pathfinder and the first same-gen Frontier I test drove back in 2005...it was whatever the original Pro-4X was called with this size tire. Less sidewall drop with more hoop length at 35 psi (the sticker number for all five recommended tire sizes), and it feels like it should. With the 265/70's I was usually running 36-37 psi in the front, and they still always had a lot of sidewall drop.

There is a tiny hit to acceleration and braking but it's negligible. And with the Delrin steering bushings and less sidewall drop (squished bulge in the tire where it meets the ground) I don't really notice any handling hits despite a slightly taller sidewall.

One other thing...since there's less sidewall drop, even though the tire is only about 1/2" (13.6mm) bigger in radius, it seems like I got somewhere between 3/4" and 1" in lift. But I didn't measure it before, it's just a guess.

This looks good.
Not too much but bigger enought to notice.

Indeed - makes it look less like a wagon and more like a Tonka, but not weirdly so like 4Runners.

So I just drove 400 miles from San Diego, up the Sierra Nevadas to Mammoth Mountain. Everything is better than it ever has been. Smoother, quieter, less fluffy in turns, etc. Wish I'd done this years ago. I'm sure Nissan specified the 265/70/16 size as the norm to get that 0.3 CAFE mpg bump, but this is just so obviously the better tire size to me.