[debbiekeller]

I'm on the fence whether to drop money in to new wheels and tires.

If I keep the OEM wheels, I wonder if a 275/45-20 would cause any rubbing issues?

OEM tires (265/45-20) are 10.4" wide and 29.4" tall.

275/45-20 tires are 10.8" wide and 29.7" tall.

These Cooper tires look really good to me: http://us.coopertire.com/tires/cooper-zeon-ltz.aspx

I have gone through 2 sets of Cooper Zeon LTZ tires on my LR4. It's one of the few offroad tires that fit the 19" LR4 wheels. They are great when new, rather quiet on the highway. But the more they wear, the louder they get. By the end you can't wait to get rid of them. The other irony is that when new they tend to dig into sand so not the best beach tire. But the more they wear down, the better they become in sand. Not a good winter tire form my limited experience. The spaces between the tread blocks clog with snow. Nokian winter tires are best in winter.

 

[debbiekeller]

Have you tried swapping/rotating the tire & wheel to the other side of the vehicle? Tread blocks (leading edge versus trailing edge) do not wear evenly which may contribute to tire noise.

Yes, that does not matter. The more they wear, the louder they get regardless of rotating. And there are probably 100 other LR4 forum members that have posted the same experience with the Zeons. Most of us have moved on to 19" Conti TerrainContacts. Not as aggressive off road but quieter on-road.

 

[debbiekeller]

Anybody consider going with the 18" Ridgeline wheels? Either of these:

https://www.bernardiparts.com/Departments/Accessories/Honda-Ridgeline/2017-2019/Wheels.aspx

The low profile 20" Passport tires are useless for beach driving. Why put these on a vehicle that has a sand mode? If you air down the 20" tires I doubt you increase the tire "footprint" at all. But if you air down a taller tire on an 18" wheel you would gain sand traction.

 

[debbiekeller]

Michelin Defender LTX is my favorite summer tire too. Have a second set on our LR4 and just put a set on the Passport on 18" Ridgeline wheels. Handle great so far and look forward to using them on the beach in sand soon.

 

[debbiekeller]

Also so as not to confuse people..defenders are great in snow too. Better than most AT tires, in fact, at least at stopping on ice. Deep snow, less so.

^This. I usually run Nokian winter tires but heard that VT ski conditions were already good the last week in November. I didn't have time to put on the winter tires so I headed up with the Defender LTX tires still on. It snowed over a foot while there and the tires totally surprised me and did great. Then I had to come home and rake leaves, mow my lawn one last time and put on the Nokian winter tires.

 

[debbiekeller]

PICS NOW size too.

Tire size is 245-60-18. This size tire + 18" wheel = same overall diameter as original tires + 20" wheels.

 

[debbiekeller]

Nice man! Bet those werent cheap. Dont see them very often. You could have fit more rubber in there though!

$300/wheel didn't seem that bad. Or maybe it's because I've owned Audis and Land Rovers the last 20 years and their wheels cost at least double that. Also, these Ridgeline wheels are 8" wide, so a 245 width tire is pretty close to maximum width on that wheel size.

 

[debbiekeller]

Your dealer is kinder than mine. I was quoted $150 more per wheel.

My dealer was willing to match this price:

https://www.bernardiparts.com/Honda-18-Diamond-Cut-Alloy-Wheel-Ridgeline__08W18-T6Z-100.as

Or just buy the wheels from Bernardi.

 

[debbiekeller]

I like your setup. Was considering some Cooper AT3's, but the more I read up, the more I'm leaning towards the Defenders on some 18'' Ridgeline wheels. Did you notice the ride softening at all with these tires? The passport is pretty stiff/bumpy on dirt roads, and I've been attributing it the low-profiles/20'' rims. Is there any considerable change in ride quality?

The Michelin Defender LTX tires have a rather deep and rugged tread pattern. (Compared to the shallow tread on the super smooth Michelin Premier LTX tires) On most roads, the ride feels the same as the OE tires, but the big difference is the 18" Defender tires with taller sidewalls certainly go over potholes, sunken drain grates and rough dirt roads much smoother than the 20" wheels & tires. Plus my new teen drivers have already rubbed on a few curbs and the 18" tires only have minor scuffs. The OE wheels would have been badly scratched by now.