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Old 05-01-2019, 06:07 PM   #1
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Tires for my Suzuki Sidekick

Not sure this is worth posting as it's probably been answered a few million times for other toads, BUT...since it's a Sidekick and I know there is a big following (or at least I'm learning that) for anything Suzuki, I thought I'd see what I get.

So we bought this rig last week, in a chance meeting. Saw this guy walking to the rig, I saw the towbar and put 2 and 2 together. I asked what kind of RV he had, and said he sold it after his wife passed. I then asked if he was selling the Sidekick and he said yes, and so did I!

So I got it home and started checking things out and they all look great...except for the tires. I checked the DOT code and they're over 18 years old!! WOW! The tread looked great, but as you can see below the tires are cracked near the bead. I probably shouldn't have driven it on the interstate!

BUT..here's my questions to your find folks. I need to buy some new tires, and here's how we'll use this rig:

1. Back and forth to work. Right now it's only .5 miles from work (I know, I should walk), BUT, we are planning on moving, so my commute will now be something like 25 to 30 miles each way. And since we live in the PNW I'll be traveling through snow.

2. It will be towed behind our RV, although right now, we only do long trips, (two weeks or less) about once or twice a year. The rest of the time it'll be more local, and only an hour or so away.

3. I do enjoy going off road, but I do have to limit how aggressive I go due to the alarming noise from the passenger seat.

So in regards to what's important, I'd say something that rolls smoothly and quietly (although...this is a 22 year old car and not a cadillac), and is good in snow and ice, AND...it shouldn't cost me an arm and a leg to purchase.

So there you go. Let me know your thoughts and suggestions. THANKS!

Oh, tire size: P205/75R 15
BTW: That "97S" number after the size is the load index number. I just learned that. You find a chart and it tells you how much load one tire can carry. In this case it's 1306 lbs per tire. Thank you Google.
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:15 PM   #2
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Tire rack
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:30 PM   #3
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Nothing off road aggressive, just a simple all weather tire. Firestone, Goodyear, Toyo, Yokohama, or Hankook will do nicely.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:31 PM   #4
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On oir last Suzuki I put Yokahamas on it. Decent quiet ride, good prices, good life.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:34 PM   #5
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Well fellow PNW'er, as you know, many of us in the PNW have a high regard for Les Schwab, an Oregon-based company. Although I don't buy all my tires there, I've purchased quite a few at Les Schwab through the years. My brother doesn't buy tires anywhere else and has been a loyal Les Schwab customer for decades. They have quite a few store in the Spokane area.

Les Schwab is a huge dealer for Toyo and also a lot, if not most, of their stores are commercial truck tire dealers.

For a P205/75R15 in a general all-season tire, however, I really like the Hankook Optimo H724 that has an excellent reputation. Les Schawb does have them. You could also ask them if they recommend a Toyo or other brand that they may carry. I know that Toyo has an A/T that is very popular in the PNW that's called Open Country but I don't know if you want that aggressive of a tread. Toyo also has a all-season tire called Extensa.

Hankook Optimo H724 at Les Schwab in 205/75R15


So, that's my suggestion but as usual, I'm sure some will disagree.
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:45 PM   #6
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Hi TriMoot! Drove our Tracker for several years on its original tires. Slowly over time it started to pull left, to the point it was almost not drivable. Figured it needed an alignment. The tires were worn some so decided to get a new set at Discount Tire. I forget the brand but the point is I never needed an alignment, it was all tires(got an alignment anyway later on). Amazing!!

These tires, again forgot the brand but it doesn’t matter, were very inexpensive at around $300 for four out the door. Mild road tread and have lasted very well. The grip is good in rain, mud and snow.

Trackers are so light most any tire lasts for a good long time, at least that’s what we’ve found. End result is that you don’t have to go expensive or have massive tread design. JMHO.
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Old 05-02-2019, 10:09 AM   #7
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Awesome Folks! Just what I was hoping to get! I enjoy seeing all the recommendations and I will look into all of them.

A side note: When I bought an RV I joined this forum, so it stands to reason I should join a Suzuki forum which I did: https://www.suzuki-forums.com/

So over there I posted that I had just purchased this rig and mentioned that it rode very poorly over our Spokane roads. One owner said to check the placard on the drivers side door to find out what the actually tire pressure should be.

I checked and it's 23 pounds. Hmm, that seems sort of low, but that's what it said. I then checked the tire pressure last night and all of them were set to 35.5 POUNDS! WOW! I lowered all four to 23.5 pounds and took a test drive...WHAT. A. DIFFERENCE!!!! It actually rode okay!

So I'm doing an informal poll here at work to see when the last time folks have checked the placard and then verified what their tires were at.

What's kind of crazy is, I never, and I mean NEVER drive the RV until I check the tire pressures on all 6 tires! Why wouldn't I do that on my car? I can't even remember the last time I've checked the placard on any of my previous cars to verify what I was currently running. I guess if the tire doesn't look too low, I never worry about it.

Anywho...thanks again everyone, for chiming in on this redundant post, but it helps me to make a more informed decision.

Oh, and BobMar, hope you're enjoying your trip and your search for a new toad goes well! I will recommend signing up at the Suzuki forum as it has the same kind of feel as this one. Lots of folks loving their Suzuki rides and sharing information.

I would also recommend, if you see someone walking to a Suzuki of your choice, hit them up, see if they want to sell it. Worked for me!
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