T25 15” Wheel & Lift Setup – Tyre Recommendations?

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Limah
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T25 15” Wheel & Lift Setup – Tyre Recommendations?

Post by Limah »

Hi all — looking for some practical advice from those with experience.

I’ve got a 1.9 petrol VW T25 (1986) that I’m in the process of getting back on the road and lightly upgrading. I’m planning to fit 15" steel wheels along with a modest lift kit (around 40mm), aiming for a bit more of an all-terrain / expedition setup rather than anything extreme.

I’d really appreciate recommendations on tyre sizes that work well with this kind of setup. In particular:

What tyre size are you running on 15s with a similar lift?

Any issues with rubbing (arches, sliding door, steering lock, etc.)?

Usage will be a mix of UK roads and longer touring trips (possibly Europe / light off-road), so looking for a sensible balance rather than aggressive off-road tyres.

Grateful for any real-world setups, photos, or lessons learned.

Thanks in advance 👍

silverbullet
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Re: T25 15” Wheel & Lift Setup – Tyre Recommendations?

Post by silverbullet »

The most common 15" choice is 215/75/15 AT if you're going down the pseudo syncro route.
They will clear the sliding door(s) at ET30.
However, I've done just that before with a fully rebuilt DG in an empty 5 seat Caravelle and its not a lot of fun. That increase in tyre diameter is a significant % increase in gearing and will knock the stuffing out of the performance the moment you meet a hill.
A good 2.1 or an AGG will pull the taller gearing and you'd hardly notice it.
1985 Oettinger 3.2 Caravelle RHD syncro twin slider. SA Microbus bumpers, duplex winch system, ARC 7X15 period alloys

shepster
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Re: T25 15” Wheel & Lift Setup – Tyre Recommendations?

Post by shepster »

I've got 215/70 ×15" Yokohama Geolandars on Ronal ET 23 on my camper, 2.1 with the Brickwerks lift kit and it pulls nicely enough.
2.1 DJ running on carb and LPG.

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Oren Kipnis
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Re: T25 15” Wheel & Lift Setup – Tyre Recommendations?

Post by Oren Kipnis »

A light T3 will do OK with the common 215/75R15 setup even without a lift kit.

Other great tyres are the Toyo Open Country AT series. They are have a good grip off road, they are quiet on tarmac and sensibly priced.

I have an excellent practice with them on my wife's Jimny for the last 6 years. The first set weas replaced after 5 years and almost 60,000 miles ( I replace tyres @ 3 mm tread depth).

This setup will behave well as long as you won't try to push the car to high speed, and you will work a bit more shifting gears.
1990 ex. German Army Syncro, 3 knob, AFN, M469 fully converted to 16". Camper conversion by URO CAMPER in Seville.

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