Rob S

Hey Simon,

I wrote post on prado here. Some links that might be helpful as you explore different tyre sizes, wheels and and wheel offsets.

my initial thoughts are switching to 17s will give you better options on tyre choice and higher sidewalls.

Switching to 17 off-road rim will likely give you a wider stance with 0 offset rims. Quick check on 2015 pajero is et46. So zero offset rims would move each wheel outwards by 46mm

Fantastic morning in the desert as always! It was a pleasure and privilege to be the last car on the convoy. Many beautiful sights of the convoy snaking through the dunes and little churn created ensured it was not too difficult for us the back. Thanks to @Gaurav and @varunmehndiratta for leading and supporting everyone! Some photos in the gallery for you all. 

I would love to join but my Al holsn has just gone grey because I am now due for a booster jab apparently! terrible timing! 

Some more images in the Gallery! 

Thanks Frederic, 

I saw the gazelle rope but noted the breaking strain is only half that of the AOR. Is there any guidance on what’s good enough? 

Hi all,

I’ve been looking at getting recovery rope and soft shackles.

understand carnity use Viking rope (cannot find anymore) or AOR red rope.

What are recommendations for soft shackles, a lot on Amazon with various breaking strains and working weights. 

Congrats! Look forward to seeing you in the fewbie convoys soon! 

Thanks @Chaitanya D for a great drive and the opportunity to be second lead. Thoroughly enjoyed it and already looking forward to the next! 
 

hope to see you again in the desert soon!

My first night drive, what a great way to spend Saturday evening!!! Thanks @Chaitanya D, such a great route threading the long convoy through the dunes. 
 

thanks to the support team for enabling us all to enjoy! @munkybizness @Looper @Srikumar

Hi all,

another post to share what ended up being surprisingly difficult to understand best tyre and wheel sizes for Prado when off-roading.

I will not focus on “what tyre is best?” But more what size! Plenty of posts on what tyres are best if you use the search within this forum! 

It’s also important to note that for sand driving, the aim of reducing tyre pressures is to increase the contact patch once the tyre deflates. There is an article here on Carnity (will try to find link later) that roughly concludes that while the area of this contact patch is important for floatation, the shape is also important and a slightly longer and slimmer contact patch may perform better than a shorter and wider contact patch (this was relevant in my final choice!)

Wheel size

https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/charts/rim-width-range-and-measuring-rim-width-for-tire-size

Almost all advice was to move to 17inch wheels regardless of whether car was fitted with 17’s, 18’s or 19s as standard. I did not research if they very latest models can’t fit 17s so this would be worth checking but I don’t believe it is an issue. 16s will not fit over the brake callipers on majority of models.

The rest of the article will be based on the assumption you move to 17inch wheels or keep the current stock 17s if you have!

The link above also shows suggested Rim width and tyre size. If you select 265 width tyres, its good point to note that the recommended wheel size 7” to 9” so avoid any extra wide wheels unless you go to wider tyres! 

Tyre size

https://www.wheel-size.com/calc/

Link above is your friend if you want to go into detail. 

Standard 17 tyre size is 265/65/R17. 

285 wide tyres will fit, and there are guides from various Australia sites but do involve lift kits and other adjustments and not convinced these are required for desert driving here in Dubai. (Maybe help to increase ground clearance if you are driving in Wadis often)

Two main options suggested for Prado were 265/70R17 and 275/65R17 (and can be fitted without a suspension lift).

275/65 tyres offer a wider footprint (275mm vs 265mm) and increased sidewall height of 7mm (179mm vs 172mm). Due to the additional width, some Prado owners have faced rubbing issues on the body mounts unless the offset of the wheel is changed. 

265/70 tyres offer same width footprint (265mm) but a larger increase in sidewall height of 14mm  (186mm vs 172mm). With the tyre width not being changed, and only the sidewall height increasing (with the Prado having a large wheel arch gap) i am told and believe there should be no issues. This tyre size is my recommendation based on the fact that larger sidewall gives greater ground clearance but will also deform to create a longer and slimmer contact patch after deflation.

Wheel offset

Standard Offset for my 2015 Prado is +ve 25.  This means the centre of the wheel sits inwards 25mm from the centre of the Hub. Most Off-road wheels offered to me in Dubai were Zero offset. This means that the wheel moves outwards by 25mm. This helps to create a wider stance and in my option makes the car look better! You will find various articles about offset changes, impacts on suspension, wear and tear of components and scrub radius so will leave you to come to your own conclusions here. 

So what did I do . . . . ?

I settled on keeping my standard 17” wheels with 7.5” width and went with 265/70R17 tyres, I also opted to add a 30mm spacer (leading to theoretical offset of -ve 5. Overall, I am happy with the changes, I believe the spacers added to better handling with the car feeling more stable on the road. Tyre wise, so far no issue with any rubbing and the car looks a bit more like a proper 4x4 and less like a family wagon. 

Hi all,

For bash plate, I thought I would share couple more examples to add to this thread, this time from a garage in Al Quoz.

For Newer Model, 2017-2021 I hope @Patrick van der Loo can add some photos of his skirts before and after.  @Waqas Parvez i think you have just had your bumper cut on this model type? 

Hi all,

Been a few conversations across various threads and on the drives so thought I would write a dedicated post and encourage others to share their photos also.

In my personal opinion, the front bumper skirts need to be removed straight after your absolute newbie. While some have got through Newbie levels without issues, myself and others have not!

For front bumper cut, I did after some research and understanding that this was the most susceptible area for damage if approaching or coming down at angles other than "straight ahead". I did this ready for Fewbie and it gave me great confidence and removed any damage worry from my mind. 

Note: to cover the holes, I suggest to go shopping on amazon and search "bumper retainer clips" and take your pick! Alternatively, find me on a drive, I've got loads now 🤣

Mine is  GXR/VXR Prado 150 2014-2017 model year

Below is the "Before Removal"

Here is the "After removal" 

For Bumper Cutting, below are some photos 

On 12/23/2021 at 8:44 AM, Frederic said:

So far, i have done the 1:1 ratio (2inch lift with 2 inch wheel spacers) but be careful to test if the tyres are not rubbing anywhere.

Make sure to get them from a reputable brand like H&R and are hub-centered. You really don't want to create any wheel inbalance with these cheap spacers.

Do you mean 2 inch total. So 2 x 1 inch spacers? or have you actually got 2inch spacers on each rim (surely not?) 

@Asad and @Vasja Zupan glad this is helpful. I have couple of ideas for posts. Let me Kick one off on bumper cutting and add in some people that might also be able to add pics to help! I'll do this tonight! 

Thought I would update for future viewers of this post. 
 

bashplate: definitely worthwhile and in my opinion needed on prado as you progress. The first time you hit it, you feel relief you got it rather than panic about what damage has been done.

bumper: removal of any skirts/extra bumper bits. I got the side of bumper cut, after catching it once or twice. 2014>2017 model has quite low bumper at the sides! This was the cheapest and best mod done as it gave me confidence to pick up the speed and not worry about damage when approaching/departing dunes at at angle! 

Tyres: just got some AT tyres after fewbie no6! Will report back on these in a few more weeks!

Thanks @Islam Soliman for a great challenging drive, and thanks to support of @Zixuan Huang - Charlie and @Vanessa8580 chasing down the convoy in the green machine! I've added a few pics to the gallery! 

Congrats @varunmehndiratta! Look forward to driving with you again soon!

Few more photos in the gallery

Hi Alphin,

not driven the hilux but there was some good conversation on Prado’s and fortuners here. Hilux and Fortuner share same platform so hopefully some relevant info for you here!

Put simply, an amazing drive! Thanks @Hisham Masaad it was a pleasure to be SL and follow (mostly) your tracks!

a real great group of people in the convoy too, thanks everyone for an amazing morning!

Confirmed, @Hisham Masaad

Me today . . . 

*spots a Carnity post on Prado after work*

thinks *Yes A fellow Prado owner I might be able to help!*

*Too late* @Frederichas already been and solved the queries! HAHA! 

Welcome to the Prado club @Taimur Khan, No part time 4x4'ing in a Prado

Don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of driving with you, but certainly enjoyed reading a lot of your content on the forum. Congrats @Looper

I've bought all-sorts of different levels of insurance in the past. this sounds similar to "GAP" insurance they sell in UK. It really depends on your financial situation, but my best advise is buy what you feel comfortable with. as example:

If you will drive the car the same way whether you have the higher insurance or not, then it really comes down to more financial cost / risk analysis only. 

If you believe that you will n be extra hesitant due to not purchasing the extra insurance, and driving around with worry, then for me its worth paying for to give you the freedom to enjoy your time in the vehicle! you don't want to spend 150k Dirham on a car and never properly enjoy it! 

Its just as much psychological and it is facts and figures!

Hope this helps!