Peugeot 404 ute Tyres

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marty 404

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Hi the time has come to buy tyres for my 404 ute restoration ,what is the best size ?
195/70/15 are available will they fit or do I need 195/65/15 to help with gearing I want the largest diameter tyre that will fit more so than a wide tyre. My 404 sedan has 165/80/15 that are 645mm in dia
Marty.
 
What is the rim width?

What are your priorities across the tyre performance profile?

A useful link for tyre size comparisons is:

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

One for the suitability of rims for a given tyre size is:

https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyre-wheel-calculators/wheel-rim-size-calculator

By reference to my own priorities (wet grip, benign limit behaviour & responsiveness to pressure tuning of handling balance) I'd be fitting 195/65-15 Conti Premium Contact 5. The minimum rim size is 5.5.

195/70 is populated by van tyres - to be avoided unless you are needing the structural strength to cope with lots of rough road driving.

YMMV, Peter
 
Thanks Peter the rim width inside the bead is 5 inches and total width is 6.25 inches. I am happy to use light truck tyres as the ute will be used for trips to the tip etc, the main issue is size availability and clearing the strut tower.
 
If it has a standard diff it will be around 4.6 to 1 so a bigger tyre would be beneficial for the gearing.
 
Hi it has a 3.89 diff I have just looked at a 404 ute and wagon they both have 185/80/15 tyres that just clear the spring base .
According to tyre size calculator the tyre outside diameter is 678 mm which going by my measurements is too big ! but they work.
Marty
 
504 ratio if it has a standard 404 engine stay small with the tyres.
 
The ute will have a 505 square port Stew is putting together so it should have plenty of horse power I have fitted a ba 7/5 gearbox but am having trouble getting the column shift linkage to work.
 
That will have tall gearing then, tyres plus the 3.9 diff. The BA7/5 usually runs with a 4.11 diff.
 
marty 404 said:
Thanks Peter the rim width inside the bead is 5 inches and total width is 6.25 inches. I am happy to use light truck tyres as the ute will be used for trips to the tip etc, the main issue is size availability and clearing the strut tower.
Click to expand...

Hmm! Given the rim width, you are constrained.

195/70 will fit but gives you a minimal circumference change of 1.2%. Hardly worth the downside of having van tyres. You might be taking loads to the tip but they'd hardly demand the weight capacity of an XL van tyre in 195/70. If worried, simply increase pressures on smaller, lower weight-rated, tyres.

195/65 is out but two better options obtain unless taller gearing is deemed more important than capability in an emergency brake &/or swerve in the wet.

One is to stick with 165/80. Hankook's K715 is available in this size &, although not a rival for the PC5, it's a decent wet option.

The other is to lower gearing by about 3.50 % & tolerate that as the price for access to the Conti PC5 in 185/65. Personally, I wouldn't fuss over the slightly lower gearing & rejoice over the other merits of the PC5 thus gained - but YMMV.

If 195/70 will fit & you decide on it, then one non-van tyre is available: Dunlop's SP10. Hardly a class leader but I'd guess it to be better dynamically (especially in the wet) than the commercial alternatives in 195/70. This option will be dearer than 185/65 PC5.

185/80 simply has no tyres available which are prudent to use (the K715 is no longer available in this size).

cheers! Peter
 
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One way of getting the column shift to work is to use a short length of cable.
 
Thanks for your ideas Graham and 4cvg I will try and get some photos of my gear linkage set up on my 404 ute restoration story.
You are right light truck tyres are a big compromise for the amount of carting I will be doing ,From where I live most drives involve a trip on the M1 freeway I have been spoilt by modern cars ,driving the 404 sedan although it is happy to drive all day at 60 mph it is revving with the ute I am not after outright speed and power just a vehicle that will travel at the speed limit economically and easily.
I like conti tyres and will investigate 185/65 option.
Marty
 
404 sedan has a 4.2 ratio. Your ute with a 4 speed is 3.89, with BA7/5 top gear will be around 2.9! Choose smaller tyres or you never be in 5th gear.
 
marty 404 said:
Thanks for your ideas Graham and 4cvg I will try and get some photos of my gear linkage set up on my 404 ute restoration story.
You are right light truck tyres are a big compromise for the amount of carting I will be doing ,From where I live most drives involve a trip on the M1 freeway I have been spoilt by modern cars ,driving the 404 sedan although it is happy to drive all day at 60 mph it is revving with the ute I am not after outright speed and power just a vehicle that will travel at the speed limit economically and easily.
I like conti tyres and will investigate 185/65 option.
Marty
Click to expand...

Just be wary: Conti have two offerings in 185/65-15. One is the afore-mentioned & recommended Premium Contact5. The other is the ComfortContact6. I'd avoid it (soggy handling behaviour & poor wet grip).
 
Marty
I have Michelin Agillis 195R15c tyres on my 404 ute but they are on 4 stud 505 steel wagon rims. The tyres are about 6mm from the strut tower on the corner of the tyres. Tyre diameter 690mm .
Graham is 100% spot on with his gearing concerns.
You could keep yours eyes open for a 505 GTi (LSD) manual wagon diff as it will pop straight in. They are a 4.2 ratio.
Regards Bob
 
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I went to a tyre shop who after a long look at what is available could only recommend 185r15 light truck 677mm diameter only available from Nankang in this size and not that cheap.
Are the Zetum tyres light truck or car.
With the 5 speed gearbox the gear change linkage from 3/4 1/2 5/r works nicely but the linkage that changes plane is very stiff and quite short and overloads that column lever I have a overhauled BA 7/4 that I can fit if need be .The 3.89 diff has an 505 LSD fitted so I will stick with it for now.
 
marty 404 said:
I went to a tyre shop who after a long look at what is available could only recommend 185r15 light truck 677mm diameter only available from Nankang in this size and not that cheap.
Are the Zetum tyres light truck or car.
With the 5 speed gearbox the gear change linkage from 3/4 1/2 5/r works nicely but the linkage that changes plane is very stiff and quite short and overloads that column lever I have a overhauled BA 7/4 that I can fit if need be .The 3.89 diff has an 505 LSD fitted so I will stick with it for now.
Click to expand...

IMG_2559.JPGIMG_2560.JPG


Geeze Marty, how do I tell? They aren't marked as such. There's another word on them as well as ZETUM: "SOLUS"

I've taken a couple of photos.

I got them at the local Bob Jane's.

I can't remember the price which is a sure sign they were cheap!
 
geodon said:
I have ZETUM 195/60x15's.

They seem fine so far.
Click to expand...

You won't know how good they are until you have to brake or swerve hard in the wet. Worth experimenting to see how they behave (especially limit behaviour). I know nothing about them from test results but surmise that they are potentially problematic. 195/60-15 has quite a good short list of tyres available but the size requires a 5.5" rim. It's not a "light truck" or van tyre but a passenger tyre.
 
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Bob D said:
Marty
I have Michelin Agillis 195R15c tyres on my 404 ute but they are on 4 stud 505 steel wagon rims. The tyres are about 6mm from the strut tower on the corner of the tyres. Tyre diameter 690mm .
Graham is 100% spot on with his gearing concerns.
You could keep yours eyes open for a 505 GTi (LSD) manual wagon diff as it will pop straight in. They are a 4.2 ratio.
Regards Bob
Click to expand...

195/80-15 would fit a 5" rim but the Agilis is a truck/van tyre which does not prioritise wet grip. Personally I'd avoid it unless you needed that strength of construction or prioritised long life over wet grip.
 
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