I did my research to find what I thought was the best wheel/tire combo for my new trek maintaining stock height. I wanted to keep it as close to stock as possible while enjoying more off road performance and gritty look. I live in the Pacific Northwest and drive mountain and logging roads in rain, snow and mud. I will also run some desert roads crossing over to the east side of Washington in the summer, so there is a lot of terrain I had to consider. I do not plan on doing a lift but may upgrade the suspension in the near future. I decided to go with Method Rally VT-spec 502's 15" and BFG KO2 215/75/15. The weight of the stock rims and Falken tires are approximately 51-53 lbs. The Methods and KO2s are approximately 51.9 lbs. Even though the weights are similar the increase in unsprung weight is noticeable. The car now feels like a small truck (s10 or ranger) with the heavier KO2s. If I never drove the car with the original stock set up, I may have not noticed it feeling heavier in corners (roundabouts).
The increase in noise is noticeable but not annoying. It has a higher pitch than the stock. I do come from a long line of trucks and jeeps so it's much quieter. It is even quieter than the Prius I had. Acceleration to highway speeds seem unchanged with the 2.5L. I did notice when I had to swerve away from a car cutting me off at 70mph, there was some extra play. It felt like I overcompensated the swerve even though it was slight. The gas mileage has decreased from 29.8 to 28.1 city and 31.6 to 29.9 highway on average. I upgraded the wheels and tires at 770 miles on the car, well into the break in period. It does seem that with 1800 mi currently, the gas mileage is improving. Putting a ski rack on top completely demolished mpg to 26. There is also a 2mph discrepancy. At 72mph on the speedo, I am going 70mph per multiple GPS readings. This is probably just a production safeguard and not the wheels/tires.
What I have noticed is how well these handle in rain, snow and curvy mountain roads. They are better than reported and much better than expected, in my experience. I also have gone up several jeep trails in the surrounding mountains without a single issue. Running at 25psi makes for a comfortable backcountry trip. I installed rally armors and there is no rubbing at full lock in either direction. I considered the mud flaps necessary after I went up a local gravel road and heard the small rocks scattering along the side of the car. The wheels do stick out a tiny bit with the 15mm offset. I am overall I am extremely happy with my decision. Hope this helps anyone thinking going to a different wheel/tire set up.
If you see anything calculations that are wrong please let me know.
![303636]( "303636")
The increase in noise is noticeable but not annoying. It has a higher pitch than the stock. I do come from a long line of trucks and jeeps so it's much quieter. It is even quieter than the Prius I had. Acceleration to highway speeds seem unchanged with the 2.5L. I did notice when I had to swerve away from a car cutting me off at 70mph, there was some extra play. It felt like I overcompensated the swerve even though it was slight. The gas mileage has decreased from 29.8 to 28.1 city and 31.6 to 29.9 highway on average. I upgraded the wheels and tires at 770 miles on the car, well into the break in period. It does seem that with 1800 mi currently, the gas mileage is improving. Putting a ski rack on top completely demolished mpg to 26. There is also a 2mph discrepancy. At 72mph on the speedo, I am going 70mph per multiple GPS readings. This is probably just a production safeguard and not the wheels/tires.
What I have noticed is how well these handle in rain, snow and curvy mountain roads. They are better than reported and much better than expected, in my experience. I also have gone up several jeep trails in the surrounding mountains without a single issue. Running at 25psi makes for a comfortable backcountry trip. I installed rally armors and there is no rubbing at full lock in either direction. I considered the mud flaps necessary after I went up a local gravel road and heard the small rocks scattering along the side of the car. The wheels do stick out a tiny bit with the 15mm offset. I am overall I am extremely happy with my decision. Hope this helps anyone thinking going to a different wheel/tire set up.
If you see anything calculations that are wrong please let me know.
