Larger tire size

[circmand]

Rampage108--- Since you're like me from mountainous & snowy WA State; I highly recommend to only consider those A/T type tires that have the coveted "Snowflake/Mountain" rating stamped on the side of the tire sidewall, and disregard those models that don't have the special rating. These are tires that have successfully passed stringent testing in severe snowy conditions, and most everyday A/T's fail the test except a valiant few. Here is a sampling of those that are considered all-year everyday type A/T's (non-Winter specific) and that have the Snowflake/Mountain rating:

A. General - Grabber AT2
B. PRO-COMP - All Terrain
C. Good/Year - Wrangler DuraTrac
D. Good/Year - Silent Armor
E. Dunlop - RVXT (although not available in 18")


Here is a TireRack article explaining the Snowflake/Mountain rating:

http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/...jsp?techid=125


In addition; be weary of individual tire weight and try to focus your maximum tire target weight to no greater than 45 lbs max individual tire weight. Our OEM factory tires only weigh 34 lbs each, so try not to exceed 10 lbs over OEM weight to maintain safe braking with OEM brakes and good overall MPG. www.TireRack.com is a great website to verify individual tire weight. www.1010Tires.com is a great website to confirm "Snowflake/Mountain" rating, as it is indicated in a bright blue symbol next to the tire model.

However you can save quite a bit with new lighter weight rims as opposed to the heavy peeling low quality OEM rims

[Riff Raff]

However you can save quite a bit with new lighter weight rims as opposed to the heavy peeling low quality OEM rims

True; however, aftermarket rims don't have the OEM backspacing/offset that help keep larger oversize tires neatly tucked inside the tightly cramped front wheel-wells of the VX. Using aftermarket rims opens up an entire new can-o-worms of fitment and rubbing issues due to their non-OEM backspacing/offset specifications. For the record, the 2000/2001 OEM 18x7 VX rim weighs 28 lbs each.

For the ultimate lightweight tire/wheel combination on a VX with Snowflake/Mountain capability would be to use 1999 OEM 16x7 VX rims which weigh a featherlite 20 lbs each, and mount Dunlop - Radial Rover RVXT tires in P265/75R16 (31.7" O.D./40 lbs) which are Snowflake/Mountain rated. This tire/wheel combination only weighs 60 lbs total combined weight. By comparison, the 2000/2001 OEM factory VX has a combined tire/wheel weight of 62 lbs using OEM factory tires (a whole 2 lbs heavier). Just food for thought.