MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chippy76 on May 05, 2011, 09:08:31 AM
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Hey Swaggers!
The time has come to start looking around for new rubber on the cruiser. Im would like to hear from people as to their opinions on mud tyres they have used. Im not into cheap knock off brands, and Im happy to spend a bit extra on quality tyres. I currently have goodyear wrangler MTRs, and being my second set, have been VERY happy with these. I am willing to look around to see what else is available tho. I do live in the country, so I see my fair share of muddy trails .....
So what are YOUR experiences? Good or bad....
Cheers Chippy :D
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For what it is worth Im looking at 33inch tyres for my cruiser ute .......
Cheers Chippy :D
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BFG muds - depending on size can't get em but all reports suggest good wear and good in the bush, better on the bitumen than the old patterm
MickeyT MTZs - good reports but soft and wear quick
New MTRs - good reports but haven't been around long enough for long term results
If I was buying muds I'd go MTZ
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I've had MTZ's and would highly recommend.
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G'day Chippy
I have a set of 285/75/16 BFG Mud terrains on the cruiser & think they are great.
Previously had the BFG AT's but much prefer the MT's.
They are a bit noisier on the black top than the AT's but not what i would call loud. The only negative is i don't find them the best in the wet on the blacktop but alter my driving accordingly. they have a tendency to slide a bit more than what the AT's did.
I find them excellent in rock, sand & mud.
Cheers,
Mark
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At the moment I have BFG KM2s on mine, they just a brilliant tyre on and off road, on road you would swear you didn't have mud tyres on, they are that quiet it's amazing.
Only one downside, they wear pretty fast, I've done about 40,000ks and they are just about stuffed, I reckon I might be able to stretch them out to 50,000ks, if I'm lucky.
I think that forgetting to add the spare into the rotation, has added to the extra wearing of the tyres, still we are going with them again, this will be the first time I've gone with the same tyre again.
Previous muds were Maxxis Bighorns, a good tyre, but boy are they loud and they get louder as they wear!!!!!
Baz.
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On my Patrol I have a set of Federal mud tyres size 285 75 r16.
Before you dismiss them, these are my 5th set of mud tyres, I have had BFG's (x2), Mickey T, GT Radials and now after a lot of too and frowing ;D I took the plunge and and bought the federals.
Since putting them on before Christmas I have traveled around 15,000 K's, this has been thru Bathurst then up to Brisbane and back via as much dirt and back roads as possible, towing a CT (approx 1500kgs). I also spent Easter down at Yalwal.
They have done everything I have asked, air down/bag out well, gripped on sandy rocks, mud and wet bitumen much better than I had thought they would.
I believe that you would be very surprised by how good they are.
I will definitely be buying these from now on and at $275 a tyre fitted I will also be saving money as I do. :cup: :cup:
I work in the commercial air conditioning field so I do not and have never worked or have any association with Federal Tyres. ;D
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Previous muds were Maxxis Bighorns, a good tyre, but boy are they loud and they get louder as they wear!!!!!
Baz.
How do bighorns wear? they dont look too bad?
One thing for everyone to consider if you do a lot of off rd work is these tyres cop an absolute hiding. Down the high country this year dragging the caper the tyres were constantly spinning on sharp rocks with only 24 pounds in them and we never had an issue, the tyres look pretty stuffed though. This is where brands like BFG shine. There is more to the tyre than just the tread pattern
These tyres have done about 3500km with about 1000 on tar
(http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3030.0;attach=27117;image)
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At the moment I have BFG KM2s on mine, they just a brilliant tyre on and off road, on road you would swear you didn't have mud tyres on, they are that quiet it's amazing.
+1. We've only had them on for about 10,000kms now, but I love them. They're wearing well so far. Over the weekend I noticed that one has picked up a slow leak, but I've not had time to have a look at it to see what's wrong. Potentially I've picked up a nail, or have some mud in the bead.
Previously had a set of Maxxis AT's, and they were good too. I expected the KM2's to be louder and skatier on road, but so far I've been very impressed.
Good luck!
Matto :)
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How do bighorns wear? they dont look too bad?
One thing to consider if you do a lot of off rd work is these tyres cop an absolute hiding. Down the high country this year dragging the caper the tyres were constantly spinning on sharp rocks with only 24 pounds in them and we never had an issue, the tyres look pretty stuffed though. This is where brands like BFG shine. There is more to the tyre than just the tread pattern
These tyres have done about 3500km with about 1000 on tar
(http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=3030.0;attach=27117;image)
The Maxxis weren't to bad for wear, probably around 5000ks better than the BFGs overall, but the KM2s did cope better with chipping in the terrain of the High Country and other places we have been, they were much better than the Maxxis in this regard, I think the sacrefice of 5000ks in wear for a tougher tyre is a good compromise and I reckon they were better for grip as well, and this is why we are going with them again.
The Disco is pretty hard on tyres, I think it's something to do with Traction control, once the ECU senses slip, the traction control kicks in and you get sudden grip and on tracks with sharp rocks, it can tear big cuts in the tryes, the BFG KM2s seemed to have coped alot better than previous tyres.
Baz.
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Thanks for that. The bighorn price is getting closer to KM2's now there getting more popular too
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Thanks for that. The bighorn price is getting closer to KM2's now there getting more popular too
Kumho KL71 - biggest selling tyre in NZ.. Love mine @$245 for a 285x75 :)
(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd234/cremo1/Kumho_kl71.jpg)
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Had BFG AT's for many years, they were very good, changed to BFG Muddies (on new car when purchased) found these are even better. They stick like glue to the bitumen (when dry), and dirt/ gravel, and wear very well.
Noise on road not much more than the AT's.
Have a cousin who owns a tyre place in Kununurra and he commented that the BFG muddies are made with a harder compound than the AT's.... As an aside, he finds the tyre business in 'K' very busy!!
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Had BFG AT's for many years, they were very good, changed to BFG Muddies (on new car when purchased) found these are even better. They stick like glue to the bitumen (when dry), and dirt/ gravel, and wear very well.
Noise on road not much more than the AT's.
Have a cousin who owns a tyre place in Kununurra and he commented that the BFG muddies are made with a harder compound than the AT's.... As an aside, he finds the tyre business in 'K' very busy!!
Is it the tyre power your cousin works at? I picked up a new 2nd battery from there last year before heading down to the Bungles and into the Kimberleys.
Rich
On the tyre topic, I have run 3 sets of MTZ's all no good after 42k, worn out.
BFG KM1, 70k.
Cheers
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Is it the tyre power your cousin works at? I picked up a new 2nd battery from there last year before heading down to the Bungles and into the Kimberleys.
Rich
On the tyre topic, I have run 3 sets of MTZ's all no good after 42k, worn out.
BFG KM1, 70k.
Cheers
Rich, Yes
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Some interesting points here ..... Seems the BFG muddies are getting a good rap! Funny thing is that 7 years ago when I put my first set of muddies on the cruiser, the BFGs ran a very close second. Might be worth checking out again.
Altho, I have to state for the record that I have so far got about 60k out of each set of wranglers. And they are pretty good in the wet onroad too!
Cheers Chippy :D
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Maxxis bighorns just picked up 6 x 275x70x17 for the Patrol at $320 per tyre fitted, balanced, alignment...
Purchased in central Australia. the 285's were $380 fitted. Quite a bit cheaper than the BFG KM2 muds at $530 per tyre fitted and $480 for the Mickey Thomsons MTZ.
Cheers
- these are all central Aust prices, probably differ somewhat compared from the east coast...
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Is it the tyre power your cousin works at? I picked up a new 2nd battery from there last year before heading down to the Bungles and into the Kimberleys.
Rich
On the tyre topic, I have run 3 sets of MTZ's all no good after 42k, worn out.
BFG KM1, 70k.
Cheers
Rich. You need to stop using them then ;D
Not sure what to expect really. I got mine for the big Aus trip and wanted some thing tough as bots and the MTZ are. We got 52K out of the first set and as many have, on the harshest roads Aus can dish up. I'm happy with them and on my second set which will be stuffed by the time I get back from the Cape this year. Not sure what I will do next
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Kumho KL71 - biggest selling tyre in NZ.. Love mine @$245 for a 285x75 :)
(http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd234/cremo1/Kumho_kl71.jpg)
Lost,
can you give us a bit more info on the kumho's.
How many k's have you done with them?, a guess at hopw long you think they will last?
How do you use them? Rocks, mud, touring etc?
How do you find the dirrectional tread? What do you do for a spare?
Sorry for all the questions, my MTZ's are just about done and I am not very happy about how they have lasted and am looking at alternatives.
Cheers, Craig
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How many k's have you done with them?, a guess at how long you think they will last?
Got about 30,000 on them and lots left - probably 75% at least left (to be honest, I havent taken much notice of them for several weeks, as I have Corolla for day car now - but that pic was a club trip few weeks ago).
I won’t expect 100,000 out of them – (I’ve never got that out of any tyre!), but they aren’t $350/500ea
These are by far the best Mud tyre I’ve used in the wet on the road - comparing to BFG MT and BF KM1, and MTR's which says something. I had 4 sets of them on 2 cars!
They are still quiet today, obviously a little more noise than when new, every tyre does that once the square edge wears off, but very acceptable.
How do you use them? Rocks, mud, touring etc?
Yes to all. These are my only tyre, I gave up on swapping MT's for Simex etc.
I've done Flinders with them, Robe, High Country and very very happy with them as well as daily driver to work for months... I’d buy them again.
I've only had one moment where they slid in the bush, was on a track with water running down it up Marysville few mths ago, the ground was slimy and they slid a bit sideways when i gave it shat to get up a hill.
How do you find the directional tread? What do you do for a spare?
I don’t notice it. I’m due for a rotation, so will have them ripped off rims and turned around – thats the pain with them.
I have another KL71 for spare - not ideal, but havent had to worry yet! :)
Sorry for all the questions, my MTZ's are just about done and I am not very happy about how they have lasted and am looking at alternatives.
No problems, tyres are too important not to look into them.
I'd rate them 8.5/10.
Plenty more info from other users here and photos on them.
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/tyres-wheels-38/tyre-topic-kumho-kl71-29061/
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/tyres-wheels-38/
http://www.patrol4x4.com/forum/538927-post11.html
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MTZ's for me ;D Im rapt with them.
Lets face it, the main reason we buy Mud Terrain tyres is for offroad grip and the M/T's do the Job magnificently. Have driven on many different brand Muddy's and as much as most people say 1 is better than the other the reality is they are only really designed for 1 thing.
An aggressive and chunky tyre is NEVER going to be quiet or a brilliant performer on the black stuff in the wet.
MTZ's and KM2's, very similar performer on and off the road and from what i can see are on par with each other as far as wear goes.
Its always going to be a mixed bag because what works for 1 person, may not work for you. Too many variables.
My suggestion is try and find someone who has them on and go for a drive, that might help you in choosing a brand :cheers:
Cheers BD
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G'day Chippy,
I nave a set of BFG KM2's on my V8 cruiser ute, I work onsite as a chippy, tow a big work trailer loaded to the hilt, and by no means am i easy on the gas pedal and my tyres just passed 85000 k's. i admit i regulary rotate and constantly check pressures.
They will still last another 10000 yet, but they are noisy and no grip in the bush.
Cheers
V8ute :cheers:
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I use the Maxxis Bighorns. They are cheap, brilliant in the mud and rocks and decent on the beach. I've done 20,000km on my set so far and they have hardly worn. I would expect to do in between 100,000 and 120,000km if they continue to wear like they do. I do take care of mine well though - slow around corners, limited wheel spin when off road and they are rotated every 5,000km
Aaron
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Im not overly concerned about road noise. I realise they will ALWAYS be noisier than road tyres. My interest is really in how they handle , on and off road. And how they wear. I know we dont buy muddies to drive on road, however I dont want to buy a set of tyres that are down right scary on the black top.
Cheers Chippy :D
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I love the Wrangler MTR's if you can still get the old tread pattern, although i'm not too keen on the new improved MTR's. I run the old ones on my cruiser ute and am on my second set now. First set got me 60000km (not much tread left i'll add), with alot of highway use. I chased pigs alot when living at Cunnamulla and being a lazy bugger, i drove to all pigs and still haven't had a flat tyre since going to the wranglers. Although i will say the new super tread pattern doesn't seem to wear too well on the work utes.
One i won't recommend would be Coopers, i haven't seen them since used in Cunnamulla, but that's enough to turn me off. Punctured easily and with a load on in hot conditions blew out regularly. Others i speak to love them though.
Each to their own i guess
Listo
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If I was buying muddies I would go Cooper STT's, but I have Mickey Thompson ATZ 4 Ribs and they are the best of both worlds, IMO.
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we are on our second set of cooper stt after geting 75k out of our first set with out any problems
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I had a set of STT's on my Jeep and never had a puncture and got excellent wear out of them.
For the Pajero, as it's a daily driver, I now have ATZ's and am happy with them. They have been through the Flinders on many occasions, Vic High Country, Red Centre, Kakadu and Litchfield and again never let me down. The only 'concern' with them is that they are a 2 ply side wall.
Even though they are wearing well I am considering a 3ply sidewall tyre for our Kimberley trip next year and am tossing up between the STT's and KM2's so this thread is excellent.
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Another vote for the MTRs - we have the same wheels and tyres on the Patrol and camper. A bit noisy on the bitumen, but good wearing and excel off road.
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I hate tyres >:( I hate em coz, despite what old Bob says there is no real all-rounder :angel:
I'm on my 2nd set of muddies.. However I didn't buy either set for mud, I bought em for two completely different reasons;
#1, they tend to have tougher cases, which is really what you want when you run lowish pressures under a very heavy vehicle along rocky outback roads.
#2 is that they don't tend to pick up and wedge rocks between the treads that eventually burrow through to the air bit..
Both sets I have had have performed in those two capacities faultlessly. Both however have worn oddly. I don't mean fast because I don't r really care how fast they wear but they have both feathered off on the lugs and they both became outa round a bit to the point where you get wheel wobble and you can feel it at very low speed on smooth tar. And yes, correct pressures are maintained and regular rotations through all 6 tyres are performed.
The first set lasted 50k and were knackered, but they did have a pretty hard life so 50k to me was outstanding (bearing in mind that that is 6 tyres, not 4, so none actually saw the full 50k) and the only puncture I got was from a roofing screw. The second, and current set have done 25k (6 again) but really, like the first set, you can’t use that gauge on off road tyres unless they spend 90% of the time on the tar, which mine don’t (it’s prolly more like 50% I guess). No issues yet despite taking a big sharp goolie rock down the left side that I was sure would have taken out all 3 side walls (the Camper still runs tyres from the first 8 I bought) but there was hardly a mark. I was very impressed that day I can tell you.
So, I like the muddies I had coz they have been tuff.. Late in our big trip however they showed me why you need a muddie for mud coz without those tyres and a front air locker, there is no way in hell I would have driven across the mud lakes of the Simpson in front wheel drive.
What were they? The first were MTZs and the current ones are KM2s, both in 285-75-16.
Good luck with your purchase, I hope you get a good run out of whatever it is you settle on
Cheers
Joff
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It all depends on what type of roads you are doing...
I use to run the old BFGs and never had any issues, when i bought my Patrol in 2004 i was talked into Cooper STTs by a mate that swears by them. I had 4 sets of the STTs fall apart within 100000ks all were covered by warrenty but for reliability i finally decided to change back to BFGs. At this time the new KM2s were just coming out and I purchased a set. These have now travelled 60000ks and still have 40-50% tread left.
Now im not knocking Coopers but the guy at the tyre shop told me that the tyres were not standing up to the weight of my fully laden car and trailer as it is beyond what they are designed to cope with. My car weighs over 3t empty and trailer 1.1t empty. Gets up between 5.5 and 6t when loaded with all 5 of us and our gear and fuel.
The BFG KM2 Muddies have so far travelled across the Simmo twice, doing the Oodnadatta track as well as the old Strez and out to Coober Pedy. They have also done a trip through the Snowys and the Flinders not to mention the many local trips and to and from work every day.
My mate has never had a problem with his STTs and swears by them.
I have never had a problem with my BFGs and i swear by them.
I also have mates that swear by their MTZs.
I know this probably doesn't help but it shows that not the same thing works for everybody. If you have been having a good run with your tyres I would suggest sticking with them.
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You will never get a firm answer on tyres. Theres too many to choose from...
Go and check out what your local 4wd club members seem to go with mostly, it can be a good indication of what is best for your area.
There are so many tyres out there now that are almost as good as the next.
As you can see from the replies in this tyre thread and most others on every single car forum:
50 people will love this one and their mates will have had that other one and its shiite
50 people will love that one and their mates will have had this one and its shiite
I've had tyre A and its crap, fell apart after X klms, I now only run tyre B
I've had tyre B and its crap, fell apart after X klms, I now only run tyre A
... and so on.
Its almost pointless asking. Every car is different, every setup, every driving condition, every driving style, every use, road surface, rim width, trailer weight, lift kit etc etc the list is almost endless.
Its your car, and your money. Good Luck :)
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Thanks for all the replies folks!
Im not after a definitive "you must buy this tyre" I am simply gauging opinion, and experience from others on their tyres. I am more than likely wavering between BFGs, Goodyear wranglers, and Coopers. I have cooper AT on my Rav4 and have been very happy with them. I recall the first set of Yoko geolanders I had and they were fantastic. Sadly the mkII geos went to a softer compound and wore extremely quickly.
I will take all your input into consideration.
Cheers Chippy :D
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I have Cooper STTs on my 2008 Patrol, they are down to 3.5mm front and 4mm rear tread depth at 42,000km. I've rotated them three times. They do a lot of serious offroad work at Glasshouse Mountains, usually at 22psi, and from time to time with both lockers on and a little wheelspin to get up tough rock ledges.
So, probably not indicative of what you could expect from them for your intended usage, but they have gripped well in all offroad conditions, go ok on wet tar (couple of straight-ahead moments in corners before I got used to them) and are typically loud. One puncture which was a nail in front left, it lost 2-3psi a day so not a major problem, I have onboard air. Dead at 42k is fine by me considering what I've put them through ;D
I'd get them again, and still might - because my preferred replacement is the BFG KM2 (best muddy on the market atm) and there is a 2 month wait for them... and I need new tyres yesterday :-[
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Why change (or thinking of changing from the MTR's)?
Apart from some slight faster wearing of the larger outside tread blocks (IFS vehicle) I've had a great run from mine- and are going back on when they wear out.
So far 55,000kms and still have around 6mm left. I no longer run these offroad dailiy drivers (I have a choice of a second set) but they still drive onroad and in the wet beautiful- would be expecting 80,000kms out of 5 rotated.
Had MTZ's before this set and after 20,000kms noticed a marked decrease in performance offroad- no punctures just not able to get me where I wanted to go.
Took 40,000kms for that same feeling with the MTR's.
still like to know your thoughts on changing?
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Why change ?
No particular reason. I have had a few puncture recently (two at the base of tread blocks, one sidewall) and one highway blowout. So I thought it might be an idea to reconsider my options. I live in a small country town, so any tyre order in 33s is likely to be a waiting game. I will need to save some money for the new rubber, so seemed like a good time to do some research.
Cheers Chippy :D
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Why change ?
No particular reason. I have had a few puncture recently (two at the base of tread blocks, one sidewall) and one highway blowout. So I thought it might be an idea to reconsider my options. I live in a small country town, so any tyre order in 33s is likely to be a waiting game. I will need to save some money for the new rubber, so seemed like a good time to do some research.
Cheers Chippy :D
One thing to consider as Muz said above, many tyres in recent times, eg, some of the popular tyres these days have issues with supplies - some waiting 4mths for example (why the hell anyone would wait 4 mths!), same with several other tyres.
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I am aware of the wait. Altho I have not heard of anyone in town waiting 4 months .....
Cheers Chippy :D
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I have an order for a set of BFG MT 285/70/16. I am looking forward to putting them on the patrol and seeing what they can do. Heading to the Cape in June. The debate is almost like a ford -v- holden -v- all others. My tyres should claer the docks on 11th May, which should mean alot of other BFG MT should be in the shops soon after. Time will tell what they are like.
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Yours is gong to look great Frosty with the 285 Muddies.. :cup: