My Tyre Dilemma

[ant]

For the past four years I have been running Hercules Terra Trak tyres on both my cruiser and off road trailer. These tyres have far outperformed other more well known brands that I have used in the past and I cannot rate these tyres highly enough. Keep in mind that each individuals requirements may differ.
Last year alone I did 6 trips into Cape York.
Anyway, the bad news is that these particular tyres are no longer available. It seems they are yet another 'victim' of the current economic downturn (or recession).
I now find myself searching for a good tyre to replace my much loved and well worn tyres.
I would like to throw this open to everyone so that I can hear what you all have to say about tyre choice.
Keep in mind that my budget does not extend as high as some people may believe!
I am not after an aggressive mud terrain pattern as I believe that these tyres can get torn up pretty quickly while driving sealed roads.
Any suggestions??

[geoffjy]

Hi Ant,

Up until now i have used BFG all terain's and have never had a problem with them. They come in at about $230 a tyre fitted.

On the cruiser i currently have Coopers 235/85/R16's all terain's and i dont like them one bit. I have been on a couple of slippery areas and they didnt have much traction what so ever.

On Monday i am getting some Dick Cepek DC1 alloys and Mickey T Baja MTZ 285/75/R16's fitted. I have heard good stories about the Mickey T's before so am keen to see if they are better than the BFG's. These tyres are easily over the $300 mark.

[ant]

The price on the BFG's sounds good.

The Mickey T's are pretty popular up that way and I have heard a lot of good reports on them.

[geoffjy]

The Mickey T's are pretty popular up that way and I have heard a lot of good reports on them.

I am pretty keen to try them out in some soft stuff. Should raise the vehicle an inch or two as well.

The Baja MTZ's have the tread down part of the sidewall whereas the BFG AT's dont. You get a lot less staked tyres with the MTZ's due to this as it protects the sidewall more..

[geoffjy]

Here is some info on the MTZ's.
http://mickeythompsontires.com.au/tyres/baja_mtz_radial.htm

and the BFG AT's
http://www.bfgoodrich.com.au/index.php?a=tires.off_road_suv&id=74

[peteinoz]

Here is some info on the MTZ's.
http://mickeythompsontires.com.au/tyres/baja_mtz_radial.htm




I have these above and can say great offroad..

noise is not too bad.. with windows up :) and radio on.

heard from others longevity is not that bad..

though not much chop on wet tar :(

I wouldn't recommend them for a daily driver since they are dangerous in the wet IMO.. e.g in mine I can get it to understeer quite easily in the wet..

Great in the Mud and on rocks though :)

personally I like the bridgestone desert dueller AT's great offroad , great onroad :)

Pete

[plucker]

I think you have to work out what type of trye you want Ant as there is lots of variables.

Do you want mud, sand or AT? Different brands offer different benefits over their range and while one brand may offer the best mud tyre they are by no means the best company for sand or AT. How much noise can you handle with tyres?

I also understand price is an issue so you have to work out how many K's a year you would really do? That might also factor in somethings.

I ask all these questions because I am looking into this thing too and have so many ways I can go.

[Gobbo]

Moring All,

I have run coopers in the past (ATR's) and was very impressed (but I wasnt doing as much bush driving then), now I am running Goodyear Wrangler MTR's and and finding them to be a very good tyre, with surprisingly good performance on the road for a more agressive tyre. I beleive the drawback is going to be their longevity, at this stage I think 60,000km will probably pull them up, though I did get them cheap in the first place (got a good deal on the original road rubber on my Hilux from the dealer)

Geoff, if you have found you dont rate the Coopers, it is worth rememberign that Coopers and Micky Thompson tyres are made on the same carcass, and in some cases in the same factory.

Cheers

mat

[Stacky]

Hi Ant,

I think from memory you had wide tyres on your 60 Series. I wouldn't go past BFG All Terrain for your type of needs Ant. They suit bitumen for long life and are still aggressive for the dirt.
Unfortunately they have become a demanded tyre on the market and the price is slowly increasing.
I went a cheaper tyre this time around with the exact same specs as a BFG Mud Terrain (BigHorn). So far, i am impressed with the tyres performance but i can see wear in them a lot quicker than i expected but i am doing a lot more bitumen on them than i expected too. They are also noisy.

If BFG A/T is out of budget, go for a tyre with as close as the same specs and bugger big brand names.

That's my bit.

Cheers
Stacky

That's

[geoffjy]

Geoff, if you have found you dont rate the Coopers, it is worth rememberign that Coopers and Micky Thompson tyres are made on the same carcass, and in some cases in the same factory.

Cheers

mat

I know, i found that surprising when i found out about it. But after looking into it, it turns out that even though they are made in the same factory, they are built completely different to the Coopers. Their construction is different as are one or 2 compounds in the rubber itself. Its not as hard as the Cooper's as well.

[ant]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the quick response and the suggestions.
I will try and answer the last few posts in one reply.
Firstly, I am looking at an A/T tyre. For the driving I do, a sand or mud terrain is really a waste of money.
It is really hard to now look for other brands. As I said earlier, the Terra Trak tyres were fantastic and covered all the bases both on and off road. It sounds as though the BFG A/T tyres as suggested by both Geoff and Stacky are looking good at this stage.
Gobbo: Both Coopers and Mickey T's are imported by Exclusive Tyres but as far as I am aware of, they do have some differences in their construction.

I still have a few weeks to make up my mind but will definitely have the new tyres on before I head back up to the Cape again this year. Lets hope that they do compare to what I have used previously.

[ljboons]

Currently running Goodyear Silent Armor as they have the Kevlar belt for puncture resistance. I bought them (285/75/16) for $1070 fitted, balanced, wheel alignment and puncture warranty 2 months ago and find they handle well on wet black stuff and clay. See the Goodyear website for details.

Note.
I bought them as buy 3 and get 4th free so look for deals like that.

regards
Leo

[ant]

Thanks Leo,
They look as though they may fit the criteria I am after. Definitely on the short list.

[highlift80]

For my money Ant I would go the BFG A/T as you know i am a big fan of the BFG M/T. the BFG's are expedition tuff and there trip proven, just remember with tyres you get what you pay for.

[Nedly]

Hi Ant,

Mate of mine just bought a set of Hercules, and I think they were the Terra Track, a really nice looking A/T.
I'll speak with him tomorrow and let you know where he got them, somewhere in Brisbane.
It took him a while to find them.

[ant]

Thanks Nedly,
I would just about walk over broken glass to find a dealer who has them in stock. My tyre dealer in Cairns can not get them anymore.
Yes I still use a tyre dealer in Cairns even though I now live in Townsville. I believe that when you find good service that you stick to it.

[campdog]

Still running the same mickey thompson ATZ that I put on for the cape in 06 and still heaps of tread, great all rounder.Price similar to goodrich.Have a new spare and intend on buying 3 more so I can make up a new set. Quiet on the blackstuff and good in off road conditions.
John

[Nedly]

Thanks Nedly,
I would just about walk over broken glass to find a dealer who has them in stock. My tyre dealer in Cairns can not get them anymore.
Yes I still use a tyre dealer in Cairns even though I now live in Townsville. I believe that when you find good service that you stick to it.

I've spoken with my mate, he just wants to confirm the name of the tyre dealer.
He reckons he has the contact info for the distributor as well.
He'll give me the information tomorrow.
He paid $185 ea, fitted & balanced, for his cruiser.
He said they are Hercules Terra Track A/W, a light truck tyre.

[Nedly]

Hey, I've just noticed, the tag under my name has changed, yahoo.
About time, I was getting a bit tired of that other one.

[geoffjy]

Just got home this morning. The MT Baja MTZ's were great. They have a whole different feel on the road. The are definitely more responsive when turning and i find the vehicle feels more 'stable' if you know what i mean.

[geoffjy]

Hey, I've just noticed, the tag under my name has changed, yahoo.
About time, I was getting a bit tired of that other one.

Thats no good. Have to get Ant to change it back. :p

[Nedly]

Thats no good. Have to get Ant to change it back. :p

Obviously the thought of you being 'tail-end-charley' for the entire tag-along doesn't worry you, that's good because it's sounding like the perfect spot for you, especially with comments like that :)

[geoffjy]

Obviously the thought of you being 'tail-end-charley' for the entire tag-along doesn't worry you, that's good because it's sounding like the perfect spot for you, especially with comments like that :)

Doesnt bother me. You need a reliable 4'by to get the Nissans unstuck. I may as well be at the end. :D

[Wayne]

I currently have Pirelli Scorpions A/T on my 80 series Cruiser. They mainly see the beach and bitumen and they have been fantastic. They are about 40 000km old and about half way through their life.

http://www.pirelli.com.au/web/catalog/car-suv-van/catalogo_sd.page?categoria=/catalog/car-suv-van/suv/summer&prodotto=117690&uri=/pirellityre/en_AU/browser/xml/catalog/car-suv-van/SUV_SCORPION_AT.xml&vehicleType=CAR-SUV-VAN

[Wayne]

I forgot to mention I have just bought a set of Micky Tompson 285/75/R16 for our trip to the Cape in June. I can't wait to try them out!

[geoffjy]

I forgot to mention I have just bought a set of Micky Tompson 285/75/R16 for our trip to the Cape in June. I can't wait to try them out!

You will like them. I have only had mine on since yesterday morning and i love them allready. They are the same size as yours.

[geoffjy]

I currently have Pirelli Scorpions A/T on my 80 series Cruiser. They mainly see the beach and bitumen and they have been fantastic. They are about 40 000km old and about half way through their life.


My grandmother has these same tyres on her wagon. I personally dont like the look of the tread but have only ever used it on sealed roads so would have no idea what they are like offroad.

[Wayne]

My grandmother has these same tyres on her wagon. I personally dont like the look of the tread but have only ever used it on sealed roads so would have no idea what they are like offroad.

I have had them in the mud and they perform OK. For an A/T they have excellent bitumen and dirt road performance. I would certainly consider buying them again as my Cruiser doesn't see too much mud these days.

[campdog]

You will like them. I have only had mine on since yesterday morning and i love them allready. They are the same size as yours.
We have something in common.We have the same tyres and rims. Mine have one cape trip so far.Had them on since June 06.
John

[geoffjy]

We have something in common.We have the same tyres and rims. Mine have one cape trip so far.Had them on since June 06.
John

You like them as well? I am keen to try them in the sand and creek crossings. Will be doing a lot of crossings and sand stuff next week so will see how i go.

[campdog]

You like them as well? I am keen to try them in the sand and creek crossings. Will be doing a lot of crossings and sand stuff next week so will see how i go.
Im keen for another set.Go great on the sand. Not sure about Nolans Brook. Only problem I had was running at low pressure on Tele track and got a bot of mud in the bead and got a slow leak.Easily fixed.They are tough tyres. Not sure how many ks on them but 3 years worth.Still another year or two on them
John

[Nedly]

Ant, I have sent you a pm with the info for the Hercules tyres.

[ant]

Thanks Nedly,
Seems as though the tyres I currently have on my vehicle are no longer available. The tread pattern, among other things, has changed.
Looks like I am still in the same dilemma.
At this stage it is either the Pirelli or the BFG.