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Advice on OEM Dunlop Tires

ratchettt

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I just traded my 2006 LC for a 2018. The factory OEM tires are Dunlop A23 Grandtrek 285-60/R18. After reading reviews of this tire, I find many LC owners are very unhappy with hydroplaning tendency, snow and tread wear performance to the point I'm considering replacing them asap. Thinking of BFG All Terrain T/A KO2, but regardless, can owners who have experience with this Dunlop tire either refute or confirm the negatives I read about? I am really concerned.
 
I had Dunflops on my LC colorado and the newer 120 when i first got them, so not the same size as yours but found them a bit crap really, very soft side walls and would struggle to pull you of a wet grassy field. Hence why both my LC's have had BF goodrich AT's fitted.
 
If it were me id just go steady and wear them off.

i dont know if the same applies to cars but oem mountain bike tyres were well known to be of a poorer quality than the same brand tyre off the shelf. I can only think the large bike manufacturer set the price point and the tyre company complied..
 
I had Grandtreks on my LC3 120 and got into some ridiculous places with them. I'm in a minority that found them to be very capable. But then I'm an awesome driver .... Arf arf.

Problem is that on a new car, the manufacturer needs to meet mpg and noise figures. That does not mean fitting the best tyre it means fitting the right tyre. I'd suggest that most production line vehicles come with the right tyre for the manufacturer rather than the best tyre for the owner. UNless you buy a Zonda or McLaren, it's going to come with budget rubber.
 
The AT20's on my 120 were terrible when nit going in a straight line on tarmac. That had quite a lot to do with the fact that they were 8yr old rubber (and having done 60k miles were still legal tread depth).

The new grabber from generaltyre is meant to be very good as an AT spec, I would add that to the list you already have as considerations.
 
Btw, i have ko2 on the 105 and yokohama g012 on the 120. The g012 is far better in the wet, on tarmac. And quieter on dry tarmac. For everything else I would say the ko2 is a better tyre. Better grip. And for the M+S rating, they are about 15% to 20% inside the required specs. Just need to track pressure since its an LT tyre, they expect you to run at a high psi on tarmac and then lower for conditions (its how they get the m+s rating ).
 
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Thanks to you all. Comments understood. The tire is s**t, but on a world class vehicle for a reason. I'm just not one to pay the money for a war horse and ride to battle with improper shoes. In my experience no amount of high tech 4x4 drive systems can make up for bad ground-contact tires. No one wants to give me any trade-in value for the Dunlops against a decent tire, so they are pretty much a total loss. It is my dilemma to absorb-the-loss/spend or not to make my LC what it should be. Shame really. You have given me the information I sought to make the decision.
 
And for the M+S rating, they are about 15% to 20% inside the required specs. Just need to track pressure since its an LT tyre, they expect you to run at a high psi on tarmac and then lower for conditions (its how they get the m+s rating ).

Oh lord! What cheats they are, and what seeds of doubt you plant in my choice.
 
Oh lord! What cheats they are, and what seeds of doubt you plant in my choice.

sorry, i didnt mean to say they are cheating. Just that as an LT tyre, they are rated for fairly high loads ( and therefore are expected to run at high pressure ), and they then require the driver to drive to conditions, and control tyre pressure based on conditions. This is something that you should be doing as a driver anyway, regardless of what rubber you run.

So the point being that the m+s rated tyres are not a replacement for a full on mud tyre or a snow/winter tyre. They will have 'reasonable' and 'better' performance than a non m+s rated ( eg. the Dunlop AT20 etc ), but you do need to air down, track load etc based on conditions.

Look at it this way - you are running Dunlop A23's - which is a Summer tyre, with only slightly better than average wet tarmac handling rating. The KO2 is a Light Truck tyre rated for more stressful usage, and is certified with the m+s mark, which means it has some basic mud and snow handling and will meet European laws for winter tyre requirements in some areas. However, because the tyre is m+s rated, does not mean you can just drive whenever wherever whatever, you do need to track tyre pressures ( airing up and down as needed ) and drive to conditions. And an m+s rated tyre is not a substitute for a proper Mud Terrain like the KM2 or a soft rubber/studded winter tyre meant for snow and ice conditions.

hope this helps and clears up the confusion a bit.
 
It’s my view that there’s no ideal “all rounder” tyre.

For years I ran General Grabber AT2s for asphalt and light off-road and had another set of wheels in the shed with BFG KM2s, for muddier or rock infested off-road.

It worked very well, but swapping over is a chore.

Now I can’t get a decent AT tyre in my preferred size 305/70/16 (I know, that’s my problem wanting stupid wide tread) but it’s frustrating.

I love BFG KM2s so I’ve managed to get a new set and they live in the shed at the moment. There’s a half worn set of the same on the truck just now, but I’m still hunting for some ATs for asphalt every day use.
 
Based on all your feedback decided to replace 4 of the A23 and keep one as a spare. Many thanks, buds.
 
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