Help on tyre choices

[Gary Stockton]

I'm getting close to wanting to replace the Cooper STTs as they're getting to the limit of doing anything useful in mud (read: I got stuck in a small mud-hole 2 weeks ago, and all the tread did was pack in the mud till I was running 4 slicks ... )

So I've been doing a little research, and BFG now import the KM2 in my size - 265/70x17. This opens up the selection a little bit. I had wanted to go to 285/70x17, but my tyre calculator is only showing a 1.1" OD change - so, at the very best, I'll probably only get a maximum of 1/2" extra under the diff, for quite a bit more money, and the associated problems the extra width is going to give me - pretty sure the tyre will catch on the UCA and links on the inside. suspension and body lifts have sorted any rub on body trim and chassis / mudguards, so height is not an issue, but width will be.

I could fit new 17" rims with a better offset of say 12 or even 0 to pull the tyre away from the UCA etc., but that makes the package stupidly expensive (even though I do like the Mickey Thomson rims )

Question 1 - do I go with 285/70x17 tyres, or stay with 265/70x17 tyres
Question 2 - do I go with another MT bias tyre (Maxxis Bighorn or Buckshot, BFG KM2, Cooper STT or ST Max or Hankook Dynapro MT) or do I go with an AT bias tyre (BFG AT, Cooper AT3, GG AT)
Question 3 - which brand / tyre to go with - they are all much of a muchness in price if you shop around carefully .... except for BFGs which have a bit of a premium in some places.

Tyre wear on the Cooper STTs I'm running now has not been great (only done about 22,000 miles and they're pretty shot) and the sidewalls have taken a battering in Wales and the Lakes, and I keep getting MOT advisories on them although the're still mostly OK. So I'm not terribly keen on putting those back on. 90% of my driving is on-road, but Morocco and Western Sahara on the cards in the next year (or a similar destination) so a decent AT tyre at least is going to be needed for that trip.

Any thoughts / advice, folks? Ideally, I'd like to go with something like 265/75x17 which give almost the same OD as a 285/70x17 but without the extra width, which isn't really necessary, I think? But I can't find that profile at all

Cheers

 

[Julian]

Gary just working through pretty much the same dilema as you but for my 100
I personally think an increase in OD is obviously great as long as it doesn't sap to much power from changing the gearing, but I think that increasing the width is a bad compromise unless you go substantilly wider to get floatation (which I don't think happens until you get over 13 " wide) any extra width has to create additional friction which must put stress in other places, wheel bearing and control arm joints and rob fuel economy
MT tread on tarmac from my limited experience just rubs the corners of the blocks that makes them useless when you do get to some mud, and be mindful for your upcoming trip to the desert you will have a fair few road miles to cover before you find any sand. From my experience most locals go for BFG AT's the sidewalls are tough for when you do find rocks and you are running 1 bar tyre pressure.
However I think BFG are just about to replace the AT with an AT+ I have seen a few pics floating around the net, from what I understand it might be to do with not being allowed to make tyres with dirty oil any more, the pics I have seen look like a 5 bar treat pattern pretty similar to a the AT3 and the Toyo AT.
I am interested in the AT3, I am just not sure it is worth the extra cost over the Grabber AT, the AT seems to be pretty well liked on the D3 forum and it won an off road test in Germany (this might be because Continental signed up to a years worth of advertising)

 

[Chris]

I have 17" ATs on my 80 as road tyres. They are pretty big. Pop around and try one on Gary

I can't really advise you on which one to get so here's my advice. Have two sets. It really is the 'right' answer. Of course then you are into more money, storage, swapping them over etc. I know, I know. But it means you don't shag up your road tyres on rocks and you don't wear out your muddies driving to McTesco.

Chris

 

[Graham]

Hi Gary,

I would stick with the 267 x 70 x R17.
The BFG KM2 seem to get all the stars.

For the price, they are decent value for money.

If you are swapping out your tyres, I need just 1 off.
265 x 70 x R17 as a mud spare, that's if you have.

Gra.

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

I'm with Chris, you need 2 sets, cheaper in the long run I'm sure. If you can only have 1 set then go with AT's and accept that for the 0.000001% of the miles you need MT's for they won't be so good

 

[Chris]

Which is why the Great Creator invented the winch.

C

 

[Gary Stockton]

and I have one of those!

Yes - confirms what I thought - go with ATs for day-to-day use and keep the coopers or replace with other muddies if and when I can have another set of wheels floating around !

I'll see if I can find out anything on the new BFGs then

 

[Chris]

We know that generally 16" alloys won't fit over 17" calipers, but what about 16" steels? Are they thinner? Gra, I remember you had a fling with this subject some while ago. Might be easier choosing from 16" tyres

Chris

 

[Graham]

Hi Chris,

Well they were 17 inch alloys, but they were a deep conical alloy.
I needed to take off maybe half mm of both front calipers, just where the casting joint was.

In hind sight, I would have bought a pair of 5mm spacers fro the fronts, and not bothered grinding the calipers.
I must have had the wheels on and off a dozen times, each time, just another fraction of mm.
I would say even steel 16 inch will go no where near the calipers.

Gra.

 

[Gary Stockton]

Yep 16" has s works of better-priced choice. I probably should get my hands on a 16" steel cruiser rim from an 80GX or GS and have a go!

Me and a grinder. Hmmm - what could possibly go wrong. Not asking Gav to help though I've seen what he does with power tools

 

[AndyCook]

OT... powertools... but I had a "Gav" incident at the weekend...

I have removed towbar off our older subaru to fit on the new one. it was very rusty, so i decided to attack it with cup-brush on anglegrinder. I had the towbar propped on an axle stand, but it fell off...
my foot got in the way of its trajectory to the ground.

ouch!

dropped the angle grinder due to the shock and pain...

and angle grinder wire-brush decided to bite my wrist on its way down to join the towbar - through gap beween thick leather gloves and overalls -
thankfully it didnt bite my foot though...

[attachment=0:1vs3erpu]ouch.jpg[/attachment:1vs3erpu]

 

[Gary Stockton]

Geez Andy - you're off the list too, now!!

That looks bloody sore - bet you said 'oh bother' or something similar ;-)

 

[AndyCook]

yes there were some rich words screamed out of the garage!

foot was pretty sore and bruised too

 

[Graham]

I think if your going to put 16 inch rims on,

You might as well just take the calipers off completely, as you will have angle grinded most of them away any way

Gra.

 

[Chris]

Gary, I have a steel and alloy cruiser rim sitting here if there are any critical measurements you want taking. Still got 255s on them. Never seen a 120 with 80 'lloys on. Photoshop anyone?

Chris