Tyres for Tug

Jackie · Veteran Member

Tyres for Tug

KFT · Guru

I run Wranglers (HP-AW) on my Navara towing a 2.8tonne van and get a good ride, good handling and around 40,000 km out of a set.

online price from beaurepaires was around $250 each a few months ago.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I had a set of BF GOODRICH A/T on a Toyota Prado and after 80,000km not a sign of any problems Jacki, nice and steady on all surfaces.

Late last year I put a set of Cooper A/T on my now Colorado ute 4x4 only because I got them for $100 cheaper per tyre than the BFG's at the time. Too early to tell how they perform yet really. So far so good.

franstev · Veteran Member

We have the bridgestone 697 dualer on our Colorado, great tyres so far

NeilandRaine · Guru

People say cheap and nasty but I say cheap and a good run Hankook Dynopro

WobblyNut · Senior Member

worth thinking about.

I have a set of Cooper Discovery AT LT 245 - 70 - 17s

So far 120,000 looks like I will get another 20k out of them.

That is Mostly country & Hwy driving usually round 100k per hour.

Said to Tyre dealer at Coffs 4X4 , Caravan & Camping Expo . I had

nearly 120k , he said "no wonder I am not making a living"

Guess what way I will be going in th next couple of months . Tyre wise.

I reckon 40k is Not enough.

Olley46 · Guru

franstev wrote:
We have the bridgestone 697 dualer on our Colorado, great tyres so far

I will second that franstev

I have a set of these on my Prado witch have done 16000km so far and I cannot fault them,I have just done a 5000 km trip to Queensland and back to Geelong towing the 21ft Jayco at touch over two tonne the plus with these tyres are they are Light Truck and a little bit deeper tread than normal have spoken to other people that have got them and they are getting good miledge out of them to ,great tyres.

Lance C

-- Edited by Olley46 on Monday 27th of July 2015 07:34:06 PM

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Be aware that AT tyres will increase your fuel consumption compared with highway tyres.
I run highway tyres on the OKA and they will take us anywhere we want to go and would certainly take you anywhere you can tow a caravan.
Highway tyres will also have better grip in the wet, be quieter, generally last longer and be cheaper per kilometre.

Cheers,
Peter

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I have usually found that different makes of vehicle - and even sometimes identical models of the same make - seem to find different tyres are more/most suitable.

Often the 'habits/style' of the driver ... quite apart from the usage of the vehicle ... also have a bearing on which seems to be the most suitable tyre.

Having said that, when I had a 2000 Hilux dual cab I used to run Dunlop Roadgrippers (road slippers ) and used to get 70,000-75,000Km out of them. I rarely met anyone else who got that distance out of Roadgrippers. I used to rotate all five tyres every 5,000Km. I found them quite good on highway, wet or dry, and good in the dirt.

When I got the 100series Cruiser, I ran it on Roadgrippers initially and got terrible mileage and hated the grip - or lack thereof. I put on a set of Bridgestones and was quite happy with them.

I got the Discovery 3. It came with Cooper Discoverer H/Ts already fitted and having done 30,000Km. I did a further 8,000Km on them and they were only just roadworthy.

Because I tow full-time and am on highway 90% of the time, and only on good dirt roads when not on highway, I decided to replace the H/Ts with another set of Cooper H/Ts. They lasted 42,000Km before needing to be replaced.

This time I decided to fit Cooper A/T3s. They have now done 53,000Km and have at least 15,000-20,000Km left in them at the rate they are wearing. I still am 90% highway and only on good dirt roads and towing.

They are not noisy, have excellent grip in wet or dry bitumen and handle any dirt surface - wet or dry - that I have put them through. My fuel consumption has not altered from the first tankful I consumed five years ago on the H/Ts to the current day - some 5 years, 110,000Km later.

I rotate my tyres every 5,000Km.

Interestingly, I have met other Discovery owners who had a set of Cooper A/T3s and hated them - and got low mileage.

Therefore, I consider it almost impossible to give definitive advice on what are good tyres - or bad tyres - to anyone, irrespective of their vehicle.

I believe, such advice is best from another owner of the same vehicle, who uses the vehicle the same way as the questioner.

Cheers - and sorry, none of that really gives the OP any help. cry - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Monday 27th of July 2015 08:30:06 PM

WobblyNut · Senior Member

But P & M . A lot of us have 4X4 , that is why I want ATs . The Coopers were on the vehicle

when I bought it . And John , my service bloke rotates my tyres every service , 15,000k.

As I said , whatever way I go when I get new ones . I Will have a wheel alignment as well.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

WobblyNut wrote:
But P & M . A lot of us have 4X4 , that is why I want ATs .

Show us some pics of where you went that you could not have gone with highway tyres.

I suggest that 95% of tyre choices are about where people THINK they will need them and little to do about their actual use.

That is all OK, just don't kid yourselves that these decisions are justified in any practical sense.

Cheers,

Peter

WobblyNut · Senior Member

Peter . I have a property . I sometimes get Bogged in me 4X4 , so I walk back & get the

tractor , which I have bogged several times as well , where I live , we have a Lot of dirt roads.

When I go to "the smoke" , I go back roads , to keep away from the idiots. And as I mentioned

about picking my new tractor up & coming back via Mt Lindesay . I did AND Enjoyed my drive.

villatranquilla · Guru

I know someone who has done all the major desert crossings over the last decade and he will only run BFG's. Expensive yes but he has not even had a puncture so that's a good enough recommendation for me.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Rockylizard has just about covered my thoughts on tyres . I use GT Radial AT,s on my 2012 Pathfinder and find they perform well in all types of terrain. Just like stated fuel economy by manufacturers, in a wind tunnel maybe without bodies in it , not possible in the real world, tyres are no different expensive or cheap

-- Edited by Wombat 280 on Tuesday 28th of July 2015 08:57:19 AM

03_Troopy · Guru

I've found both Cooper ST's and Mickey Thompson STZ to be good. Long lasting, Coopers I got 80,000 and still had rubber when I sold the vehicle, Mickeys have 90 at the moment but need new ones now, maybe 10K left on them (hard to say, because they look not much different to before the 7500km trip we just did). Both hold well in the wet even with under 25% tread. I found BFG's got a bit slippery in the wet, after about 50% worn. And they were hard to get a good balance on. All the tyres I put on my Troopy are all terrain, tyre noise is probably the least factor in driving noise.

Places where I wouldn't bother using road terrain tyres are on the beach or in the mud.

Like here:

Jackie · Veteran Member

Thanks Wombat 280, what weight van do you tow, are you happy with the Parthfinder, also what mileage are you getting with the GT radial, as I had not heard of them until you mentioned them on the forum, I googled them and they look like a good tread. Cheers Jackie

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

03_Troopy wrote:
Places where I wouldn't bother using road terrain tyres are on the beach or in the mud.
Like here:

Sand is fine with bald tyres.

Yes, aggressive tyres are best for mud, but a pair of snow chains for the odd occasion are much better.

I don't reckon you had a caravan in tow for that pic?

The question was from someone who is doing a lap towing a caravan.........................

Cheers,

Peter

03_Troopy · Guru

Yes, but you asked about places where you wouldn't use highway tyres, and towing a caravan with bald tyres might be a bit risky too . I wouldn't really call the tyres I mentioned aggressive.

Wombat 280 · Guru

I tow around 1800 kg and find the Pathfinder to be a great unit Should they bring the latest model out in diesel I would grab another without hesitation. Around town I get about 10-11/ 100. With the van in town on east coast highway conditions at about a sustained 90KPH, never much over 90, it goes to around 12-12.5 /100 Best ever was 11/100 Port Macquarie to Townsville average speed that trip 85 kph. Not all Pathfinder owners get the results I have and aren't quite as happy. horses for courses I suppose and all depends on your diesel driving habits , a lot of driver tend to put the foot down everytime the speed drops a few KPH rather that wait for the pull power to kick in for that hill climb

03_Troopy · Guru

Wombat 280 wrote:
I tow around 1800 kg and find the Pathfinder to be a great unit Should they bring the latest model out in diesel I would grab another without hesitation. Around town I get about 10-11/ 100. With the van in town on east coast highway conditions at about a sustained 90KPH, never much over 90, it goes to around 12-12.5 /100 Best ever was 11/100 Port Macquarie to Townsville average speed that trip 85 kph. Not all Pathfinder owners get the results I have and aren't quite as happy. horses for courses I suppose and all depends on your diesel driving habits , a lot of driver tend to put the foot down everytime the speed drops a few KPH rather that wait for the pull power to kick in for that hill climb

Yes but which tyres do you use? is what the OP was asking.

rockylizard · Guru

03_Troopy wrote:
Yes but which tyres do you use? is what the OP was asking.

Gday...

Wombat 280 wrote:
~~~SNIP I use GT Radial AT,s on my 2012 Pathfinder and find they perform well in all types of terrain. Just like stated fuel economy by manufacturers, in a wind tunnel maybe without bodies in it , not possible in the real world, tyres are no different expensive or cheap

Cheers - John

03_Troopy · Guru

I didn't see he had already answered the question further back, sorry wombat.

Wombat 280 · Guru

Hey No Prob ,should have used the quote button in my reply

Wombat 280 · Guru

Further to the tyre warrantee issues I spoke with my local supplier and it turns out that all the mileage statements and warrantees made by manufactures depends largely on you returning to an authorised supplier for routine alignments and balance along with a heap of other small print conditions, all at your cost naturally. If your driving on Port Macquarie roads that's weekly.