I will eventually need some tyres for my LJ70. I want something at least 33" tall, not more than 35" though (on paper anyways, actual size can be taller) as to pass inspection. I want them to be good off road and also last long. It will see quite a bit of on road driving, but no high speeds, and comfort is not a concern whatsoever. The finnish terrain is very varied. Mud, dirt, rocks, tree roots, sand, grass and gravel all at the same place.
The options are:
8.25R16C Michelin XZL.
I like the taller and narrower size (34.5x8.5), but I don't know how good a 15-20 year old truck tyre will be. I'm not afraid of dry rot though, I've seen even older Michelin truck tyres that has been on a lorry all their life with no visible cracks. Another plus of the XZLs is that they are regroovable.
255/85-16 Maxxis M8090 Creepy Crawler.
Cross ply construction, is that good or bad? American tyres also tend to be slightly smaller since they don't have the problem of passing inspection like we do in Europe, but I recall reading somewhere that they're slightly over 33".
255/85R16 Toyo Open Country MT
Not as extreme looking as the Crawler or XZL, but has good winter reviews, so I might get away with no winter tyres for a couple of years.
33X10.5-16 CST Land Dragon CL18
Also cross ply. 33x10.5 is on paper not as tall and skinny as 255/85, but theoretical numbers doesn't matter very much in tyres this extreme. I like the tread very much, like Insa Turbo Special Track (that's what I would get if they were availible in 33x10.5) but nondirectional.
The price of all options is basically the same, so that's not a factor, except the Toyos if they're good enough to also be winter tyres. That would save about 500€ per tyre, depending on how cheap studs I can find.
The options are:
8.25R16C Michelin XZL.
I like the taller and narrower size (34.5x8.5), but I don't know how good a 15-20 year old truck tyre will be. I'm not afraid of dry rot though, I've seen even older Michelin truck tyres that has been on a lorry all their life with no visible cracks. Another plus of the XZLs is that they are regroovable.
255/85-16 Maxxis M8090 Creepy Crawler.
Cross ply construction, is that good or bad? American tyres also tend to be slightly smaller since they don't have the problem of passing inspection like we do in Europe, but I recall reading somewhere that they're slightly over 33".
255/85R16 Toyo Open Country MT
Not as extreme looking as the Crawler or XZL, but has good winter reviews, so I might get away with no winter tyres for a couple of years.
33X10.5-16 CST Land Dragon CL18
Also cross ply. 33x10.5 is on paper not as tall and skinny as 255/85, but theoretical numbers doesn't matter very much in tyres this extreme. I like the tread very much, like Insa Turbo Special Track (that's what I would get if they were availible in 33x10.5) but nondirectional.
The price of all options is basically the same, so that's not a factor, except the Toyos if they're good enough to also be winter tyres. That would save about 500€ per tyre, depending on how cheap studs I can find.