BFG ATs for Central and South America?

[mattafact]

I'm heading to TDF next year and I'm trying to decide on tires. I'll be going in a 2nd or 3rd gen 4runner and I've decided on 235/85/16s and Tire Rack has BFG ATs on sale right now for $125 each in that size.

Is that going to be an appropriate tire for this trip or do I need something more aggressive like the KM2 or more heavy duty like the BFG Commercial TA Traction?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[Tyler93]

235/85 BFG AT's sound like a solid choice. Durable, tough, and at that price, affordable.

 

[1leglance]

great tire choice....
The key is to keep within a spec that you can find replacements for, when you look at stories from other travelers you will see that up to a 33" can be found, bigger than that is tough.

The BFG's should get you there and back.
Also get the Extreme Outback Tire Repair kit, it is the best I have seen/used and top quality.

 

[valeriano]

I'm heading to TDF next year and I'm trying to decide on tires. I'll be going in a 2nd or 3rd gen 4runner and I've decided on 235/85/16s and Tire Rack has BFG ATs on sale right now for $125 each in that size.

Is that going to be an appropriate tire for this trip or do I need something more aggressive like the KM2 or more heavy duty like the BFG Commercial TA Traction?

Thanks,
Matt

I wish we had those prices here. The BFGs here cost between U$400 and U$600 (yes, those prices are in US dollars).

 

[Tapage]

if you are planning to stay on pavement roads .. no problem .. if not .. KM2

 

[Toyo Boyo]

Great tyre - I had them on my Surf, wheeled it over some really rocky trails many, many times and never had a puncture. Good traction too.

I have organised numerous excursions (lots of JDM Surfs, most running BFG's) - never had any troubles.

Also, the hardest wearing I have ever had on a car or truck - they just go on forever.

 

[prado t]

The ATs have 3 ply sidewall good. The bad is that the tread pattern will pack up with that Greesy South American mud.

 

[prado t]

if you are planning to stay on pavement roads .. no problem .. if not .. KM2

Exactly

 

[Radd Cruisers]

I am going to be the nay-sayer in the crowd. I really dislike BFG tires and would not dream of paying money for them.

Get something with a tougher casing - Toyos are far superior, but you will pay a lot more for them in some places.

The three ply sidewall in BFGs is a joke.

If you're even slightly serious about your expedition, get a 10 ply tire. Carry chains if it's going to get really muddy/snowy/nasty.

Sorry, I just hate BFG - have had several sets and they just don't like staying inflated... but they are pretty good on nice smooth paved roads.


~John

 

[Bogo]

If you're even slightly serious about your expedition, get a 10 ply tire. Carry chains if it's going to get really muddy/snowy/nasty.

I'll have to second this. When overlanding you will not be taking the chances with your vehicle and gear that you would when going a trail run. Strength and durability of the tire are more important qualities than traction. Traction can always be greatly increased with chains. The third flat is a real bummer when miles away from a tire store. Flats also decrease cash for other trip expenses.

I'd go for load range E tires over the load range C that the 4runner normally uses. This will mean switching to 16" wheels as I don't know of any load range E R15 tires with off road treads. This has an advantage as 16" rim tires are more common. It is the small end of heavier duty truck tire sizes. This doesn't mean having to give up aggressive tread designs. The KM2 is available in load range E for R16 wheels.

My question is how far into the back country areas do you wish to travel, and where? The third world is getting much better roads as they realize they need them for commerce.

 

[mattafact]

In my first post I mentioned I'm looking at 235/85/16s. As far as I know those are all Load Range E with 10 ply sidewalls.

I already have 16" Toyota steelies so I'm set there.

I don't know where I'm traveling but I sure as hell don't want to be limited where I can go because of poor tire choice.

 

[cruisedeisel]

im going to say the a/t's suck but the muds are good from bfg. i've had 3 out of 4 a/t spit the wire mesh out the side of the tires before they were 50% used. never had a problem with the mud terrains or the km2's

 

[dogcatch'n]

BFG a/t's are ok, until you get in the mud. And it doesn't have to be deep mud, just any mud.

They will will not work in the mud.

You might want something more aggressive for South America.

 

[1tontoy]

Considering that most people in Central America and South America drive small compact cars and 2x4 trucks, BFG A/T's will be fine.

If you plan on going 'off the beaten path', then some mud tires might be helpful. But, the reality is you will be spending 98% of your mileage on good paved roads (with potholes). In this case, the BFG is great.

 

[DrivingMissRosey]

I have worked many years in Central America so all my comments are for that area only. I think your BFGs TAs would be sufficient because they are a good tire for mixed driving. Depending on which countries you go to, you should be able to get replacements. However it is disappointing that that do not have a load range E tire though in the 15 inch size. Load range E tires are going to be hard or even impossible to get down there. If you are going to do mostly highway driving then get them. Also pick up a pair of load range E tires for spares. I would think that the crazy drivers you will invariably encounter would mean that Load range E tires would be a better choice so you can have better control of the vehicle.

The points about how sticky the mud down there is well taken. I have a few years experience with it and I'll tell that its so sticky that even mud tires are not going to automatically get you out from being stuck. Tire chains, a tow strap or two and a winch/hilift jack are the way to go in these situations. Tire chains are generally available though expensive as they are imported so bring them along. Ive seen and driven plenty of Land Rovers in Belize using mud tires of various brands and the vehicle still gets stuck. A mud tire didn't matter. The mud is serious glue. Also a little smart driving goes a long way.

If you drive through Cancun, visit Hector at El Infierno on Paseo Lopez Portillo. He's a good mechanic, into 4x4ing, and has a few jeeps, landcruisers etc. Hes on the south side of the highway heading west out of town. Also one of the last Pemex gas stations is close by before a long stretch of gas station-less road.

Belize is a great place to visit, especially Cayo District. Some good 4x4ing and expedition style treks too. I would recommend checking out Actun Tunichel Muknal or ATM for short, the Belize National Zoo where you can get a a couple of feet away from Jaguars, and the archaeological sites of Xunantunich and Caracoal. The site of El Pilar is fun too and the road out there requires four wheel drive.

One last thing, try to keep your vehicle as stock as possible. Aftermarket parts are oftentimes impossible to come by. Have fun and good luck.

 

[boerboel313]

Reading this post is getting me to rethink my next tire purchase. Not to High jack (sorry) but how much do a good set (5 rims) of Toyota Steelie cost?

Thanks much and have a great trip.

 

[Methusalem]

We live in South America fo 6 years now, and we have had a few different cars with different tires (Nissan van 4x4, Hilux Surf, Isuzu Bighorn, Chevrolet Silverado, and now TLC HJ60). Mud is always a problem and there's a lot of that nasty stuff in South America. Especially the red bauxiet mud is terrible. But if you're thinking about traveling, and not about the serious 4 wheeling stuff (which is never smart that far away from home), don't worry too much about tires. 98 percent of the unpaved roads we have traveled, also in the jungle (Suriname, Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela) are good enough for the plain Toyota taxivans with kinda street tires that you see everywhere. It's just that in the rain seasons there are parts where you have to be careful where you drive. Last trip, to Venezuela, I didn't even have 4WD. It just didn't work. But with my 35x12.5 BFG KM2's I've never been stuck, even in mud in which our friends got stuck with 4WD and more skinny 31 inch AT's.
And because a lot of people drive 4x4's over here, there's a lot of different off road tires for sale. Just Google around for Land Cruiser World travelers and see what kind of tires they have. Most of the times no mudders!
Hope you have a real nice trip!

 

[Kevin Rutherford]

I've just got thru another winter without having to add a single pound of pressure to my BFG A/Ts. Never seen a tire that didn't lose at least some air from the temp change. One of the tires had all of the air punched out of it when i went off the road & hit a tree stump. I had to drive on the rim for 60' to change it and there isn't a scratch, that was 6 yrs ago. They are poor in mud, but you're doing the same thing as I, traveling 90% of the time on roads. Bring 4 good chains and some spare chain ends (part that locks). Get practice putting the chains on before leaving.

 

[lostworldexpedition]

We have 33x10.5R15 BFG AT's on the 60. over 27 thousand miles since we left our home in July 2009 and I must say: big mistake!

First of all 16" wheels are a must due to scarcity of 15" tire choices (specially if you like tall skinny).

We have had 7 flats in our time on the road. Granted 2 of the flats were due to old rusty stock wheels; so lesson #2 check the inside of your 25 year old wheels for rust and wear before departing on a long-long drive.

I think the highest sidewall ply availability and the highest load range availability are paramount, even as important as tread pattern. The truth is we should have gone for 16' wheels... maybe with 255/85R16 AT's. The A/T's have been fine on the road and off, but if I were to do it over I would consider KM2's or another brand alltogether. Problem is that brand availability is hit or miss depending on the country you are in. It took us 1 month to find a 33x10.5R15 A/T in between Panama and Costa Rica. Finaly found ONE in the duty free zone between both countries for $250 U.S. BFG is everywhere, but model selection and prices are all over the map.

We know of folks that drove from Alaska to Argentina with no flats and no problems on A/T's so it may be luck, but I guess we tend to hit unpaved roads a lot more than most folks doing the PanAmerican (except for maybe unurban.no)

BTW Methusalem, hope to be visiting you sometime within the next year or 2 (if you are still in Suriname)

hope those 2 cents help somewhat... although I just re-read it and it does not seem all that helpful

 

[Methusalem]

BTW Methusalem, hope to be visiting you sometime within the next year or 2 (if you are still in Suriname)
QUOTE]

You're very welcome, lostworldexpeditionwatheveryourrealnameis. Next month we get other MUD-member visitors who are making a huge trip through South America with their BJ45. It is nice to welcome travelers, cook some nice dinner for them and listen to their stories (luckily my wife does the cooking, because she cooks a lot better than I do
And yeah, maybe we're still here then. We more or less decided to stay here for another 2.5 years till our kids are ready with school and go study in the Netherlands. After that we're planning to start traveling again ourselves (South-, Central-, and North America, to begin with). So when you're in the neighbourhood, call us to tell us what you wanna have for dinner popcorn:?)
Btw, were are you guys now?