New FJ40 owner - a few questions! (2 Viewers)

[locklaw]

Thanks..

Yes I was pleased to see it came with AC, Power Steering and a heater. All good, useful options it seems.
I plan to keep the current tyres for a little longer, as you say - they look the part. They are made by a company called Swallow, and seem to be a copy of the old Dunlop pattern, as you suggest. Not sure on the quality, but i've noticed a lot of Middle Eastern 'restorations' being sold with these, so not surprised to see them on it.

Since the majority of the journey is going to be on road, i was wondering about putting some light truck/commercial 10 ply road tyres on it. Not only are they available here in 7.50 R16, but thought they might be quite hard wearing. Any experience of these?

Ah rust... yes, familiar with that battle. This will be joining a collection of mainly British classics that I spend a lot of effort keeping the rust at bay. I've already bought an Airchamber for her to live in inside the storage barn, but will look into the Fluid Film solution - wool wax is pretty amazing stuff.

You're welcome! Regular 10 ply truck tyres will look boring but should serve you very well on the road home, especially since you will likely only find mud on the isles. If, however, you are buying tyres and can get the swallows, I would buy them since the look is correct. If you wanted easy tyre changes and the ability to plug a tyre you might as well get a container and ship it home on a lorry. Not as if you are carting paying passengers around.

To my knowledge Woolwax and Fluid Film are similar products and whichever is easiest to attain should be the right solution. If you are keeping the light patina I have been very impressed with Penetrol.

 

[RPFJ40]

The "benefits" of split rims are wildly overstated. I ran them for several years on my FJ40, and have several tens of thousands of miles experience with them in Africa. Yes, you can break down a wheel and fix a puncture in the field—but ANY puncture requires the full procedure. Safari clients get tired of waiting after a while. With tubeless tires and a plug kit most punctures take about three minutes to fix, on the vehicle. And with Tyrepliers and irons I can pull a tire off a non-split-rim wheel anyway if I need to. Most tires on split rims in Africa etc. are still heavy and rigid bias-ply and ten-ply rated, to fend off thorns and minimize a 30-minute long (if you're good) tube-patching procedure. Split rims sound all romantic and bushman; the reality is different.
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Thanks for offering up your experiences on this - its good to have the input from both sides.
If we evaluate my forecasted usage during this year, and then into my time with her back in the UK, I wonder if you're points about punctures are still valid in my scenario...
I will largely be driving on the road here in Qatar over the next 6 months, with occasional trip to the dunes for some gentle fun - limited exposure to punctures based on my current experience.
During the drive to UK, it will pretty much all be on established roads, with the occasional single track or lane if i decide to camp somewhere remote.
When back in the UK, i will only be going out on short local trips, which again will likely be mostly on road, or gravel farm tracks.
Based on this, do you think there is a genuine likelihood I will encounter punctures any more than a tubeless set up? By this, I mean is there something intrinsic to the tube/split ring set up that causes punctures - rubbing of tube on metal for example? Or is your experience in African subjective to the environments you were exposing the tyres to?
The 10 ply truck tyres I have seen on vehicles around Qatar always seem pretty hard wearing - the users are often not that bothered about vehicle maintenance, and/or overloading above capacity...

#This is all new to me, so appreciating all of the inputs. Cheers

 

[Jonathan Hanson]

I don't think there's anything about a tubed tire that makes it more prone to punctures, but it's definitely a bigger pain to repair when it happens. Another thing to consider is that it's easier to air down a tubeless tire to pressures that will enhance flotation in sand, etc. Air down a tubed tire too much and you risk the tube shifting and shearing off the stem.

 

[45Dougal]

Yes, I've been searching for these. Unfortunatley they don't seem available in Qatar. The RY215 are the only 7.50R16 I can get from Yokohama...maybe i'd have more luck in UAE.

I see you're in Bristol - maybe we'll get chance to go for a drive when I get back...this is roughly where I'll be based.

Yes UAE seems like a strong bet. Definitely look me up when you're back - don't forget to load it up with spare parts before you leave

 

[Greek Cruiserhead]

...I plan to keep the current tyres for a little longer, as you say - they look the part. They are made by a company called Swallow, and seem to be a copy of the old Dunlop pattern, as you suggest. Not sure on the quality, but i've noticed a lot of Middle Eastern 'restorations' being sold with these, so not surprised to see them on it.

Since the majority of the journey is going to be on road, i was wondering about putting some light truck/commercial 10 ply road tyres on it. Not only are they available here in 7.50 R16, but thought they might be quite hard wearing. Any experience of these?

Several Mudders with Middle East experience did use them on their 40 and 60-Series.

These Indonesian-made tyres (Super Swallow S262) are indeed a copy of the the venerable Dunlop Roadtrak Major. IMHO it is worth the trouble to bring this unobtenium to Europe: a few years ago some Mudders tried to bring them from S.Africa to the US with the help of a local brother.

DUNLOP ROAD TRACK MAJORS (RK3) UNIVERSAL LT. @ $154.42

As a result of posting a picture of a HJ45 with 7.50 x 16 12PR Bias Ply Dunlop Universal LT tyres on in another thread. Some excitement and question regarding availability and specifications resulted. Some discussion followed and I have made some enquiries at a retail level. The tyres are...

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