Second set of tires for offroad

[landtoy80]

One thing to think about with two different sized tires is that your speedo will be off with one set. If you push the speed limit with the small ones, you will get one with the bigger tires as the speedo will off.
The was to solve that is to get 285/75r/16 and the speedo gear from Slee so the speedo will be right on.
I have no lift and 285 mud lug tires and my wife has no problem driving it.

 

[Riley]

I've been doing some hunting around for a second set of tires. Wow are Mud tires expensive!

I've started to wonder if it would be better to just run a set of AT tires and be done with it. A lot of tire dealers are advising me that highway driving with mud tires (on wet roads) is not that advisable. My typical usage is that I need to do a fast highway drive for about 3 hours before I'm at my usual trail head. Is that a problem on an aggresive mud tire?

I was kind of leaning towards the GY MTR tire in 305/70R16 until I priced them up here in Canada ($330 cdn or $250US ). I know Junk will give me for not going with something more aggresive.

I kinda have a problem using a 305/70 AT tire on my wife's DD. That adds yet one more 1" to the lift and decreases the handling ect..... I still think it would be nice to stay stock on 275/70 for DD.

I guess I'll just keep on looking for used, that seems the only way through this.

I can now see why there are so many tires threads on here. It's a big decision, for a lot $$ that you have to live with for years.

R

edit - let me phrase another way, would you guys personally have any issues driving a GY MTR 305/70 for 1200 miles from Vancouver to Moab? Great once you get there but how's she gonna handle on the way down. Then turn around and cruise back.

I know the lifetime of the MTR is in question.

 

[IdahoDoug]

R,

Be cautious about used tires - especially aggressive mud treads. These fare the worst on the road, developing all manner of wear patterns and vibrations. Used normal road treads can be poorly cared for too, but aggro treads are far more affected by casual rotations or indifferent balancing by a previous owner. And you really won't know the whole story until you mount them up and get out on the freeway - then you own them.

If you're strictly using a tire for offroad, I wouldn't be afraid to go down away from the major and popular tires. For instance, there's a tire available here in the US called the Coop Grip Spur (as in Cooperative) from farm supply stores. I met a guy in Moab using them and asked because they were a nice pure offroad tire. He had 33's and paid about $87 each for them through a local feed store. He carried them to Moab, tossed them on and went wheeling - said they were loud on the road and bought them for wheeling only.

So, something to consider besides dropping big coin on a name brand..

DougM

 

[semlin]

Doug, tractor tires is a great idea. I will remember that.

I would get big ATs plus sliders to use as steps. In fact, use the money you save on extra rims and fancy rubber to buy the sliders!

Also, I have found tires up here to be cheaper than in the US so don't be bashing johnny canuck on this one Reilly or he'll leap through your living room window and impose another tax on you.

 

[cruiserman]

I bought a set of late model 4Runner rims (16x7) with some used POS Les Schwab tires on them. I was using them as street tires, but they are so badly worn and loud that I took them off. I'm looking for a near stock-sized set of used tires for the street. I want to put the Geolandars back in the garage.

 

[Junk]

33" mud tires should be easy to find and cheap. Look around in the local club classified sections. Folks are always moving up to the next size. I know in my local club there are several sets for sale cheap.

 

[Riley]

Sorry to beat a dead horse but in order to justify having 2 sets of wheels.....

Does anybody want to hazard to guess if the LTX tire will last more miles than say a BFG AT tire?

If the LTX would last longer then it will help the business case for keeping the LTX for DD and getting 33" MTs for off-roading.

I know there's the quiet ride and safer driving with the stock sized LTX coupled wioth better off-roading with the 33" MTRs. I'm just trying to justify spending all this $$$ to run 2 sets of rubber.

 

[Beowulf]

Both the LTX and the BFG A/T should last 40 to 50k miles. This assumes correct pressure and routine rotations. My bet would be on the BFG A/T lasting a little longer because it starts out with 19/32's (IIRC) and the LTX starts out with 12/32 (IIRC) I had the specs around here recently but I can't find them now.

-B-