Thread: Tire size for touring... Help

Hi all!
So in 3 weeks we are touring for 6-8 months.... We have a tdi 110 defender towing a ausi swag and tinny...
I know tyre topics have been covered a bit such and I've been over them but still confused.....
I've got some 0 off set steel wheels and need tyres for them... What's best for touring, will the 255/85r16 mess with the gearing too much as towing...?
Was thinking along the lines of 265/75r16 but look fairly wide, or 235/85r16..?
Is a mud terrain going to be too noisy....?
I've always had A/T bfg or equivilant.....

Ps I got the 0 offset wheels to slightly widen the footprint of car and reduce scrubbing when on full lock...
Any help would be super....!
Cheers...

Originally Posted by troyfyn

Hi all!
So in 3 weeks we are touring for 6-8 months.... We have a tdi 110 defender towing a ausi swag and tinny...
I know tyre topics have been covered a bit such and I've been over them but still confused.....
I've got some 0 off set steel wheels and need tyres for them... What's best for touring, will the 255/85r16 mess with the gearing too much as towing...?
Was thinking along the lines of 265/75r16 but look fairly wide, or 235/85r16..?
Is a mud terrain going to be too noisy....?
I've always had A/T bfg or equivilant.....

Ps I got the 0 offset wheels to slightly widen the footprint of car and reduce scrubbing when on full lock...
Any help would be super....!
Cheers...

Everyone has a different idea of touring so it's hard to know what will suit but my guess is an aggressive AT in a 235 would suit you needs - assume you have 7 inch rims?

Personally I tour on 255/85 MTs for the extra clearance and to managd risk around changing weather conditions - but this is on a Puma so I can't comment re Tdi gearing.

I think picking a touring tyre size based on the availability of spares is a bit of a wash - most remote places won't have much beyond the size that fits farm utes/cop cars/council vehicles anyway. Having said that 255/85 can be a bit rare on the ground even in major centres.

Either way you're starting a bit trip with new tyres which is probably the most important part of your decision anyway - I'd never leave for a decent trip on tyres tyres that have more than 25-30% wear.

I reckon stick with quality 235/85/16's

MT's nearly seems standard figment these days......I started with AT's and moved to MT's, em considering going back to AT's

I tow a camper and couldn't imagine 255's on the hi-way, I run out of legs enough as it is

I'd second the 255/85R16. The extra bit of ground clearance you get makes a difference on the sand and rutted tracks as most people run 265/75R16. I needed to replace two of my tyres on our last trip. I called into a Beaurepairs in Port Hedland and they got the Carnarvan branch to order in two, we got there three days later and they were waiting for us. 235/85R16 were just as rare, would have to wait them almost all remote towns anyway.

I would also recommend fitting tyre sensors, they are great for keeping an eye on pressure and temperature. They let you know when you get a puncture long before you shred the tyre.

I'd also get some tyrepliers and some plugs and radial patches, then you can fix most holes good enough to get you to the next town at least.

I find that a 235/85 16 AT is a good compromise between towing, offroad and general running on my TDi 110 ute. It is mainly my farm worker so does a lot of slow offraod. When touring away from the beaten track tyre availability is a consideration as even a new tyre can get staked or rocked so given that most farm 4wds run 235/85 you can be fairly certain they will be in stock . Pattern is really determined by how much bitumen noise you can tolerate and how much gravel will be in your plans. hope this assists
Cheers Scott

Where did my post go....

I choose to stick with a quality 235/85/16

It seems MT's are stand fit these days, I started with AT's and now run MT's. I am considering going back to AT's

I tow a 1300kg camper and would hate to think what towing would be like with 255's.......I run out of legs as it is going up hills

Thanks weeds, yeh I was unsure if it could handle it with talker tyres.... Go catters...! The g was alive last night

If you are touring I would suggest that you keep tyre size to the sizes that are commonly available. 235, 255 and 265. Although with standard rims 265s will rub on the rear at full flex (and rolling on corners) not sure about 0 offset rims though.
I have 265 Cooper ST Maxx on mine and can't recommend them enough. They have been a great tyre. Good on road, good on gravel and dirt, no real problems in the mud and self clean fairly well but usual problems with clay based mud. Just turn to slicks, as most do!

I don't have the funds to run a second set of mud tyres so bought these as an all rounder but now I wouldn't run anything else.

Just as a side note. I had BFG AT on it when I bought it and had BFG AT on my patrol when I bought that and both times thought they where shocking. Particularly with the Defender. The beading was far to hard and when deflated for off road work would constantly get small stones and debris in between the bead and rim causing no end off problems on re inflating the tyres. Constant small air leaks requiring checking each day. I check tyre pressures everyday while touring but it was a real pain to get the gear out every morning to inflate tyres. So was cracking the beads to clean the rims just because you hit the dirt.
I have never had these problems with the Coopers!

Good luck with you trip.

Regards

Nino.