18" Tyres for D2

[funkyfedaykin]

My D2 came with the "Classic Town" Pack. That means amongst other things, that I have road tyres on 18" mags. As the disco is now over 120,000kms and it still has Michelin tyres, I assume they're the original set!

Anyways, they are way past use by dates and I want some ATs. I thought about getting steel 16" wheels for off road because of the exorbitant cost of ATs on a 18" wheel. But with the hassle of sourcing the 16" and having to buy 2 sets of tyres (road & off-road) I think I'll just stick with one set of ATs on the 18"ers.

That said, what's the best ATs for a 18"? There's plenty of info out there for D2 tyres, but i haven't seen much on 18" rims. I'm tossing up between General Grabbers and Michelin Cross. Apparently there's also some Silverstones that are a good budget option, but I can't track down any info on them.

Edit: I've been looking for a Nitto distributor for ages, just found one: http://www.ozzytyres.com.au/store/nitto-255-55r18-109s-terra-grappler.html
Looks like a good deal to me!!

[that_kid]

Honestly just get a MT and dont bother changing rims. They look good, they handle fine, and last long enough. I had the dillusion of two sets of wheels, that lasted about 4 times then i sold the HT's.

[funkyfedaykin]

The more I think about it the better the Nittos look. Especially because of price & free shipping!

[d2dave]

I am in the same boat. Have only owned the D2 for about ten weeks. It has 18 inch wheels. I plan to go 16 inch. This has nothing to do with cost of tyres but more to do with the known fact that a larger profile tyre is far better off road. As for your tyres being original, with 120,000 km on you dial I doubt it.

[Statusquo]

I changed out Wrangler HP's for General Grabber AT2's recently..the difference on road has been substantial..a much better drive..going to Stradbroke soon so will see how they go in the sand..yes they were expensive, (especially 5) but I feel better driving and know I'm safer stopping..they are also MUCH quieter on road...

Disco 2a V8 Classic 18' Rims

[funkyfedaykin]

I am in the same boat. Have only owned the D2 for about ten weeks. It has 18 inch wheels. I plan to go 16 inch. This has nothing to do with cost of tyres but more to do with the known fact that a larger profile tyre is far better off road. As for your tyres being original, with 120,000 km on you dial I doubt it.

As I drive around town and on the highway most of the time, I'm keen to keep the looks & originality of the 18"s. I wish I could get off road more often (as I'm sure mist do!) but I'm not doing it regularly enough to make the large profile appealing.

As for the 120k on the tyres, I've heard of these michelins wearing well, and they've been on the wear indicators for a while...

[funkyfedaykin]

I changed out Wrangler HP's for General Grabber AT2's recently..the difference on road has been substantial..a much better drive..going to Stradbroke soon so will see how they go in the sand..yes they were expensive, (especially 5) but I feel better driving and know I'm safer stopping..they are also MUCH quieter on road...

Disco 2a V8 Classic 18' Rims

That's good to hear! If you had the option of the Nitto's (in the OP) would you have still gone for the expensive grabbers?

[d2dave]

When I get my 16's with AT's I will still keep the 18's with road tyres. I will put the AT's on when I go offroading. This will then keep my bush tyres with lots of tread

[Alex 110]

As for your tyres being original, with 120,000 km on you dial I doubt it.

I dunno, I got about that from the original Michies on my 1997 defender. In my experience the Michies wear very well, whereas the Nankangs the previous owner put on the D2 just before he sold it to me will be lucky to see out 35000km

[Ged]

I have had 2 sets of Michelin HPs since new. Each set lasted around 60,000-70,000K. Recently had to grapple with the issue of "what next". I looked at fitting ATs to the 18". First question to ask is what will you use the tyres for? ATs are good for everything, the best at nothing. Wear faster than HPs. Use more fuel. Less grip in mud than MTs. But best all rounder. MTs wear faster (softer compound) than ATs and are not the best in sand, and terrible to drive in the wet on tarmac as the decreased tyre surface in contact with the road owing to bigger spaces between the tread decreases friction. Also, I'm assuming that given you are in QLD that sand driving is in the mix. MTs are not helpful in sand - dig yourself in. ATs are better. When it comes to ATs for the 18" I drilled it down to 3 options. There may be more but this is what I can up with. Option 1: General Grabber ATs came out as best value for money. 255/60 r18 perform well. They are 1" (25mm) greater in diameter than OME so they are legal (in Vic) but give you that bit of extra lift and increased sidewall. They retail for approx $270 per corner and last about 40,000km according to the user reports in AULRO. Option 2 was Cooper AT3s 265/60 r18. Slightly larger than General Grabbers but still legal in VIC. A lot more expensive at $380 per corner. I know that others will say they come with a 60,000 clicks guarantee but if you read the fine print thats not true - kilometre guarantee does not apply if used offroad. Option 3 was BFG AT 265/65/19. Most expensive at $510 per corner but have the best reports from users in a whole host of forums. They certainly give you the increased sidewall and height. The problem is though that the increased diameter of 66mm on the OME tires makes them illegal in VIC. You may not get picked up by the feds but your insurance may be affected. Hopefully this is of help to you. Its certainly a complex area and never a simple answer that everyone agrees on. Just do your homework and you'll come the best answer for you. :-)

[camel_landy]

I've had 120,000km out of a set of Michelins. ;)

When I owned a D2, I ran a set of 18" & 16". MT/R on the 16" and Wrangler HP on the 18". 16" rims will work better off-road, especially on dirt as the deeper profile will help smooth the ride.

If you go down the 2x set route, you can afford to even got for a pure bitumen tyre for the 18".

M

[funkyfedaykin]

I have had 2 sets of Michelin HPs since new. Each set lasted around 60,000-70,000K. Recently had to grapple with the issue of "what next". I looked at fitting ATs to the 18". First question to ask is what will you use the tyres for? ATs are good for everything, the best at nothing. Wear faster than HPs. Use more fuel. Less grip in mud than MTs. But best all rounder. MTs wear faster (softer compound) than ATs and are not the best in sand, and terrible to drive in the wet on tarmac as the decreased tyre surface in contact with the road owing to bigger spaces between the tread decreases friction. Also, I'm assuming that given you are in QLD that sand driving is in the mix. MTs are not helpful in sand - dig yourself in. ATs are better. When it comes to ATs for the 18" I drilled it down to 3 options. There may be more but this is what I can up with. Option 1: General Grabber ATs came out as best value for money. 255/60 r18 perform well. They are 1" (25mm) greater in diameter than OME so they are legal (in Vic) but give you that bit of extra lift and increased sidewall. They retail for approx $270 per corner and last about 40,000km according to the user reports in AULRO. Option 2 was Cooper AT3s 265/60 r18. Slightly larger than General Grabbers but still legal in VIC. A lot more expensive at $380 per corner. I know that others will say they come with a 60,000 clicks guarantee but if you read the fine print thats not true - kilometre guarantee does not apply if used offroad. Option 3 was BFG AT 265/65/19. Most expensive at $510 per corner but have the best reports from users in a whole host of forums. They certainly give you the increased sidewall and height. The problem is though that the increased diameter of 66mm on the OME tires makes them illegal in VIC. You may not get picked up by the feds but your insurance may be affected. Hopefully this is of help to you. Its certainly a complex area and never a simple answer that everyone agrees on. Just do your homework and you'll come the best answer for you. :-)

Thanks for the info. I thought the Grabbers were the best option of me, but my local tyre dealer wants ~$470 each, that's why I was looking for other options. Where were you getting prices?

[Statusquo]

That's good to hear! If you had the option of the Nitto's (in the OP) would you have still gone for the expensive grabbers?

Not one of the tyre shops I visitied offered Nittos, so no real choice..Hammond 4wd were the only ones that were able to offer a "legal" AT alternative...;)

[Ged]

Thanks for the info. I thought the Grabbers were the best option of me, but my local tyre dealer wants ~$470 each, that's why I was looking for other options. Where were you getting prices?

Tyrepower in Frankston. $470 sounds like a full blown rip off.

[banarcus]

I've got Pirellis ATRs for mine. Great tyre on and off the blacktop.

[funkyfedaykin]

Tyrepower in Frankston. $470 sounds like a full blown rip off.

I misremembered, it was actually $380, at tyrepower.

[funkyfedaykin]

Just thought I'd follow up on how I went with tyres.:)

I decided to go for the Nitto's because of the price. They turned up promptly, with free postage. Popped them on the car and have been using them for about a month now with no complaints.
There is a bit of a hum at high speeds, but that's to be expected from a chunkier tyre.

Spent a half hour off road yesterday and the grip was good. Hardly ever had to use momentum to clear obstacles.

Anyway, if you're looking for cheap tyres for 18" wheels (255/55/R18) I'd recommend them. Wheels, Tyres, Rims and Custom Mag Wheel Dealers-| Ozzy Tyres (http://www.ozzytyres.com.au) were quick & easy!

Now we'll see how long they last!