Goodyear duratrac

[Owen]

Anyone come across these in Aus yet? 255/55/19 Goodyear Duratrac (http://www.4x4tyres.co.uk/255-55-19/255-55-19-goodyear-wrangler-duratrac-p-3513.html)

We use them in Liberia, bloody great tyre.

[rufusking]

Just did a quick search and doesn't appear on the AU or US sites. Found it on ZA (south Africa). Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac | Goodyear SUV / 4x4 Tyres (http://www.goodyear.eu/za_en/tires/4x4/wrangler-duratrac/index.jsp?code=527146&from=browse)

Is it a new size? Sites that offer to sell them generally show "no stock", " back order" etc.

Certainly look the part. Like to hear a review in this size for the D4's.

[Owen]

Still searching, trying to find out direct if they will bring them in

[irondoc]

many of the australian tyre places don't list all the sizes of tyre available, or even all of the specific tyres in a range that are available here, so sometimes i have had to hunt around a bit

cheers
lucas

[Graeme]

I had a good look at 245/75-16 Duratracs fitted to a Telstra vehicle today. They're much more open on the edges than I thought from pictures. 6 plies in the tread but only 2 in the sidewalls in this size, which is not surprising as GY don't emphasize their sidewall strength the way they do with their MTRs. These had done about 6K kms and looked new but the driver only got about 25K from the original set. He did say that the vehicle wears-out the left front with all the local roundabouts but says they're a good handling tyre even compared with his own Navara fitted with normal road tyres. They produce some tyre noise but not instrusive.
They're probably unnecessarily aggressive for an everyday tyre for me but I'd be happy to fit them for a trip even with lots of bitumen road travelling.

[Utemad]

many of the australian tyre places don't list all the sizes of tyre available, or even all of the specific tyres in a range that are available here, so sometimes i have had to hunt around a bit

cheers
lucas

I just had Goodyear Silent Armour in LT245/70R17 fitted to a work car. They are not listed on the Goodyear Australia site either but the local Goodyear had 4 in stock.

[simoncs]

Just back from South Africa, and saw these tyres there. Nice looking tyre

[Graeme]

Now having a price of US$307 ea landed for 4 in the size I use (LT245/70-17) I need to decide if I want them for my winter & trip tyre on my 2nd set of rims even though my current tyres would last another year. I had the original MTRs on my D2 for the same purpose and these should be easier to live with as they wear.

[Graeme]

I just had Goodyear Silent Armour in LT245/70R17 fitted to a work car. They are not listed on the Goodyear Australia site either but the local Goodyear had 4 in stock.
Today I asked about Duratracs in LT245/70-17 at the local GY outlet to be told that they are in stock at the warehouse, even though I rang this local outlet a few days ago and was told no 17" Duratracs at all. At $389 fitted they're still effectively $50 more each than direct imports considering fitting charges and that I get 75% of the GST back. I'll try the other local sources to see if the gap can be closed enough to buy locally.

Update: Kmart $310 fitted & balanced (no old tyres to dispose of though) so effectively cheaper than importing.

[Graeme]

Look what I found in the back of the D4 today. I might fit them to see what they look like before they get stored for winter use.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/11/1152.jpg

[JamesH]

What rim size is that, Graeme? Is that a glimpse of a 19" SE rim I can see or is that my wishful thinking?

[Graeme]

Wishful thinking James, they're LT245/70-17. This size isn't listed on the GY Aust web-site but I didn't think to as if the 19" version was also stocked.

[discojools]

Hi Graeme,
I thought you had a 3 ltr so 17s wouldn't fit. Or do I vaguely remember you changing the brakes on your car? Anyway look forward to hearing how Duratecs go. I have 245/70/17 BFG KM2s also a great tyre.

Jools.

[Graeme]

Yes the production line "option" was removed. I've been interested in the Duratracs since they were released but after having acquired 1 virtually new KM2 for a good price I thought I'd end-up with all KM2. However the desire to try the Duratracs won and the KM2 is off to another home.

[Redback]

The 245/70/17 and 265/70/17 Duratrac are listed for sale on the JaxQuickfit website now.

Baz.

[scarry]

There are also heaps of Duratrac sizes listed on tirerack,but no 19's.

[Dougal]

Is anyone running these yet?

[Graeme]

I have a set mounted on rims but not put them on the vehicle yet, on the van instead. They'll go on in winter even if only to try them out.

[Dougal]

I have a set mounted on rims but not put them on the vehicle yet, on the van instead. They'll go on in winter even if only to try them out.

My long awaited set (215/85R16) should be here this month. I'm looking for some post-purchase but pre-use validation. I'm not finding much. Completely different size to the RRS/D3/D4 but any reviews from this side of the world would be good.

[Graeme]

Mine are LT245/70-17. I mounted 2 rims for the picture before storing them in the shed.
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/1253.jpg

[Dougal]

At least I know they look the part.
I take it you're saving these as snow/winter rubber?

I am too. My main use for chunkier tyres is getting through the layer of slush and snow melt to get into the real snow. M/T's are generally crap on packed snow and A/T's while better in packed snow fill up going through the mud/slush on the way up.

These look like the only tyre that's chunky enough for some mud and has the sipes and tread compound required for snow/ice.

[Graeme]

I suspect they might wear rather quicky in our summer heat and as I have no reason to use them over summer I may as well use a tyre that lasts longer and is quiet. I am a little concerned that they may be too much of a winter tyre rather than a tough winter touring tyre as they are designed to work very well in ice and slush but rocks too so I'll see how they go.

Edit: I decided to get on with my purchase of these tyres when I found that Telstra fit these to their utes, in this rural area at least. Talking to a driver he thought they were a great tyre for the use and in response to my question that the ute's stability at speed was no different to his own Pathfinder fitted with normal road tyres. They needed rotating regularly but he put that down to the heavily loaded utes negotiating too many round-abouts on town without any regard to tyre life.

[Graeme]

The Duratracs are now on. Yesterday the D4 only just extracted itself up a slight slope from some sticky clay ruts wearing the Yoko AT/S so I took that as the sign to start finding out what the Duratracs are like. The wife thought it was a tractor job however mud'n'ruts and some light stabbing of the accelerator did the job but not without a few going nowhere moments.

[Dougal]

I got mine on too. Some ice and mud/slush but no real snow yet.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=62127&stc=1&d=1371977725

Not on a D3/D4/RRS, but if I had one I'd fit them.:D

[bell1975]

On my D2 I'm running the LT225/75 16s and have found that they do actually handle very well for a tyre with the aggressive tread these have. They're wearing quite well too incidentally. IIRC I've out almost 30k on them and they'd have lost less than half of their original tread depth. Those kms have been 60/40 road/beach.