Maxxis 762 v 764 Big Horns v BFG KM2's

[TerryO]

Hi guys,

Looking at buying a new set of 17" MUDs for the D3 and given most of you blokes use MUDS more than the Disco owners I thought I'd ask for your opinions on the three options I'm considering.

These will be a second set of tyres for playing off road but likely to get some on road usage, but not a lot. So the main thing I'm looking for is what is the best off road with on road manners coming second. Also I'm not interested in what. Tyres will do 90,000 Kim before they wear out either.

Regarding what kind off road driving I do and prefer in general it is mainly rock and hard pack rather than mud. It anything I choose to avoid mud, even though D3's have good door seals. ...;)

So how do the Big Horn 762's compare to the 764's? Which is best?

And out of the two Maxxis Big Horns how do they compare to the BFG KM2's?

Thanks in advance gentlemen and Lou. ...;)

[ozscott]

Terry I have the752 first on my d2 and then into my d1. I love Maxxis. My brother sells Maxxis and the Tuff Track Challenge guys rate them well.

Cheers

[manic]

So the main thing I'm looking for is what is the best off road with on road manners coming second.

Sounds like you're looking for a Defender. :wasntme:

[TerryO]

Sounds like you're looking for a Defender. :wasntme:


Nope sounds like I'm looking for better off road tyres. ...;)

[isuzutoo-eh]

I can't compare to 754s or KM2s, but last month I bought another full set of 752s because I am happy with them.

[discostu]

KM2's all day long, maxxis wear too quick
Stu

[carlosbeldia]

Maxxis Bighorn all the way....

[micksta1973]

I had the 762s, great off road, but noisy as heck on road, also clag up a bit in the clay/mud up here in Cairns. just to throw a spanner in the works, have you thought about Federal Couragia M/T? bloody out of this world off road, quiet on road, and never clag up, amazing self cleaning tires. they are a soft compound tho. food for thought.

[clubagreenie]

x2 For federals, happy with mine they do initially wear a bit quick but settle down after a few thousand.

[n plus one]

Haven't driven on the Bighorns but I'm very happy with my KM2s to date - good self cleaning in the mud and nice on road manners to boot.

The other tyre you may wish to consider is the Goodyear MT/R Kevlar - I had sterling service from my last set - 75k an still plenty of wear left, plus great traction in the Vic high country clay.

I'm of the view that both the MT/R and the KM2 are latest tech when it comes to on road manners - I'm not sure that the same can be said for a lot of other mud tyres?

[VM_Motori]

Love my Big Horns had since new but only a few months old wear seems good to date

Off road they are outstanding

Next set either Deestone Clawers as they perform really well off road or the Federal C's

[rick130]

762's can clog up in mud, and I know Matt/rovercare doesn't like the BFG KM2's in Victorian mud at all.

I can only compare 762's to the old KM MT BFG's and the 762's are wearing better for me with equal to or better grip, but according to a coal miner I knew they wore out a bucket load quicker in the pit when tested against the BFG's fitted to Land Cruisers, so ?????

Oh, and 764's are only available in limited sizes so far.
One of the local Cockies has 764's in 265/75-16 on his 79 Series, they are 18 months old and damned near gone, but he's hard on equipment, and most of the country he runs it in is real billy goat stuff.
They have lasted better than the Coopers that preceded them with minimal chipping and far less carcass damage and supposedly grip better too, but that doesn't answer your Q either Terry. :angel:
I have no idea how many km he has on them either.

[TerryO]

Thanks for the feedback guys, researched plenty of different tyres including the Federal's which if you read the many reviews actually sound really good, especially for the money.

However in the end the price I could get a set of 265/70/17" KM2's for from Tempe Tyres was to attractive to pass up on.

Thanks again.

[ozscott]

Looking forward to the report.

I have heard a lot of mixed reviews about the KM2. Always wary of just going on latest tech - lot of that stuff with tyres is marketing hype. Always keen to try new stuff though so hope thry go well!

Cheers

[clubagreenie]

Have to watch the cheap stuff from tempe. They are usually very old stock.

[Hymie]

We run a mix of 762's and 764's at work. The 762 are noisier than the 764's.
The 62's I have on the 130 are 10 ply and I find it hard to air them down for sand driving.
No complaints so far in 30 000K's on my 130.
No problems at all with the other vehicles tyres either.

[TerryO]

Have to watch the cheap stuff from tempe. They are usually very old stock.

Heard this before about their tyres being old, so far I have Bought a couple of sets of tyres from there, never been more than a year old in the build date.

Popular place, while we were waiting for the tyres to be fitted two other 4b's had new sets of KM2's fitted.

[loanrangie]

Love my Big Horns had since new but only a few months old wear seems good to date

Off road they are outstanding

Next set either Deestone Clawers as they perform really well off road or the Federal C's

Just been looking at the Deestone's as they are priced pretty good, have you ran them before ? Also looking at the Federal Couragias .

[MLD]

Have to watch the cheap stuff from tempe. They are usually very old stock.

Rubber continues to harden with age, accelerated by exposure to UV. An old trick of cycling is to put a new tyre under your bed for 6 months before mounting. The logic is to allow the rubber to age to harden without the negatives of UV (becoming brittle).

Getting old stock tyres assuming they are stored without exposure to UV will result in a tyre that is harder thus wears better than a new off the factory conveyor belt tyre.

My experience with the KM2's is that they wear at what is perceived to be a fast rate for the first 5,000 kms, then they settle down into an even wear. I have a set of KM2's at 30,000 kms and are about 50% wear. They have slashes to the side wall, chunks out of treat blocks and signs of heavy use. Never had a flat or rolled tyre even when down to 12 psi. They are not pretty but nor have they let me down mechanically. I'm sure there are tyres that have better mud clearing properties, better this or better that but there is no substitute for comfort in reliability and confidence.

ps: the KM2's were designed to comply with the 74 dB rolling road noise rules applied in the EU. They should be quieter than the older style mud tyres.

I haven't had any of the other brands so I don't presume to compare or promote KM2's over any other brand.

cheers MLD

[Shingleback]

762's can clog up in mud, and I know Matt/rovercare doesn't like the BFG KM2's in Victorian mud at all.
.

FWIW I bought Matt/rovercares old truck with the still fairly new BFG Km2's and I have to agree they didn't grip well in greasy conditions. However I believe this was due to tyre size, not because they were km2's. They were too big and floaty at 35" 12.5" to get any bite, had to air right down to be any good at all. I now have stock 130 rims with the same BFG Km2 tyres but now in 255/85/16 size and they offer far more grip than the big balloon tyres even when not aired down. In that size tyres are limited but went for the km2 over the maxis as they are quieter and had a good run on my previous vehicle.
Cheers, Andrew.

[noogie]

KM2's all day long, maxxis wear too quick
Stu


Gotta agree. I had a set of maxxis muddies but they wore out too quick.
They were ok when they had tread but found they didn't clear the mud that well. I got under 40,000 out of them.
Got Km2s now and love them.
I find the traction is awesome and not too noisy on the black stuff.

[Drover]

Been watching this thread and resisting.....

My vote is for MIckey Thompson's MTZ.

So far done 20k's, way way less than 1/2 gone, probably 33% worn.

Done Vic High country and the Cape (CREB & OTL), now on the waty to Inaminke (touch wood) not one puncture/flat.

Traction and self cleaning second to none, road nose pretty bloody good for the tread patern.

Go the MT's

[VM_Motori]

self cleaning second to none,

Ipom and myself have seen that Cheap Deestones are better at cleaning then MTZ's and BigHorn's

VM

[Jeff]

I like KM2s.

Jeff

:rocket:

[rick130]

FWIW I've been running a new set of 762's since (January ?) as my tyre bloke is a Maxxis dealer, but they don't seem to hold the price advantage they used to over the BFG's anymore :(