AT Tyres - what is your experience with these?

[Grumbles]

I am considering choosing one of these four AT tyre brands and am wondering what owners experience with them is. The one thing I am not that interested in is tyre life.

Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Bridgestone D697

Toyo Open Country A/T

BF Goodrich ALL-Terrain T/A K02

[Tank]

I am considering choosing one of these four AT tyre brands and am wondering what owners experience with them is. The one thing I am not that interested in is tyre life.

Pirelli Scorpion ATR

Bridgestone D697

Toyo Open Country A/T

BF Goodrich ALL-Terrain T/A K02
The Pirellis got some good reviews in 4WD mags a few years back, try Googling up reviews on all the brands mentioned, Regards Frank.

[l00kin4]

I've put 265/60x18 D697's on my D4 (they're LT rated) - swapped out OEM HT Wranglers.

They are a little bit noisier but I can't detect any difference whatsoever grip-wise, wet or dry.

Off road they are good on sand and also scrabbling around on rocks / rocky dirt roads. Haven't taken them on a long trip yet.

Much talk of the BFG's chipping badly in the D3/D4/RRS section.

David

[Eevo]

for a highway tyre, i liked the Pirelli Scorpions.

[incisor]

Have the scorpion atr on my rangie.... Quiet, good road holding on and off the road..

[rover-56]

After 3 sets of BFG and getting ~60-70k km on them, I fitted Toyo Open Country ATs and only got 50k km, and they wore inside edge on the front and outside on the back. 30psi front and 35-40 back, same as the BFGs.
~30% outback roads, 2000 D2 SLS, ACE.
Terry

[catch-22]

Pirelli on everything except mud. But all the ones mentioned are average in mud. Change them before they hit the indicators to prevent them getting noisy.

38-40 psi front and 40-42 on rear.
When loaded heavily, 42 on front and 46 rear.
Dirt 32/34
Sand 18 all round.

[grmas1]

What is everyone's view of General Tires? Grabber GT popped up as an option for the Freelander 2

[Grumbles]

Some good info here - thanks.

A couple of guys hit the sore point of tyre noise.
I'm currently running Dunlop Grandtrek AT3s and they have more than met my requirements of stone puncture resistance, highway grip and good off road performance. They were a complete surprise in mud and performed way above expectations. Try a 2 km stretch of axle deep red mud and they just churned their way through without a hiccup.

But their down fall is noise on the bitumen. They don't just howl they roar. Conversation inside the car - incidentally this is my Suzi GV fourby not my Rangie - is difficult and mates hear me coming in 60 kmh rural zones well before they can see me - in fact one asked if Ihad done a diff. These tyres have to go even though they have only traveled 20 thou odd kays.

[ramblingboy42]

I have heard some recent good reviews on the scorpions.

I put 697's on my D2 and did not really like them....they throw stones and get loose on wet roundabouts. They were not as good as the KL71 Khumo muddies that they replaced.

The 697's definitely throw stones so if you are going to tow give them a miss.

[MrLandy]

A better Bridgestone AT tyre is the 661. I've used them all over this continent for almost 20 years. Excellent all round tyre, quiet and good grip on road, tough, durable capable off road.

[superquag]

For the little it's worth...
My two (almost unworn) front tires (clue to their country of origin) lead me on a journey of Discovery from the bitumen into the bush, recently.

(Rear tires were another brand, but from the same country...)

Despite tread depth that rivals the Grand Canyon, they were....exciting...in the wet, or on a day cooler than 39 degrees C.

The older Rangie we towed with had Pirelli Scorpions, which had great grip AND wet weather predictability. Life was deemed to be good, and noise, well, can't say I ever noticed any !

If I keep Lady $arah, I'll not be bothering with A/T's, just any H/T or pure road tyres.

[DiscoMick]

The BIL seems happy with the Toyos on his 80 series.
Pirellis are supposed to be very high quality tyres.
The bushies seem to like the Bridgies.
I've had BFGs and they were great, but expensive.
Coopers seem to go hard.
Hankook ATs seem to be good value for money at the moment.

[4range]

I have used the BFG's on several vehicles - Defender and 2 classic Rangies.

I find them to be quiet enough & well behaved on bitumen & reasonably capable in mud & sand.

I would buy them again (in fact just renewed the Defender tyres)

Good luck

[NavyDiver]

I put Pirelli Scorpion ATR on my D3 when I blew a General Grabber At2 in QLD. They are quieter than the GGat2. They hold on road well. I cannot comment on longevity as they are still newish sorry.
Offroad- Fine with dirt road and tracks but not mud friendly but no AT tires are really:D

[Grumbles]

There is plenty of terrific info being posted here - really appreciated and thank you. :BigThumb:

Unfortunately some patterns such as Mr Landys recommendation of Bridgestone AT 661 are off the list due to non availability in the necessary size. I need 225 x 65 x 17. I haven't looked at the needed Load or Speed Ratings yet.

[DiscoMick]

The latest 4 x 4 Australia mag has a good article on working out tyre load and speed ratings to make a choice, if you happen to see it in a newsagent.

[Wallumbilla]

Do these fit ok in the spare tyre space David?

Gavin

[ramblingboy42]

A better Bridgestone AT tyre is the 661. I've used them all over this continent for almost 20 years. Excellent all round tyre, quiet and good grip on road, tough, durable capable off road.

just out of curousity I looked them up......only available in one size......which I think is a good size for defender......

[MrLandy]

just out of curousity I looked them up......only available in one size......which I think is a good size for defender......

Yup, best size for any real 4x4 :p:angel:

[Naviguesser]

I have had Bridgestone 697's on for 87,000 km now.
Their grip is quite good. They were barely marked after a Simpson trip, where they performed brilliantly.

But the noise is the issue. Not too bad up to 50,00 km, but since then it gets worse and worse. I have been tempted to change them quite few times despite having plenty of tread depth left. But then I look at the cost an leave them.

I am torn myself as to what to do when I replace them.

[DiscoMick]

Hankook ATs are looking promising. Good load rating and well priced. I'm trialling a pair on our camper trailer. Good overseas reviews.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[weeds]

Hankook ATs are looking promising. Good load rating and well priced. I'm trialling a pair on our camper trailer. Good overseas reviews.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app



Mick, out of interest how do you compare tyres for your rig by trialling them on a camper trailer? Serious question......

[Grumbles]

I am torn myself as to what to do when I replace them.

New tyres chew a lot of money and if you get it wrong then the big spend on them can be wasted. In a perfect world there would be a "try & drive" option but sadly that is just wishful thinking.

[Grumbles]

I am torn myself as to what to do when I replace them.

I finally made a decision re replacement tyres and chose Yokohama Geolander GO12 AT's.

I looked critically at my needs, travel routines and read a lot of reviews before purchasing. My normal driving pattern is around 40% bitumen and 60% bush tracks with these tracks being mainly stone orientated rather than muddy.

On bitumen the GO12s have proven to be very quiet with good grip and it is now a pleasure to drive. I certainly don't miss the roar from the Dunlop Grandtreck AT3s I just replaced on it. 'It' by the way is a 2013 4WD Grand Vitara. The steering is now a lot lighter too.

I also simultaneously replaced the tyres on her indoors 2WD 2013 Urban Grand Vitara. It's use is solely as a bitumen runner so it got Yokohama Geolander GO 12s. I haven't driven that car car with its new boots on yet.

Great deal from Bob Jane too - 4 Yoko tyres for the price of 3 so only $660 for each car including fitting, balancing and old tyre disposal ? both wear 225 x 65 x 17's.

[DiscoMick]

Mick, out of interest how do you compare tyres for your rig by trialling them on a camper trailer? Serious question......

I was totally unfamiliar with them, but was offered a set for the camper at a good price, so I just thought I'd see how they go.
Obviously the vehicle is a different use, but it's interesting how many Hankooks I am noticing in car parks now.

[spudfan]

These are 7.50 x 16 Goodyear Wrangler AT tyres on a 110 200 tdi. They are tube type tyres. There's a very good depth of thread on them. As it's a 200 tdi I don't notice any tyre noise. Don't know if you would hear them in a Puma as it's a quieter vehicle. As they are a recent fitment I can't offer any advice as regards longevity.

[DiscoMick]

These are 7.50 x 16 Goodyear Wrangler AT tyres on a 110 200 tdi. They are tube type tyres. There's a very good depth of thread on them. As it's a 200 tdi I don't notice any tyre noise. Don't know if you would hear them in a Puma as it's a quieter vehicle. As they are a recent fitment I can't offer any advice as regards longevity.

Are they the Goodyears with kevlar in the sidewalls? Can I ask what they cost? Might be interested next year in a set of 235/85/16s.

[spudfan]

The sidewall says that it is a 6PR tyre.
Thread 5 plies - 2 polyester cord, 2 steel cord, 1 polyamide cord.
Sidewall 2 plies polyester cord.
Cost for four tyres fitted and balanced AUD 802 at todays rate.

The tread blocks on mine look different to the one on the GOODYEAR page which says that there is Kevlar in them. Here is the blurb'....
The Wrangler Radial tire was developed specifically for modern vehicles with four-wheel drive, operating both on the road and in the field. Perfect for rough terrain with a unique tread pattern that quickly removes mud from the wheels for maximum traction even in the most demanding times.

Self-cleaning grooves disperse water from under the tire, mud and snow, effectively preventing the occurrence of the phenomenon of aquaplaning. SilentArmor technology allows Wrangler Radial tires allow for smooth over rough terrain off-road without damaging them.

The internal structure of the tire is fitted with two layers of Kevlar fiber developed by DuPont, increases resistance to punctures and cuts. In addition, damping layer helps to absorb noise generated during the rolling of the tire on the road, greatly increasing comfort. Moreover, the system of massive blocks ensures driving stability and precise steering response, providing maximum control of the vehicle in all kinds of terrain and weather.

Also mine don't have white lettering (thank God!). All mine have a 2016 manufacturing date on them. I do not think there is 235/85/16 version of it.

[DiscoMick]

Thanks. Sound like a good buy.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

[Grumbles]

An update on the Yokohama ATS GO12s fitted to my 3 yo Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Bitumen.

The car drives well no matter if the roads are wet or dry. It just goes to where ever I point it. The Suzi feels much lighter and way more 'feisty' than when it was wearing the Dunlop Grandtrek AT 3s.

The big issue though was tyre noise. I had reached the stage where I hated driving it but with the GO12s fitted there is no tyre noise and my enthusiasm for driving it has returned. Wonderful!

Off Road. Stone/rocky type forest tracks N/E Vic.

This is where the Yoko ATS GO12s are really shining.

Driving the same tracks that I usually haunt with the Yoko ATS GO12s fitted I can now feel a cushioning effect through the car body that wasn't there before. The tyres are absorbing a great deal of the harsher/jarring impacts from driving over rough, stony/rocky tracks and make the car feel pleasurably 'soft'. There is a profound improvement in ride quality.

Conclusion.

I wish I had bitten the bullet and had the Yoko GO12s fitted much earlier than when I did. I used to hate driving the Suzi and absolutely dreaded any bitumen travelling, even short runs to the shops for mail etc.. I was so unhappy with using it that I was seriously considering selling it. Not now though! It feels like it could be a 'keeper'.

Now I wonder about the Rangie. It is currently fitted with Toyo ATs which are about half way worn and have proven to be a great tyre, no complaints at all. But........could Solihulls best be even better if fitted with Yokohama GO12s?