TYRES - not again!!

[KIGuide]

Hi everyone from Kangaroo Island!
I'm the new kid on the block here in this forum.
I recently purchased a 2010 D4 and I'm now looking to replace those "city" tyres ...
Of course I'm looking at a more AT tyres, overall I'm driving 50% on gravel and 50% on very average bitumen!
Afte a quick few calls to tyre dealers in Adelaide I'm now quite confused:someone is telling me that I cannot have AT tyres because my vehicle is a "performance" vehicle ... other are suggesting quite aggressive tyres like the Maxis AT980 ... I had those tyres in one of my previous vehicle (Nissan Patrol).
Other ate suggesting Kumho AT51 witch looks a bit more reasonable.
My question is: Which tire are you running and what suggestion can you give me?

Thanks! ;-)

[Tombie]

Wheel size?

[KIGuide]

Wheel size?

255/55R19

[NomadicD3]

Hi everyone from Kangaroo Island!
I'm the new kid on the block here in this forum.
I recently purchased a 2010 D4 and I'm now looking to replace those "city" tyres ...
Of course I'm looking at a more AT tyres, overall I'm driving 50% on gravel and 50% on very average bitumen!
Afte a quick few calls to tyre dealers in Adelaide I'm now quite confused:someone is telling me that I cannot have AT tyres because my vehicle is a "performance" vehicle ... other are suggesting quite aggressive tyres like the Maxis AT980 ... I had those tyres in one of my previous vehicle (Nissan Patrol).
Other ate suggesting Kumho AT51 witch looks a bit more reasonable.
My question is: Which tire are you running and what suggestion can you give me?

Thanks! ;-)

Hiya KT-
pirelli scorpion atr, surprisingly good offroad for such a passive tread
Coopers Zeon- even better and you get more mileage {well atleast I did}

Of course "IF" you can fit 18" wheels you'll have alot more options.
Whomever told you "you can't have AT's" on a disco4 you should steer well clear of as they obviously full of it!!!!

[hpal]

Yep you can have whatever tyres you like pretty much. Maxxis 980's aren't aggressive by any means, they'd be good. Maybe have a look at Nitto terra grapplers if they have them in that size, the AT51's look pretty good too, I've had kumho's before and they're pretty good.

[DI5CO]

I’m getting the AT980’s fitted on Wed morning, only reason going those is they’re the only Light Truck tyre available in 19”.
I don’t think they’re particularly aggressive as they have the same basic pattern as BFG All Terrains.

[Tombie]

For KI. Hankook RF10s.

[cjc_td5]

For KI. Hankook RF10s.My Hankooks RF10s in 19" have just passed 62,000km and probably have another 10,000-15,000km of wear left in them. Very happy with them.

[Bytemrk]

As others have said, the Hankooks are good I had them for some time before moving to Good year Duratracs that I think are better - but are also more expensive. both make good options for the 255/55 19

[RANDLOVER]

Hiya KT-
pirelli scorpion atr, surprisingly good offroad for such a passive tread
Coopers Zeon- even better and you get more mileage {well atleast I did}

Of course "IF" you can fit 18" wheels you'll have alot more options.
Whomever told you "you can't have AT's" on a disco4 you should steer well clear of as they obviously full of it!!!!

Regarding better mileage, I found this can be false economy if you are susceptible to noise, especially if you do a lot of free-way/high speed driving, as the high mileage tyres become hard and noisy. They'll also start to squeal on smooth surfaces like concrete car parks and even roundabouts. I had this happen with General Grabbers which came on my D3 and then with Coopers Discoverer AT's, I now have the latest model of the Discoverer AT's which are LT rated, hopefully I don't have to change them before they are worn out due to becoming noisy.

[mikeford]

Hankook Dynapro, I have 30,000km on them and recon will get more than double that easily. They are quiet and grip well in the wet.

[Celtoid]

Hiya KT-
pirelli scorpion atr, surprisingly good offroad for such a passive tread
Coopers Zeon- even better and you get more mileage {well atleast I did}

Of course "IF" you can fit 18" wheels you'll have alot more options.
Whomever told you "you can't have AT's" on a disco4 you should steer well clear of as they obviously full of it!!!!

I changed my OEM supplied Wranglers on my MY10 D4 to Scorpion ATRs in standard 19" size and was super impressed for a while. Compared to the Wrangler (which to be fair, whilst a bit soft-sided and puncture prone after ~40,000Klms, they gripped really well in wet and dry conditions and were quiet), were just as quiet, very direct steering wise and appeared to grip just as well. And as was stated, they were surprisingly good in many off-road conditions. However, I've never used them again as I found they got very skittish in the wet as they wore (especially on corners) and my 12 year old son and I almost met our maker when the Scorpions aquaplaned at 100kph in rain .....pointing us towards a concrete wall. I've heard a few reports of this happening with this tyre.

I currently run a set of 18" 285, 60 Cooper LTZs as my camping wheels on my MY13 D4 and I'm pretty impressed. They are however, noticeably noisier than the standard tyres. I've driven in the wet a few times but have never pushed them .... but they grip pretty well.

[DI5CO]

Got them![emoji16]
Yes they are noisier than the original road tyres but I think I will get used to it.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/536.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/537.jpg

[Gregz]

I changed my OEM supplied Wranglers on my MY10 D4 to Scorpion ATRs in standard 19" size ....... However, I've never used them again as I found they got very skittish in the wet as they wore (especially on corners) .......


I agree with this comment on the Pirelli Scorpion ATR - they tend to lose grip in the wet as they wear. I had these on 18" on the volvo XC90, swmbo was complaining about the ABS cutting in in the wet ('the brakes are broken') . I would go so far to say that in my opinion these are dangerous. I swapped over to a set of Bridgestone D697 which have been significantly better. On the RRS it came with Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season on 20" and these have been excellent so far. Much better grip and handling in the wet and dry, but possibly a bit short on AT credibility.

[Tombie]

Just look at the pattern and you can see where the issues on each brand will be.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/538.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/539.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/540.jpg

[Barraman]

Hiya KT-
pirelli scorpion atr, surprisingly good offroad for such a passive tread
Coopers Zeon- even better and you get more mileage {well atleast I did}

Of course "IF" you can fit 18" wheels you'll have alot more options.
Whomever told you "you can't have AT's" on a disco4 you should steer well clear of as they obviously full of it!!!!

I changed my original “city” tyres for Pirelli Scorpian ATRs at 45k km. I like them - sure footed, little road noise, no issues in the wet - but, I think I will be lucky to get 40k out of them.

Dont know what I’m gonna do then!

[Jaybee]

After much deliberation I changed the Wranglers to Cooper Zeon LTZ's 255/55/19 at 47K.
My needs were simple .....
Strong tyre, although would have preferred Light Truck tyres
No extra noise, the misses can hear a pin drop from 100 metres and will let me know
Regular towing of 3000kg caravan on bitumen and gravel
Beach work and lighter off road driving, generally no mud or rock crawling unless have to

Verdict... after 15,000 klm I'm extremely happy with the performance, quietness and general handling of the D4

Good luck

Jaybee MY12 D4

[GeoffH]

FWIW - I am on my 2nd set of Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's of the same size.

The first set lasted about 55k with about 20-25% useable tread left on them however I replaced them due to road noise they made after 20k on them or so.

Despite the noise and given the amount of off-road outback work I do in the vehicle, I purchased another set.

In heinsight though, if I knew I would be doing the sort field work in the car that I do today when I purchased the vehicle new, I would have definitely gone 18's to open up far more tyre options and to gain that little extra bag height. For now though, I just put up with the road noise until I hit the gravel / mud / sand, air-down as necessary and happy days.

Overall, I have found the Duratrac's to be excellent off-road, clear mud well, capable on sand, and drive well on the open road.

Good Luck...

[Celtoid]

Just look at the pattern and you can see where the issues on each brand will be.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/538.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/539.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/03/540.jpg


You're so cryptic Tombie :-)

What isn't obvious from the photo of the Scorpion (bottom pic) is the fact that the outside tread blocks have a support bar. I've read .... and maybe it makes sense when you've seen the tyre worn, that that bar becomes a water block once the tyre wears a bit .... stops the tyre ejecting water from the inside of the tyre, thus aquaplaning potential exists.

I can't say otherwise on the design theory but I sure as hell won't buy them again. If it wasn't for the stability control and other electronic systems on that D4, I may not be sitting here today....melodramatic but true! That part of the whole experience was actually very impressive .... feeling the car 'Lite-up' and react to the situation. I just steered where I wanted to go and the car just controlled the slide (and my panicked oversteer). I literally could feel the D4 win the war at each cycle.

Pirelli have a great name and I'm by no means having a go at the brand .... but in the spec that I had (ATR 255/55/19) there appears to be an issue. I'd love to be able to say when I felt the compromise occurred wear wise, but I honestly can't remember. As I said before ... I was suitably impressed at the start.

[Tombie]

Like to keep people thinking [emoji6]

Have a relaxing and safe Easter [emoji214]

[Celtoid]

After much deliberation I changed the Wranglers to Cooper Zeon LTZ's 255/55/19 at 47K.
My needs were simple .....
Strong tyre, although would have preferred Light Truck tyres
No extra noise, the misses can hear a pin drop from 100 metres and will let me know
Regular towing of 3000kg caravan on bitumen and gravel
Beach work and lighter off road driving, generally no mud or rock crawling unless have to

Verdict... after 15,000 klm I'm extremely happy with the performance, quietness and general handling of the D4

Good luck

Jaybee MY12 D4

The 'no extra noise is interesting' Jaybee. I wonder if all the extra mass/volume/something of the 285/60/18 somehow amplifies the noise. It starts coming on around 60 and is very noticeable at 100. I've had people ask when talking on the phone what the background noise is because they were struggling to hear me. It is pretty obvious and you get a sound that makes you wonder if you have a transmission issue....Change wheels ... no noise. So maybe it's not the tyre at all ....just the size of the tyre in an ATR? Mmmmm?

I've run the GOEs with the LTZs since around 2011/2012 and just accepted the noise as a fact and am comfortable that they aren't stressing anything. It's a small price to pay for a tyre and wheel set up that really changes the car in the beach conditions I predominantly camp in.

Kev.

[Celtoid]

I changed my original “city” tyres for Pirelli Scorpian ATRs at 45k km. I like them - sure footed, little road noise, no issues in the wet - but, I think I will be lucky to get 40k out of them.

Dont know what I’m gonna do then!

Can I ask how many Ks they have done? I was impressed when I first purchased them ....except for the price ... LOL. Not so once they'd been on the car for a while.

Cheers,

Kev.

[DiscoJeffster]

The LTZ for me are substantially noisier than the Pirelli I had. I still like them but quiet is not a word I’d use

[Graeme]

After my similar but less dramatic experience with the ATRs I shy away from any tyre that has links between outer blocks as I blame them for my aquaplaning, although the ATR's narrow centre voids may have contributed as my tyres were quite new.

[Celtoid]

The LTZ for me are substantially noisier than the Pirelli I had. I still like them but quiet is not a word I’d use

What size LTZ were/are you running?

Cheers.

[DiscoJeffster]

What size LTZ were/are you running?

Cheers.

255/55R19

[Celtoid]

255/55R19

OK, thanks DiscoJeffster .... appears in this case size doesn't matter ;-)

I'm very happy with my choice of the LTZs for my 18"s .... but like you, quiet is not a word that jumps to mind. [bigrolf]

Cheers,

Kev.

[3rr]

On the 4th set of LTZ's (car has done 330000 k's)- had one set of scorpions - wore quickly and did aquaplane when punted into wet corners. Mind you, so do the LTZs. Sure the LTZ's are a bit noisy but the best all-rounders (80% on road) I could be bothered with. Shoulders wear a bit quick although that's probably a combination of crap roads and cornering style.......and wheel alignment - hard to get good help these days

[rick130]

FWIW - I am on my 2nd set of Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac's of the same size.

Overall, I have found the Duratrac's to be excellent off-road, clear mud well, capable on sand, and drive well on the open road.

Good Luck...

Duratracs have an excellent reputation for off road performance, as an aggressive AT tyre how do you find them on road?

[ozscott]

On road the Duratracs are excellent. In the wet they are very good. They won't hold quite as well as a good quality much less aggressive AT like a Maxis 751 or Scorpion but not a drama. Awesome tyre and wear very well. Cheers

[ozscott]

Duratrac in its element at Cape York. Fantastic on high speed corrugated dirt and mud. These are LT. Nothing like being in the middle of nowhere at GVM and working tyres hard with confidence.

Cheershttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/04/36.jpg

[DI5CO]

Duratrac in its element at Cape York. Fantastic on high speed corrugated dirt and mud. These are LT. Nothing like being in the middle of nowhere at GVM and working tyres hard with confidence.

Cheershttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/04/36.jpg

Yes, it is confidence with LT, but unfortunately in 19” the Duratracs don’t come in LT. ☹️
I loved my BFG’s in my series 2, the tyres were the least of my worries!
Although now with the Maxxis they are LT in 19”, and I’m on the Darling river in Pooncarie as I type feeling much more confident [emoji16]
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/04/37.jpg

[Tombie]

Strange the LT conversation has come up.
Was speaking with a few tyre blokes recently...

Seems they are of the opinion that some of the XL tyres are actually stronger by design and construction than the LT alternatives.

[ozscott]

Interesting Tombie. Never seen XL in tyres i have looked at...only P and LT.

DIsco5 a good mate was with me at the Cape in a.D3 with Maxxis 980 on 19's and they were a good tyre. Had to winch him (and a D4 with Duelers) though a few places the D2 went through no probs but that wasn't tyres so much as clearance and good travel live axles combined with the 4.6. Both knew how to drive. My d2 had a modest lift which helped. The Duratracs would have by design a slight edge (and slightly deeper tread new) (all tyres were new on the vehicles). Cheershttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/04/45.jpg

[ozscott]

This shows the 980 (D3) and the Dura (D2)

Cheershttps://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2018/04/52.jpg

[GeoffH]

Duratracs have an excellent reputation for off road performance, as an aggressive AT tyre how do you find them on road?

Hi Rick,

Apologies for the late reply - been out in the bush the past week for my work.

As to your question, they are excellent on the open road / Hwy - albeit a little noisy for my liking. The tyre noise is not so noticeable for the first 10/15k kms, but after this amount of milage, they tend to wear flat unlike other tyres hence the noise. I have met other D4 users whom have the same observation. Apart from this I cannot fault them and after close to 80k Kms across two sets now and a LOT of off-road work, I still have not had a flat tyre (knock on wood). Managing your pressures has a lot to do with this so if you air up/down as required you'll likely be very happy with them - assuming the road noise is acceptable.

Cheers, Geoff

[Celtoid]

After my similar but less dramatic experience with the ATRs I shy away from any tyre that has links between outer blocks as I blame them for my aquaplaning, although the ATR's narrow centre voids may have contributed as my tyres were quite new.

I think the centre void is a definite contributor Graeme. My wife's Merc came with low profile, relatively wide Continental tyres and we've just recently changed her back tyres to a Bridgestone equivalent. Both tyres have tread blocks that have no direct route from the inside of the tyre to the outside at the perpendicular. They effectively have a bar around the outside tread. In fact the Bridgestone pushes the water to the inside of the tyre (according to website). They both however have massive centre voids, which if you read the blurb on the design, rapidly pumps water out from under the tyre (I guess in a fore and aft fashion). Apparently this design also helps cool the tyre.