Thread: Recommended Tyres for the Pilbara WA

Having recently worked up there near Tom Price I found the roads where the mining companies are, whilst being constantly repaired, are badly cut up.
My advice is simply drive to conditions (simply slow down, as if you are on holidays) and there will be no problems. DO NOT SPEED THROUGH ROADWORKS and watch out for oversize loads.
Simply put courtesy and common sense, correct tyre pressures and reasonable tread left should not cause problems.
I will be going up that way with my new D4 in June and will leave the Goodyears at home and I will have 5 Cooper LTZ 255/55/19 fitted for that trip.
It is one of the most spectacularly beautiful places in Australia.

I live in Port Hedland and have worked around most of the Pilbara and it is a hard place on tyres. If you need and 18" tyre, you will have to wait for it to come from Perth and pay a "Pilbara premium" $$'s on usual price. The rocks are sharp and unforgiving and will destroy tyres quickly. Pulled off bitumen yesterday to check a "fault" and a rock cut through so I got a bonus flat. Bring a few spare tyres with you if you are going off road up here.

After Living and 4WD driving around the Pilbara (exmouth to Hedland , Newman to Carnarvon since 1975 its hard to say there is a best tyre ,their are a few different conditions .If all you going to do is the main tourist spots,then even the standard Goodyears at the right pressure are fine.If you want to chase Donkeys over the iron bark flats then 16ply crossplies!!I would say at the moment,In my area the best tyre appears to be the BFG KM2 , but alas you cant get it in a 18 inch tyre! I run a good compromise/all rounder the GG AT2 in a 255 x 60 x 18 on my D3.
I suppose those new Cooper LTZ in a 265 x 60 x 18 would be fine , thats if they have improved as much as some people say they have.
Mate just fitted aset of MT STZ 265x70x17 , very impressive

We've toured through there quite a bit now. In 18", I'd stick to 265/60R18 - it's a Toyota Prado OEM size, so more likely to get spares (we sourced them in Broome easily enough, haven't had to do it in the Pilbara yet!). Similarly with the 285/60R18 (OEM Landcruiser).

Both the Mickey Thompson STZ and the Cooper Zeon LTZ are good strong tyres. There's also the Goodyear Silent Armor, the Pirelli ATR and the Continental AT XContact.

Cheers,

Gordon

Thanks to everyone for your input. I will be going to a 265/60R18 tyre instead of the originals