Thread: New Tyres

"Do not bother recommending...."

Have you spent a lot of time on Exploroz.....so many people ask for advice about a particular product on Exploroz and every Tom, Dick and Harry, rattle on about their own preferences. It's quite annoying :-(

The 18inch ones don't have the usual LT weight rating at 114.

Hopefully you will come across the right advice here for your 4WD.

Brett....

Originally Posted by Geedublya

Interested in peoples experiences with the following tyres:

BFG KM2 245 70 17 $330ea
BFG AT KO 265 65 17 $310ea
Bridgestone D697 265 65 17 $295ea
Bridgestone D697 265 60 18 $385ea

All are LT, I'm not interested in anything that is not LT or that is oversized for NSW regulations (+_ 15mm diameter). The max diameter allowed in NSW is 778mm.

I was set on the KM2 but after speaking to Redback since he had them fitted to his D4 and is suffering from noise and vibration I am unsure.
If people have other experiences with the KM 2 I would be pleased to hear from you.
Do not bother recommending Coopers to me .

I have 2 sets of tyres for my D3:

Everyday tyres are Continental Cross Contact AT in original 255/60R18 size. Marginally (emphasize marginally) more noisy than the original Wranglers and I find them a very good all round tyre.

My off-road set are BFG KM2's in 245/75R17. Again, marginally more noisy than the Continentals, but not intrusive. In part I'm sure due to Discovery NVH measures, but I noticed on my previous Patrol when switching from BFG KM's to KM2's, the newer tyres were much less noisy. (Cooper AT ST's were far more noisy on the patrol). These tyres are much less harsh and less noisy than a traditional mud tyre while retaining their off-road performance.

It will depend on your expectation. If you are committed to the super quiet, limosine feel of the OE tyres, then maybe the KM2's are not for you. If you're prepared to sacrifice some of that for the reliability of an LT mud tyre, I can't recommend the KM2 higher.

I note your comment re Cooper Tires (correct adjective for Cooper tyres) and agree fully.

Ian

I have just had fitted today a set of Bridgestone D697 265/60/18. I wanted an LT construction without going larger. The initial impressions are good, they appear to be almost as quiet as the Wranglers and handle fine. As they wear I will get a better idea but so far so good .

I have had bad experiences with both the standard Goodyears and with GG AT2. The sidewalls of either of those are so soft that I consider it dangerous just to drive on a dirt road. Just on Saturday the last straw was a rock punching right through the middle of the tread of one of the Goodyears leaving me with only three of them, it was a sharp rock but I have never seen anything through the tread and belts quite like this before, all my problems in the past have been slashed sidewalls. I think I have now managed to destroy 5 GGs and two Wranglers in ways that they can't be repaired. Certainly would have to be crazy to drop pressures as it exposes the sidewall even more. Conversely I have had good experience with Cooper STT in the 245/70/17 on Dynamic steel rims. Have done a fair bit of serious offroad with them and also a trip to Tassie and back towing the camper and they have only recently got too noisy for touring and that could partly be a matter of alignment and balancing. No more damage to tread or blocks than I would expect given what I have done with them.

This is the rock that went right through the Wrangler and the hole it made.



Cheers,

TimJ.

I've had that size KM2 on my D3 (included one trip from Sydney to Darwin), and now on my D4 (included recent trip to Broome). Lots of other trips as well on both cars - probably done about about 40,000km. I really like them - briefly had up to 155 in NT while overtaking a road train. Cruised all day long on highways there at 130 (speed limit)... no vibrations.

The only two tyres that have blown on friends cars were Coopers. My lease company won't even let me get them.

Cheers,
Rob

I had the same experience with my Cooper ATR two slashed sidewalls and one large hole in tread, all occurred on the blacktop at correct pressures.
This and the other stories I have heard have put me off Coopers, I just want a tyre I can rely on.

Of course the KM2s will be more noisy as you have missed the MT in front of the KM2 - they are of course BFGs main mud tyre whereas the others you have listed are ATs - so not really comparing apples with apples.

Garry

You might consider the extra thumping from tyres over bumps as the load rating increases if they're not carrying the load. The 245/70-17 are probably 119 whereas sizes like 265/65-17 are likely to have a softer 114 or 116 rating. I'm considering using a lower load rating tyre next time for this reason (maybe even 112), but still a LT tyre.

It is also to put up with a rough/noisy MT tyre with high load rating - if they are only put on for offroad trips.

FWIW, after 16,000km of MT noise, HT Wranglers are nice and quiet.