You never see the rock that gets you

**BSM** · 12th July 2014, 04:48 PM

So after I fitted the spare we arrived at Arkaroola, and I set about getting the puncture fixed.

It's a very small place Arkaroola village and the workshop is just nearby reception. The other think to know about this place is that it is in the harsh Northern tip of the Flinders Ranges, and the the ground is literally littered with sharp shards of shale and quartzite. There are rocks everywhere. It is an unforgiving place.

One of the big attractions of this place is a tour called the Ridge-top tour where they take visitors along an old mining road that was built along the spine on the ridges to avoid the road getting washed away in the floods.

I figured these guys must know a bit about tyres, and what works in such a harsh environment.

With the tyre off the rim we inspected the puncture on my Toyo Open Country. Even though I'd been driving along the graded gravel road, a shard had penetrated the thickest part of the tread and severed one or two of the steel cables. It has resulted in a tear about 1.5cm in length. The tyre was shot.

I was curious what the guy doing the repair thought of my Toyo's since they rarely get a mention on these forums, and I was surprised that he said Toyo's are good. During this conversation the operator of their fleet of work vehicles wandered by and he confirmed that opinion. His explanation of my puncture was simple. "High velocity, high impact, concentrated force. You never see the rock that does it".

He explained that the life of a tyre in those parts was very short. I can't remember the numbers exactly but it was something like 9,000 km for your average road tyre.

He said Toyo's make great truck tyres and then we looked at the tread on my ATs and he explained that the tread pattern was well designed to eject rocks.

This was in contrast to some very expensive brands that I will not name, but which are heavily marketed in Australian 4x4 magazines (you know which ones they are if you read these forums). They used to joke with the customers that if you came in with a puncture in one of these branded tyres you could fix it yourself. He was dismissive of the cost, the marketing and sales methods and the useful life of these tyres.

I asked what that were running on their vehicles. They are currently running Bridgestone Desert Duellers LTs on their Ridge Top tour vehicles, and they were pretty good, but he was very enthusiastic about another quite unknown brand that was really demonstrating its ability to last in this harsh environment and that is Hercules. In his opinion Hercules are great and cheap too.

I asked what they though of BFG's, which many on this forum rave about - but they didn't really have an opinion (Sorry about that BFG fans).

Anyway, I had to buy a replacement tyre there and I was given a Maxxis which he said are much like the Toyo.

I suppose I should say that the Toyo was the rear passenger wheel when it got its puncture. It was at a pressure of 36psi, carrying the drawbar weight of a loaded trailer, and travelling at 80kmh along a graded gravel road when it met the shard. They typically run pressures no more than 28/30 psi around Arkaroola - However they acknowledge that you need more pressure with a heavy load. On leaving Arkaroola, I ran 33psi in the rear and drove maximum 70kmh - No problem.

I think my Toyo OC's performed well in the Flinders Ranges. They were great on the Skytrek earlier in the holiday, but then I was running 26psi and had no trailer. If I'd been a bit more patient in driving the gravel and kept the pressures and speed a bit lower I reckon I would not have had the puncture at all. - But whose to say? As the man said to me... "You never see the rock that gets you"

**scarry** · 13th July 2014, 07:21 AM

We were out that way this time last year,the roads are definitely tough on tyres.

We saw two destroyed tyres on Plados,both the 'well advertised brand' you mention.

Went camping the other weekend to a spot we often go,my brother had a rock go through the tread of his left rear,guess the brand?

He has had enough of them,now has a set of Pirellis.

**nat_89** · 13th July 2014, 07:27 AM

I know dad was chatting to the fella on Cairns who he buys his truck Tyres from and they were talking about 4WD Tyres and the fella said he doesn't stick BFG after he had a few issues with them so he just wiped them and doesn't sell tj anymore.

**justinc** · 13th July 2014, 08:06 AM

Many years back when I was visiting cooktown, I asked the tyre shop what tyres they recommend for the area conditions. Toyo m55 was their answer, fit them to the council and gov vehicles etc. (not sure if they still do?) But I took that as a good recommendation. After ny bfg mud terrain 255 85's wore out I switched. Very happy with the toyo albeit back to a 235 85.

Ean Austral · 13th July 2014, 08:36 AM

I got attacked by a crocodile many years ago and the Dr that patched me up said the same thing "the one that gets you is the one you dont see".

I read last night that Hercules tyres have been bought out by coopers, but then read that they are just made in the same factory but hurcules own their own moulds.

I know a bloke who has 18' hurcules true track on a 200 series will ask him what he thinks next time I see him.

Cheers Ean

**PhilipA** · 13th July 2014, 08:52 AM

I think that most LT tyres will no give problems with proper inflation and speed.
Having said that , the number of horror stories about the other US brand than BFG has led me to avoid them , as the commitment is a long and expensive one, even though even I am swayed from time to time by their extensive advertising and advertorials.

I was astounded by a tale by a member of my 4WD club of 11 failures of 18 inch other brand on his D4 on a trip to Darwin.

I have used BFG ATs since 1977 and I have never had a tyre failure except in my driveway from running over a nail. Back then they were not even a steel radial.This includes now 2 laps, including the GRR, Kulumburu road and the Flinders, Savannah etc etc.

I met a bloke at the Flinders who had lost 3 non AT Dunlops in one hour on the road out to the highway through the gorge

So I vouch for BFG and buy them when financially possible and really don't give much credence to tyre fitters.
My son also organised an impossible to refuse price on Bridgestone D694 LT and they were also excellent. I run Bridgestone 804 HTs on my trailer and also no trouble on the GRR this year.
Regards Philip A

**rocmic** · 13th July 2014, 08:54 AM

We were up at Arkaroola just after Easter and Melrose. Met a guy with a D2, he had had 3 flats in a day, mind you he was running high road pressures. He was on his first trip and did not realise he should lower his pressure. So high pressure met Arkaroola rocks with a fairly predictable result.
He had got help from people, but some had also accidentally helped himself to some of his tools.
Anyway the combined know how of Alien, Scitec, philandliz and me on the periphery makes sure he was up and running

We did point him to the forum, but I don't know if he joined

**chopper** · 13th July 2014, 09:37 AM

" Anyway, I had to buy a replacement tyre there and I was given a Maxxis which he said are much like the Toyo. "

That's interesting to hear of the Maxxis.
A good marketing move by Cheng shin (the cheapest tyre you could buy 30+ years ago ), Change the name an add a bit of colour to the advertising and you get Maxxis. There are so many Asian tyres out there at an affordable price why wouldn't you give them a go , they only wear out anyway. I dont think rocks discriminate. As for 18 inch no profiles , well , they apparently look good outside the coffee shops and preschool ( if you like the forklift look ) but seems they are not really suitable off road.
A tyre dealer will always have his favourites possibly swayed by profit margins and personal loyalty going way back , that just keeps rolling on !

**BSM** · 13th July 2014, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ean Austral

I got attacked by a crocodile many years ago and the Dr that patched me up said the same thing "the one that gets you is the one you dont see".

I read last night that Hercules tyres have been bought out by coopers, but then read that they are just made in the same factory but hurcules own their own moulds.

I know a bloke who has 18' hurcules true track on a 200 series will ask him what he thinks next time I see him.

Cheers Ean

Well spotted Ean. It does look as though there is a long standing relationship between Hercules and Coopers

**BSM** · 13th July 2014, 01:00 PM

I suppose it goes without saying, but tyres are horses for courses. My Toyos for example are very slippery in mud. Even down at 18psi I was sliding sideways off the road compared to some other vehicles at a recent course I did on a rainy day at the Werribee 4wd proving ground.

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