Thread: Tour report - 19" Maxxis vs General Grabbers AT

I've just completed the Gibb and various side tracks on 19 inch Maxxis tyres on my D4 and couldn't be happier with them. Had them down to 26psi on the Mitchell Falls track (apart from say the Munji track) reputed to be among the worst in the Kimberley - and have to say they were perfect, no nicks, chunks missing or split side walls. Admittedly, we'd emptied almost everything out of the car and left the trailer at King Edward River crossing, but still, impressive.

Originally Posted by JamesH

Hi Alan, my summary would be that Grabbers are the superior tyre for on road and will handle most off-road situations. I would take them happily down the Gibb for example. It gets a bit more complicated when you are pulling off and checking out gorges etc.

The Maxxis are tough (someone here would disagree, he got some and had immediate problems with blow-outs). I knew they were just by pulling up over the kerb to park my ca at a friends place. You could feel the OEM Wranglers squish to the rim but Maxxis felt as they should. And when I was doing all my hard work on the station tracks the felt re-assuring.

Thanks for your report James, the Maxxis 980's sound like a good tyre that are well suited to off road use.

As you know, I've followed your earlier (and others) reports but didn't end up buying the Maxxis. After 47,500kms (using only 4 tyre rotation) on the Wrangler OEM's I looked at my usage/requirements and decided not to take on the extra road noise. I've spent the last 6 months towing a 3,000kg caravan (ball weight of 240kg) through the Red Centre to Darwin and now back in Central Qld covering 16,000kms in the process. The D4 (with Mitch Hitch set-up and DO35 Hitch) has performed admirably, where the biggest problem was not the tyres but the fuel tank size necessitating carrying 40 litres of diesel on the A-frame (I came incredibly close to needing them on 2 occasions). Motto: when traveling with a BT-50 and LC 200, both towing vans and long range tanks onboard, is to make them wait as you fill up at every fuel opportunity - even if it's only to take on half a tank.

Okay, so the tyres I fitted are the Cooper Zeon LTZ 255/55/19 designed for 70% Road & Sand, 30% Dirt & Mud. Having one unused Wrangler OEM I only replaced 4 tyres. Now after 16,000kms and one rotation I am extremely happy with their performance. Starting out with 35 front and 40 rear (cold) I discovered through my on-board tyre monitor that they were running when hot at 39/40 at 34 degrees (front) and 47/49 at 40 degrees (rear) through the heat of Central Australia. After rotation and discussions with Tyrepower in Darwin I trialed 40 front and 40 rear (cold) before finally settling on 38F and 38R (cold). On one heavily corrugated dirt road I knocked 10 psi out (F & for 200kms to get a smoother ride but on every off road venture I stuck with the road pressures with good results. This included sand hills south of Robe SA, tracks to Oodnadatta, Flinders & McDonnel Ranges as well as some more challenging tracks on a cattle station north of Mount Isa. Whilst none of them were as difficult as you will find at a 4WD Park (where I'd start with 28F/28R) or the sand as soft as on Moreton Island (where I'd use 18psi front and rear) they were a good test for overall tyre suitability.

One note here is that I've always gone easy and carefully when off road which has probably reduced tyre and vehicle damage but it's also allowed me to take my road caravan (dual axle rocker roller suspension) on lots of dirt roads and bush tracks.

James, my conclusion is much like yours. Whilst I initially struggled with the difficulty of tyre choice, in the end through experience I'd say that Coopers LTZ and GG's are suitable for what a lot of D4 owners would throw at them. However, if it's heavy off roading that you're into then the Maxxis 980's or 18 inch rims and BFG's (or similar) would be more suitable. That said, I love the smooth quiet ride of the D4 (with less aggressive tread tyres) so perhaps you'll need both 19 and 18 inch rims for mid week travels?

Cheers Jaybee