Thread: Now which new tyres to get...

Originally Posted by AlexRS4

I have the Pirelli on mine and they are quiet with ~10,000km on them. The ATR+ are a new design and compound (released in 2018) and are quite different to the old design. Have a look at the link below.

Unlikely that many people have worn these down yet but early indications are they will go the distance too.

Pirelli Scorpion AT+ Long Term Review

Careful with the manufacturers and their marketing hype
Compounds change very slightly, and tread designs vary slightly to enhance visual appeal more so than performance.

The underlying carcass design is more important for us than the tread in most situations.

Granted the AT+ is a vast improvement over the previous unit with tread design on many surfaces.



Images posted for thread reference only.

I’d happily run any of these tyres (my work LV has Duratracs and no questioning their tenacity on fast loose dirt)

My 2nd preference of this group would be the Toyo. Better carcass, straighter sidewall in that size, less susceptible to cutting, and thicker base.

Originally Posted by Odysseyman

And if you’d dropped your rear pressures to around 30psi you may not have had the problem. 42psi is way too high. I run 28psi in the rear fully loaded on a long trip towing my camper trailer and no problems, including across the Savannah Way from Chillagoe to Borroloola and up the East Arnhem Road to Nhulunbuy.

My word you've opened a hornet's nest here, lol !
I've read elsewhere that there are some who proscribe to the theory that low pressures cause excessive sidewall & general bagging which in turn creates heat and susceptible damage.
As opposed to high pressures which cause a "stiffer" tyre and less prone to damage.

Speed most certainly is a significant factor, as you mention.
Being a Taswegian (pls don't hold that against me! ) we don't have the sort of dirt roads such as many of you mention, where sustained reasonably high speeds are possible.

I am following this thread with great interest as I intend a) buying new tyres very soon which will probably be Hankook 19" and b) 'cos I want to 'do' the Flinders Ranges area next year towing a 3.0 tonne c/van.

Well when you’re coming over to my back yard let us know.
The Flinders is pretty good quality tracks and roads, the tracks aren’t too fast off of the main run and usually not to nasty.

Originally Posted by Discodicky

My word you've opened a hornet's nest here, lol !
I've read elsewhere that there are some who proscribe to the theory that low pressures cause excessive sidewall & general bagging which in turn creates heat and susceptible damage.
As opposed to high pressures which cause a "stiffer" tyre and less prone to damage.

Speed most certainly is a significant factor, as you mention.
Being a Taswegian (pls don't hold that against me! ) we don't have the sort of dirt roads such as many of you mention, where sustained reasonably high speeds are possible.

I am following this thread with great interest as I intend a) buying new tyres very soon which will probably be Hankook 19" and b) 'cos I want to 'do' the Flinders Ranges area next year towing a 3.0 tonne c/van.

it’s okay, I won’t hold it against you - I lived in Tassie my entire life until 6 years ago. I suspect your surname starts with C.

Once you start talking to the tyre manufacturer reps and engineers they, in my experience, all advocate lowering tyre pressures on gravel, the rougher the gravel, the lower the pressure and the lower the speed. Tyre construction these days is vastly different from earlier days (I remember well my father fitting one of the earliest sets of Michelin X tyres to arrive in Tassie on his beloved 1955 Chev. The wall we’re about as thin as a supermarket bag but they were the real deal in the day.

These days the sidewalls on a LT constructed tyres are almost as strong as the tread. One thing to note on a 255/55x19 is that the wrap of the tread plies almost meets the reinforced bead where the tyre fits the rim and I have no compunction in lower my pressures on any gravel. In fact, when talking to a former tyre rep for a major brand, he was suggesting 25psi on rough gravel would not be too low.

As I say, I have not had a problem. I have a Safety Dave TPMS and that has saved me a couple of times with slow leaks from nearly worn tyres, but apart from that, nothing. I do keep my speed down, and if you’re towing 3 tonnes I imagine (hope) you won’t be breaking any speed records... my camper trailer weighs around 1800kg with about a 10% ball weight. My rear axle load is close to maximum.
cheers
David

Originally Posted by AlexRS4

How worn are they at 60k?

Curious to know given other above reported them (I assume old version) at wearing out at 25,000.

I think I will get a comfortable 80,000 km out of them. Mostly on bitumen but some of it pretty crappy - no more than 1,000 km on dirt. No off-road. At least 20,000 km towing a 6.7M 2.5 T boat/trailer.

My vote is for 19" Maxxis as they are LT rated. I'm on my second set of Maxxis having had a set of Cooper Zeons before the Maxxis. I tow a lot on both blacktop & dirt. Van weighs 2.8T with a ball weight of 250kg. Rear pressure when towing is 45psi, front 30psi. The downside of the Maxxis is the noise they make.

Originally Posted by Tombie

Careful with the manufacturers and their marketing hype
Compounds change very slightly, and tread designs vary slightly to enhance visual appeal more so than performance.

The underlying carcass design is more important for us than the tread in most situations.

Granted the AT+ is a vast improvement over the previous unit with tread design on many surfaces.



Images posted for thread reference only.

I’d happily run any of these tyres (my work LV has Duratracs and no questioning their tenacity on fast loose dirt)

My 2nd preference of this group would be the Toyo. Better carcass, straighter sidewall in that size, less susceptible to cutting, and thicker base.

Compound changes are more than just hype. Some big improvements in the last decade have been made. Some manufacturers also seem a head above others - Michelin's compounds for sports car tyres for instance (Pilot Cup 2 and Pilot Sport 4S).

Tyres tend to have a long design life and proper updates are not common. The AT+ is one of those proper updates with changes to sidewalls, compound, tread pattern and construction. Most others are 10+yr old designs. May not be bad tyres but they aren't up with the latest technology. I had Coopers on my disco before (same as OP) and they sucked majorly in comparison.

Having said all that, I'd take a good set of LTs over them if there were more choices available. BFG or Mickey Thompson possibly. Shame about the sizing.

I've had both of the Pirelli tyres above on my D4. In my experience, the AT+ is superior, both in the km obtained and in their performance under all condition. Very sure-footed even in extreme wet!

This tyre has about 60,000 km on it.

Pirelli AT+.jpg

(It seems determined to remain upside down)