Thread: Anyone running Simex Jungle Trekker 2s

This is the pm i've sent you,i post it here too, just in case someone has the same questions..

Peter hi.
Sorry for the delayed answer.
My tyres are 34/10.5/15(same overall diameter as yours) are mounted on 8X15 rims on 0 offset BUT i also have 1" wheel spacers.
Since wheel spacers are not allowed in your country,the optimal rim offset would be -25.
I tried sometime without wheelspacers(just 0 offset rims),it would work witout major rubbing but then i should unwind the steering stops too much and on my 110 (where rear coil perches are bigger in diameter) maybe tyres would rub there..
No major lift in my case - 2" max,long travel shocks and 1" bump stop spacer.
Here is a video that shows a little bit of the suspension travel [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQKDD33aNtk[/ame]
Feel free to ask any more questions..
Cheers.
Andrew.

Originally Posted by Pacemaker

Happy New year all.

Im looking at buying some JT2's
Is anyone running these? Sometimes I will drive 150kms each way to play in the mud. Im wondering how these will hold up on the bitumen. They have to be better the et2s.

Cheers
Michael.

Originally Posted by iPom

I think Slunnie has run them ... Might be worth a PM to him for the low down.

Sorry I just saw this. Hopefully its not too late.

Originally Posted by clive22

Hi

I haven't run but considered them when buying my Centipede ET2s.

Was told by a few people that they were no good open wet rock and to get the ET2s. So I go ET2s.

The ET2 are pretty bad on wet rock anyway so the JTs will probably be even worse. Clay tyre only.

People used to run 'em a bit 5-10 years back haven't seen many people running them lately around lately.

Clive

I don't think there was much between the ET2 and the JT2 on wet rock. Actually any smooth surface was where they were found a bit wanting. Their strength was totally through mechanical traction. The smoother and slipprier the surfece (or road) the worse off they were. I thought it was a compound problem. They're a regular carbon black rubber compound, and I actually had a chat to them about an improved compound for improved traction via the rubber compound, however interestingly at that stage they were not able to use silica type rubbers due to the carcass construction (well, thats what they said).

Originally Posted by fatman

I am running 34/10.5/15 jungle trekkers.


Yes indeed they have there own behaviour on tarmac,especially on non smooth one but having driven defenders with remoulds and silverstone extreme's(albeit 35's),they have similar issues.
When i park the defender after some klm's,they get "flat" on the tread,so you need to drive 2-3km's to get them to round shape again.
But they don't wobble or vibrate like remoulds and get balanced relatively easy.
I also use them 200-400 km's(each way) to get to a 4wding spot and at speeds between 110-120 klms/hr.
The main problem is-ARE THEY STILL PRODUCED?
I'd like to buy at least a pair that shouldn't cost an arm and a leg of course
I like this size a lot and especially when aired down to 12 psi they get a very nice footprint.
Now that all M/T tyres are like A/T's,there aren't many choises out there for something more aggressive and not huge in size..
On wet tarmac isn't that bad,every M/T with some klms on their treads have similar grip(non grip that is)..

Bang on with the analysis. I would also add that they're sketchy on a wet road, but apart from the noise are generally ok on a dry road once the flat spots have warmed out of them after a few km's. I think they need to be run at max pressure on the road, but thats only about 35psi or something like that.

In relation to offroad pressures, these tyres really highlight why generalised deflation pressures are a complete farce and why you need to work with footprint lengths instead. So much of it has to do with carcass. 16psi on a road tyre is like 12psi with a Kevlar MTR. The Simex tyres wont even start to work at 18psi, you've really got to drop the air out of them so they can get onto those bias ply lugs, get some footprint and really hook up with mechanical traction. Its all about the side lugs with these things. If those side lugs can find anything to bit on to, you will drive it. I ran both the 33x10.5 and then the 34x11.5 JT2's. Check out this static pressure testing I did, you will be amazed at how low you need to go.

JT2 33x10.5 tyre pressure testing: JT2 psi test - www.slunnie.com

Performance on the sand is surprisingly good. I've driven on them from Sydney up to Fraser Island (only once!) and I recall when airing down somebody laughing and saying to have fun with those! They were great, they actually tramped on the sand with the traction they were generating and we literally drove around some 4WD that was bogged to the axles in Ngarla Rocks. We were running 10.5psi I think it was in them. In the mud, well these things were designed and manufactured for the outragous mud in the malaysian jungle/rainforest 4WD competitions. I really don't think there is a mud tyre which comes close to it in the mud that you can drive on the road, nothing comes close to having voids like the JT2. The only tyre I can think of is the Interco Bogger, but you wont drive that on the road.

The other peculiar thing you will want to note with both the JT2 and the ET2 related probably to the bias ply construction and probably the carcass weight which requires low pressure is that when on side angles etc, these tyres have a tenancy to roll under the vehicle a bit. You've just got to be aware of it and thats its a little more prone to feeling different as you do it, so probably a little less stable. This is something the skinny tyre brigade will also be familiar with and one of the reasons why I like the stability of a wider tyre which does not do this.

In my opinion they're totally a play tyre. There is absolutely no way you can daily drive on them, unlike a regular mud tyre which you can DD on easily.

Funnily enough, my solution to this bogging in my front paddock was to change the tyres in place to my Simex. Popped it out on the winch and then just drove off. It wasn't as easy as I made that sound.

Originally Posted by Peter90

Fatman,

your the guy I've been looking for.

I have bought said tyres 34x10.5x16.

i have a 90 defender with a few mods.

How do you run your tyres:
Offset of rims?
suspension?
change anything else eg stoppers?

Thanks in advance

This doesn't apply to you, but for others, in a Disco2 the 34x11.5-16 will fit on a standard 16x8 with 4" lift and a 25mm trim of the outer guard. The only rubbing is on the front radius arms where you will lose some steering lock. This particular tyre measures up at 35.5 x 12 across the treadface.

Suspension setup is here: 4" lift with ACE - www.slunnie.com