baja claws or stt's

[88pajero]

I can make up my mind with which tyres I want to use.

I was dead set on getting some claws but Im not sure how many ks to expect out of them and I heard that they arent too good in mud.

So my other choice was cooper stt's as I thought a normal muddies would get better ks at least but I hear that some people get poor ks out of em.

Can anyone shed some light on it for me. I would definately prefer the claws for the extra traction but how good are they in the mud in comparrison to a muddie ( surely theyll be better than a standard muddie )

Also what kind of ks should I expect from some claws?

[bogged]

Are you talkin bias claw, or radial? Im guessing Radial?

Your only set of tires, or just a weekend set.

Most threads say STT's dont get shit loads of klms, but then same for claws.

if they are for offroad, look at centipedes for mud and all round victorian stuff.

[flexytj]

what size are you going to use ?

what sort of driving do you do ?

are they your road tyres aswell ?

[lump_a_charcoal]

I have Baja claws on my zook - mainly road driving every day - One year on, barely any wear. I love them.

[88pajero]

ill be using 33 12.5s if I go the claws they will be radials.

I do most of my wheeling in the vic high country. So a lot of steep loose rocky stuff with the added extry of mud when it rains.

It depends on how many ks I should expect to weather I use them for daily use or just weekend tyres.

If I can expect 40000 ks ill leave em on.

[guzzla]

you will easily get 40,000km out of your Claws.

Run them at the right pressures to suit the conditions your driving and they will be an excellent tyre - I'm on my third set and love them.

You will get more Ks out of the SST's because they aer a harder compound and that is their downfall where you need them most - in the bush.

Cheers

[ferrit]

i tossed up between claws and MTZ's when i bought mine, and now im going up to a 33, im most likely going to back with the MTZ again.

MTZ is just a great all round tyre and i heard too many reports of dodgy lateral grip in gravel and scary handling in the wet on the claws

[Slunnie]

I would have expected that the radial claw produces a lot more traction in the mud than the STT A3. The radial claws hook up really well from what I've seen.

[alien]

im running stt's on my zuk and theyre going great also...

[dont_follow_me]

I had STT's on my Discovery and they were pretty good. They handled the mud very well and even gripped on wet slippery Tassie roads. Let them down to about 20psi in the mud/rocks and they were fine.

I have just bought a GQ patrol that had 33 inch BFG muddies and I have used BFG muddies on nearly every 4wd I have owned in the last 15 years and used to swear by them. But now that I have tried STT's, I would also recommend the STT's for offroad, not much between them really.

Now I have fitted a second hand set (like new) Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials in the 35x12.5x15. Havent tried them off road yet but them hum pretty well on the road so it will be interesting to see how they go, off and on the road.

My question is, what pressures should I be using on and off road in the claws. The sidewall says a max pressure of 35psi at full load so I am thinking they dont need much air on the road. I am trying 32psi at the moment (unloaded) but maybe I should try them at around 28 or so????

AND, wil they be okay off road at around 18psi?

[88pajero]

Well after getting this thread up and going I went for a drive today to look at a few tyres and stumbled across silverstone mt 117 sports. For a set of 285 75 16 (33s) with 16 x 8 inch rims im looking at $1400 and from everything ive heard these tyres really handle the rough stuff well. So it looks like I might go with them!

[Ben]

I love my Claws in the Mexican mud, and they're not too shabby on road either, I'd never go back to 'standard' muds lihe STTs, and I definitely wouldn't touch BFGs again (look at the Procomp MTs if you want a standard MT).

[Struth]

I run 33 x 12.5 claws (really 32s) they don't wear fast at all on a 4 Runner.

They go very well in all sorts of Vic conditions but slide sideways in clay and fill up in clay.

Otherwise great offroad tire, love rock, dirt, shale, and mud

I have seen the Silverstone extremes heaps on Runners built the same as mine, the extremes perform better in slippery stuff and on rocks.

My only downside obversation of Coopers is that they don't bag well.

But my claws will do thanks.

Cheers

[guzzla]

On my 80 with 35in Claws, I run them at 40psi on road, 20psi for normal off road work and 15 in the really rough stuff.

They have also done many trips at 22psi @100+ kph on out back roadsfor hours on end without any damage.

I've never rolled a tyre off a rim using 16x8s and never experienced any issues with slippage on side slopes. I'm sure 99% of these complaints are due to those people running the wrrong pressures.

The truth is that even a crap tyre can perform well if the pressures are right.

[-Scott-]

I have STTs, happy with performance on-road and off, wear isn't as good as the S/Ts I had - but still expecting better than 50k km from them.

I've never aired down below 20 psi (I guess I'm not that hard-core) so I can't report on "bagging" abilities, and I'm definitely not a "mud" driver - I avoid it where I can.

IF I was looking for a Mud tyre, I wouldn't be looking at the STT / MT/R / MTZ - to me, they're all good all-round tourers, not a mud tyres. But I would look at the Claws, and probably 'Pedes & BFG muds - not sure what else? But I don't expect to ever go there.

[skylux]

I have a spare claw on the rear at the moment and get stuff all grip on the road. Always spin when going around corners and is shocking in the wet.

However off road they provide great grip in a straight line but like to slide sideways when they get the chance.

[Bingham]

I have a spare claw on the rear at the moment and get stuff all grip on the road. Always spin when going around corners and is shocking in the wet.

However off road they provide great grip in a straight line but like to slide sideways when they get the chance.

mate are you basing your comments on "a" claw your running as a spare on the car? with other tyres?

as for the choice, neither....

MTZ = 90 000km on patrol in touring type situation and good rubber in all situations. I would not touch coopers persoannly and run them for a good while and failed compared to mtz in nearly every test. Claws are pretty sweet and i would expect to get 40 000 or 50 000 out of them in your situation. Can skate a little in wet but overall pretty sweet.

[ferrit]

I have STTs, happy with performance on-road and off, wear isn't as good as the S/Ts I had - but still expecting better than 50k km from them.

I've never aired down below 20 psi (I guess I'm not that hard-core) so I can't report on "bagging" abilities, and I'm definitely not a "mud" driver - I avoid it where I can.

IF I was looking for a Mud tyre, I wouldn't be looking at the STT / MT/R / MTZ - to me, they're all good all-round tourers, not a mud tyres. But I would look at the Claws, and probably 'Pedes & BFG muds - not sure what else? But I don't expect to ever go there.

Personally i would rank the MTZ's on par with the BFG MT's if not better- BFG MT's certainly arent in the same league as the Claws or Pedes, just as pedes arent in the same league as boggers!

[Barno111]

I have just put MTZ under my ute. I havent had them off road but on the black top they are excellent. Very sticky in the dry and hold well in the wet. I had a set of coppers on before i got the mtz and they sucked! very slippery in the wet there wasnt a corner were i wouldnt get wheel spin or going sideways. They sucked out bush and didnt feel all that well on the dry road. I would stick with the mickey tompsons! Everyone has them and you dont hear bad reports on them!

[bogged]

Personally i would rank the MTZ's on par with the BFG MT's if not better- BFG MT's certainly arent in the same league as the Claws or Pedes, just as pedes arent in the same league as boggers!

ST/BFG AT/Scorps etc same level
BFG MT - MTZ - MTR - STT would be same
Claw/pede/ etc would be next level

[BENOLUX]

have u looked into the maxxis bighorn, well priced and im getting good vibes from mine. been on the truck (d/cab hilux, 33sx12.5) for about 5000 k's, i cannot notice any lose in tread depth. i run them at 32psi at the front and 28psi at the rear, they are good in the wet coz of the sipped lugs, comfortable tyre to drive on and they dont make the steering heavy, they are great offroad, they are sticky as sh1t on rocks. they take a bit to get them to bag but 15psi seems good. great in mud as long as your spinning the tyre they self clean well.
My uncle has a set of stts on his hilux and puntured one the first trip up the beach. ran over a tent peg, fair enuf would kill any tyre but he had it repaired and it is still good and his spare now, shows they are well constructed i guess. they seem to wear well. his is more of a weekend and tourer truck. they are much harder compound than my maxxis, they seem to bag fine on his. the edges have rounded off a fair bit. incorect tyre pressures or to much black top time im not sure but yeh thats my 2c's worth.