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I know this has been covered before but none of the other threads really addressed what I want to know.
I'm looking to get some tyres for my Discovery which is a daily driver and a tourer. It will be doing a few hundred kms a week around town and often do trips up the high country, desert etc. It will NOT be used for hard day trips (thats what the RR is for! )
I want to get 235/85/16 which limits the choices i have to start with. These are effectively a narrow 32 inch tyre, which is as big as i want to go on the Discovery without worrying about upgrading the drivetrain (yet).
I've narrowed my options down to the MTR, BFG MT and Cooper STT as i want something reasonably aggressive but with goodish road manners. I've heard mixed reports about all these tyres - MTR's are great on rocks but I'm a Victorian so i dont know what they are, the new style BFG's are meant to have a crap compound but they won the 4wd Monthly comparo a few months back and the Cooper STT have a poor reputation (regardless of how much ARB now try and push them). Getting at least 60,000kms out of them would be nice too.
So basically I'm confused about which way to go. Any advice??
I would suggest the MTR's. They handle well on the bitumen and are a bit quieter than the BFG's. I've had the Coopers in the 235/85/16 size and they were wearing quite fast. although they were quite stong and I never had a puncture.
A mate of mine is now running the same size MTR's on his Series 1 Disco and is very happy with them. Although they were touching the back of the rear guards and had a pannel beater fold the guard back about 25mm so they would clear. It was a very neat job and you couldn't tell the difference unless it was pointed out to you.
IMHO, the 235/85/16 is one of the best sizes you could go for. They are readily available in the bush if you ned a replacement and many are of a 10 ply rating. Very strong tyres.
Not sure what you mean about rocks in Vic. There's proberly more steep rocky tracks in the Victrorian high country than any where else.......
John.
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Be wary though as the MTR in the 235/85 size has the same MTR pattern, but the blocks are a lot tighter than the other sizes. The implications there are that in the mud they slip around a lot compared to the STT. The STT as you say do wear quickly, but this is exaggerated by a step that runs around the tyre in the centre. The step is about 7mm high and can be a bit deceptive WRT the wear rates. How does BFG compare? They seem pretty ok the ones that are used in our 4WD group.
Slunnie wrote:Be wary though as the MTR in the 235/85 size has the same MTR pattern, but the blocks are a lot tighter than the other sizes. The implications there are that in the mud they slip around a lot compared to the STT.
That is my main concern with the MTR's. Most driving in Victoria is in muddy slippery conditions. Sure there are rocks up the high country but a lot of it is clay. Its certainly not purely rock like a lot of the driving in QLD where people seem to love the MTR's.
I've tried both BFG's (old style) and the cooper STT's. From my experience i would say they are both very simillar in the mud, the BFG's might be slightly better on fast gravel roads, however i thought the coopers were a bit better on the road around town. I also appears that the BFG's are wearing out a bit quicker than the coopers. Havn't tried the MTR's so i can't comment.
I think being victorian the MTR in that size is not what your after.
Get the BFGs or the STTs or maybe even some Maxxis Mud terrains (cheaper & same pattern as BFGs) for what you want to do with the disco they should be fine.
A bloke from ARB who I was speaking to recently said that BFG have improved the compound on the 'new style' Mud Terrains since they first came out. Does anyone know if this is true? It sounded like a load of BS to me.
i rekon it all falls down to price. even if one tyre is better than the other it will vary heaps on what 4b its going on and how you drive it. so if one is better but costs $50 more per tyre is it worth the extra cash? Id go and ask this same question to other disco drivers and see what they say.
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Cost of them is about the same - about $250 per tyre. I've got the old style BFG muds on my RR for road duties and have been pretty impressed with them. They certainly aren't a Simex but are a good compromise. The new ones though are a bit of an unknown as far as wear and durability.
TuffRR wrote:A bloke from ARB who I was speaking to recently said that BFG have improved the compound on the 'new style' Mud Terrains since they first came out. Does anyone know if this is true? It sounded like a load of BS to me.
They would have wanted to! The new style have not been wearing very well and sidewall strength has been an issue. Here's a few ideas on each tyre;
Cooper ST ; good all round road and dirt, tend to rip bits off when driven aggressively, can handle vaguely on some vehicles on bitumen.
BFG mud; good on and off road handling, wear out fast, weak sidewalls.
MTR: strong tyre,good on road in dry not so good in wet, not good in mud, vic mud anyway.
Others to consider, Dick Cepek FC 2, Bridgestone muddie. Size choice may limit you to the normal choices though.
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AnthonyP wrote:Get the BFGs or the STTs or maybe even some Maxxis Mud terrains (cheaper & same pattern as BFGs) for what you want to do with the disco they should be fine.
The Maxxis Mud Terrains don't have the same tread pattern but it does has a similar apperance. I remeber reading in 4WD Monthly about how they tried a set and they said that they are good all rounder tyres. I forget how well it wears though.
However if you like the BFG Muds at the moment then you should stay with them.
searsy989 wrote:However if you like the BFG Muds at the moment then you should stay with them.
I like the OLD style muds, not so sure on the new ones. They look better with the side-biters, but the compound apparently is shit. Unless its changed recently?
Speaking from experience, you will break those tyres very quickly. The lugs are not strong.
I've got 40K on 4 Cooper ST-C's and wearing well. Had to replace one when I split the sidewall after dropping it onto a rock on a very steep shaley track at the back of Lake Lyell, Lithgow. Staked another out of Hungerford Qld, plugged it and later had it patched at Mt Isa.
Lugs have not been an issue after a bit of rock hopping at Menai and Appin.
Understand lug damage was a problem on earlier tyres.
Handled well on a Simpson crossing using the WAA line and blacktop performance is excellent but noisier than my previous A/T's.
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I had the MTR's in that size on my Hilux, and they were pretty crap in the mud, but were cool on the rocky stuff, ad for a skinny tyre bagged up pretty well....and were as tough as nails. I gave them an absolute flogging and never had one puncture, although chipped a couple of blocks off towards the end. The coopers were my first choice, but as stated previously, that weird centre strip that seems to only be present in this size essentially makes the tyre worn out with about 40% tread left.
BFG's are prob a better choice for this size...but I think Kuhmos and hankooks etc have similar tread and ply ratings in this size also. Way cheaper too.
TuffRR wrote:I'm looking to get some tyres for my Discovery which is a daily driver and a tourer. It will be doing a few hundred kms a week around town and often do trips up the high country, desert etc. It will NOT be used for hard day trips (thats what the RR is for! )
The MTR's are really more an agressive all terain tyre. But you want something for every day as well as trips and I think these will still handle the day to day better than the others. Sure they're not as good in the mud, but if your not looking at doing hard trips they'll be more than fine.
My club
www.vfwdc.com My store
Everything 4WD
86 Camms Road Cranbourne
www.everything4wd.com.au
sales@everything4wd.com.au
Phone: 03 59955055
+dj_hansen+ wrote:The MTR/R is a awesome tyre, but really does not cut it in victorian mud.
Really?? Fuck I better throw mine in the bin, they have done heaps of trips up Gembrook, Toolangi, high country snow trips and inc a night trip with pricks from here , they took me everywhere that dudes went on swampers/boggers.
Running 18psi they were great. Ive had BFG MT's too.. They are good tires as well.
I read here numerous times, STTs wear fast ...
Im going MTR's again as replacements when these go.
you are of course doing the each 5000km rotation, balance and alignment stamped by a Coopers agent to keep your warranty arent you? (was told this at club meeting last Wed)
you are of course doing the each 5000km rotation, balance and alignment stamped by a Coopers agent to keep your warranty arent you? (was told this at club meeting last Wed)
They also tell you that when you buy them, and they send out a reminder every 6 months!
Yes it cost 40 bucks each time but as long as you do that, you covered!!!!
Not bad!
What did you expect Bruce, buy a set and flog the arse of them with out of whack wheel alignment and unbalanced wheels and then expect them to give you a free set!
TuffRR wrote:.. the new style BFG's are meant to have a crap compound but they won the 4wd Monthly comparo a few months..
So basically I'm confused about which way to go. Any advice??
Take out the dopey "Sex Appeal" scores and the Cooper's and the BFGs tied for score, the STTs had more "consistent" scores in the real categories. From memory, including the Sex Appeal scores, the MT/Rs came third.
I had 31" Cooper S/Ts (still have them, in the garden shed) and never had a problem. First outing with the MT/Rs I wasn't convinced they performed any better off road, but I might have been expecting too much.
The MT/Rs appear to be quieter when the vehicle is fully loaded, more intrusive when its empty - which could be all the crap in the back soaking up some of the noise.
POS wrote:What did you expect Bruce, buy a set and flog the arse of them with out of whack wheel alignment and unbalanced wheels and then expect them to give you a free set!
Most people dont read the fine print is the issue. It was more to let the dude know that he has to walk over broken bottles, and there are extra costs in them..
Also what do people do that are on a 3-6mth trip round the center/outback that are nowhere near a coopers agent as numerous EOz users have found out?
Agree with going up Cooper STs are great, have only done about 20k on mine, but don't look like they have worn much....good on the road, not too noisey, grip well off road unless its really muddy, then they just get clogged with shit.
I had BFG A/T on when I bought my truck, but didnt like them as much. Also I prefer 265/75 to 235/85 as the extra width is good in sand and I've never felt like I need the tyres to dig more....
all tyre manufactures and vehicle manufactures recomend 10000km rotations, balances and wheel alinement checks any way so whats the problem with what cooper do as they are giving a mileage warranty with the tyre. youi can't except any manurfacture to give a warranty without some condidtions to it.
ps. they only ask it be done every 10000km not 5000km
A participating dealer has the right to refuse or vary the warranty period based on their discretion, or because of the particular use of the vehicle. (he wants to sell you a new tire)
The mileage warranty is only applicable to Capital City purchases. (Arent they offroad tires EG the bush?)
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