Tyres Vs Lockers, You Decide

[Maggot4x4]

Ok, here is the question, let the debate begin.

For typical medium - hard off road work, if you could only pick one, would you pick good aggressive Large tyres or a locker, but you can't have both.

Think about all facets of off road, Mud, Rocks, Ruts, and Sand etc.

Tell us why you picked what you picked.

[Beastmavster]

Chose a big a55 set of muddies.

Assuming that you're running some pi55y standard HT's.... you wont get traction in most conditions even with lockers......

[TuffRR]

I choose tyres. Power to the wheels is useless if you have no traction.

[RUFF]

Lockers because i have had enough real life experiance with both set ups to know which i would choose.

[cloughy]

Lockers, unless it's wet

[cutzook]

i go for lockers.

[antt]

lockers

4 slick ht's spinnin under your rig, is gonna be better than 1-2 simexs's floatin in the air, while the others do nothing on the ground

[RUFF]

Lockers, unless it's wet

Personaly i beleive its the better option even in the wet.

[Maggot4x4]

The thing that prompted the question was, while at LCMP on the weekend, whilst doing cruiser canyon (not the most difficult track in the world) I drove it with 35 BF's and didn't bother with the lockers and was easy as, one of the trucks I was with had 32's and a rear locker and struggled.

[RUFF]

With only one locker its understandable. 2 lockers makes a huge difference.

[cloughy]

Lockers, unless it's wet

Personaly i beleive its the better option even in the wet.

I'm a victorian but so i mean mud. have tested this before between new 275/70/16 silverstone muds twin locked and muddy hill. same hill 35" ET's lockers off. Tyres win hands down, same vehicle same wet muddy hill, anything else lockers all the way

[RoldIT]

Tyres, I drive as far if not further on Simex ETs than most people on average tyres and lockers.

No point having 4 wheels spinning if you can't get the power down.

The only exception I would concede to on this is 100% traction surface such as rock.

[bru21]

include suspension in this argument. when i had the 5 link and 7" the tyres hardly ever left the ground and the 35 radial claws i had were sweet as and got me pretty far, the rear arb alone made less difference then the tyres.

imo it depends on the vehicle. a suzuki with tyres is better than a suzuki with lockers due to the standard diff clearence being so low.

a 100 series l/c definatly lockers as tyres will break the front diff during medium 4x4ing where as the well thought out use of arbs will put less shockload on components. its all relitive.

its like saying boobs or vag tyres get looks vag gets you off!

you can get into some far more nasty positions with lockers than tyres on most trucks as they are so capable - but tyres and careless use of momentum especially with taller gearing will also cause crashes!

[Beastmavster]

its like saying boobs or vag tyres get looks vag gets you off!

Guess someone's never had a tittyf*ck then

[just cruizin']

I'd go tyres as you get the benifit in all situations, some times lockers are of little use but good tyres are a necessity.

Personally it wouldn't go offroad with crap rubber regardless of lockers or not.

[kirragc]

tyres for mine.
Steep decents, off camber corners etc Theres various siutations where the lockers are limited by the tyreas ability to grip.
Start with tyres and driver skills first

[dwaynes]

tyres for me
build the skill unlocked then go locked

[TRobbo]

tyres unless I'm driving rock - then it has to be a locked monster.

[YankeeDave]

when i had all terrains and double lockers i couldnt get near as far as trucks with even mud terrains and no lockers let alone swampers and simex


Tyres by a long shot

[YankeeDave]

when i had all terrains and double lockers i couldnt get near as far as trucks with even mud terrains and no lockers let alone swampers and simex


Tyres by a long shot

[LuxyBoy]

Lockers!!!!

I hired a set of Mickey Thompson Baja Belted and i friend had a rear locker. Same hill he got further since he didn't end up trying to get traction from two wheels that were up in the air. Don't get me wrong the tyres were great but the lockers proved themselves in that situation.
My 2c

[bruiser]

Lockers
Me and my mate both have 80's
I have all terain tyres and lockers and he has simex and no lockers.

Mine out performs his in every aspect.

[bruiser]

Doesn't matter how chunky your tyres are. The chances are that your going to find that one big chunky wheel with all the traction sitting there doing nothing while the one with no weight, or in the air spins at some time or another.

[YankeeDave]

Lockers
Me and my mate both have 80's
I have all terain tyres and lockers and he has simex and no lockers.

Mine out performs his in every aspect.

I find this very very hard to believe.

[HotFourOk]

It does depend on what tyres you have on to start with.. Some crappy, bald H/T in a 30" would need changing real fast!

Bigger tyres will also give you lots more diff clearance.

I choose tyres.... (I cant even get a locker for mine, so i dont like them.. lol)

[BundyRumandCoke]

Awwww, Poor Hot40K.
I go for the lockers. Sure, tyres make a big difference, and whilst lockers may not quite make up for a good set of big chunky rubber, in the long long term, provided you dont cane and kill the crap out of them, you will still have the lockers fitted and working way past the time that your set of big chunky tyres are worn bald and become landfill.

[antt]

notice how most who say lockers are from qld
most who say tires are from vic

[RoldIT]

notice how most who say lockers are from qld
most who say tires are from vic

Yep, not surprised either.

[chimpboy]

One or the other, I dunno. But bang-for-bucks, it has to be tyres. A second hand $500 set of mud tyres will help you, but there isn't really a decent $500 locker option, especially if you want to lock both axles.

I can see how you could justify the cost of tyres but no lockers if you're on a budget, but if you can afford lockers you should be able to afford at least a mediocre set of tyres to suit!

Other comment is that if I had to have tyres with shitty tread, I would want skinny cheesecutters, not bald wide tyres. I've seen a few occasions where the skinny tyres just cut through the soft upper surface and got a grip a bit further down.

[big bundy]

all depends on what sort of terrien your on, as stated, most of the vic boys are bgoing for tyres, cause most of the wheeling we have down ere is mud, but the steep climbs and tracks etc i could definently do with a couple of lockers under the bundy.

tyres for me, then get some more coin together and get some lockers