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Tyre Topic - Interco Swampers

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:18 pm
by bogged
This Tyre Topic is for members to post about Interco Swampers (not Irock, or Boggers). Post your thoughts on grip, noise, wear, airing down, or anything else you consider of interest to other members.

There are few variations of the Swamper.
Original TSL - http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=18&g=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TSL Bias - http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=10&g=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TSL SX - http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=15&g=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TSL Radial - http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=14&g=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SSR - http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=9&g=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Rules for Tyre Topics:
  • Tyre Topics are intended to be information sources. Both positive and negative reports are encouraged.

    Tyre Topics are NOT for slanging matches. Any posts which don't contain useful information may be deleted.

    Please post first hand accounts only - "my tyres" or "I saw" reports. Any "mate said" or "I heard" stories may be deleted.

    Comparisons with other tyres are acceptable, if they contain first hand accounts (see above.) "Buy XXX instead" opinions (without first hand stories to back them up) are not.
An index of Tyre Topics can also be found in the Tyre Topic Index.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:21 pm
by flexytj
tsl swampers crusm scum from way back

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:32 pm
by Ruffy
Personally i found my Q78 TSL's absolutely fantastic on all terrains except bitumen!!
Pede's would out do them in sloppy mud and snow but when they were aired right down, like 8psi, they out did most other tyres on slippery clay and rock.
Being bias, they weren't real good on bitchie, especially cold, but with a bit of temp in them they were ok.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:31 pm
by Gwagensteve
Only offroad tyre for me for years and years.

I've not seen one tyre work as well in varied terrains.

More sizes, more patterns than anything else.

Steve.

Posted: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:48 pm
by LOCKEE
Loved my Q78s.

Great all rounder off road.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 9:50 am
by lay80n
Run TSL/SX on my zook. Stiff sidewall under a light weight cars required uber low pressure to work. But when aired right down, they are a great tyre. Work very well in pretty much any terain (havent tried snow yet :cry: ) and are pretty tough.

Layto....

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 12:08 pm
by spamwell
has anyone run the tsl radials the 30 8 10.5 looks like a perfect size for me :D

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:46 pm
by srowlandson
LOCKEE wrote:Loved my Q78s.

Great all rounder off road.
agreed. Beadlocked Swampers are the bomb..

love em, great value... can't wait to get another 4wd thats capable enough to warrant some.

Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:54 pm
by Spartacus
i went from 33" original TSL swampers (bias i guess) to 37" boggers

33s were superior IMO, even in the smaller size.

id recommend TSL to anybody heading to the 4x4 park for a play.

Awesome Tyre cant rate them enough

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:02 pm
by mike_nofx
Im considering a set of swampers for my Landcruiser.
Chances are they will be an off-road set only, in 35"(16").

Where can i get a set of these tyres?
How do they go when used on-road? how many kms should you expect from a set?
How much have people been paying for a set?

Thanks

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:51 pm
by bogged
mike_nofx wrote:Im considering a set of swampers for my Landcruiser.
Chances are they will be an off-road set only, in 35"(16").

Where can i get a set of these tyres?
How do they go when used on-road? how many kms should you expect from a set?
How much have people been paying for a set?

Thanks
which actual swamper do you mean, there are several versions..
I do believe the 35's only come in 15.5wide? could be wrong

they are not a tire you drive on the road with if you can help it.

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:13 am
by ajsr
Ive got 34x 10x15 LTB's on the zook they are awsome tyres offroad on everything, but on a 4by as lite as the zook you only want to run 3-6 lbs air and beadlocks.
Honestly on road they suck arse real bad! but who buys these things to run round on the road ? Wankers thats who.

swapers

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 7:16 pm
by tiny80
tsl 34 good/awesome tyers off road
tryed them but to much effort to change them to somthing you can drive at 100km h as bais tyers if you drive them for 10km on bituman = 1mm
tred
2x wankers with to much money drive them on the road
gone to micky tompson 35 next will be simex 36

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 8:50 am
by Wozza244
mike_nofx wrote:Im considering a set of swampers for my Landcruiser.
Chances are they will be an off-road set only, in 35"(16").

Where can i get a set of these tyres?
How do they go when used on-road? how many kms should you expect from a set?
How much have people been paying for a set?

Thanks
Give pete at OPW a bell, thats where i got mine, good price and fast shipment.

A yr ago i paid $450 ea for a set of 37"
The price may have risen/dropped by now.

Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 2:52 pm
by micks troll
Have now owned 3 sets od TSLs 2 sets were 33x12.5x15 on 15x8 roh sunnys and current set is 36x12.5x15on 15x8 sunnys. I prefer rock as my main play and they excell on it. only tyre I beleive to be better is the Maxxis Trepador stickys! Mud Simex are slightly better then the TSLs but not overly noticeable.
Other tyres I've run with and along with stepfather and close mates are Simex Centipedes 35x11.5x16, Simex Jungle Trekker 2s 34x11.5x15, Baja Claws 33x12.5x15, Maxxis Trepadors 37x12.5x16, Maxxis Creepies 35x12.5x15 (also other tyres not worth a mention as they're not close to these tyres eg MTRs, Big horns etc)

Also the Swampers are a tall tyre unlike the Claws, MTRs and also my Maxxis bravos that are over an inch shorter in overall hieght.

I never had one 33 come off the bead running 15x8 Roh sunnys and as low as 10psi on my Patrol wagon and they bagged well at these pressures havent played much on the 36s as just bought them.

Highly recommend them compare to there rivials as have used and abused others and have stayed with TSLs for good reason!

Rough prices I paid were $440e for the 36s, last month (big arguements to get that price after being shafted by a particular tyre shop)
$330 for the last lot of 33 over 2 years ago!

In Brisbane see Dave at Tyreworks Moss St Slacks Creek as he's able to get them up here and has looked after me with prices!
Cheers Mick

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 2:46 pm
by yamaha__308
Brought to the top for hiy6o.... :roll:

I'm running the bias in 36 x12.5 x15 on a external beadlock.

Absolutely love em. Been great in mud, self clean ok, great in the dry too.

Run about 10-15psi in them on the hilux. Definetly could go lower to get them really bagging.

Would not run them on the road, get major vibes especially with the bead locks. Sounds like a freakin helicopter too..

Posted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 4:11 pm
by bad_religion_au
love my Q78's. look tuff, do the job, and just get on with it. even on my 40 they need to be low pressure ~8psi to bag at all. run them without beadlocks on 15x8's and so far no drama's. beadlocks are in my future tho.

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 6:00 pm
by atari4x4
seriously looking at a set of swampers as a 2nd set of play tyres... just a little concerned about the quoted tarmac wear rates of 1mm = 100kms!!!! :shock:

Most of the wheeling in Adelaide is a minimum of 100kms away :?

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 6:34 pm
by bad_religion_au
mike_nofx wrote:Im considering a set of swampers for my Landcruiser.
Chances are they will be an off-road set only, in 35"(16").

Where can i get a set of these tyres?
How do they go when used on-road? how many kms should you expect from a set?
How much have people been paying for a set?

Thanks
a perfect size in my opinion is the q78 swamper. they measure (roughly) 35.5 x 11.5, and are cheaper than the other swampers too.

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 6:36 pm
by bad_religion_au
atari4x4 wrote:seriously looking at a set of swampers as a 2nd set of play tyres... just a little concerned about the quoted tarmac wear rates of 1mm = 100kms!!!! :shock:

Most of the wheeling in Adelaide is a minimum of 100kms away :?
i doubt that estimate. the Q78's on my rig are over 5 years old and got road driven, and still have a fair amount of tread.

Hellbelly used to daily his 33 inch swampers and got more than 600k's on them, and they were 3/4 worn when he got them.

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 7:27 pm
by alien
i wish they came in 31" =(

Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 8:04 pm
by bad_religion_au
which ones?

the SSR/LTB/TSL SX/ TSL radial/ boggers/ TSL Bias all do a 31

Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 1:10 am
by alien
huh - interesting... never noticed that before!!

LTB is probably more suited to me... 31x11.5r15 - shame its not narrower though - but the SSR comes in 31x10.5 which is spot on...

how did i never notice that!!!?? geez!

OK - so now i've found this out... how do the SSR rate on rocks when compared with Simex ET's ???

Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 9:41 am
by Gwagensteve
I wouldn't bother with a SSR. They were designed to be more streetable, and they're quite an old design now. They're less voidy, and they're a radial - never a good thing in an off road tyre IMHO.

I'd go for the LTB, but in all honesty I wouldn't bother with a 31" swamper - for our driving you loose the advantage of the traction by dragging your diffs everywhere. I don't know if that's an issue for you though. Still seems a waste.

If you really insist on a small swamper, look at the 32 9.5 15. It will work better in all conditions on a sierra.

Steve.

Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 10:31 am
by DUDELUX
I borrowed a set of swampers for a weekend recently, they were 33x12.5 on 15x8 rims, no beadlocks. I had the pressure at 16psi all weekend, they worked fantastic on every type of terrain available, they were great in the loose rocks, and loose gravel, bigger rocks, mud.
I wasnt sure how theyd go in sand and water crossings, but they were great in those too.
I was so impressed that Ive got my own set on their way for the lux in the same size, 33x12.5x15.
I do have a question for the experts though, what pressure should I run them at?? They wont be on beadlocks, just 15x8 sunnys, 16psi seemed good, and they wont be used onroad, can I safely go lower than 16??

Oh yeah, I was quoted roughly $350 each for this size from Ryano, he didnt have any in stock at the time, and he gave me a rough price, but should probably be cheaper than that.
Im getting mine second hand, but in new condition.

Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 11:04 am
by alien
Gwagensteve wrote:I wouldn't bother with a SSR............

I'd go for the LTB................ look at the 32 9.5 15. It will work better in all conditions on a sierra.

Steve.
Thanks steve - looking at the site the only one that comes in 32x9.5 is the TSL Bias? The LTB only comes in 31x11.5 then jumps right to 33x13.5?

Im engineered and geared for 31's - although my simex's measure 32 and im happy with gearing on them.

Belly scraping isnt such an issue in WA - the rare few times it happens theres usually another way around the spot you're stuck on.

Posted: Sat May 08, 2010 1:49 pm
by Gwagensteve
Dudelux - They'll work better far, far below 16psi. When I ran Q78's on my Gwagen, I'd start at 12 and drop them as required from there. I ran as low as 5psi.

It's very dependent on wheat you are driving though. In straight out technical terrain, the trade off is between lateral stability, diff clearance and traction.

At higher speed it's handling, likelihood of rolling a bead, and heat build up.

Gearing, centre of gravity, and weight distribution all have a bearing too.

As for holding a bead, swampers can be very good, but 2nd hand tyres often have had some bead damage due to unseating and that can loosen them up. Rim design also has a lot to do with how well tyres hold on.

Personally, I'd try around 10 psi without beadlocks but so long as you have air on board loosing a bead offroad isn't a big deal, so you can experiment lower.

To get an idea of what's a desirable pressure air them down by eye. Do this with the tyres warm from a road drive. You might find you end up with more in the front than the rear due to weight distribution, and once you get a nice bag to the tyres, then check the pressure and use that as your guide. We did this once with a sierra with fresh Q78's on it (beadlocked) and came up at 2.5psi front and 1.5 PSI rear. My heavily used 78's bag well at around 5 psi on my (admittedly heavier) car.


IMHO though, any tyre intended for offroad use cannot work properly at the epssures required for it to stay on the bead - beadlocks are a necessity to get the most out of ANY tyre.

Alien - I wasn't implying that the LTB came in 32X9, only that if the coice had to be SSR or LTB, I'd go the LTB. Correct the 32X9.5 15 is a TSL bias tyre only. Radials are inferior for offroad work for the same reason they are superior for on road work - the tread is excessively stiff. I maintain the 32X9.5 would be superior to either the 31 LTB or SSR on a sierra.

I mostly recommend the 32X9.5 as the height to width ratio will give you improved drivability compared to a 10.5 and especially a 11.5. Personally, I'd go straight to a 34 9.5 15 to gain footprint length, but I appreciate you reasons for staying at 31-32". Having said that, swampers aren't road legal in post 1972 cars anyway so being on an engineered size is pretty irrelevant.

Here's a low SPOA car, no BL on 34X9.5 15's:

Image

Steve.

Re: Tyre Topic - Interco Swampers

Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 5:53 pm
by NASTI4
time to bring up a old convo....best place to buy super swampers in vic
q78-15lt

Re: Tyre Topic - Interco Swampers

Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:06 pm
by alien
http://www.lindsaystyres.com.au/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Tyre Topic - Interco Swampers

Posted: Sun Nov 07, 2010 6:11 pm
by NASTI4
yeah i seen there website earlier i was going to give them a buzz tomorrow i have a few numbers was just after a few opinions..cheers!