tires.. what are my options?

[TSR53]

eEwwww! I love tire threads!!! Super show and tell. I realize that this thread is requesting tires that will work for a Land Rover Series II, IIa, III but here are good tires and my 0.02¢ experience on these that I've used since 1980. Hopefully you'll find this interesting or at least entertaining eventhough the tire designs must be as old as me by now! Listed in order of what worked best for me, what condition and what vehicle they were on.

Best Mud, Deep Snow and overall good on the highway tire is ...

Goodyear XT terra tire, 31x11.50-15
Also available in 31x15.50-15 (lugs wrap around the side). I've used this on my old 1982 Toyota 4WD longbed pickup (hilux) in loamy wet spring mud near the Rubicon, deep snow, Scott's Creek sand (north of Santa Cruz, CA), granite rocks, SUPER DEEP sticky mud, deep river fording, dry dusty conditions and experienced hot tarmac on busy California higways to and from Lake Tahoe = had to make emergency stops with them. These are not as noisy on the road as you would expect - they just plain work. We routinely used to get 20,000 miles out of a set running mostly on highway. They worked in the rain too. These are NOT tread lightly tires, they dig big time. We had to purchase these through a farm account. If you can find a set, buy them. Might be out of production, my pick of the day.

1982 Toyota 4WD longbed, 18RG twin cam 2.0 liter, dual Mikuni carbs. Goodyear XT terra tire. (sorry for the lousy photos, scanned from 35mm slides)

Firestone ATX
Another good choice for mud, just different than the Goodyear XTs. Not as good in the rain, too much flat un-siped tread surface. Might be out of production.

1980 Isuzu 4WD pickup, Firestone ATX.

BFG Mud-Terrains
Everyone knows how well these work. They are noisy on the highway, and work well off road in Telluride, CO Black Bear Pass loose wet rock conditions. In Vermont mud (similar to Rubicon spring mud - if there is such a thing?) they work really well. About the same as the Goodyear XTs on the highway. Good Choice.

1994 Defender 90 NAS soft top. BFG Radial Mud-Terrains.

Mickey Thompson Baja Belted
AWESOME in the sand and gravel. 2 Fiberglass belts, that allow lower than normal air pressure levels. I routinely ran these down to 8-12psi. Good for dry conditions. Ok in the mud, but they pack up quickly and are harder than normal to clean. Slick in the rain, must have been the harder or different rubber compound. Can be run either direction.

1996 Toyota Tacoma 4WD extracab, 3.4ltr v6 5spd. Mickey Thompson Baja Belted.

[KevinNY]

Let's steer this discussion back on course. The original question was:
__________________________________________________ ____________

Where O where do you see anyting about a request for a MUD only tire? My suggestion was based on his original question. Kevin please refrain from making ignorant bitchy comments about "a bag of goods" and as you know I teach off road driving and have been working with Michelin to help their clients evaulate a variety of tires. I'm an instructor not the customer - got that? After trying a zillion tires I like the AT2 for a variety of reasons. I think too many people get caught up in the look of the tire rather than how it actually performs. By the way I like that Cooper ST tire also and may order a set for my Series.

So 6 tires went to a Zillion? A few months ago you were online looking for snow tire recomendations, now you are an industry expert? Where do you teach off road instruction?

[jp-]

Where do you teach off road instruction?

In my dad's basement. Are you happy now?


Opps, sorry wrong comment...

[jp-]

Tires.

I went with STA Super Traxions (7.50 x 16) because they were the closest to what my original tires looked like. Yes my tires were left over from the 60's.

http://www.stausaonline.com/light-tr...r-traxion.html

(FIG C)

I love the look, but really wish I had gone with a 235/85's though as the Traxion tires don't flex much at all (Load Range E). In the 88, even with parabolics it rides like a roller coaster.

[JimCT]

The son of the guy we get our tires from just returned from your class in Vermont and was really impressed with the class, and abilities of RR's and the Michelin tires. Might have to try them for my wifes car this fall.

[VTRover]

Jim, thank you for that nice comment. So far everyone has had a great time and learned a ton!

Eric

[Mark Filtranti]

Eric you are correct about not judging a tire by looks. Before I had a RRC, I used to laugh at the Mich 4x4's on RRC's. Then I repaced the previous no-name tires with the correct tire (Mich 4x4). Those had to be the best all-purpose tire for a RRC I have ever used. No longer manufactured, I miss them dearly, so does my wife (its her truck). That tire was a perfect for flooded roads in New Orleans (yearly), snow storms in Minn, and we never hesitated to pull off road anywhere anytime. It still has Mich's, but they dont compare to the lost forever favorites. With those on a RRC you had to feel sort of fearless, and in total control as we passed cars and trucks off the road in a good storm in the north. The available substitute from Mich (sinichrone) are not performing like the old 4x4's, so I hear.
Do you have any info on those? I need to put new rubber on the RRC, and would like to get a Mich as close to performing like the old 4x4's. The truck and my wife stay on the road more than before, but dont ever want to be scared to show up all the soccer mom suvs that are trulely wimpy, compared to a Rover.

PS I have the Coopers on my truck (88)

[Mark Filtranti]

Sorry I got off on the RRC route guys.

[Leslie]

Here's my two cents' worth.....

I've currently got BFG AT-ko's on the Disco. They're decent all-round everyday tires. Highway, around town, gravel roads, dirt roads, but, they're not mud-tires.

Contrary to Yorker's experience: prior to the AT's, I had the Commercial TA/traction tires, and they sucked. They wouldn't wear evenly, they wore quickly, they weren't good off-road, not particularly smooth on-road... I was hoping that it would be a good replacement to the olf Trac-Edge, but it wasn't, it didn't live up to the standard.

On the Series, Michelin XZL's. Don't think I'd suggest them for something that spends most of its time on asphalt, not for a daily driver. They're reputable, but, they're not magic. And, they'd be expensive to replace.

On the other Disco I had, I loved the Dunlop R/T's that I had. I prefer them over the AT-ko's, but, it's easier to find the ko's on sale.... I'll probably go back to the R/T's for the next set on the Disco, unless I finally give the MT-km a try..... Before the Dunlops, I had the Michelin 4x4-XPC's, have to admit, for a "street" tire they were better than I expected, but, they're almost as much as the XZL's...

At work, we run Goodyears exclusively. They're okay.... I'm not a big Goodyear fan, but, they're not as bad as the Commercial-traction's. Oh, and long ago, I had a set of Bridgestones on an old Wagoneer I had... they were okay, but, I don't think I'd go back to them....

I've not ran a true mud-tire. If I was looking for something for *mud*, it wouldn't be something that you would want as a daily driving tire.... since I'm not trailering vehicles to trail-heads, I'm not willing to go to something that skewed towards offroad only... (I don't consider the MT-km a mud-tire, FWIW, it's just a more aggressive AT tire, IMO.....)

So, in summary, I'd probably pick the R/T's, but the AT-ko's wouldn't be bad, if I know that I'm going to do a lot more time on blacktop... but, might try the MT-km's if it's not a long-distance commuter.

FWIW.....

[Momo]

SuperTraxion Tires:

"Great traction with husky lugs...pinned for studs...cool running with deep vented shoulders and a wide profile for flotation and traction".

Finally, a tire that has all the many features I look for in a woman.