Tyres

Try Kumho for a cheaper version, or pirelli, may find one to suit. Look for sidewall ply thickness as a guide to how well they will stand up in the bush. Only my opinion
Rolande

I've heard through a mate who uses Hancook A/Ts that he chose them because a lot of station owners he knows in northern SA swear by them. They get excellent wear rates and fewer stakings on their station tracks.
I use BFG muddies on my Patrol......getting down a bit now, so are becoming fairly noisey.
Roachie

Michael,
how much do you think Coopers are? I just paid $220 for Cooper STs fitted. I can't imagine there'd be much around for less than that.

If you're running on highway tyres you would be better now to fit All Terrains (A/T's). What brand? That depends on what will now suit the budget. Don't worry about the noise factor too much (you can just wind up the windows if you want) it's sometimes the penalty to pay for a tyre that gives you good service. Go for the best sidewall thickness if you are likely to be heading really off road onto tracks, rocks etc.
Tyre management is what saves tyres - correct pressures on the black & then knock 10psi + out & use 4wd high when on the dirt. Also stay away from the edges of tracks and dirt roads where sharp rocks and stakes are alwys lurking just below the surface.
I use Goodyear MTRs but they are a bulky tyre for more extreme conditions. Never had one let me down yet.

I have Cooper ST-C's and paid top dollar. From my perspective money well sent as the traction is heaps better on the track than the A/T's I had before.

I went throught the tyre debate 12 months ago michael.... it's a hard decision to make!
But some good advice I was given is that I should get the tyre that best suits what I'll be doing... and then think about what I MIGHT end up doing. In our case, we went from looking at a mid price All Terrain to what we have on our truck now, which is 33" Pro Comp muddies... our tyres have taken us places that our driving experiance wouldn't have allowed on a lesser tyre.
As far as affordability goes... we bought them on 12 months interest free finance, which makes the burden a lot easier.
I'm not suggesting you should go out today and buy Pro Comp muds, just that the further you go off road, chances are the further you will want to go... you won't want to be "stopped" by not having capable tyres.

Just my opinion
Cheers
Brian

We fitted Cooper A/T's prior to trans Aust trip - SW->Cape York ... wanted mainly on road & better off road than factory (sounds like what you say) - very happy with noise , road holding , grip & wear factor - about $220 fitted I think. GU Patrol.