Mud Terrains in sand

Submitted: Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
ThreadID: 2456 Views:2399 Replies:6 FollowUps:5
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I'm thinking of changing from BF Goodrich A/T's to M/T's. My only concern is sand driving - such as on Fraser Island (where I'll be for Xmas!). Does anybody have experience of driving on soft sand with the mud terrains? Many thanks in advance.
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Reply By: Member - Graham - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
Hi Hoges, I did the opposite, after having 2 sets of muds tried the a/t they lasted 20 000k's couldn't live with them any longer and recently put muds back on. Reasons being, less under-steer on road & moreso in the wet (80's understeer anyway), beaches 25psi compared to 15psi around Lancelin area & often going less with the bfg a/t. Yes there is noise. To me they performed excellent with minimal trade offs (noise, close the windows) I ran higher pressure on road 45-50psi yes it's a little hard but got 100 000k's from them and the tread didn't scollop as they can do; & on tyre rotation, made sure the tyres always rotate the same direction when put back on. 80/20 on/off road use.
Some may say thats baloney but after approx 1mill k's in past 12 yrs in trucks the right pressure & rotate properly works. This is my experience, and still have 2 of the 100k'ers for spares, the tyre shop put in the car, reconed not good enough to throw yet.
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Follow Up By: Janset - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
Hi Graham.

I think you have all but answered my question too.

I do have one question though and that relates to the BFG A/T as I do not wish to be seduced by the Dark Side.

I own a 75 Series so my vehicle is different to yours, but other than your steering problems is there anything else about the A/T that you can pass on to me, i.e. wear behaviour noise etc?

Regards
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Follow Up By: Member - Graham - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
Hi Janset, to the wear factor , the a/t had shown slight extra wear on outer edges but this could be due to the understeer factor, but it could be how i set the car up that the problem was evident.they were approx 20-25% worn @ 20 000. these are 285/75x16 for both
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Follow Up By: Janset - Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00

Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00
Thanks Graham.
The wear rate appears acceptable. I think anything over 80,000 is really a bonus anyway.
Regards
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Reply By: bruce.h - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
Gday Hoges
yes they will have a negitive effect on your sand driving not to the point that it will make it difficult but they do tend to dig you in more than the a/t due to their less agressive tread patern,you will need to experiment with tyre preasures for M/t to find the right ballance
Regards Bruce
AnswerID: 8938

Reply By: dave - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
I have 33" MT Duelers on my Troopy. I spend a lot of time on Fraser and also the mainland parks like Kinkuna (which gets really soft). I can only remember one time that I have had to drop my pressures and that was while wearing a set of dunlop adventurers (came with the truck), there have been times that i drop pressures without having too.

Now before anyone gets upset, I do not go about ripping the island up with spinning wheels. By 33" tyres at 30 or so psi allow me to go places that 750, 16's can't go at 15 psi.

My belief here is that the height and width (but mostly the height) improve my ability in the sand but also the aggresive pattern helps keeping you inching forward (without wheel spin) when the going gets tough.

Have I gotten bogged? yes. Does it happen often? no.

my 2c worth
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Reply By: John - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
Hoges,
I have a 75 series troopy RV with 15x8 steel Rims mounted up.
I have run 33x12.5 MT Coopers and found them to be a bit noisy on the Tar, They lasted about 90,000km's.
I now run 33x12.5 BFG LT Muds and have found them to be a better tyre than the coopers on my case.....Much less road noise and better in the wet. Theyare going to last about the same or maybe a bit more Km's.
They where the older ones without the diggerlugz.
They tell me BFG have fixed any problems they have had with the earlier releases of the newer digger lug models.

John
AnswerID: 8949

Reply By: kezza - Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00

Monday, Nov 25, 2002 at 01:00
I just love the mud terrains in sand especially since the KMs with the digger lugs came out - one of our favourite party tricks is to bog the gq patrol to the axles in soft sand then to just rock gently back and forth and it just lifts out - even at higher pressures - usually dont drop the pressure in sand at all unless I have to go up steep dunes -basically unbogable in sand. (mind you the LSD on the patrol is a great help)
Anybody who insists that non aggressive tread is the go in soft sand - has to have a lead foot and no perception of what their tyres are doing while driving. (I spent many years driving tractors in deep mud in my youth so I have a bit of nouse in this area)

The bfg M/T is proably the best compromise on the market at the moment especially when Im hard pressed to work out which has the best grip in the wet (bitumen). Check my previous posts re the M/T.
I often take the hardest track off the beach and up slopes with the M/T and the real skill is to just idle up sloes to minimise spin and maximise traction I am usually the only one to get up the "impossible slope", not saying that there are not times when 'heaps of revs' is the answer, its just that a knowing of when which technique will get you there is the real skill.

Since so much debate has been going on lately re tyres I recently too the opportunity and the time to compare our GU and GQ in the wet one with muddies(gq) and one with A/Ts(gu) and there is very little difference in stopping power in the wet between the 2 (on some rougher bitumen surfaces the muddies seemed to have better grip than the a/ts) where as before the KMs came out the MT was pathetic in the wet. The newer soft compound definately grips better in the wet. No argument!

another 2 bobs worth -and I dont own any shares in BFG

kezza
AnswerID: 8960

Follow Up By: Slunnie - Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00

Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00
What size do you have Kezza? I have to agree, the BFG MTkm's were great through the Simpson, better than the BFG AT's and Cooper ST's. Shame they were not on my 4WD. :-(
Regards
Slunnie
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Follow Up By: Kezza - Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00

Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002 at 01:00
32x11.50r15
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Reply By: jeff- Tuesday, Dec 10, 2002 at 01:00

Tuesday, Dec 10, 2002 at 01:00
I have a 75 series, went from a/t to muddy's after a trip through the centre cut hell out of the a/t's. living close to the vic high country and having a couple of close calls in the wet with the a/t's i decided on the muddy's and have done the kimberley and the simpson and they are wearing quite well, and i feel safer in the high country.
AnswerID: 9519

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