Keep GrandTrek AT20's or ?
Submitted: Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 07:56
ThreadID:
45110
Views:
5765
Replies:
4
FollowUps:
6
This Thread has been Archived
HGMonaro
just thinking out aloud...
Soon to set off on 1/2 lap of Oz (up the middle then around WA and back to Melb) and can't decide what to do about tyres... Unfortunately didn't know anything about 4WD tyres when buying car or would have got them changed at the time.
Going to take a 2nd spare (have 2nd carrier on camper to hold it). 95% of trip will be on black-top, just the sections of
Mereenie Loop,
Gibb River Road, Bungle Bungles and possibly the odd other sidetrip to complicate the equation.
Several options:
1. Stick with Grandcraps, buying another AT20 & rim for 2nd spare
2. Replace Grandcraps with something else (incl buying extra rim) and re-fit Grandcraps sometime into the future.
3. Buy complete 2nd set of (steel) rims & tyres and only use them as 'trip' tyres.
Discussion points of options... (note that I'll be sticking with the the std 265/65/17 size if I buy new ones)
1. Everyone says the Grandcraps won't make it, however have two relatives who did smilar trip on them and between them they had one blow-out (it did kill the tyre though). With tyre pressure management are they really that bad?
2. Am I ever going to put the Grandcraps back on? I have room to store them but am I kidding myself?
3. Am I going to swap them over regularly, or just once a year. End up leaving them on permanently?
Feel free to add your musings...
Cheers, Nige
Reply By: Member - Doug T (W.A) - Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 08:20
Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 08:20
Blow outs do tend to do that , good you have noticed that, Mate just go and get any tyre you want at a good price, then when on stoney roads look where your going, don't run over the big rocks , yeh I know you can't miss them all , slow down a bit, reduce pressure to around 28 to 32 ,
Now I did fing Mickey Thompsons chipped badly on the GRR, they are too soft , for 95% sealed road then don't get an agressive tread , Look at BF Goodridge [USA], Yokohama' etc, stay away from chinese tyres and you should have a tyre trouble free trip .
Doug
AnswerID:
238035
Reply By: Wayne (NSW) - Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 08:37
Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 08:37
Nige,
Trying to get tyres out of the big cities can be a pain. I have had trouble trying to track down steel rims for the Troopie in
Sydney, but that is a different story.
I feel that it is better to have the vehicle set up before you go. Tyres are the most common thing that will let you down, regardless of what vehicle you drive. Having a good set of tyre on the vehicle will also reduce failure rate as
well as running the correct tyre pressure.
The type of tyre that run will also play a big part in what to put on. In the past I have had a mud pattern STT, this year I am going to try a open all terrain pattern. Cooper ST'C.
The type of tyre you use is not as important as the fact that the tyres are new before you go.
As far as fitting the old tyres when you get back, many have thought about it, I have but never get around to it.
Wayne
AnswerID:
238037
Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 13:51
Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 13:51
A
puncture out in the bush can cost you a lot of money - can get charged $400 for a replacement, that would cost $200 in town. And patching up tyres is not allowed as much as it was in the past. So I always drive on good tyres.
Your Grandtreks do
puncture easily - especially ion the dirt if you keep the pressures high, overload the vehicle and travel too fast on stony roads (because it "feels" OK). So if they have most of their tread, and you treat them
well, you'll probably be fine.
But buying good quality light truck tyres like Goodyear Silent Armour or BFGATKO, you're less likely to have dramas while you're away, and they are good on bitumen too.
AnswerID:
238071
Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 23:05
Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 23:05
Its pretty hard to get any tyres in 265/65R17 that are LT construction, and stronger than your Grandtreks. About the only possibility are the Bridgestone D694.
All the other manufacturers produce passenger and highway tyres in 265/65R17 and their stronger tyres in 265/70R17. hats the situation with teh Cooper ATR and BFG.
So unless you are willing to take the upsize, you may as
well stay with the GrandTreks. They would cost a fortune out in the bush, and be hard to get, so take the extra spare.
FollowupID:
499263
Follow Up By: HGMonaro - Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 10:44
Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 10:44
Phil. that's what I've found. I have the choice of Dunlop AT2, Bridgestone D694, Pirelli Scorpian ATR and two Yokohama's (A/T II & A/T S). All 'passenger' construction.
Will have to investigate the 265/70/17 options, but I don't have a lift nor will have one and I don't want any chance of the tyres rubbing on steering components or insurance issues, which I believe I've read might be a problem.
thanks for the replies!
FollowupID:
499291
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 11:04
Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 11:04
Hey HG
I put a set of Dunlop A/T2s on one truck and the Yokohamas on one of my other trucks years ago they were crap , I wouldn't put them on my worst enemies wheel barrow.
Go the Bridgestones D693 made in Australia 265/75/16 I have bought 11 sets for my trucks and wont buy anything else, I run the front at 40 psi and the rear at 42.
These trucks and tyres do more dirt road work in a month than you would do in a year.
you will find there about $100 cheaper as
well and the profits stay in Oz.
Cheers Steve.
PS The D694s are Jap made and softer.
FollowupID:
499293
Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 16:45
Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 16:45
Steve,
I think we're talking about a 120series Prado - only option is 17 inch tyres unless you take to the front calipers with an angle grinder.
FollowupID:
499325
Follow Up By: Steve from Top End Explorer Tours - Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 16:56
Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 16:56
Year Brain fade on my behalf I was up all night with a sick kid.
But if I couldn't put Bridgestones on in a 17 inch, I would take a grinder to the calipers before I would put anything else on.
ROTFLMAO.
Cheers Steve.
FollowupID:
499329
Follow Up By: HGMonaro - Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 17:06
Sunday, May 06, 2007 at 17:06
yep. 120 Prado. You'd think that with the number of them running around the major manufacturers would have jumped on the band wagon.
Cheers, Nige
FollowupID:
499331
Reply By: Muddy doe (SA) - Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 18:18
Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 18:18
If you fit your "trip tyres" to new steel rims and leave the factory set alone then it makes it much easier when you get
home to just change the grandtreks back on for around town use.
This also means you can go for a bit tougher or more off road option for your second set of tyres as you don't have to live with them between trips. Under an hour on a slow afternoon and you have changed them over.
We have Cooper ATR on the factory rims and a second set with Goodyear MTRs for trips. The Coopers are excellent on the blacktop and can handle occasional dirt and
rock without drama (where grandtreks may crap themselves). The MTR are our "trip tyres" and for anything more adventurous and they are just fantastic so far.
With a decent trolley jack and one of those 12v ratchet guns it would take no time at all to change sets.
Cheers
Muddy
AnswerID:
238118