Skinny tyres

Barnesy

1) Member Willie here on EO stuffed a couple of those VSX 10 plies on an ordinary trip out bush. He was unimpressed They are no netter than any other skinny radials

2)The thing about tubeless is that they are less prone to blowouts, if staked

3)Depending on your tread pattern skinny tyres may be noisier. They normally feel lighter to steer and have less rolling resistance

4)No, Cruiser rims won't fit on the front hub and the offset is wrong. You need to find GQ rims.

The mining companies buy their tyres in bulk and probably get skinnies at a good price. The skinnies are a good all round tyre and splits are easier to repair out bush. Once you have cut a radial(even of plugged) it is usually stuffed.

I have fitted Super Traction(agressive tread) 12 ply rating MRF Crossplies on splits rims. They are very good and more puncture resistant than most tyres. They are noisy on the bitumen. They cost $180 each including a MRF tube. You can buy them through Tyrepower Dealers

If you decide to go radial on splits then Hankook have a good reputation.

Cheers

Cross ply tyres (12 or 16 ply) are the way to go for off track applications in the Goldfields and Pilbara of WA. I'm about to start a storm of abuse here, but taking advice from eastern staters who have only driven on dirt roads in WA is like someone from Wiluna giving advice on snow driving. If you are sticking to tracks it is different.

Basically what Willem says is the go. I have earned a living driving OFF ROAD / TRACK in WA and cross plies on splits are the way to go. Radials aren't up to the job. Leep in mind they are horrible on road so be honest as to what you really want to do. The real serious exploration guys are now going for quad bikes on foam filled tyres as nothing else stands up to the ground up there.

"..then why are ALL of the mining vehicles up here (Pt Hedland) running splits"

Hello - not sure this statement is true - was up at a mine 140km NE of PH the other day and fair percentage of Cruisers had white steel rims. Hiluxes and Prados (of which there are plenty) dont even come with splits rims. Someone stated on this forum that BHP had actually banned the use of split rims on all their mine vehicles ...but I am not sure that is 100% true. They certainly dont mind hire vehicles with splits.

Havent paid that much attention to tyres used by mining companies but the Bridgestone VSX are certainly in common use (by BHP at least) - there must be a reason for this - I am sure reliability base on their experience would be an important factor in them choosing to use this tyre. One flat by one person once upon a time doesn’t prove to me these tyres are worse (or no better) than any other "skinny" option. The thousands in use at mines across the Pilbara suggests something else.... But then just three weeks ago spotted a mine Prado at Whim Creek with Coopers? Now I am confused:)

In future will try and note down what tyres are in use in the Pilbara at mines - information may be handy.

Cheers
Greg

I wouldnt run a crossply on a 1 peice or a radial on a split rim bridgie VSM come in 2 tpes
1 is an 8 ply with 4 steel tread and 1 steel sidewall the other is a 10 ply with a traditional 2 ply sidewall not all steel construction as the name suggests.
Bridgestone DR2 are a common rag tyre ued for off track work with anon aggrssive tread and seem fine enough on the highway.
Dont forget rag yres ae unlikely to have a speed rating that conforms to your vehicle specs if that srta thing worries you.
As for what the mining companys use. Who cares certainly they dont. If you get a flat/wrecked tyre you take it to the Otraco tyre fitters and get another

#1 Splits vs tubeless: I favour tubeless because of fewer flat tyres (no tube to stuff up); safety (less likely to blow out at highway speeds); more mileage (tubeless don't build up as much heat ); and should you puncture a tubeless, its usually a simple 10minute job to plug the puncture - no need to change a tyre and waste valuable beer o'clock time fixing it.
In the defence of splits, you can buy thick walled tyres, but you won't catch me driving on them for 1000k a day on the highway in 35 degree heat.

#2 Skinny vs fat: Fat tyres get a few more punctures, cost a lot in extra fuel, are marginally better on sand, but most importantly :-)) look the goods. So I prefer skinny for desert travel.

As (I assume) you currently have the skinny sunraysia GQ rims, just buy a decent 235/85R16 10ply tyre to replace your Cooper and keep driving. You may trash a few more of the Coopers while you're away, but you may have noticed that the outback places don't usually use them or sell them.

Toyota 40,60,75series splits have a smaller centre hole than your GQ, so unless your willing to get the angle grinder out, they probably won't go on. They have a bit less backspacing, so sit out a bit more. 80series splits have less backspacing, so are probably better for the GQ, but the centre hole is still the issue.

Cheers
phil

I have a 2000 Troopy and towed a van from Sydney across to Adelaide, up to Darwin (incl Ooodnadatta Track), across to Rocky and back home.

I use standard skinny tyres on split rims ... 1 puncture the whole trip. I did carry an extra spare as a preecaution; changing tubes on the road is a pain.

One drawback: sand does get in when you reduce pressure to drive on a beach ... almost inevitably, I get 1 flat from a 4WD sand trip.

Tyres are about $ 220 new.