New AT 265/70/16

Fair enough...new to this forum stuff.
I have a Pajero NP 2003 DiD and am taking into the desert, Cape York etc. I have been looking at all types of AT tyres in the size 265/70/16's. I will be carrying normal camping stuff plus steel bullbar, lights etc.
The price on the Maxxis AT's are approx. $500 cheaper than the big name brands. My question is how good are the Maxxis AT in that size?
Jack

JackMack I have been wondering the same thing.
I've seen about every tyre brand in the tyre repair place either being repaired or totally written off.

So what is the difference apart from the dollars,,, I wonder.

Some of the tread patterns are even very similar and the amount of ply's and constrution similar or the same ???????.

Regards Scoof . :-)

Scoof,
I know some tyres have a silica compound in them which makes them grip well in the wet, but the tyres I have been looking at are all rubber i.e. Coopers, BFG, Mickey T's etc. Also the Maxxis are all rubber. So go figure on why the great price difference, unless the cheaper tyres return crap milage...maybe thats it but I would like to confirm.
By the way that a big rig!

Tyre construction and materials are anything but not simple.

The factors to consider when choosing tyres is also - or should be also quite complex.

Unfortunately, even when the magazines in this segment of the market do a review, they don't always do it impartially or well (eg. scientifically) and make many subjective assessments.

In my view if you are going to be doing the desert and Cape York, ATs are not the ideal choice. They might be fine. Plenty of people have been up there and across there with them, but you are stretching the friendship in terms of what they were designed for.

That said, they will be a little nicer on the black stuff for a while until they wear a bit.

Tyres are complex composite structures that are bearing huge loads, and there is nothing simple about their performance. Hit any of them hard enough, and they will break. Mistreat any of them and they will fail. Put any of them on or against anything sharp enough and they will get staked.

Do you fly Aeroflot or even Garuda? They fly the same planes that Qantas fly. What can the difference be apart from the dollars?

It's your call.

Andrew maybe the pilots. LOL in Garuda's case anyway..

Sorry didnt see you had a Paj and where you were going. Definitly go the 265x75 10 ply tyres in LT construction. 7 ply tread and 3 ply sidewall.
check out the specs of the tyres you are looking at i doubt they have this type of construction

Davoe,
Thanks for the advice. I have been told that by increasing the tyres size to a 265/75 from a 265/70 I will use more fuel and lose power as a result. Have also recieved advice that this is not the case. Most of my driving is on the blacktop around Brisbane but I do want the advantage of taking the Paj anywhere. Gotta comprimise somewhere soon.
Jack

Well of itself it won't increase your consumption - if anything decrease it because of the higher gearing.

You don't actually lose power, but effectively it makes you geared a little higher... which has the same feel as less power...

The tyres weigh a little more, but not enough to make a difference to consumption.

People thing they have a consumption issue, but in fact they have travelled the same actual km - it is just that the speedo is underreporting the distance by whatever the difference in circumference of the wheel - perhaps 5-10%.

Cheers
Andrew.

Hi there JackMack, i have Maxxis AT's on my Patrol, which were close enough to being new, and whilst i wasn't very keen on them at first, i must admit they have definately grown on me. Have been pretty much everywhere with the exception of in the mud & they have handled fine. In the beginning i didn't like the feel of em on the blacktop just after a shower of rain ( felt like they weren't the best of grips ), and all i wanted to do was wear them out and go for a set of m/t, but now 2 yrs later & 51,000 k's, i would recommend them for sure. they are probably down to about the 50% mark for tread & a bit of wear on the outers ( from me putting of a couple of wheel alignments ). I have down a few trips to Cairns (from Gladstone), with a trip to cooktown added in & i was more than impressed with how they handled the sand to Elim beach & the gravel back through the bloomfield. So when it's time to renew em, i will be going for the Maxxis a/t's at $170 instead of the Good Year m/t's at $325....

Good Luck with what tyre suits you!!

Dan

Dan,
Thanks for the wrap on the Maxxis...your the first person that has any experience with them. I don't know wether that is good or bad. Most of my driving will be on bitumen around town but need to have half decent rubber for those trips to the Cape and the desert. As I have said before it's going to be a comprimise.
Thanks again,
Jack

No worries mate, i don't think you would be too disheartened from them at all. Like i said, i don't have any issues at all with them, & i think they are good as gold on sand. As much as i liked the look of the muds, i would realistically do more on the sand or gravel & the muds would only bite into the sand more..... I just think they are value for $...Good luck when you get to go to the cape. Hopefully i will also make that trip next year sometime.....

Cheers

Dan

Sorry bout the poor typing i reeeely hate that laptop keyboard it makes me look drunk

Davoe,
Your right...the better tyres are in the bigger size. I think the BFG in a 265/70 come in a LT version though. News is I should go for the larger tyre...just dont want nto lose power and use more fuel.
Jack

bigger tyres will use a bit more but you really arnt talking about much of an increase here.Most people would be talking when they changed from there 265x75 tyres to 285x75ior even 315 tyres.
Off road suitable tyres will always use a bit more than the HT tyres it probably came with but for the increase in bushability a 265x75 tyre will give you you wont notice the difference