Mud Terrain Tyres

Submitted: Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:11
ThreadID: 95651 Views:3504 Replies:7 FollowUps:21
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Gday Guys
Lookin for some new boots for my GU and im running Maxxis Bighorns at the moment, im looking at BF Goodrich, Cooper STT or Mickey T MTZ but not really sure which of these are the best, as i live in Exmouth its more off road than on road( dirt roads, goat tracks etc) any help would be great, just dont want to waste more money like i feel i did with the Maxxis :(
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Reply By: Member - Josh- Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:29

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:29
We ran Mickey Thompson MTZ on our cruiser and camper trailer on our 3 yr trip around oz. They are the only tyre I would use now. They were fantasic. Wore really well. Great on road, even better off road. Cheaper than coopers and I wouldn't use BF's again after having trouble with some seperating.

Josh
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Follow Up By: jay - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:34

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:34
Hi Josh
Thanks for the heads up mate, had heard Coopers have a warranty issue!! Maxxis dont wear good on road and for what they cost i wouldnt have them again.
love the tread pattern on the Mickey Ts
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Reply By: Member - 2000 Red Rodeo - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:31

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:31
I recently went through the same exercise.

In the past I had Cooper STT. They were good, no punctures, performed very well off road. I only got 40000kms but that included a lot of off road work.

Was going to get the same again, but asking price was $400 per tyre. They are a good tyre, but they are not that good.

I looked at all the other options you mentioned. Mickeys were cheaper. About $360 per tyre, BFG were around $400

Long story short. I went with Toyo MT's. 2 reasons. 1) Tyrepower had them on special for $355 per tyre and 2) compared to the other tyres you are comparing with the Toyo MT's have a much thicker sidewall. Check them out, you'll see what I mean. They are much thicker

My tyres are 265/75/16 (for price comparison)

Regards

Geoff
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Follow Up By: jay - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:37

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:37
Thanks Geoff will have a look, hadnt even thought of them ay, just looked at the top 3, but Coopers have a warranty issue i believe and to be honest that would put me off
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Follow Up By: garrycol - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:02

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:02
What is the Cooper warranty issue??

Coopers have essentially two warranties - a normal warranty against manufacturing issues which is similar to most other tyres. They also have a Mileage Warranty and this is what you may be referring too. This is a bit dodgy as you have to buy the tyres in a Capital city and basically use the tyre in Capital cities (specifics on their website). So I would not plan on using this aspect but then most other tyre makers do not have this anyway.

I recently went through the same process as you but in a larger tyre. Options were BFG MT KM2s, MT MTZ, and the Toyo MTs. All were about the same price in my size. I went the BFGs are they are great onroad and offroad. The MTs seem on par but there were few reports of poor mileage but others were great. The Toyos seem good and as mentioned have very strong sidewall, however not a lot of people seemed to have used them so i went with something well known.

So BFGs for me.

Garry
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Follow Up By: jay - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:16

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:16
Hi Garry
Thats why i originally thought of the top 3 but am getting good reports about the Toyo's,
The warranty issue i had heard about was that with Coopers ( STT's i wanted) if you take these tyres off road and loose a lug then you have voided the warranty and if thats the case then i wouldnt buy them because i spend alot of time off road, im wanting 33's or maybe 35's price will dictate which size i end up buying, and size availability in country towns in the middle of nowhere IF i did need a replacement.
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Reply By: olcoolone - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:54

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:54
I would recommend Toyo Open Country M/T's, one of the strongest and best performing on/off road tyre around.... but you pay a premium.

We have Mickey Thompson MTZ's fitted at the moment and hate em, noisy, they wander and lugs get ripped off.

Have used Coopers and found they had soft side walls.

Will end up going back to Toyo's when the MTZ's wear out.

The down side of the Toyo's is they weigh about 20% more then the rest..... that extra rubber and belting has to do something.



Do a Google search for .....
Toyo Open Country M/T vs Mickey Thompson MTZ
Toyo Open Country M/T vs Cooper STT
Toyo Open Country M/T vs BFG KM2

And have a read.
AnswerID: 486187

Follow Up By: jay - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:06

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 22:06
Thanks heaps mate, will check them out for sure, your the 2nd person to recommend Toyo's, would rather pay a bit xtra and have peace of mind.
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 08:59

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 08:59
Toyo's are a bit of an under dog...... might have something to do with how they advertise and the creative journalist's of 4x4 mags can't get then for free...... like some other brands.

Have a look at Mick's blog.....

http://www.exploroz.com/Members/92954.750/12/2010/Product_Review_No_1_-_Toyo_Open_Country_MT_tyres__285_75-R16__and_Speedie_16x8_steel_rims.aspx
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Follow Up By: Andrew & Jen - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 13:17

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 13:17
Hullo Jay

Had Toyos on previous 4x4 (Pajero) and they performed very well - including no punctures with lots of bush work - and still are (~90 000 from a set of 6 and about 25% left). It came with Yokohamas which lasted about 30 000 kms!

Currently run Toyo Open Country 265x75R16 on the Series 80 if the trip requires them (vic High Country, etc). Again, they are performing very well. Not noisy, no damage after 15 000 kms. My other set of tyres are D694s which I use for long distance bitumen trips, ordinary dirt roads, sand, etc

I would, without hesitation, use them again.

Cheers
Andrew
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Follow Up By: Jeff P - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:09

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:09
Jay I agree with olcoolone Toyo M/T's are one tough tyre they may cost abit more but check out the tyre weight compared with the other brands,also I dont think Toyo give tyre's for testing to the 4wd experts ! I have run both A/T's and M/T's and alot of my mates run them, the mickey thompson would be my second choice I just have trouble getting the size I want in Australia
Jeff
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Follow Up By: jay - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:24

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:24
Hi guys
Thanks for all your thoughts and advice, i have checked out the Toyo's and its looking like they are the No1 choice, as you all say the big 3 throw freebies at the 4wd experts and so they all rave about them because it didnt cost them anything!! But i strongly believe that you guys out there in the real world who have tried and tested these tyres have the real heads up and offer true opinions and i greatly appreciate it :)
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Reply By: Member - Joe F (WA) - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:37

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:37
G'day Jay

Your question is fairly though provoking and all the replies to the tyre question testify to that.

We all have a horror story when it comes to one or more of the tyre brands mentioned in the replies.

My personal experience(s) with tyres cannot be regarded as proof positive to any brand of tyre being the best or the worst on the tyre market, but when you need to purchase a full set of new tyres, these days its going to cost you the proverbial "Kings ransom".

Like you, I happen to live in the Pilbara and possibly have the same opportunity as far as choice in who or where I can purchase tyres from, small town with one or two tyre retailers all charging like a wounded Bull for a tyre of your choice, that can be killed dead in less time than it takes to punch you Visa Card pin number in, when your paying for them.

I have over the years fallen for the advertizing hype in all the Off Road magazies and DVD's and bought the ~ must have's ~ and to be very truthful.

None of the big brand tyres excelled or met the tyre brands claims.

Nor did the tyre manufacturer live up to their warranty claims.

Mickey Thompson MTZ = Severe inner tyre seperation @ 38000 Km's
serious enough for me to have to replace all six tyres, simply because my life depends on the tyres being reliable. I carried inner tubes just incase, for a further 3000 Km's.

The tyre retailer and Mickey Thompson Aus, accused me of running the tyres at extremely low pressures over a long period of time. NOT TRUE.

I had used and still use Tyre Pressure Monitoring sensor systems on all my wheels/tyres.

BF Goodrich All Terrain = side wall fractures and hard tread compound caused the tread rubber to delaminate towards the end of tyre life @ 56000 Km's.

Nail and Tek screw magnets on the dirty streets of Newman.

Bridgestone Desert Dueller 694's = still going strong on the wifes Troopy, but these days the vehicle is purely a town car, I would have to check the log book to see when and at how many K's they went on at ~ but its been six or more years now.

These tyres were used on road and off road with only one puncture over their life on the vehicle so far ~ a good tyre but useless in the Pilbara mud.

BF Goodrich Mud Terrain KM'2 = long lasting, very good off road, excellent in the mud but they get very noisy and tear tread blocks off towards the end of useful tyre life @ 47000 Km's. Puncture prone at these K's.

A BFG KM'2 in Newman costs $410 ~ ballanced and fitted.

They may not be the best, they may even not be the cheapest or the quietest ~ but they were available at the time.

Anything COOPER = Not owned one and going by what I have seen with them throughout the Pilbara, I would be very reluctant to do so.

Jay, as I said my tyre experiences account for zip in regards to your choice of tyre brand, but they are real experiences.

Safe travels :
AnswerID: 486206

Follow Up By: jay - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 12:06

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 12:06
Gday Joe
Thank you for your informative reply, greatly appreciated, i like you have been swayed in the past by the 4wd mags to buy " the best" and i suppose that is what has directed me towards what i would call the big 3, but looking at other replies to my question the Toyo's have captured my interest and will be doing a bit of research on them before i part with hard earnt cash.
Would like to think they will be good for at least 60000ks, expensive when like you i have to buy 6 of them!
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Follow Up By: Member - Peter K (QLD) - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 13:00

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 13:00
Well said Joe. best advice based on experiences.
I run the BFG KM2 have been very happy no punctures or damage.
Have run BFG AT's as well had a side wall puncture up the cape but it was not the tyre at fault just the driver.
Running a little out of balance now but they are coming to the end of there useful life, barely legal tread depth. There not Mud tyres anymore.

Safe Travels sunny side up Peter
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Follow Up By: jay - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:25

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 15:25
Hi guys
Thanks for all your thoughts and advice, i have checked out the Toyo's and its looking like they are the No1 choice, as you all say the big 3 throw freebies at the 4wd experts and so they all rave about them because it didnt cost them anything!! But i strongly believe that you guys out there in the real world who have tried and tested these tyres have the real heads up and offer true opinions and i greatly appreciate it :)
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:09

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:09
The only downside of the KM2 is availability ..... we tried to get them for our 200 series and there was a 4 month wait so ended up going with MTZ's.

Have heard good real life reports about the KM2.


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Follow Up By: jay - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:22

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:22
Been looking at other 4wd forums AU & USA and they all rave about the Toyo's over the other big names for strength, wearability, road noise etc.
So going to start ringing around for prices on Monday, hopefully get a bit of discount for 6 x 33's
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Reply By: chomp - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:59

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 16:59
have a look at tires from the states just bought a set of Dick Cepec mud terrain,s you cant buy in Oz . about half the price but even with shipping still works out a fraction cheaper , go to a web site called the tire rack and see what yoyu can get
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Follow Up By: jay - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 17:06

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 17:06
Thanks dude will have a look, the Toyo's are $220 in the US
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 21:57

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 21:57
If the tyres are made in the USA there is no import duty's but if over $1000 you still have to pay GST.

We were going to get 10 Toyo M/T's from the USA at $340 US$ per tyre, freight was about $200 US$ per tyre delivered in 7 - 10 days.

We were about to order and the Aussi $ dropped 10cents with in a few days... so we thought we would wait until it climbed again..... in the mean time we needed tyres for an off road trip and the MTZ's were available locally for about $470 each.

We will be bringing over some Toyo's in the near future, the size is a size not carried by Toyo Australia or NZ.
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Follow Up By: jay - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 00:18

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 00:18
Yeah was surprised how cheap they are in the US, would have to check it out properly, 6 x 33's + taxes and GST, and compare it to prices here
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:43

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:43
Have a look at this site...... they provide an all up quote and they ship to Australia.

The also have a local 1800 phone number.... how cool!

http://www.4wheelparts.com/
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Follow Up By: jay - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 13:13

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 13:13
Thanks for the link, going to check it out, when i find the site again that was offering them at $220 i will post the link so you can check them out.
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Reply By: garrycol - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:50

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:50
If cost of goods alone is over $1000 (landed price) you will have to pay GST on goods and shipping and then there will a couple of hundred for Customs Processing fees. Then take into account fitting costs locally.

If cost of goods (landed price) is under $1000 then no GST is payable on anything and there is no processing fee.

Garry
AnswerID: 486282

Follow Up By: jay - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 13:15

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 13:15
Maybe i will order 4 so they come in at under $1000 and then order 2 more at a later date, bit cheeky but i think we pay enough taxes already
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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 20:56

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 20:56
If the product is not made in the good old USA then you may get slugged import duties but no GST.

The free trade agreement only apply to products manufactured in the USA.

Here is some helpful links we use when importing from the USA......

ww.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/notices/ACN04039.pdf

http://www.customs.gov.au/webdata/resources/notices/ACN0445.pdf

Happy reading..... Check to see if the Toyo tyres your after are made in the USA, some are made in Japan ...... if made in Japan the attract import duties, the USA ones don't.

If you trying to avoid GST on good over $1000 you may get caught out with freight costs ...... to bring 5 tyres over may cost you $1000, to bring 4 tyres over may cost you $900 and to bring 1 tyre by it's self may cost you $350...... so you are better of paying the GST and brining all 5 over at once.
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Reply By: Rick (S.A.) - Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 19:07

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 19:07
Some thing to consider:

When (it's only a matter of time and distance, not 'if' ) you ruin a tyre, does it matter what the brand was & how much you paid???

Yep - it does for me. I'm very reluctant - nay, refusing is a better word - to pay $400 for a tyre that is rooted just as quickly as a $ 280 tyre.

I'm not suggesting one buys a cheapie at $ 180 for highway + off road use, but a practical solution is available without perjuring one's self.

In other words, like Joe, I trust experience & miles, not marketing hype. For the record, I am a life long, professional salesman and am not sledging the tyre retailer here.

Station blokes often buy the $150-180 cheapies and my rhetorical question is even more pertinent for them.

Tyres - an over discussed topic, IMHO, but it is grist to the mill for some of us. I'm happy if I get over 30,000 km out of anything...............I drive GU's.

As for a quick tip on how to make a tyre last - constantly adjust pressure & vehicle speed. Get tyre dogs or a central tyre monitoring & pumping system.

Cheers
AnswerID: 486589

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