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Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 11:20
by marakasmalan
I'm slightly surprised to find this discussion here! With our vehicles and their ability, why do we play around wit A/T tyres anyway?

My M/T's serves me well in all conditions, but severely outperforms A/T where it counts and where I use the vehicle for the reason I've bought it.

I previously had Coopers (the MT version, SST or STT) and I was not impressed, none of them lasted the lifetime, all were written off way before they reached 40% thread remaining. something many other people also have a problem with, though I am not sure if this can be considered subjective in any way. Then I put on Bridgestone M/T's, in spite of reading not so positive comment on this forum. Recently though I couldn't afford anything, not even tyres for the venter trailer :)

These tyre talk and comparisons are great, but I will always end up buying the affordable option, irrespective of what has been written. That said, I may want to think twice about buying coopers again, however their price tag puts them out of my range. If they are on special and a bargain, I guess I'll buy them.

My rear set of Bridgestones were second hand and have done ±60 000km with them. The front ones are new and I have done about 45 000km with them. Much greater abuse than the Coopers have ever seen. The one I did writ off was ironically on a tarr road.

I encounter rocky trails (hennops pride, rust de winter) rocky/sandy trails (the likes of tussen-die-riviere), sandy trails (moz, kosi bay, Atlantis), muddy trails (Eastern cape drakensbergs, building sites) Snow (lesotho, Eastern Cape) and lastly tar road.

In the GQ road noise or tyre noise is not a very big concern. Fuel consumtion, well, gues that do matter but how big is the difference between MT/AT tyres really? And when you get off-road with AT's you burn away the fuel you saved anyway. Wet weather on tar I did not see any problem with the MT's apart from not Aqua planing so easy.

For me, with my application of the vehicle, I do not see any sense in A/T tyres.

Lastly, did you see at Gerotek the guy with the hilux and the A/T tyres getting trough the mud-hole without too much problems?

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 17:19
by Kagiso II
:thumbup: - So marakasmalan if oompie read you right We are in the same 'kraal' on tyres then - DUELLER A/T is more than sufficient for the normal way we use our cars [when I go to Angola I will need M/T's .. maybe]

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 17:44
by Peter Connan
Oom Mac, I thought he said he would only consider mud-terrains, not all-terrains, exactly the opposite from your viewpoint.

Our guide was the first guy to tackle that mud-hole, and despite him being exceptionally experienced and having the lightest vehicle there, he just barely made it on his fifth try. On what looked to me very much like road tires. What I think is crucial to his success though is that everything around the whole was still noce and dry, so his right-hand wheels had better traction than anybody who came after.

Marnus on his muddies made it look quite a lot easier.

Only best of ten with the same vehicle and driver would really tell you how much difference the tires made.

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 20:55
by Kagiso II
he he he .. al gehoor van BEEN trek ? :oldtimer:

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 21:27
by marakasmalan
Peter Connan wrote:
Marnus on his muddies made it look quite a lot easier.
...and Peter with his patience and skill made it look like another day in Kempton! However, Tinus had some problem with his tyres... :biggrin:

Peter, you are right, those tyres of the Hilux was roadies.

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 21:50
by Herrie
I have the Bridgestone M/T on my Safari for 5 years already and on my Patrol 2 years and I am very happy with them :oldtimer:

Previously on my Patrol I had the Bridgestome A/T and I'm more happy with the M/T's

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 06:55
by Peter Connan
Marnus, it's not fair putting me into that comparison, because I only did the obstacle after you guys had been busy with the spade.

That was a tricky obstacle though, and I think I just got the line right, and it has much more to do with luck than skill.

Tinus was the last guy to try it before the major earthworks, and thus as far as I am concerned he caught the obstacle at it's worst.

What was also interesting to note was how quickly the muddies cleared their treads again after the obstacle, while my AT's remained clogged for most of the day...

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 23:25
by dieselfan
When I tested the Patrol out last week in a nasty mud hole, The Disco had the Yoko Muds on the Patrol the stock Mud / AT type tyre. It's about 1km back to the tar road from there and for the next couple km the Patrol was still shooting out mud from the tyres. The Yokos on the Disco were clean only meters after.

I also find the Muds to give me better grip than the AT's I used to have in the rain which I wouldn't have expected, but more so when I hit a large puddle the dispersion is brilliant. I'm trying to convice the rest of my fam to got for muds but they are SO expensive. Last month I was quoted just over R4000 per tyre!

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 06:09
by marakasmalan
Hello Dieselfan,

I think that price is somewhat over the top, What brand were you quoted on? My dueller M/T's were R2300 each.

After Payday I will have a look for a spare tyre, I'll let you know.

Muddies have big blocks with big gaps in between, so the clogged mud are bigger in volume, hence more weight, more inertia and flies off much quicker. Look at Addidas tekkies with the "mud release" treads, some principle. But Muddies have more rolling resistance (fuel consumption :thumbdown: ) more noise.

We all know Tinus just got the short straw there, given some more attempts he would have gotten out there, everybody wished that but we were a bit time restricted. What surprised me was that when I pulled him, it was not possible to pull him out without propulsion from his vehicle!

Lekker dag, enjoy your trolls! I'm at work today, thank goodness the workshop and not the design office...

Re: AT Tyre Test

Posted: 24 Nov 2012 07:02
by Tinus lotz
Guys. Gerrit said the best all terrain tire is amud trrrain and I agree.
To me the balance between grip sidewall. ect is vvery. Important
The test in leasure wheels did not mean mutch. Becouse when u test a bf or cooper that has a weight of 25 kg u need tto deflate it more for the same floatasion conpared to the grabber that weights. 14kg
The trolls we are driving are very heavy and we need tires that can take the punch
I am a frim belewer of 3 ply side walls to help protect againt tire failing