Mud Tyre Life On Gravel Roads

[gxl_d4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxl_d4d]

Hi,

I'm up for a new set of tyres to replace my BFG AT's withing the next 10 000km. I'm looking at going to 265x70 R17 in light truck. Is there any disadvantage of using a mud tyre on gravel outback roads given the large voids in the tread? Are these types of tyres more prone to puncture through the tread?

Khumo KL71, Hankook Dynapro MT or BFG MT's are my two main choices. Wasn't going to consider Maxxis as they don't have an LT constrution in the size I'm after. I've found BFG's not so good in the wet so I'm looking for something slightly softer. They've also chipped and cracked in the tread which makes then a one offroad trip only tyre for me as I don't want to run the risk of a puncture through a rock drilling through an existing crack.

Thanks,

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Muddies are generally a softer compound, so less mileage from a set that AT's. For outback gravel roads the AT is definately the tyre of choice.

The BFG AT is a great outback tyre, mine are due to be replaced soon and I can't convince myself to go with anything else. Not sure why you are worried about more than one offroad trip with them though. My current set have been to the Cape, the high country twice, Across the Simpson the hard way, numerous trips to the Flinders (which is tough on tyres) and heaps of other trips off road. I got a few punctures going across the Simpson (Madigans) but so did everyone as there were no tracks for much of the trip, the AT's handled these conditions much better than the muddies.

Cheers Andrew

[Chriso57 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chriso57]

I ran the Hankook Dynapros on my last 90 series. No problems whatsoever with chipping/punctures on gravel roads and the mileage I got out of them was not drastically different to A/T's I have run before.

For me now I dont think I would go M/T with my new 150. I just cant see myself plowing a 65k car through mud like I did with the 90. The other thing is the noise of the M/T's. All the manufacturers will say their M/T is quieter than the rest but as they wear they definitely get noisier.

HTH Chriso

[Bushbasher Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Bushbasher]

Muddies are generally a softer compound, so less mileage from a set that AT's. For outback gravel roads the AT is definately the tyre of choice.

The BFG AT is a great outback tyre, mine are due to be replaced soon and I can't convince myself to go with anything else. Not sure why you are worried about more than one offroad trip with them though. My current set have been to the Cape, the high country twice, Across the Simpson the hard way, numerous trips to the Flinders (which is tough on tyres) and heaps of other trips off road. I got a few punctures going across the Simpson (Madigans) but so did everyone as there were no tracks for much of the trip, the AT's handled these conditions much better than the muddies.

Cheers Andrew

And you are such a jet when it comes to fixing them, so well practiced.

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

I think most tyres end of life are going to be chipped and cracked if you take your 4wd Off-road. Are you saying the BFG AT's were always bad in the wet or only more recently?? I'm interested to know as they might be my next tyre.

My KL71's have chips and bits missing all over them they are over a year old now, but they happen to see some very rough corrugated roads with large protruding sharp rocks used as fill quite regularly, slow rock crawling and lots of literally driving in the bush. I couldn't say for sure that they provide better or less grip, but I do think the larger tread has helped reduce my chance of punctures.

That said I think MT's or mud tyres are more of a all rounder tyre than anything else they truly do all the jobs of every other tyre, with the sacrifice of slightly more road noise. A mud tyre can be a road tyre during the week but a highway tyre or all terrain can't be a mud tyre on the weekend.

[butane8 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close butane8]

I think most tyres end of life are going to be chipped and cracked if you take your 4wd Off-road. Are you saying the BFG AT's were always bad in the wet or only more recently?? I'm interested to know as they might be my next tyre.

My KL71's have chips and bits missing all over them they are over a year old now, but they happen to see some very rough corrugated roads with large protruding sharp rocks used as fill quite regularly, slow rock crawling and lots of literally driving in the bush. I couldn't say for sure that they provide better or less grip, but I do think the larger tread has helped reduce my chance of punctures.

That said, I think MT's or mud tyres are more of a all rounder tyre than anything else they truly do all the jobs of every other tyre, with the sacrifice of slightly more road noise. A mud tyre can be a road tyre during the week but a highway tyre or all terrain can't be a mud tyre on the weekend.

my atz's are fine , as i use my rig a tow vechile,, excelent in the wet , and out performed the prado on gravel roads,, they are no mud tyre but , mickey T 's are are great tyre , for my needs/fun .. the prado air turbalence make more noise, then the tyre's,

cheers butane

[gxl_d4d Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close gxl_d4d]

Butane8 yes I've found BFG AT's to be a bit slippary in the wet even from new. The chipping was from a 5000km trip on the strzlecki and back. My Grandtreks didn't chip or crack noticably when on similar roads. I've been told this is due to the silica compound on the dunlops being more chip resistance than normal tyre rubber.