Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

[lc120_man Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close lc120_man]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Thanks for the feedback Rob. Will be fitting them the right way once I get back from GTG.

Stan

[RobA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobA]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Thanks for the feedback Rob. Will be fitting them the right way once I get back from GTG.

Stan

Not a problem and I am sure you will enjoy then. We use Bridgestone D694 LT on alloys and the MTRs will shortly be fitted to 120 steel rims to match those fitted to the XTrak. On bitumen, as I have previously posted, the tyres are noisy when compared to the 694s but I am getting used to it. Also as per previous posts you need to slow down on bitumen as with all such tyres you have less rubber on the road. But given these tyres are based around 90% off bitumen then we live with the compromise

Regards

RobA

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

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Rob - Given your experience in touring and 4x4ing i'd be interested in what new rubber you would recommend for the prado (120)? The grandtreks are finally worn down and I can't wait to be rid of them. But, I am to-and-froing regarding which tyres to go with given how long I'll be stuck with them.

I am basically after an A/T tyre. I am willing to sacrifice noise levels and some braking performance for the sake of good grip. We do a good mix of sand work and touring (i.e., flinders tracks etc). However, we also do a bit of this in winter and this year I found that tyres like the Grandtreks turn into 'slicks' as soon as you hit mud. They don't self clean and are completely useless, to the point that I avoid mud because of these tyres. You simply lose all sense of control (as you no doubt know!).

Some recommend the 694s as an AT, but given the tread pattern, I really don't see these being much better than the Grandtreks at 'self cleaning', so in the mud I am basically in the same boat as with the dunlops. Have you found this with your 694s? I also like BFG ATs but again, they seem like they would clog up fairly easily!

I have considered going with something like Bighorns (more aggressive pattern than ATs, kind of like the MTR kevlars). Aside from the reduction in performance on bitumen, and probably somewhat shorter life span than ATs (although I hear some people run them at about 30psi on bitumen which significantly reduces wear), are they worse off for the other things I want to do? I.e., sand and outback tracks? You seem to indicate that aggressive tyres perform quite well in these conditions (well, the Goodyears anyway, although Bighorns are also getting very good reviews).

I'd be interested in your thoughts on what, in your years of experience, constitutes the best A/T tyre from needs like mine? Too many ATs are road focussed these days and sacrifice offroad performance.

Hopefully you can give some tips....

Cheers
Ian.

[RobA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobA]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Ian hello and my apologies for the delay in replying but we are pretty mobile so checking websites is a bit hit and miss.

You are asking the question that is impossible to answer, simply too mary variables and the reason we run two sets of tyres and rims.

In a generic sense all AT are the same. By this I mean they are all load rated in a similiar way and also by virtue of their specific requirements, striking a compromise between grip, reliability and NVH whilst somewhat different in design they are all limited by those requirements. You cannot have an aggressive tyre with low NVH and excellent wet and dry weather handling, simple as that. Yet the marketing departments of all the brands work very hard to have you beliive theirs are the best. All are a compromise but that is the same for all tyres no matter what the brand or specification.

So what to aspire to? What a challenging question! If you car is a daily drive then the choices are many but in our experience two stand outs exist; Bridgestone D694 (in LT or AT) and the Goodyear Silent Armour (in LT or AT). We operate both and really cannot pick much difference between them, if anything the Bridgestone is quieter, apart from that all round grip and performance are pretty much on par.

We have operated both tyres across Australia including the Kimberley, Simpson Desert, Flinders Ranges, Limestone Coast and Eyre Peninsula with excelent results. We have been running the Silent Armours on one of the tour vehicles (120 Prado) and they now have over 35,000km off bitumen and are just over half worn with excellent results. Our last tour to the Eyre Peninsula was tough on tyres with plenty of mud, rocks, sand and the full works of outback touring all with no punctures, no chipping and no problems. Equally we had a client on D694 and whilst they had a few "lack of grip" moments in the mud I really cannot point to the tyres being the cause.

So as I said at the outset, your question is impossible to answer in black and white but I hope I have provided some food for thought.

If you get a chance catch-up with me on the Toyota stand at the forthcoming 4WD and Adventure Show at Wayville. We will be easy to spot. Just look for the 120 Prado with an ultimate XTrak attached

Regards

RobA

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

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Thanks Rob - I understand your timing mate. You have a lucky job ;-)

I have been quoted an unbeatable price on 694s in LT. So I'm going to go with them. I think I will keep my eye out for set of GX rims to put some aggressive tread on for mud fun.

I will pop by the stand. Should be a good show!
Ian

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

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

After using Brads LC 105 in Cape York with them I am sold on the Wramgler MT/R.

After we flooded the Jeep we had to tow it out of the Pascoe River. A Hi Lux was having a problem going up it and I had to do it towing a dead Jeep. The Wranglers made easy work of the terrain and pulled her up the rocky terrain.

Once I made it back up here I put a set of 285-70/17's on the FJ.

Thanks for making one he'll of a tyre.

-Ben

[RobA Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RobA]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

Ian if you are interested in getting a set (6?) steels PM me as we are about to purchase a set as well so I am confident we can do a decent price. Regardless of the quality of the after-market rims we use the Toyota one's as they are truly bullet-proof and when and if they do bend then a decent whack with our pursuader has always fixed the problem, or at least so far.

We run the 120 steels on the XTrak for those reasons alone

Regards

RobA

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

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

I was looking at BFG MT or Goodyear wranglers MTR and have decided on the Goodyear tires. The size is 275/70/17. There shouldn't be any problems with this size even with a 50mm - 60mm lift I have planned later?

What prices are people paying for this size.

what km's are people getting seeing my driving will be 80% on-road 20% off?

[4wd26 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 4wd26]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

well my MTR's are due for a rotation again- 40,000kms old.
I'm going to have the inside out on the front 2 due to continued wear of the edge blocks.

Outside blocks would be 3/4 worn the middle and inside are at 1/2.

I have a 15,000km trip to Perth and back from Brisbane through the centre towing a 2 tonne van in December so will give this a go for a couple of months to see how it feels.

Not too keen on keeping the front as it is now with such a trip on the cards- there really is a large void between the outside blocks

will let you know next week what it then feels like on road (BTW - my vehicle is not a Prado) so my results may not be typical.

Still very happy with performance both on and off road- and at present there is not another tyre on the market I would swap to.

Cheers

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

I'm not sure if reversing the tyre will help unless there is a wheel alignment problem with your Triton. The reason is because the center tread block is not centred and the outer tread blocks are spaced so far apart. So there is uneven weight distribution on the outer tread blocks causing extra wear. It probably doesn't help the tyre either when going around the round about or corners when the weight shifts to the outer tread blocks.

[Dakkas Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dakkas]

Re: Goodyear MTR with Kevlar

I have been quoted an unbeatable price on 694s in LT. So I'm going to go with them.

Hi mate, what price have you been quoted on the D694 LT??