Grandtreks for Outback touring?

[foxpro Member Find all posts View Profile Close foxpro]

Has anyone left their standard Grandtreks on for longish Outback trips?
I am planning a trip Sydney/Mungo/Flinders Ranges/Lake Eyre/Oodnadatta/Palm Valley/Litchfield/Arnhem Land/Savannah Way/Cape Tribulation/Fraser/Sydney staring in June. Current tyres are still standard with about 10'kms on them. We are after touring and not serious offroading.
I'm a 4wd noob with only two weekends of experience on club trips on which the Grandtreks have held up ok on steep hills and rocky tracks. Not worse than BFG or Cooper everyone else was on. That was in dry conditions, though, and I'm not confident the tyres would have done it in wet conditions. On the other hand one trip leader told me that he took his Grandtreks through the Kimberley w/o issues.
So, leave the Grandtreks on for the trip or change to proper AT tyres beforehand?

[Toy4x4 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toy4x4]

I have recently just changed over my grandtreks, to be honest the tyres got me to all places i needed to go they are OK for what they are. having said that i did get gouging in the side walls and some other issues with them whilst out on the tracks.

up and until a week ago i thought of just getting another set of grandtreks again, why not they are cheap and do the job.... i have been researching AT tyres for a long time and looked at the MT's, Coopers, BFG's, Bridgestones, Dick Cepeck plus several other brands until i ultimately decided on the Good Year Wrangler Duratrac's.

Once fitted i didnt waste anytime testing them out and all i can say is OMFG!!!! what a difference.

I'm not going to go on about which tyre is better each to there own at the end of the day what i will say is:

1) until you have driven on a proper AT tyre you don't appreciate how poorly the Grandreks perform
2) doing the type of trip you intend on doing i'd prefer to have a decent set of tyres under me
3) regardless of the tyre you ultimately decide on using for your trip remember to air down and inflate when appropriate it really does help with looking after your tyres

cheers

[Guest Close Guest]

Had a rental recently (200 series) with Grandtreks... Didn't take it anywhere I classed as seriously offroad.. 4 tires later..

I wouldn't ever use them for an outback trip..

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

I've been fortunate enough to drive vehicle with both proper ATs & MTs at work and on two of my former 4wds and I have recently changed over to BFG's due to the fact I didn't really have a lot of confidence in the Grandtreks,admittedly I have travelled a few dirt tracks and driven up a couple of creeks without to much of problem but never really got to adventurous with them fitted.
A few weeks ago I did a Uturn on the Nanutarra/ Munjina Rd which is a relatively well maintained public (dirt)road when I did one of my grandetreks,they are okay for light work but I wouldn't get too adventurous with them fitted.

[foxpro Member Find all posts View Profile Close foxpro]

Ok, no dice for Grandtreks it seems. Now, anything between Coopers LT @ $285 or BFG LT @ $300 each? They will do much more onroad than offroad in their lifetime.

[foxpro Member Find all posts View Profile Close foxpro]

Pulled the trigger at the BFG LT AT KOs now. Didn't want to muck around too long. Got a few prices from known large volume dealers, took the call sheet to my local dealer and he matched it. All done tomorrow. Thanks everybody.

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

I did around 50,000k on the Grandtreks on my first Prado including a lot of outback tracks, including a few of the places you mentioned. I only got one flat tyre in all that time and that was in the Flinders Ranges and was the week before the car was booked in for new tyres, so they were basically knackered by that stage.

I remember driving up the Oodnadatta tracks and stopping to check on a number of people with blowouts that were running much "better" tyres than my Grandtreks, yet I had no issues.

Sure an AT tyre is going to give you a greater degree performance and should be less likely to suffer a failure, but honestly I reckon the pressure you run in your tyres is way more important than what type of tyre you have.

If money is no issue then go some AT's, if your not keen on spending the $$ then I would be tempted to stick with the Grandtreks, keep your pressures low off road and take it steady and chances are you will be fine.

Cheers Andrew

[foxpro Member Find all posts View Profile Close foxpro]

If money is no issue then go some AT's, if your not keen on spending the $$ then I would be tempted to stick with the Grandtreks, keep your pressures low off road and take it steady and chances are you will be fine.

Money is very much an issue. That's why I'm in a stock Prado GX (apart from a 2" lift) and not a LC200 with all the bling. But with the tyres I'm in two minds. I have taken my previous 2wd on road tyres over fire trails where it shouldn't have gone. Even at full tyre pressure there was no flat ever. But that was close to civilization and I could have walked out for help.

Plan now is to sell the unused spare for some dosh and take two used Grandtreks as spares.

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

I did a 2 week trip on Grandtreks with approx 40,000km on them. Went from Sydney out to White Cliffs, Tibooburra, Cameron Corner, Innaminka, down the Strzelecki to Lyndhurst them home. No issues whatsoever. I am sure luck played a part but we were playing with Tyre pressures to maximise our luck. Pre trip money was an issue so no replacing tyres was an option. Have done similar trips since but towing a CT and I wouldn't use Grandtreks. Rear tyres copped a hiding.

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

I have for a very long time been of the opinion that tyre pressures are far more important than tyre type or brand, that opinion has been backed up by plenty of conversations with outback tyre repairers.

I remember a conversation with the later Adam Plate from the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta, he reckoned if everyone ran their tyres at 26psi he would hardly ever get a flat tyre come into his workshop.

Cheers Andrew

[Early Member Find all posts View Profile Close Early]

as long as you stay wary of the low quality/cheap brands, The right tyre pressures and driving techniques for the terrain make a big difference.
Keep in mind, it's the contact patch (thus rubber quality) that keeps you driving a straight line or sliding around.
Dunlop is a good brand, but from experience, not for me.

[oceanracer Moderated member Find all posts View Profile Close oceanracer]

Ive still got my originals in the garage with only 10k on them, any idea if there any good to use or should I get rid of them, there stored in a cool dry place thanks

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

My next tyre change will be going back to the grand treks.

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

What do you guys think of the Falken Wildpeak ATs?? Has anyone used them? I got a mate who swears by them but i wanted to get a few more reviews.. i wouldnt say they are a cheap tyre seeing as ive got quotes for $250 plus at various shops.. im in the market for a new set now.. i had Maxxis Bravo AT700 and they are noisy they slide on dirt and mud theyve got no guts goin up a hill to be frank they were the biggest waste of $900 i ever had! PERIOD!!!

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

Ive still got my originals in the garage with only 10k on them, any idea if there any good to use or should I get rid of them, there stored in a cool dry place thanks

They will be fine. Many truckies I know store new tyres under the house for several months prior to using them.