Tyre choice of the RTW traveller
 

Hi everyone

just wondering what your opinions are on the best tyre choice for a RTW trip? I recon driving will be mainly road or gravel tracks with a bit of sand and maybe some mud, so really I need a jack of all trades. I'm currently running 7.50 R16 XCL's on the original 5.5 rims, bit too aggressive and soft walled I reckoned, but I don't really want to waste the rims. Talking to the tyre salesmen they recon that on my rims a BFG AT will be what I need, but I thought that the sizes they came in were all too wide for my rims? Also some have suggested a colway AT remould which they recon has the same pattern as a BFG AT, (and they are very cheap, but why!!!!!). However reading the HUBB most LR drivers seem to like the XZY'S, but I thought they were designed for trucks and seem to be like rocking horse poo to find new? WOW I am very confused if anyone could give me a poke in the right direction I would be eternally grateful.

Cheers

Jason

We went for the BFG AT

Size 245/70/16

Standard diameter so no wories with the spedo, 245 as it is not too big but bigenough for the soft stuff.

we found the G90 or the Mich a bit too aggressive for a RTW trip as the majority of the driving was on the road. but the tubless BFG's are more resistant to punctures. also getting 70's are a standard size so if we have to get another make the size will match, rather than a 65/75.

Hi Jason,

let us know what what vehicle are you driving ?

cheers
Grif

Jason,

The answer is simple - because remuoulds are crap. Consider the tried and tested solutions, like Michelin. You can't go wrong with the AT pattern. Your rim size is a liability, but steel rims are cheap as dirt, so why bother with 5.5's?

Sorry about that guys, I'm driving a Defender 110 with a Perkins engine Nestled under the bonnet, so the front is a bit heaver than usual so the springs have been beefed up a bit and it sits higher up than a standard 110, but still runs on the original rims.

I see what you mean about the BFG, I have heard that they are the best and looking at Tom Shepard’s book that’s what he suggests for my kind of travelling, but..... It’s just the price, I need 6 of the bloody things, I did get a quote which made my heart miss a beat which was from silverline which was £800!!!! For 6 BFG AT tyres on steel rims and he chucked in a batch of locking wheel nuts. At the time I thought that was expensive but after looking around it seems that is the going rate. Now, I don't want to sound tight (even if I am from Yorkshire) but that was way more than I wanted to spend, any ideas how I could get the best for less? or I am still intrigued by the ex mod XZY's, mainly because they are cheap, but also because after looking around the forum there seems to have been quite a few people who swear by them. I mean am I really barking up the wrong tree trying to find XZY's? Are they no better than remoulds? While on that subject, what makes remoulds so bad? I know they don't last as long but apparently they are weight rated at something like 9 tons and the nice salesman who wanted me to buy them said.... they are just as good as BFG since they have the same pattern (but I imagine sidewall strength is variable at best).

Wow I didn't think I had so many questions in me, sorry about the masses of text but as you can see I am still confused so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jason

I was very happy with my Goodyear Wrangler MT/R (attention : NOT the AT/R !) 235 / 85 R 16 (which is roughly the same size as a 7.50 16), which fitted perfectly on my Defender 110. Excellent in the mud, fairly good on rocks, decent although a bit noisy on sealed roads, good grip even on wet tarmac, good fast piste runner. Never even had a puncture. They suffered a bit through Northern Kenya - but I've never seen a tyre that didn't suffer in that environment.

Good luck,

Cedric

Hi Jason,
With a Defender id stick with 7.50/16 or 235 85 16 size - maybe not as easy to get hold of in Asia (UAZ/GAZ uses 6.50/16 or 225 75 16) but will keep your gearing about right and give you more ground clearance over a smaller tyre - this size is easier to get everywhere else though IMO.

The XZY is a perfectly good tyre - very tough - when it gets slippy it is not so good though IMO

If you are heading to South America as part of your trip I would go with either Michelin XZLs, BFG Mud Terrains or as Cedric mentions, the Goodyear MT/R a very good tyre also with a good sidewall.........if not then maybe with the BFG All Terrains.

Remoulds are cheap yes, and they have got better - though I have had a remould come apart whilst driving...a good few years ago...this is an area where its not worth skimping on (Im a tight Dorsetman!) - save some money somewhere else - the difference between spending a lot of time with problems and having to replace things or piece of mind...

The BFG Mud/XZL/MT/R are a lot tougher than the BFG A/T , (the Muds my choice) - though a bit noiser and not such good grip on asphalt, when you hit some mud you will be glad you have them, they also last...I got nigh on 100,000 miles out of a set of BFG Muds...that for me is value for money.......

Have a look on ebay - you might find some take offs- just make sure you go and look at the tyres and inspect for damage before buying anything.
To be honest 6 tyres on rims for 800 quid is not bad - tyres are about 100 quid a pop...so yeah bite the bullet........

Tubeless is the way to go with these tyres...though take a few tubes to use if you rip a hole.

Cheers
Grif

I run 265/75/16 BFG MTS - tried the BFG ATs before but wasn't that impressed - didn't seem that great on anything and definitely not good on Mud. Also stuck to standard sizing for a while on the basis that you can get them everywhere but if you are carrying two spares then its unlikely you will be buying more. Find the wider tyre works well with a heavily loaded fairly tall 110. All down to personal choice but BFG MTs got us through the length of Africa really well. (Oh wouldn't put too much store in the set of free locking wheel nuts - an african with a chiesel and hammer will take them off in under a minute for the set, just like they take any other nut off).

Hi Toby
I too find the 265 BFG A/T too wide in mud - we had a set on the Disco when we bought it and ive used them on a mates Defender - you just skate around if its slippy, with hardly any steering - the narrower 235s work a lot better on a Defender or similar.

I now use 245/75 16 BFG A/ts on the Disco in the Summer - perfect for it (correct gearing and 9 inches of ground clearance) and they bite in better so you can steer in the slippy stuff !

Im currently on 265/75 16 Muds on the Defender too - will change to 235s BFG Muds for the next trip - the same height as the 265s - but im in a fairly lightly packed 90 - and I will be putting one on the bonnet so Id rather be able to see !

Cheers
Grif

Another vote for BFG M/T's. If your 110 is tall and heavy, you'll feel the benefit of 265's or 255's (although they have their downsides too).

If you want to save some cash: don't buy 6, buy 5 - it's probably all you'll need!

Stay standard
 

7.50 R16.

Having done a lot of overlanding, including a London-Sydney, the ONLY tyres you find easily are the standard ones.

Your risk otherwise is having to run different tyres across an axle - which is NOT good!

Pick a good quality brand, biased road and off-road (although pure road will do you fine - your RTW will be 98% tarmac!).

Sam.

750/16 Michelin XZL - stronger and better just more expensive.

You can find new sets on Fleabay though for 1/3 to 1/2 the stealer price. BY the time you get to nairobi I'll have a couple of spares available!

go to vass ltd in ampthill near bedford, the have all the military surplus tyres, XCL, XZL, XZY ABC etc!! they are £40-50 for new and nearly new and they may even throw the rims in too!!

Tyre choice
 

On my overland trip - London to Cape Town - we set off with Mich XZY's, excellent tyre, they lasted until Kenya - where we lost two in a very short period both shredded so no way of telling the cause - but they were part worn when we set off - would not hesitate to use them again.

My other tyre of choice would be BFG AT's or MT's - both very good tyres and possibly better then XZY's on wet tarmac which seems to be one of the Mich's weak points.

Chris

Luckily, the poor state of most roads and the fact that you're lugging nearly 3000kg around Africa, severely limits one's speed! Europe and SA are really the only places you can safely achieve potentially dangerous speeds on wet tarmac!