Nevada Backroaders
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Tires
http://nevadabackroaders.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2678		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  joelem [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 3:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Tires
Well I've spent the last week working on my XJ. I did the brakes,water pump, thermostat, hoses, serp belt, plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil and am running new oil with a qt of trns fluid to clean for a week! :shock: Since this is my first 4X4, I was wondering about my tires. The tires that came on it are what appear to be street tires and are pretty much brand new. They are made by Hankook and have a lot of tread. I have almost exhausted my budget for this thing and was wondering if these tires would be good enough for general trail riding? I have no desire to climb rocks or other giant obstacles. I'm thinking that these will be fine but I value the knowledge of this group so if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. I did find a set of Toyo open country AT for $108 a tire at 4 Wheel parts which I may be able to swing. I want to be able to go on a run soon but if these tires will not do I may have to wait longer. :roll:
thanks!
Joe
Author:  JJ [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
just my 2 cents, but street tires won't last long even with general trail riding.

the Backroaders do easier scenic trails, but it's the Mojave, there are little rocks and stuff everywhere, as well as really loose sand and gravelly type stuff, etc.

Packsaddle Loop destroyed my stock street tires, and on Wheeler Pass they couldn't cut it, either.

I'd eventually go for an all-terrain when your budget allows which will give you better grip on the loose stuff, which can happen from time to time, as well as having a thicker sidewall.
Author:  unclebob [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
Not to hijack joelem's thread but what are the thoughts on Pro Comp ATs?
They are usually around $130 a piece but the two ply side wall makes me a bit leery however the tread warranty looks enticing.
Author:  joelem [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
Well once again thanks for the input. It dosen't matter anymore now because the radiator has decided that after all the work I put into the vehicle it is now going to spring a leak! Of course it couldn't leak prior to me having all the hoses, thermo housing, water pump, pulleys, and belt off. And of course I guess the brown rusty water that came out of the cooling system was just what it liked! Heaven forbid I flush it out and put fresh coolant and water in it! :x So now I have to buy a new radiator which for now brings my progress to a complete halt! Well thanks again!
Author:  brad/duuuude [ Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
bummer dude. you replaced everything else and the old radiator became the weak link and didn't last long. old vehicles, fix one thing and then fix 6 more things because of it.

joelem, run the tires you have until they expire, which won't be long if you trail them once a month or more, then get some a/t's. toyos are ok but there are better a/t tires out there.

unclebob, the procomps a/t's are a bfg clone to a point, the bfg's have 3 ply side walls and survive rock-rash a lot better. phil up in ruth has run procomp a/t's and got quite a few years of use out of them. the procomp warrenty is good but if you have a tire issue and there isn't a 4 wheel parts store around it's not much help. phil found this out after he bought his then moved 250 miles from the closest store. lots of guys in vegas running around on procomps so if that's what you want then grab them. 4 wheel parts has a buy 3 get one free tire sale a couple times a year so keep an eye open.

any a/t tire by any maker will be better on the trial then street tires. going from a street tire to an a/t makes a heck of a difference in any rig.

of course, this is just my opinion and along with $5 will get you a cup of coffee. i'm sure others will chime in with their ideas soon.
Author:  GaryB [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
Discount Tire will match the price of any tire they can get that 4 Wheel Parts sells. Of course 4 Wheel Parts will price match ads in off road magazines too, though I have been told Discount will too. So it's a toss up, but I agree the deal breaker is the warranty as far as getting repairs/new tires. Getting into 4WP and getting a flat fixed quick is a hassle and I hear them having the tire on hand if it needs a replacement is a big issue. You can always go to Discount or other places for a repair, but if the tire needs replacement, you're SOL.

I also 3rd the dedicated A/T's. The tires on my F-150 are stock, wanna be BFG A/T's for the street and they are seriously chewed up after a year of occasional use. Once they start dying, they be swapped out for a better quality offroad A/T. I'm not bashing BFG either, as I have and have had many sets and love them, just these wussy light truck A/T's are a joke.
Author:  Justin [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:31 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
The BFG at is my top choice unless you want to go harder then a mt is best. I crawled on the rocks quite a bit with ats and gave them lots of rock rash without problems, they were ugly and bald when we switched to mt. Our next club run is Titus Canyon, street tires should be fine but the radiator is kinda required in Death Valley :wink: We've seen a buick drive through Leadfield Ghost town on that trail while we were having lunch, they were wide eyed :shock: but made it through.
Author:  David A. Wright [ Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
I have used four sets of B.F. Goodrich All Terrain T/A tires and have never had a flat. Slow leaks, yes (10psi per day). But not a flat tire. I had these on two trucks, a 1996 Chevrolet S-10 4WD pickup and my current 2002 Toyota Tacoma TRD 4WD pickup.

Any premium LT rated all terrain or mud terrain tire is mandatory in my opinion. And look for 3-ply sidewalls. Not all so-called off road tires have that feature. It will make the difference between swapping out your spare tire in the field or driving home after a wonderful day on the trail.

All Terrain tread should be more than adaquate in southern Nevada, as the soils are granitic and don't hold moisture (i.e. mud) like the gumbo we get in northern Nevada. Before I moved to Winnemucca, I did most of my wheeling in Death Valley and the eastern Sierra Nevada and west central Nevada where I lived for over three decades. In the northern Nevada gumbo mud, mud terrain tires will be my next purchase, but you can't beat an all terrain tread for general use (the tread blocks on all terrain tread are not far enough apart to allow mud to be flung off at low speeds, thus they pack up and turn to slicks).

All terrain tread is relatively quiet on the street, great in snow, and for 95% of the off roading you will encounter. Not sure of the deep, loose sand, but I've wheeled in soft soils and sandy stretches without issue. That's why I lower my air pressure to around 15psi. And lowering your air pressure makes those sidewalls more vulnerable to attack, thus the necessity for 3-ply sidewalls. Lowering your air pressure also protects your tires to sharp rocks, because they then mold themselves over the rock instead of put a hard face to it; thus protecting the tire by not allowing the sharp rock spearing it through. Lower pressures mean a better ride over washboards. And it's a traction aid. BFG's generally chunk their blocky tread if you run them off road at street pressures, but seldom do at low pressure.

My BFG's take a beating and always bring me home (there ... I just jinxed myself ... :shock: ). I don't even bother to air up when I hit pavement ... I just blast away at 65-70mph for miles on end and air up with my shop air compressor instead of sitting on the roadside for 45 minutes waiting for my 12v compressor to put 20 psi in each tire. The tires don't warm up appreciably even in summer. I just take the curves a bit slower due to the fact that the tires are more flexy.

I learned my lesson on tires with my '96 Chevrolet S-10, which came from the factory shod with Goodyear Wrangler RTS tires. I think RTS stood for "Really Thin Spare." I had 10 flats and one destroyed tire before I put on the BFG's. Most of the flats were rock punctures caused by gravel from maintained dirt roads stuck in the tread working their way through the carcass. The destroyed tire was caused by a 1" square stone that sliced open the inside sidewall like a Ginsu knife.

My Tacoma has 16" rims, I run stock size LT265/70R16 or 31" and change BFG's. They have the 3-ply sidewalls, 8-ply tread. They're not cheap, my last set was purchased in the spring of 2007 for nearly $925 total. They've got about 35,000 miles on them, or about halfway through their tread life.

So, to make a long story short, I'd purchase a good set of LT rated tires at minimum whenever your funds allow. Because you're going to keep the others in the group waiting and/or working while you swap out your current tires by the trail side. And I hope you brought more than one spare ... :mrgreen:
Author:  DarksideHybrid [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
I bought a set of 4 BF Goodrich KM (1's) mud terrains, in May of 2008, with 4 steel wheels, for $888 out the door at Discount Tire. The last time I aired them down one of the side walls split, this should not have happened with such a popular off road tire. Discount said they would replace it with a KM 2, but I would have to pay $300 for the second tire on that axle, :evil: that included a new wheel so that I could keep my third KM 1 as a full sized spare, but considering that I only had to buy two tires because BFG discontinued my tires, I felt like I should get a discount on the second tire, but Discount told me they couldn't do any better, so I called BF Goodrich directly and they said they could "work something out for me" and to go back to a BFG dealer, when Discount called me back they told me they were going to warranty one tire, and BFG was going to replace the other 3, I'm still on the hook for the fifth tire and wheel, but at only $237, compared to my two year old price of $222/tire+wheel, thats pretty good. I was hoping to get 30-50% off the second tire, so I'm quite satisfied with a buy one get four free deal, and all I had to do was make a phone call. :D
Author:  desertrat71 [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
thats becuz you didnt back down. that was cool of BFG.
Author:  DarksideHybrid [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
I thought so too, I thought a discount was in order, but they offered me way above and beyond my expectations, and by the way, aside from road or trail
physical damage BFG warranties their tires for six years, or the useable life of the tread, which ever comes first, so if anyone has an unexpected defect be assured they will stand behind their product, regardless of where you purchase it. :wink:
Author:  David A. Wright [ Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Tires
Any company that backs up their product gets my business. Good going on sticking to your guns and letting BFG show themselves to be good people to do business with! 8)
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