New tyres - advice and opinion on choices

[gogo543 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gogo543]

Hi guys,

I am hunting for 4x new shoes for my 2006 prado (265/65/17).
I read the post of cooper and BFG but can't really make up my mind.
Firstly I was going to go for cooper discoverer CTS because the ads said it can do 80k and the usage kinda suit what I am after 90% road and 10% dirt (i am still a softroader)
But after reading other post there seems more cons on the cooper.
Is BFG all-terrain similar to discoverer CTS?
I haven't done any modification to the car yet.
My most concern is will these tyres increase the overall height as I have a very tiny garage my prado with factory tyres just fit in there.
I have to remove my crossbars before I drive into the garage

What's the petrol consumption after change to these tyres? Is there any difference?
Let me know if there is any other better options.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Is BFG all-terrain similar to discoverer CTS?

NO... chalk and cheese...BFG is an all terrain pattern and available in Light Truck construction. The Cooper CTS is a road tyre (HT) and, as far as I know, not available in light truck construction.

My most concern is will these tyres increase the overall height as I have a very tiny garage my prado with factory tyres just fit in there.

No height increase if you get the standard Prado 65 series size (Which both the Cooper and BFG come in)

What's the petrol consumption after change to these tyres? Is there any difference?

With the Coopers most likely none, with the BFG you may get a slight increase in consumption due to the more aggressive treat pattern.


If you do any sort of off roading/touring then the BFG in LT construction is a far better choice. The Coopers are a car tyre.


Mick

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

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Gogo,

Where are you and what will you be driving on? I too am looking at new tyres though later this year. I have had the Cooper ATRs from new and they have been fine so far (40+k) and I will get about 70k out of them I guess. I have no complaints but I will probably go with the BFG A/Ts unless there are bad comments about them on the BFG post. The Coopers haven't done anything wrong but I have only done beach work and some dirt trails and nothing too hard but they do not inspire confidence when the ground gets muddy and a bit slippery. I have had BFGs on a number of 4wds before the 120 and if the 65 profile had been available early last year when I bought the car I would have fitted BFGs. I suspect that the Cooper CTS is little better if any than the Grandtreks. And I put the original factory tyres on my trailer and they have been great there, just wouldn't use them on the Prado is all. If you are really worried about the height and are interested in the diameter of the Cooper ATRs I can give you a comparison between a new 265/65 17 Grandtrek and an ATR of the same designation.

Michael

[gogo543 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gogo543]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

I am base in Sydney.

CTS sounds more economy as most of time prado is a family car (drive kids to school + drive around in city) but if it is only little better than Grandtreks then there is no much upgrade compare to the factory ones. :roll:
If I go for either cooper ATR or BFG AT then I am more confident they will work perfect for the tracks I hope I have time to travel to :P :P
So hard to decided :roll: :roll:

If you are really worried about the height and are interested in the diameter of the Cooper ATRs I can give you a comparison between a new 265/65 17 Grandtrek and an ATR of the same designation

Michael, it will be very helpful if you can measure one of you ATR tyre then I can compare it with my current Grandtrek (I think there shouldn't be much difference between cooper ATR and BFG AT in terms of dimension)

The difference between light truck and passenger construction is the number of ply, am I right?

Louis

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

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

The difference between light truck and passenger construction is the number of ply, am I right?

Pretty much that is the case but the ATRs (and probably any 65 profile tyre) are passenger construction. I would much prefer to go 70 profile and LT but that is currently illegal in Qld. Plenty of posts on this subject and getting engineering certs in here.

I will measure up the two tyres (on rims) over the weekend and post the results here.

Michael

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

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

The difference between light truck and passenger construction is the number of ply, am I right?

Pretty much that is the case but the ATRs (and probably any 65 profile tyre) are passenger construction. I would much prefer to go 70 profile and LT but that is currently illegal in Qld. Plenty of posts on this subject and getting engineering certs in here.

I will measure up the two tyres (on rims) over the weekend and post the results here.

Michael

The BFG's 265/65/17 are LT contruction and Bridgestone Also now 694 265/65/17 LT contruction

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Gogo, with the driving you do you would want to not go any better than an all terrain passenger construction 65 series, unless you are doing serious offroad then don't buy LT tyres, more plys yes, also heavier, use more fuel etc etc. a 70 series profile will also increase fuel consumption also.

Their are some great AT brands, bridgie's, Yokohama go12, cooper ATR?? or even the HT, pirelli atr all good brands and should double the milage/ handling of the grandtreks. The BFG is an all trrain but more suited for more serious off road and the technology and tread pattern are years old and out dated.

[rhs58 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close rhs58]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

I run Bridgestone D694 265/65/17's - passenger rated.
Last year travelled over Cordillo Downs Road (worst "road" I have ever travelled on), Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks (dirt highways), and back across the Simpson Desert.
Tyres performed well off road and I was able to match it with BFG AT shod Cruiser, and Cooper STT shod Discovery. (Only vehicle to need recovering was the Disco).
When the current D694's need replacing, I will happily replace them with D694 LT265/65/17.
Good on road, and go everywhere I want to go off road.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

I run Bridgestone D694 265/65/17's - passenger rated.
Last year travelled over Cordillo Downs Road (worst "road" I have ever travelled on), Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks (dirt highways), and back across the Simpson Desert.
Tyres performed well off road and I was able to match it with BFG AT shod Cruiser, and Cooper STT shod Discovery. (Only vehicle to need recovering was the Disco).
When the current D694's need replacing, I will happily replace them with D694 LT265/65/17.
Good on road, and go everywhere I want to go off road.

Same here. :wink:

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

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Louis according to the Cooper site the ATR is 776mm in diameter unladen. That is pretty close to what I measure mine to be allowing for the tread already used up. My spare new Grandtreks measure 770mm so there is a few mm difference but it would not be much once weight is on the tyres.

I reckon I will try to go for a 275/65 17 in LT next time round. As big an increase in diameter as we are allowed which gives a slightly longer footprint in the sand, the extra width is of no consequence. D694 or BFG A/T or ...

Michael

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

I too have taken a good look @ the CTS and reckon I will throw these on to replace my D694's. I have not heard much about them yet either and am searching the net for opinions also.

What are you looking at Matt?

[Hutch Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Hutch]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Good option if you have that second set for offroading. For the rest of us that can't hide a second set from the the other half, we will just have to stick with the good old AT's.

[gogo543 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gogo543]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Thanks Michael, I will have to check if my garage can take that extra 0.6 ~ 0.7 cm.

Thanks for the help everyone, now my options are cooper CTS or cooper ATR passenger.
I will get a quote today and hopefully I can get it done before June then I am ready to go for ski trip (i have done nearly 40k on my Grandtreks that's why i am not confident to take these shoes to ski again this year). :mrgreen:

Louis

[gogo543 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close gogo543]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

I have not heard much about them yet either and am searching the net for opinions also.

If you have more information please let me know. :mrgreen:

Louis

[Bidla Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bidla]

Re: Hunting for new shoes.

Just to throw a spanner into the works I too am looking at new tyres and was advised by the Cooper dealer in Capalaba (Hammonds if I remember correctly) NOT to go with the Cooper CTS because in their opinion they are strictly only a road tyre and will not cut it off the tarmac. Pradogang is running the ATR's on his GXL and is giving me good reports. I was tossing up between the ATR's and the Bridgestone D694's (passenger construction) and have decided on the latter (booked in this Saturday). Cleveland Bridgestone dealer will do them for $279 fitted & balanced.
Pradogang and I are off to Birdsville in the July school holidays so it will be interesting to see how both tyres go (especially up big red hey Jim???)