Where can a standard 2012 Prado D4D take you?

[Bobcrusader Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bobcrusader]

No doubt the Dunlops are good on sand - so are racing slicks. I slashed the sidewall on the stock Dunlops once too often, and this is where the Light Truck construction makes a big difference - sidewall strength. For traction on every other off-road surface, an AT tread pattern makes a big difference. There are varying levels of aggressiveness (and thus noise and vibration) in AT tires, from Cooper AT/3 to BFG K02 to Cooper ST MAXX (order subject to off-topic forum debate...). You can get a little extra height by moving to a taller tire, in lieu of a full lift kit.

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

I see a few people recommending tyres as being the first thing to replace off the stock vehicle. I've been pretty happy with the performance of the stock Dunlop AT tyres so I'm interested to understand exactly what the benefits are of going for something more aggressive.

They seem pretty good in soft sand. I'm a bit skeptical that different tyres would make a huge difference in sand. I have noticed when driving through sticky mud that they get a coating of mud and effectively become slicks. Perhaps something with a more aggressive tread would be better in that situation? Is tyre damage on rocky tracks the prime reason for choosing more rugged tyres?

Also, I'm a bit worried about increased road noise and vibration on tarmac. Is this an issue with aggressive off-road tyres such as BFG KO2s?

Just did a trip out west in stock Dunlops on my 2016 2.8 GD prado...and not only got a puncture, but destroyed the tyre (despite stopping quickly and gently as soon as the tyre blew)...side wall staked.... and the damaged tyre tried to remove the mud flap as it went around a couple of revolutions in its shredded state...and there was no way the wheel & blown tyre would go back onto the rear door mount... as they tyre was such a mess...so I had to life the wheel onto the roof platform...argh!!...so yes indeed, AT LT tyres are definitely they way to go as far as I'm concerned, I was just being a 'cheap skate' and was running up some km on the stock tyres before I changed them over, and I wasn't travelling too remotely so I knew if I did two tyres I could still get help easily...but AT LT tyres will be going on soon.

[Brett1979 Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Brett1979]

I go off-roading a lot so use mud-terrain LT construction tyres. I'll never go back to an AT or road tyre again. They're the ultimate for off-road traction and they look the part too. My Bighorns had traction on tap in wet conditions at Glass House the few times we've been there and the other people I was with had all-terrains and road tyres and they handled like crap.

I've also been out with about dozen PP members in the wet off-roading. I was the only one with MT tyres. All the others were running AT and road tyres. The AT's and road tyres were like slicks down a muddy slippery track. They all dead set slid down this track like bob sleds one after the other with no steering and the back end was loose as when approaching a levelled hump halfway down. It was scary to watch and I wasn't even in their cars. I was a bit nervous when it was my turn to go down. When I descended I had 80% steering control and the car tracked straight and true because the rear end didn't get loose at all. I like the feeling of safety and control when 4wding in wet/damp conditions so I will only ever use mud terrain tyres.

My car rarely gets stuck in sand too. I've got power on tap with muddies in sand. I'm usually the one towing my mates cars out of sand bogs, but I love doing recoveries and find it fun. My trip to Fraser 2 weeks ago saw me tow out both my mates cars 6 times at Indian Head and N'Gala Rocks. I didn't get stuck once touch wood.

I've done extensive 4wding with all 3 types of tyres. I started with road tyres, then AT's and then moved onto MT's which were on a whole different playing field.
My personal take on people who believe muddies are ordinary for sand is that they have never driven on muddies themselves in sand before, were towing which is problematic in soft sand period, have manual diesels with short gear ratios, had the tyres at too high pressures, kept selecting the wrong gears in soft sand or just cant drive on sand very well. Drive the car properly and you won't have any problems.

It does take a few years and a few trips to develop a proper instinct for soft sand driving to the point where you'll do a combination of things right almost all of the time. What you do after initially losing momentum and stopping is important too.

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

I have a bunch of mates up north who drive a variety of Prados and 200s. Most of them do more 4WD work in a week than I do in a year and they go to some pretty out of the way places. I've noticed that all of the vehicles are pretty bog standard bar the addition of decent tyres, dual batteries and the odd bull bar. I'm usually the one who gets stuck, my lesson from this is that a standard vehicle will get you a long way, definitely past my capability and getting off-road experience is the best upgrade.

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

I happily did Cape York in a 2 day old stock 2008 120 GXL. The only mods (which I was pleased to have) were a snorkel from new and a set of Cooper ST tyres purchased in Cairns. It amazed me what it could do.