Tyre questions

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

My BFG 265/65 have 40,000+ hard outback km on them and the back ones in particular are very badly chipped and down to 5 mm. -fronts not so bad and at 6.5mm. I intend to replace 2 of them and relegate the crappy ones to the 2 spares. The questions:1] should the 2 newies go on the back or the front for the up-coming Simpson trip? 2] I am considering a switch to Cooper AT3- will this mixing be a problem- all will be 265/65. I have just started looking and can get either for $350 but I will find lower as this is the first price. If it wasn't for the trip there would easily be another 10-15 k in the tyres. thoughts? Neil

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

No ideas out there? New tyres front or back? Mixing brands front to back? Theories?

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

If your going on a simpson trip, then replace all 4 and keep the best ones as spares, as for the brand of tyre, each to their own, personally I would buy either of the two brands, as there are many tyres out there much better and cheaper if you look. Maxxis is just one of the other brands for example.

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

Neil I wouldn't mix tyres either if possible and agree with buying 4 tyres. If you absolutely must only buy two tyres then match the brand currently fitted and put them on the front. My reasons for this are they are your steer tyre and also I believe the Prado is 60/40 front to rear bias under normal driving conditions.

[pete8205 Member Find all posts View Profile Close pete8205]

I don't see why mixing tyres is a problem as long as they are the same size
if your only buying 2 you will not be rotating front to rear i assume

I would put the new ones on the front, braking and steering

my 2cents

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

I don't see why mixing tyres is a problem as long as they are the same size
if your only buying 2 you will not be rotating front to rear i assume

I would put the new ones on the front, braking and steering

my 2cents

I'd say that different brands have huge variation in what a 265/70/17 actually is.

However, considering only 2 are being replaced it's not going to make much difference.

I'd always be inclined to replaced all 4 tyres... maybe rotate them next time so you get more even wear?

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

I'd say that different brands have huge variation in what a 265/70/17 actually is.

However, considering only 2 are being replaced it's not going to make much difference.

I'd always be inclined to replaced all 4 tyres... maybe rotate them next time so you get more even wear?

Agree with Wooley that the tyres should be rotated, every 10,000kms.

I rotate mine front to front one time, side to side the next time, each 10,000, have done so for many years with no problems, and even wear is the result.

Not happy with mixing brands. Not cheap buying 4 new ones either, however, if you are hard on your tyres, and sounds like you are with badly chipped tyres, I would buy 4 new ones, plus flowers and chocolates for the missus. Keep the 2 best tyres for spares.


Yowie.

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

He says he is going to the simpson, so without a shodow of a doubt, you must put 4 new tyres on it, because he also says that the other 2 tyres only have 6.5mm of tread left, for a trip like that, it is not worth the risk having so so tyres on out there.

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

Chuck the new ones on the rear, you always steer the fronts where you want them to go with the rears following so more rubber at the back is better choice. My BFGs have about 65K and lots of chips but still plenty of life left in them yet. They don't mind running at lower pressures on the sandy gravelly outback tracks.

[404pug Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 404pug]

Just had a look in the handbook..... it says preferably replace all 4 BUT you can replace 2 only PROVIDED they are on the same axle and are the same brand and tread pattern. So it looks like 2 BFG and I am inclined to put them on the back because that is where the load is on a trip like this and where most punctures occur.I am well aware of the road conditions on either side of the Simpson having been there in July 2011 and 2010. The Flinders and OodndattaTrack are the real cause of the chipping. The CSR in 2010 didn't leave a mark on them.I am a big believer in the "under 30[psi] and under 80[kph] theory on these roads to minimise damage. Most of the Simpson itself I suspect will be ok on the tyres but the roads either side are the tyre killers. At the moment my 2 spares are 2 low km Grand Treks so at least this time I will have I will have 6 BFG all the same size. Outback roads, speed and load all conspire to shorten tyre life- on the tar these tyres would do 80,000 km. Thanks for your ideas. Neil