Tires for an RRC

[Robert Mac]

Hey just looking for some simple solutions for tires on my 1991 RRC.

I am only a weekend off roader, kinda wimpy compares to some of you die hards. I will be using my rrc for a weekday work truck traveling this fine province and mud on the weekends.

any ideas on an efficient tire that can still handle snow also my stock tires are 205x16 what can I go up to that can still keep the vehicle stock?


Cheers

Rob :D

[DaveB]

I always had good success with the BFG All Terrain in snow. And it's not bad off-road. Only issue I ever had with them is they seem to pick up nails easier than any other tire I had, but this may be typical of many big A/T tires if you happen to drive over some nails — their aggressive tread seems to pick things up.

Dave

[HeadDamage]

Big O Bigfoot X/T is a good tire.

[ANDYD]

I can recomend BFG MT's, I have had them on my 91 RRC for 8 years (2 sets) I find them great on and off road, noise is not an issue because of the impressive sound deadening of the range rovers. Plus they give the RR a better "look" in my opinion.

cheers,
Andy

[Bill E.]

Tires are always a great debate for most of us. The suggestions the others have given are all endorsed by me for what its worth. I would add that you shouldn't shy away from a more agressive tread like the BFG MT just because your truck is dual usage. Most of us who run mud terrains also use our trucks for commuting. So even if you don't consider yourself "hard-core" get a tire that you will be happy with off-road. A mud tire like BFG MT will perform happily on road but will really shine in the goop. A road bias tire will never let you down in front of the soccer mom's but may leave you with egg(mud) on your face when the going gets tough. Andy Deane's RRC looks great with the BFG MT's and he can pretty much go anywhere with his truck without sacrificing respectable road manners.
PS Tire store salesmen will always try and talk you down off the "lug". For some reason they insist on pushing inquiring purchasers into a mediocre tread pattern. I suppose this is because most of them don't go off-road and because their inventory contains mostly mild tread in limited sizes, requiring them to bring in the tires you might be looking for.
:spinning:

[HeadDamage]

Take a look at the X/T.... great all around tire. Good on wet or icy pavement and good off road on rocks or in the mud and snow. Really good warrenty to unlike the BFG tires.

[red90]

The OP asked for snow performance. The "traditional" style mud/road tires like the BFG MT are quite bad in snow. No siping and hard compounding are the worst things for winter driving.

The newer style MT tires like the Goodyear MT/R and the Interco TrXus are much better in the winter due to softer compounding and more contact surfaces.

[Bill E.]

The OP from Rob really was asking for an all round weekday work truck tire with mud capability for the weekend and that can still handle snow. I have ton's of experience with BFG and all my BFG MT's have been good in snow (five sets of MT's), I've also run Michelin's, Goodyear AT's, Bridgestone AT's, Yokohama Muds, Dunlop Rovers, BFG AT's and others. My main criticism of BFG MT's is in black ice situations, clearly compound and siping come into play here. I noticed the new(unreleased) design BFG MT incorporates siping into the tread blocks. By all means Rob should check out the X/T, the MT/R and others that haven't been mentioned. In the end In My Very Humble Opinion you get great all round bang for your buck from BFG ( How's that for a ringing endorsement, and I didn't even go on the run) Now if we can only persuade those clowns to bring back the Trac Edge :roll:
:spinning:

[John]

Bill,

By "new (unreleased)" do you mean the new BFG MT in 15" and 16" sizes? The 17" example they brought along on the run had no siping which was my gripe when I saw it.

John

[red90]

I now what he was asking and I'm driven on them all in snow. The BFG MT (and similar traditional MT tires) are the worst tires on snow ever created. If you actually live somewhere with winter, you life is worth decent winter tires.

BFG MTs are way overpriced for what you get. They are 20 years behind the times in technology but with modern pricing. There are many better choices available for less money. I personally wheeled on a set for 5 years and I wheel side by side with others that own them all the time. They are the worst performing mud capable street tire on the market based on my own personal observations. They do wear well though.

[red90]

Bill,

By "new (unreleased)" do you mean the new BFG MT in 15" and 16" sizes? The 17" example they brought along on the run had no siping which was my gripe when I saw it.

John

There are rumours of a redesigned tire to be released soon.

Edit Ahh here: http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/overview ... /3930.html

I guess they are just reaching the market. Not yet available in small sizes.

[Bill E.]

Oh Man I love these tire threads. What's a lowly guy from the lower mainland to do when someone pulls the old "we have real winter"card? Rob (original Post), you can take all these comments for what they are worth and with a grain of salt. All I can tell you is that down here in the coastal tropics with all the limp wristed, latte drinking, haven't had any manly snow for years, landrover drivers; my MT's have got to and from the mall a couple of times. :wink:

PS Sorry John, someone told me about siping on the new MT's, I haven't seen them myself.

[shawn doherty]

I also recommend BFG MT as far as I am concerned great in the snow. At least the kind we get in the interior of BC.

[DaveB]

I live and drive in very snowy country — all over BC. I had my half worn BFG Mud Terrains on the Series truck siped last year and it really improved their snow and ice capability.

However, on a slightly different note... I personally don't want to buy any tires from any manufacturers until they start offering pricing parity to Canadian consumers. I saved about 40% on the tires I purchased in Utah this summer over what I would have paid up here — BFG MT 255/85R16s

I'm currently looking for some 18" snow tires and the best price I've been able to find for 4 is $1000 (at Costco, with prices ranging up to $1600 after a couple of other quotes from other tire shops). However, at Discount Tire (US) there are 15 255/55R18 tires under $200 each and some nice true snow tires at $158 installed. To me this is way out of line when we can save $200 to $400 on a set of 4 tires.

OK, I'll get off my soap box now. :oops:

Dave

[red90]

Oh Man I love these tire threads. What's a lowly guy from the lower mainland to do when someone pulls the old "we have real winter"card? Rob (original Post), you can take all these comments for what they are worth and with a grain of salt. All I can tell you is that down here in the coastal tropics with all the limp wristed, latte drinking, haven't had any manly snow for years, landrover drivers; my MT's have got to and from the mall a couple of times. :wink:

PS Sorry John, someone told me about siping on the new MT's, I haven't seen them myself.

I grew up in the lower mainland.

Anyway, I understand your opinion. I used to think that way as well. You need to go and drive a car with quality modern winter tires on ice and snow in order to understand. It is night and day. No sliding, no out of control ever. It is very hard to go and drive an all season tire on snow after you have had that experience.

I'm just giving MY opinion based on MY PERSONAL experience. Traditonal style mud tires have the worst snow and ice traction of any tire I have ever driven. They are also mediocre off road. I suspect these new BFG MT KM2s are quite good. The BFG Krawlers are one of the best off road tires ever (from MY experience).

Again, I have wheeled next to pretty much every tire on the market and I am using this as my basis for my statements. I have zero brand loyalty and I am simply providing opinions based on seeing how different tires perform.

IME, at this time, the Interco TrXus MT is the best dual purpose tire on the market. It has acceptable traction in all situations, it is very durable and the price is better than anything else of equivalent performance. However for the OP, they don't make them small enough.

The Big O Bigfoot X/T that Headamage is using seems a great choice and he tells me the warranty policy is unbelievable.

The BFG A/T is a great choice as well. It only fails in mud. If mud is a typical off road scenario, I would pass.

[DaveB]

For what its worth, I've decided to have my new MTs siped this winter rather than purchase new winter tires. But I agree with JD in terms of comparison of modern winter tires to using an off-road tire for winter... I had 4 studded snows on the little Ford Contour I was driving last winter and I couldn't make the thing slide, even on black ice — but maybe that was due to lack of power and an automatic transmission. :wink:

An interesting article on siping here: http://www.lesschwab.com/siping.asp

Kaltire will do it for $100 for all 4 tires.

Dave

[Bill E.]

Red 90, I accept your comments regarding "real" snow tires as I've used them on cars that I've owned. I have no brand loyalty either and always consider my choice of truck tire as a compromise of performance for the duty I put them to. Opinions from experience are valid and mine differ from yours based on my needs in a tire.

I am interested in more of your opinion on the TrXus MT because I considered them when I bought my last set of tires and might go for them next time. How flexible is the carcass when aired down and what pressure do you like to air down to? Did the tires balance well or did they take a lot of weights? You commented on the price being cheaper but I didn't find that when a shopped around Vancouver, how long ago did you buy yours?
:spinning:

[red90]

I am interested in more of your opinion on the TrXus MT because I considered them when I bought my last set of tires and might go for them next time. How flexible is the carcass when aired down and what pressure do you like to air down to? Did the tires balance well or did they take a lot of weights? You commented on the price being cheaper but I didn't find that when a shopped around Vancouver, how long ago did you buy yours?

It is nice and flexible. They also seem to be quite tough. I know a half a dozen people running them.

I always air down to at least 15 psi. I've been down to 6.

I've never run any balancing weights as I find all tires migrate on the rims when aired down. Mine are fine without weight with only one tire giving a small amount of vibration.

I've had them for 5 years.

I've looked at recent pricing and BFGs were always a lot more around here. IIRC around $250 for a 235/85/16. But maybe there are cheaper places.

National 4WD is usually good
http://www.national4wdonline.com/cart.p ... ory_id=469
LT235/85R16 $ 173.72 Cdn
LT255/85R16 $ 196.97 Cdn
LT265/75R16 $ 198.43 Cdn
LT285/75R16 $ 230.60 Cdn

[red90]

As far as siping. My suggestion is to purchase a siping/grooving iron. The only cost around $100 brand new. So they cost as much as running one set on a siping machine but you can do endless tires. It also allows you to only sipe a little depth and certain lugs to help prevent chunking. When the tires wear, sipe again.

AFAIK, those siping machines won't run on used tires. They insist that the tires be brand new as rocks in the tread can wreck the machines.

[DaveB]

Thanks, any idea where i can find a siping machine to purchase?

Kal Tire did mine on used tires last year without batting an eye. They said it was common practice on big trucks. But they did remove the tire from the rim, and rebalance afterwards.

Do you know if removing the tire from the rim is required? Cuz that would make a big difference to the overall costs and efforts, ie.: one would have to remove wheels/tires, take to local tire shop, have them remove tires from wheels, then take home and do your own siping, then bring back to tire shop for mounting and balancing, then bring the wheels/tires back home and remount on your truck...

Dave

[red90]

You can do the siping or grooving on the rim.

Some of the 4WD or racing shops carry them here. You could check around Vancouver. Or there is mail order.

http://www.can4x4.com/tech/siping/sip-and-groove.htm

The ideal tire groover is what most people buy.
http://www.afabcorp.com/AFCO_Dynatech_U ... tk_groover
http://www.speedpartz.com/idealtiregroover.htm
http://www.randys-racemart.com/tirgroovir.html
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ideal-Ti ... dZViewItem

[Robert Mac]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and opinions much appreciated, I have one more question what tire size would you recommend on the 3 spoke aluminum stock wheel?
right now I believe they have 205 70 16s Michelin's

thanks again

Rob :wink:

[red90]

225/75/16 or 235/70/16 are good choices.

You probably have 205R16 at the moment.

[Greg S]

Siping by hand???? Let me see? If I paid myself $5 an hour and had a free hand siper, I'd still be farther ahead taking the tires to the shop down the road.

Dave, Some nice gentleman gave me a used set of BFG MT's and I had them siped when they were put on. They had to mount them before they could sipe them IIRC. Mounting and siping was $100. $15 ea for siping and $10 for mounting.

Siping make a huge difference for on and off-road handling and traction. Especially on wet roads, snow and ice. I notice better performance off-road on rock and stone too.

Previously a GoodYear die hard. I'll never buy GoodYear's again. I like the BFG MT's but have never been so embarrassed as on trip with a friend with BFG AT's. Man- they were pathetic! Did I hear someone say they weren't good in mud?

[Robert Mac]

Hey gentlemen check out the Kal tire blurb about siping

http://www.kaltire.com/retail/services/siping.php


Cheers

Rob the enlightened tire dude thanks to all of you! :D