All Terrain Tyre Comparisons

I've been running BFG KO2 AT's in 215/75x15 on my 05 car for the last year or so.

Wet grip isn't as good as I'd hoped but the car is very, very short. When the weight transfers forward under braking, the backend is so light it's very easy for it to drift. Don't power through wet corners... or you'll be seeing the back end of your car.

Mine is aggravated further by the Quaife diff, it is very easy to induce slide with just a little power...... When you get used to it the "line" is quite obvious and you choose when to cross it.

The front end has never wandered or failed me under braking, with predictable flex and responses, even in the wet. Yet to induce a skid or ABS intervention.

On dry tarmac they as good as a 75 aspect tyre could be.

Off road they have been great, well beyond expectations and to the surprise of others driving a range of muds.

Wet behaviour was a priority for me when buying. I don't know if my expectations have been met...... changed too much.

sniper

Thank you Sniper - it's really useful to have your experience in this discussion.

Thanks 300bhpton - that's a really useful insight.


Are you running BOTH a Range Rover AND a Jimny, by the way?

While posting...……………..

For anyone who might be feeling a bit of "Light Truck-ism" coming on the following explains the designation on tyre sidewalls:

www.tyresizecalculator.com/tyres/light-t...esignations-examples

Next Pub Quiz anyone?

Just joking!

Guy 2 wrote: Thanks 300bhpton - that's a really useful insight.


Are you running BOTH a Range Rover AND a Jimny, by the way?

No Jimmy yet. Wanted one for ages. Joined this forum back in 2010 but don’t post often and my account has been deleted a few times. Hoping to buy a 4th gen as a daily.

I’m a seasoned off roader though and have owned Land Rovers since 1997 and the occasional Jeep. Used as daily’s, weekend cars as well as laning and off road competitions.

I currently own a leaf sprung 88 Series that I rebuilt with custom suspension of my own design. An 88 coiler competition vehicle and a p38 Range Rover. I’m a bit of a petrol head too and have some cars in the collection too.

I’ve had chance to run and try out quite a few different tyres. My Uncle and brother both have vehicles too. And we have a shed of different tyres. Although mostly MT’s and aggressive off road tyres.

Here are the MT51 Kumhos. Nice tyres and would recommend.

This is one of my Land Rovers. Slightly more aggressive tyre. Very good off road and acceptable on road. But a long way from an AT.

Just had a re read of the basic requirements for your tyres being 90 pc road and 10 pc broken rock and semi submerged rock tracks. I'm not going to try talking you out of new tyres but it sounds suspiciously similar to the conditions I have on the farm. Just a suggestion but have you considered something like on-board air in conjunction with a road bias tyre. I have found that with the urban terrain tyres letting them air down to 15 psi has significant benefits for creeping about on rocks as it allows the tyre to mould to the rocks vastly improving the available traction while simultaneously reducing the risk of a rock holing the sidewall. Also with the tracks I have access to regularly are more wet than muddy so in reality the road pattern is never really out of their depth. Just a thought.

Strewth, 300bhpton - that's some articulation you've got on the 88 Series. Short of a Baja Special I've never seen the like.

Nice collection of vehicles as well.

I think I'm going to stick with an AT tyre as a 'baseline' to start off with - but don't rule out a MT in future - if I get bitten by the off-roading bug. Your Kumhos look good, and I'll bear them in mind. I been running Kumhos on an old Mercedes sports (very different type of tyre) and they have been very good indeed.

(Tongue firmly in cheek) Of course, if you do go ahead and get a Gen 4 Jimny it will immediately become the pinnacle of your fleet!

Cheers

Thanks Lambert - that's a really interesting idea.

I think I'd probably still stick with an AT (see my note to 300bhpton about using a first set of ATs as a "baseline" for future comparisons); but what your suggestion does mean is that a more road-biased AT is perfectly viable for what I am looking for. If they eventually come onto the UK market in the right sizes, even a tyre like cyberdriver's Michelin Ltx (which have been reviewed well) could work well.

Thanks - keep 'em coming!

IMPACT OF TYRE PRESSURES:

Found the following from 2014:



It is obviously marketing for Cooper tyres - but if you forget that and look at the results of puncture resistance at different pressures it's very interesting. (Toe-curling as well, when you consider the size of the spike used!)

Something else to not overlook is that the majority of the vehicles that these lt tyres are really designed for have a payload not far off the gross vehicle weight of a Jimny so consequently a Jimny simply can't exert as much force on a tyre making it ever less likely to hole a tyre on a rock. I'm not saying it's impossible as plenty of people have sliced tyres open especially on flint and other jagged objects but generally speaking it's another plus for the lightness of the Jimny.

Good point.

Do you think the light weight of the Jimny could count against it on LT tyres in some situations i.e. there wouldn't be enough weight to make the tyre flex properly on road? (I am guessing that off-road reducing the pressures would fix that.)