Tyres

I am a new Jimny owner and am already having problems with tyres, my car is fitted with new Cooper Discoverer A / T 3 Sport M+S size 205 / 70 / R15 S95 and last week I got stuck on a grassy bank and in 4WD I could only go backwards.

I would like to fit BF Goodrich tyres but they do not appear to be available for 15" rims.  Maxxis AT 980E have been suggested as an alternative.

Do the group have any collective advice regarding tyres and Maxxis in particular.  My off road requirements are quite modest and limited to farm tracks, moderate mud and grassy banks.

All advice will be gratefully received.

Before the tyre debate starts are you 100% sure your 4x4 system is working? 
Only saying as I couldn't pull away once on a wet grass bank, popped it in 4x4 and pulled away no problem, didn't even mark the grass. I did have a caravan on the back at the time, it's the only time I've ever had a problem with 2x4 drive. But does highlight how much more traction a working 4x4 offers over 2x4.

Its possible to get stuck on anything, just asking the obvious first. 
 

The Coopers are a pretty good tyre, so Scimike might be on to something, depending on the age of your Jimny. The vacuum hubs sometimes don’t engage, but if there is a vacuum there you will still get a steady green light.

If you fit BF Goodrich the size is 215/75r15 and for road/off road it’s the KO2 you will need.

The alternative is Maxxis Worm-Drive 215/75r15, that’s what I went for in the end after courting opinion on here. Both are very similar, but the Maxxis was a bit cheaper here and my local garage could get them next day.

Hope that helps

Robin

If you are wanting to retain the standard 205.70 then I can recommend the radar renegade at5. They have a full width tread and reasonably lumpy side biters so offer good floatation to avoid damaging the grass. Alternatively their sister company patriot do a more aggressive rt pattern but they are new to UK and I have yet to try them but they have gone down well with the American market

I bought some BFG’s in 215x75x15 a month ago. Was going to get WormDrives to save money, but they weren’t available from anywhere.

I don't think any of the tyres being suggested will offer anything other than marginal gains over what you are running...... and maybe no gain at all.

I would check the 4wd system is working first. If it is, then consider a Mud Terrain and/or change your driving style to better suit the conditions.

Thank you all for helpful advice, the vehicle is going for a check up next week but when I was stuck both front and back wheels were spinning on the same side of the vehicle so I assumed 4WD was working.
Interestingly most of you are advocating a higher profile than the existing tyre ie.215/75 rather than 205/70. Is there enough space under the wheel arches to accommodate the larger profile?

It’s not that we advocate 215/75, it’s just BFG and Maxxis are not available in 205/70.

215/75 is the largest tyre you can fit without a lift or trimming of the wheel arch.

It raises the earring by about 4%, so your speedo will read about 4% lower. Not usually a problem as they all over read by about 5-10%.

The wider tyre should give more grip on some surfaces and combined with the chunky tread pattern in my opinion definitely looks the part, especially if you get a tyre with white lettering.

I have two sets of alloys one set fitted with Maxxis Worm-Drive 215/75 and the second set with Hankook Dynapro 205/70. I intended to put the Dynapro on in summer and the Maxxis in winter, but the summer was so wet and to be honest on the road there isn’t much difference I have just stuck with the Maxxis this year.

Robin

wrote:

Thank you all for helpful advice, the vehicle is going for a check up next week but when I was stuck both front and back wheels were spinning on the same side of the vehicle so I assumed 4WD was working.
Interestingly most of you are advocating a higher profile than the existing tyre ie.215/75 rather than 205/70. Is there enough space under the wheel arches to accommodate the larger profile?

ok, so if your 4wd is working it then comes down to driving technique and maybe some mud terrains.

Wet grass can be some of the most slippery conditions in off roading. What sort of soil is it on? Are you in the UK?

In most cases you'll need some momentum to get up steep slippery slopes. No idea on your experience, but might be worth getting some additional tuition if you are new to off roading.

How much road driving do you do? And are road manners and mpg a concern here?

I have the Maxxis Wormdrives and have been impressed with them. But the traction control on the 4th gen helps quite a bit. They are still not on par with a good mud terrain. So I'm impressed for my road going Jimny, but probably wouldn't be what I'd pick for proper off roading.

Mud terrains come in a couple of different varieties. Many Mud terrains are nothing more than aggressive all terrains. While some are much better. Then you have the more extreme off road tyres which will be the best on slippery muddy grass.


I'd rate the BFG MT KM3 as one of the best 'new' mud terrain patterns. And I'd rank them a cut above most other MT's although these look like they should be capable:
tyresdirectuk.co.uk/products/205-70r15-9...a3200-owl?taxon_id=8
tyresdirectuk.co.uk/products/215-75r15-1...-m-t-g003?taxon_id=8

And would be a rung up from your AT's while still being quite acceptable on road. Also a lot cheaper than the BFG's.

If you want more off road performance you need to look at remould tyres. Depending on the tread they should still be ok on road, but more noise, less mpg and generally not so good on road.

tyresdirectuk.co.uk/products/205-80r16-9...bo-sahara?taxon_id=8
tyresdirectuk.co.uk/products/215-75r15-1...o-sahara?taxon_id=74



This tread is surprisingly versatile and will work well everywhere and be better on road than they have any right to be. Either the KM3 or these would probably be my choice depending on how much you want to spend.


If you want even more extreme you have these:
tyresdirectuk.co.uk/products/205-70r15-9...l-track-2?taxon_id=8


These can be very good off road, but generally way worse on road than the ones I listed above. I'd only go for these for a play vehicle or a competition trials vehicle.

wrote:

Thank you all for helpful advice, the vehicle is going for a check up next week but when I was stuck both front and back wheels were spinning on the same side of the vehicle so I assumed 4WD was working.
 

You were just unlucky there.  Both front and rear differentials are open (i.e. not limited-slip or lockable) and simply divide the torque in two.  Therefore if one wheel has no grip, very little torque is needed to keep it spinning and that means the other wheel on the axle gets very little torque too.

4WD mode halves the chance of this happening, because there is no centre diff in a Jimny and therefore both a front and a rear wheel need to have very low grip for it to be stuck.  If tyres alone can't do it, you'd need locking diffs or LSDs to really minimise the chances.