WK2 Off Road Tyres

[Buffomarinus]

Originally Posted by gaz9

Hi all
I live in a remote town in northern WA and in need of new tyres for the GC with QL. Before the dealer will order I need to part with the hard earned so I am nervous as hell about getting it wrong. Can I have your suggestions for a 65 profile 18 inch tyre that fits with QL and will not rub? Vehicle also has ARB bulbar fitted.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Gaz

I just bought five of these Hankook AT-m tyres http://www.hankooktire.com/global/li...at-m-rf10.html I had actually ordered the Bridgestone 697's but the tyre place reccommended the Hankooks on the basis of the great feedback they'd received from quarries and mines they are selling them to. Cut resistance, grip and wear were the high points. The fact that they were $250 each fitted and balanced etc was nothing to sneeze at. The 697's were quoted at $405 each. They were happy to fit either. I have not given them a workout on anything other than dirt roads so far so I can't comment on their effectiveness in mud etc. Great on the road, not a lot of noise, great grip and handling.

[Vikings37]

Originally Posted by Buffomarinus

I just bought five of these Hankook AT-m tyres http://www.hankooktire.com/global/li...at-m-rf10.html I had actually ordered the Bridgestone 697's but the tyre place reccommended the Hankooks on the basis of the great feedback they'd received from quarries and mines they are selling them to. Cut resistance, grip and wear were the high points. The fact that they were $250 each fitted and balanced etc was nothing to sneeze at. The 697's were quoted at $405 each. They were happy to fit either. I have not given them a workout on anything other than dirt roads so far so I can't comment on their effectiveness in mud etc. Great on the road, not a lot of noise, great grip and handling.

Buffo, it's probably worth noting that some Hankook AT-m tyres are LT rated and others are not. According to the OZ Hankook site , the two closest fits for our WK2s are an LT tyre in a 275/65x18 size or a non-LT (but extra load rated) tyre in the OEM size of 265/60x18. I've had the latter fitted for nearly 35,000kms and can recommend them for wear, ride, grip, low noise and price. Only one puncture so far and that was on the Plenty Hwy on a particularly rough and rocky stretch close to the Qld border, although likely more to do with my having the pressure too high. I might be tempted to try the LT version next, especially for more outback touring, although fitting that size into the spare wheel well may be a problem. Thankfully, current wear suggests it might be another 30,000kms or so before I need to decide.

[Bomber]

Originally Posted by gaz9

Hi all
I live in a remote town in northern WA and in need of new tyres for the GC with QL. Before the dealer will order I need to part with the hard earned so I am nervous as hell about getting it wrong. Can I have your suggestions for a 65 profile 18 inch tyre that fits with QL and will not rub? Vehicle also has ARB bulbar fitted.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Gaz

Gaz, why are you so adamant about the need for 65? The lift gain is minimal and where you are it is unlikely to ever matter, that extra 5-10mm you've raised the undercarriage will not make a difference anywhere in remote WA I've travelled - the river is too deep or it isn't, the sand too soft or it isn't, well you get the idea.

I've enthusiastically put bigger types on a WG and an XH before this car and I can honestly say the size hasn't made one iota of difference to where I could get my car in, or out, of. I have, however, been stranded in remote NT, reliant on other travellers' goodwill to get me out when too soft a tyre (Goodyear Wrangler, theoretically an AT) meant I'd used up both spares and repaired one tyre so often it couldn't be repaired again. In fact, I'd used the Sat phone and over $100 worth of calls just to make sure some D697s were waiting for me in Katherine when we emerged from the Savannah Way and threw out the three good tyres (less than 30,000kms on them) just to swap to something more durable.

There is lots of positive feedback here about the D697, and mine have done the Gibb River Rd and the Mitchell plateau where others were shredding lesser tyres. The Hankook seem to be ok, but I've not yet read of them used in abusive shale like the Flinders, the Kimberley or the High Country.

Where you are, and considering the grief if anything goes wrong, I'd be putting durability and strength ahead of size when our options due to space are so limited. Don't forget, fitting in the spare well is also a consideration if you don't want your spare sitting on the roof 24/7.

[Indydof]

Originally Posted by John boy

Thanks
275/65/18 ?
Do they scrub the guards at all ?

I run the 275/65/18. They do rub the liners in a few places where the liners were loose but for me its tolerable.

[NickT]

I had the 265/60/18 Hankook MT fitted prior to to starting a trip taking in the Mungo national park, Flinders Ranges, the Birdsville track and the Birdsville Developmental road to Windorah towing a 3.3T van. I cannot be happier with the choice, with appropriate tyre pressures and speeds I did not experienced any punctures or other problems. At $229 a corner I am smiling.

[gaz9]

Originally Posted by Bomber

Gaz, why are you so adamant about the need for 65? The lift gain is minimal and where you are it is unlikely to ever matter, that extra 5-10mm you've raised the undercarriage will not make a difference anywhere in remote WA I've travelled - the river is too deep or it isn't, the sand too soft or it isn't, well you get the idea.



I've enthusiastically put bigger types on a WG and an XH before this car and I can honestly say the size hasn't made one iota of difference to where I could get my car in, or out, of. I have, however, been stranded in remote NT, reliant on other travellers' goodwill to get me out when too soft a tyre (Goodyear Wrangler, theoretically an AT) meant I'd used up both spares and repaired one tyre so often it couldn't be repaired again. In fact, I'd used the Sat phone and over $100 worth of calls just to make sure some D697s were waiting for me in Katherine when we emerged from the Savannah Way and threw out the three good tyres (less than 30,000kms on them) just to swap to something more durable.



There is lots of positive feedback here about the D697, and mine have done the Gibb River Rd and the Mitchell plateau where others were shredding lesser tyres. The Hankook seem to be ok, but I've not yet read of them used in abusive shale like the Flinders, the Kimberley or the High Country.



Where you are, and considering the grief if anything goes wrong, I'd be putting durability and strength ahead of size when our options due to space are so limited. Don't forget, fitting in the spare well is also a consideration if you don't want your spare sitting on the roof 24/7.

Hey Bomber
The deed is done, went the 697's. Thanks for your feedback mate.
Cheers

[John boy]

Question to anyone who has done the vic high country, would you recommend AT's or MT's?