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-   -   The Offroad Rims & Tyres Thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-technical/21143-offroad-rims-tyres-thread-19.html)

Yesterday I talked to a Michelin dealer
Both the following tyres are Michelin LTX series

235/70/R16 LTX AT2 (6800 per tyre)
275/70/R16 LTX AT (9600 per tyre)
Now there is a difference of approx 2" in both the tyres, but the AT2 is 30% cheaper than the LTX-AT. Which would be better for both on road and off road on the MM550.
I also understand that I loose 2" on the ground clearance but i am willing to make that compromise considering that the AT-2's are better than the AT's.

If I go for the AT2's I will buy a set of 5 tyres or If I buy the AT's I will buy 4 pc.

Third option that I can consider I the BF Goodrich 235/70/R16
These are available for 5800 approx per tyre

@Harjeev: The Michelin are any day better than BFG. Go for 235/70/16. Should suffice and also compared to 275, the steering will also feel light.

Thanks Khan Bhai,

for nice and crisp solution for the querry from Harjeev and me.

Harjeev, Michellin Lock kiya jaye?

Tarkesh

Thanks Khan,
I am also inclined towards the AT-2's, but is someone could please explain be
why do the LTX AT 275's cost 50% more.
What benefit or advantage do they have over the AT2's.
As I doubt that the cost difference would be only because of the 2" height difference

See this link:

Consumer Survey Results By Category

What I have observed is that sizes more than 235 really cost a bomb and prices increase exponentially. So maybe that's the reason.

Michellin AT/2 is the BEST A/T tyre available today as per the above link

I have followed this link for 18 months now. I have seen different tyres like Pirelli Scorpion ATR, Firestone Destination A/T and now Michellin AT/2 occupying the top spot.

You need to validate the rank against couple of parameters:
1) What is the reported miles, Michellin AT/2 has less than a million miles reported against it. So it could be in honeymoon period with the buyers.
2) How many of them actually drove it off-road. You'll notice that almost all the reviewers drove it on Highway or City roads.

Most people who vote at tirerack.com use their AT tyres for on-road use with very little off-road use. They are looking for on-road tyres that can survive off-road if required, so they buy AT tyres. Where as most of us are looking for excellent off-road tyre that can survive highways, so we buy AT tyres.

Therefore, going purely by their ranking is not going to do us any good. We have to look at experiences of other offroaders like us and see what is working for them. Or we need to check offroading forum/websites for AT tyre reviews. That will be more useful to us.

There is another on-road/off-road offering from BFG. This is placed between the AT and MT offering from BFG.

BFG Commercial T/AŽ Traction

Agreed that these tires will be pretty useless on roads. But it still has many things good about it.
Noise we need not bother about as the clatter of diesel engine and body rattle makes sure no other noise is heard.
I'm not comparing these with A/T tires discussed here. I'm comparing them with NDMS only. And they will be definitely better than NDMS in terms of braking on wet since NDMS are practically slicks.
Also they will be much better than NDMS on mud and slush. Should perform good on sand. Not sure about rocky terrain though.
Side wall rigidity will also exceed NDMS
Another thing in the favour of these tires is that these will cost less than half the cheapest A/T tire available here.

cheers
vishwas

Hmm so you are thinking of fitting a tractor tire on the jeep, but where will you get the size for jeep... And half the cost? Only think I can think of is tractor tire shops. Lately some mini tractors have made way to the market.

Oh did I not add this before?
These are probably the only available OE size replacement for Army mm550 across the globe. The other nearest replacement would be 235/85 r16 which is not available in India.

cheers
vishwas

Are these easily available in Delhi and if yes were do we get them and how much would they cost??

May I suggest BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A? I've just found out why they're so highly rated - they are simply phenomenal off the road, especially on trails with rocks and rubble.

But pathetic in mud and slush, as many have found out. The Geolandar AT-S is a much better all-rounder, again going by local experiences. After eyeing the BFG T/A KO for long, now I am considering Geolandar AT-S.

This is VERY surprising as the All Terrain T/A is supposed to be excellent on mud - they rule the bakkie market in South Africa precisely for this reason. They're reasonably good on sand too, though the hard sidewalls do tend to dig into soft sand more than other tyres.

+ 1 to that! clap: I agree