[vijuvarghese]

My experience with tyres on the 2.2 VTT.

Despite having driven 2K kms, got a chance to replace(exchange) stock Bridgestone H/T Dueler with Michelin LTX A/T 2. And therefore got to compare two sets of tyres within 10K kms.

Even in the initial 2K period at 2400-2500rpm in 5th, I could cruise at 110-120kmph with the H/T tyres, without revving hard. Now with Michelin A/T, have to labour hard to reach 120kmph that too managed only at 2800 rpm in 5th. Due the increased traction, feel I am losing 1km to a litre of diesel.

But I feel the braking distance has come down with Michelins and also I feel the ride quality improved a bit, both subjective of course. Haven't had many a chance to brake hard in the first 2K, but just the opposite after 5K :-(

The A/T came handy while crossing a mud track which I guess may not have been same with H/T.

Viju

[vijuvarghese]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Jay; stay with stock size as you off road a lot IMHO.

My Yokos has done 15k plus now; not sure about road noise part though; maybe coz its not bad ?

JK, what mileage do you get with Yokos? I get 12.5km/L of diesel on highway with fulltime a/c and driven at speeds 80-110kmph consistently.

Viju

[jaysmokesleaves]

Thanks for the inputs guys.
Im not intent on upsizing at all.

@tsk > I dont think they sell Continentals in Bombay. I couldnt find a dealer anywhere.
I like the BFG's on Adc's but the tire noise is a no no for me.
For my usage i know that I need a tire with good sidewall strength.
The OE Bridgestones are pretty good on road and moderately good offroad. But not good in slush and sand and other triicky surfaces.

@tsk > How would you comparitively rate the stopping distance for Conti's and Bridge's ?

What is the cost of the Yoko's ? and which Yoko tire to buy ?

Though mileage is not a concern for me(currently 10.5 - 11kpl with full ac), stopping distance is crucial.
I hope the Yokos are stikier than the Brdgestones when it comes to braking.

Jk whats your take on the braking with your Yokos compared to Bridgestones?

[suman]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

Achiles > Some Indonesian tire company > its a 255/70/R16.
Will this oversize tire fit ? and will it foul with the insides of the mudguards ?

With the kind of territory you enjoy driving in, avoid an upsize. You will have to cut part of the fender/mudguards IIRC. Also, for an upsize, you should ideally have 7J alloys as against the stock 6.5J.

Go with the Yokos or Michelin A/Ts - my Yokos have done close to 30k kms & I haven't seen any increase in road noise so far. They are far more planted than the 'Stones on tarmac (dry & wet) & performed pretty good in the dirt, stone & no-road bits of Ladakh. Stopping power is better than the 'Stones IMHO.

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

If you go for yoko, you would be buying the Yoko Geolandar G012 A/T.

I got A/TS??

[Nikhilb2008]

Jay, you will efinitely get COnti in Bombay if you want.

If you go for yoko, you would be buying the Yoko Geolandar G012 A/T.

YOkos are waaaay better than the Bridgestones when it comes to handling and braking.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by vijuvarghese

My experience with tyres on the 2.2 VTT.

Despite having driven 2K kms, got a chance to replace(exchange) stock Bridgestone H/T Dueler with Michelin LTX A/T 2. And therefore got to compare two sets of tyres within 10K kms.

Even in the initial 2K period at 2400-2500rpm in 5th, I could cruise at 110-120kmph with the H/T tyres, without revving hard. Now with Michelin A/T, have to labour hard to reach 120kmph that too managed only at 2800 rpm in 5th. Due the increased traction, feel I am losing 1km to a litre of diesel.

But I feel the braking distance has come down with Michelins and also I feel the ride quality improved a bit, both subjective of course. Haven't had many a chance to brake hard in the first 2K, but just the opposite after 5K :-(

The A/T came handy while crossing a mud track which I guess may not have been same with H/T.

Viju

This is weird. The problem may le elsewhere. Unless you are using 255 section, there should not be much difference in top speed

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

Thanks for the inputs guys.
Im not intent on upsizing at all.

@tsk > I dont think they sell Continentals in Bombay. I couldnt find a dealer anywhere.
I like the BFG's on Adc's but the tire noise is a no no for me.
For my usage i know that I need a tire with good sidewall strength.
The OE Bridgestones are pretty good on road and moderately good offroad. But not good in slush and sand and other triicky surfaces.

@tsk > How would you comparitively rate the stopping distance for Conti's and Bridge's ?

What is the cost of the Yoko's ? and which Yoko tire to buy ?

Though mileage is not a concern for me(currently 10.5 - 11kpl with full ac), stopping distance is crucial.
I hope the Yokos are stikier than the Brdgestones when it comes to braking.

Jk whats your take on the braking with your Yokos compared to Bridgestones?

The Continentals have slightly poorer braking on wet tarmac. Nothing very drastic, but slightly less as the tire compound is harder. Any AT tire with harder compound will have slightly less braking efficiency. People do not notice it because they replace their tires when old ones are worn out. So old Bridgestone HTs will skid more than brand new AT. But new AT vs HT tire, the HT will perform better on road because its designed for road.
For your usage, if you are more or less okay with a HT tire, try the BFG Long Trail TA Tour. Its a trail driving tire. Not completely an AT tire like Yokohama or continental, but better than HTs. Something like the soft roader of AT tires if you get my drift.
Low noise, good mileage, good traction, and average Off road performance.

Originally Posted by suman

With the kind of territory you enjoy driving in, avoid an upsize. You will have to cut part of the fender/mudguards IIRC. Also, for an upsize, you should ideally have 7J alloys as against the stock 6.5J.

Go with the Yokos or Michelin A/Ts - my Yokos have done close to 30k kms & I haven't seen any increase in road noise so far. They are far more planted than the 'Stones on tarmac (dry & wet) & performed pretty good in the dirt, stone & no-road bits of Ladakh. Stopping power is better than the 'Stones IMHO.

I got A/TS??

Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008

Jay, you will efinitely get COnti in Bombay if you want.

If you go for yoko, you would be buying the Yoko Geolandar G012 A/T.

YOkos are waaaay better than the Bridgestones when it comes to handling and braking.

I think There were two versions
1. AT/2
2. AT/S
The Desert Storm guys had tough time with AT/2 which kept on getting punctured due to their weak sidewalls. Apparently this problem is fixed with AT/S tires which are the later generation and tougher.
As for stopping power, I think its better because your Bridgestones were end of life when you got ATS tires. Brand new HT tire will always perform better than AT tire. Even the company brochures say so. HT is designed for road travel, and AT is supposed to be jack of all trades.

[suman]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

As for stopping power, I think its better because your Bridgestones were end of life when you got ATS tires.

I'm not talking about the last few thousand Kms on the H/Ts but overall

[tsk1979]

Hmmm, Dry tarmac braking is dependent quite a bit on softness of the rubber.
I guess if Yoko ATs are good, then Yoko HTs must be much much better?

[suman]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

I guess if Yoko ATs are good, then Yoko HTs must be much much better?

No idea. I was comparing the Yoko A/TS with the 'Stone H/T

[jaysmokesleaves]

I basically want a tire with a good sidewall and good braking.
Ive used Yoko HT's. They are good but sidewalls aren't great.
So its YOKO ATS and MICHELIN then... and most of you seem to suggest YOKOS.

@TSK > There isnt a single dealer in Bombay that I could find selling BFG long trails nor Conti's. The BFG went off my list for exactly that reason... else ive seen the tire perform and it s quite good.

[tsk1979]

Michelin markets BFG in India, you can contact their bombay office to find a dealer. Otherwise a trip to Reliance Autozone may help if you have that there.
Regarding Continental, well try justdial.in to search for continental, and you may get some hits. Keep calling one by one

[jaysmokesleaves]

After half a days research, I think Yokohama AT/S is the tire of choice.
@JKDas >>> is this the same tire that youve fitted on your Safari ?

What is the cost of the Yoko AT/S in India..??????

[AVR]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

After half a days research, I think Yokohama AT/S is the tire of choice.
@JKDas >>> is this the same tire that youve fitted on your Safari ?

What is the cost of the Yoko AT/S in India..??????

The Yoko A/Ts retail at around 6400 a piece. Another option (no intent to add to your decision time ) would be Hankook in the stock size. I met a Hankook sales guy at a tyre shop when I went shopping for 235s for my 540 and they have recently launched that size. He mentioned about 235/75 R15 though am sure they would offer in the 235/70 R16 size also. For the 15 inchers the price was about 5900

I have the Yoko A/TS 235s in 15" on my TCIC and am more than happy with the performance over the last 18k kms.

Cheers,
Adi

[4x4addict]

I agree with amit. I initally planned to swap out the stock Bridgestones on my Scorpio but after I saw the thread up close, they are a pretty decent tread pattern. Close to an AT tire although, they don't claim to be AT tires. Vinod Nookla has been using the Bridgestones in his jeep on all his off-road jaunts and he does some pretty hard courses with his jeep and his tires have held up well. If you are happy with Bridgestones, then you can continue using them.

I also like the tread pattern of the new Apollo Hawks RT (not AT but RT). Apparently in Apollos books, RT is tougher than AT.

Stay away from Elanzos, their tread pattern is purely road biased and it won't server your safari well off-road.

I am running Yoko Geolander ATS on my MM540 and am happy with it.

You may also want to try to BF Goodrich All Terrain TKO tires that Tanweer is running on his Safari. These are very good on/off road and one of the most popular AT tires in the US.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by AVR

The Yoko A/Ts retail at around 6400 a piece. Another option (no intent to add to your decision time ) would be Hankook in the stock size. I met a Hankook sales guy at a tyre shop when I went shopping for 235s for my 540 and they have recently launched that size. He mentioned about 235/75 R15 though am sure they would offer in the 235/70 R16 size also. For the 15 inchers the price was about 5900

I have the Yoko A/TS 235s in 15" on my TCIC and am more than happy with the performance over the last 18k kms.

Cheers,
Adi

Adi, I had thought about Hankook but didnt know where to buy them from. One dealer in Bombay said he could get them but didnt have a tire sample for checking the tread.

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

I agree with amit. I initally planned to swap out the stock Bridgestones on my Scorpio but after I saw the thread up close, they are a pretty decent tread pattern. Close to an AT tire although, they don't claim to be AT tires. Vinod Nookla has been using the Bridgestones in his jeep on all his off-road jaunts and he does some pretty hard courses with his jeep and his tires have held up well. If you are happy with Bridgestones, then you can continue using them.

I also like the tread pattern of the new Apollo Hawks RT (not AT but RT). Apparently in Apollos books, RT is tougher than AT.

Stay away from Elanzos, their tread pattern is purely road biased and it won't server your safari well off-road.

I am running Yoko Geolander ATS on my MM540 and am happy with it.

You may also want to try to BF Goodrich All Terrain TKO tires that Tanweer is running on his Safari. These are very good on/off road and one of the most popular AT tires in the US.

The Bridgestones havent given me any cause for complain in all the OTR's ive done either. But the sidewalls arent great and additionally the offroad performance in slush isnt good either. As an overall tire the Bridgestones are quite good.
My current Bridgestones have performed well but have had quite a few sidewall punctures and cuts too which is why im looking for a tire with a good sidewall.

Tanveer is running Continentals and not BFG's. I cant find a dealer for either in Bombay.
ADC is running BFG's on his Safari and claims to be quite noisy.

The sidewall on the Yokos looks good.