Tyres – Lots of choice?

Following on from the previous post about my wheel choice, I now need to make a decision about tyres.

I had decided to get 285/75 R16 to go with my 16 x 8 Steel Rims, so the choice from your tyre supplier web site was soon reduced to the usual favourites: BF Goodrich, General, Cooper, Insa, Toyo and Radar.

These are then usually described as all terrain or mud, whilst Coopers have a great reputation, they are really for proper off road use and most of my miles will be done on road, same answer for insa.

The Toyo’s were also mud rated, and along with the Radar’s, tended to have low stock levels, so they probably did not sell very many. The Radars were also a bit too cheap for my liking, after your life depends on these pieces of rubber.

So we are not surprisingly down to General and Goodrich. So we drill a little deeper.

Speed ratings are not really an issue for Perentie drivers……….so we look at the load ratings. This is usually the number at the end of the description – the speed rating usually follows, so for 116 R, 116 is the load and R the speed rating. The load rating actually defines the maximum load moving at the maximum permissible speed, so thats why they are together I guess.

Remember from the previous post my wheels have a load rating of 1200kg, as I was comfortable with this.

I am down to 2 choices now; BF Goodrich T/A KO2 all terrain 116R and the General Grabber AT2 121R. The 116 is a 1250kg load per tyre and the 121 is 1450kg per tyre. The AT2 is £30 less expensive online so a no brainer.

A double no brainer really as I have been running the Grabbers on all of my Land Rovers for 10 years with no problems whatsoever.

I will source the tyres locally to support local business, but I suggest the differential will be similar. I might even get a good deal!

Just need to get some new wheel nuts as the ones for the Boost Alloys will not fit, but no big deal.

Oh, and some of those cool wider wheel arches – even with the existing wheel/tyre combo I get loads of mud thrown up the side of the vehicle, so that is also on my list.