255/85r16 options

[ze_zaskar]

Hi all,

First post, LONG time lurker.

Soon Ill be getting new tires for my Defender 90 300tdi and decided on 255/85r16s on Wolf rims.
Locally I have 3 options on that size:
BF KM2
Toyo Open Country MT
Maxxis Bighorn

Some comments:

BF KM2
Plus
- Best looking tyre ever IMO
- relatively light at 54,4lb
- had nothing but good experiences with BF so far
Cons
- the most expensive one here at €180,00
- may be a little undersized?


Toyo MT
Plus
- seems to be very hard wearing from what I read
- reasonable price at €165,00
- tall, 33.5"
Cons
- heavy at 60lb
- too stiff for a vehicle with a MGVW of 2550kg?

Maxxis Bighorn
Don't know much about these ones, only some very contradictory reviews. Some say they wear fast, others the opposite.
The cheapest ones, occasionally they show up at €150,00


Any comments? Any experiences?
Thanks in advance

 

[1stDeuce]

There is already a giant 255/85R16 thread with lots of info... Here.

If Cooper tires are available, the ST Maxx is also an option, and not quite so mud-tire oriented. I run them on my Jeep and they are great, and wearing fine.

 

[Scott Brady]

I like the STT MAXX and the Toyo M55 both are great tires

 

[ze_zaskar]

Hi,

I was asking about these specific 3 options, for my specific vehicle, that's why I avoided the big 255/85 thread.
The models I pointed are the only ones available local (EU).

Maybe I'm better posting this on the LR fórum?
Thanks

 

[TeriAnn]

BF KM2
Plus
- Best looking tyre ever IMO
- relatively light at 54,4lb
- had nothing but good experiences with BF so far
Cons
- the most expensive one here at €180,00
- may be a little undersized?

Any comments? Any experiences?
Thanks in advance

I have been using BFG mud terrains under my 1960 Dormobile for about 30 years now. After experimenting with some other brands I decided that these were the best all around tyres for my driving. I don't think they are the best tyre you can buy for any specific terrain. They are more of a generalist tyre that works very well in most terrains. In all of those years the armored sidewalls have protected the tyre from sidewall damage. I'm currently running BFG KM2 255/85r16s on Disco I steel rims (7 inch wide). The specs show they will properly fit your Wolf rims (6.5 inch wide). The tyres work well, hold up well, are reasonably quiet and I get about 60,000 miles or just slightly less out of a set (about 96,500 km).

The picture below shows a 255/85 BFG tyre mounted on a Disco I wheel. I have early Defender outer wing panels on my 109. This will give you an idea of how the tyre will fit in your wheel well. When Land Rover introduced the D90 into the US the factory chose BFG mud terrains as standard fitment. They later switched to BGF all terrains because some customer complained about tyre road noise.


The picture shows older BGF mud terrains but you can get an idea of fit.

I do not have any experience with the other brands you mentioned. The BFGs are expensive but they last me a long time, work very well for where I drive so I never saw a reason to switch.

 

[Mountainhound]

A just so you know the toyo's are physically taller tire than the others, that was the kicker for me.

 

[hamr26]

I have the 255 Bighorns on my jeep and they have worn well in the past two years. They have been reviewed as better on wet than the BFG. I would pick them again over the BFG if your three were my choices.

 

[Zeep]

I recently installed Cooper discoverer S/T's. Very happy so far. D load range BTW.

 

[ze_zaskar]

A just so you know the toyo's are physically taller tire than the others, that was the kicker for me.

They are something like 33.5" right? That's a big plus

My worries with the Toyos is the stiffness. My Defender 90 is something like 1800kg curb, max gross 2550kg.

 

[Mountainhound]

They are E rated but they flex very well 33.4" I run at 32psi on tar but have ran as low as 10 off. They wear really good too.

They are something like 33.5" right? That's a big plus

My worries with the Toyos is the stiffness. My Defender 90 is something like 1800kg curb, max gross 2550kg.

 

[REDrum]

I've been running 255/85/16 KM2s the past 4 years, run 4 sets on 3 trucks in central america. I could go on and on about how great they are; mud, on rock, sand, and hi speed on gravel. Just don't air them down much below 13 PSI (1 bar) in rocky conditions, they risk sidewall tear out. And keep expectations very low if you run them where it snows.

Maxxis Bighorns are poplar in central america with the Suzuki guys, for the money they hold up very well. (Like Hankook Mts) But I have not owned them know a few guys who do. They are 2/3 the cost of KM2 in Costa Rica....

very little experience with Toyo, I don't care for them on a few levels

 

[MaverickTRD]

I have bighorns that size on my 4runner and so far really enjoy them. I really like Toyos as well, but they were almost 100 more per tire. I didnt like them that much more.
And i usually steer away from BFG and Goodyear.
A shame you can't get the coopers locally

 

[paranoid56]

I also have the bighorns and they have been doing great on my tacoma.

 

[pillguy]

I have had maxxis bighorns on my truck for about 4 years and put 20K miles on them. Excellent mud traction. The cons, thin sidewall that was easily cut, noisy and vague feeling on pavement. They were also difficult to balance.
I read all kinds of reviews and settled on toyo mud terrains. They are far superior in every way, excellent mud traction, very quiet on the highway and took very little to balance.
It was a $900 lesson that taught me to spend the extra money on quality tires.

 

[ze_zaskar]

Thanks for all the help guys

I wont loose more time trying to decide between the Toyos and the KM2s, I'll just pick the ones at the better price at the time change tires.
No I just need to decide if I keep my 16x7 modular rims or switch for the Wolf ones...