Another Tyre thread: 33MT Vs 35AT for a 6x6 camper

[Jitterbug]

At the moment I have 255/85 R16 on my 6x6 defender, I like the tall skinny tyres but they are wearing quickly (BFG KM2). That is mainly down to the weight of the truck and dual rears scrubbing on corners. There are no readily available ATs available in this size that I know of.

I would prefer an All Terrain, so thinking about going to 35x12.5 R16s in an AT tread when these MT wear out. This will help help with gearing on the highway and give a little more clearance. Is it reasonable to assume the more road friendly tread will offset the increased rolling resistance of the extra width (plus extra unsprung mass and inertia) giving no net increase in fuel?

The diffs/axles etc are strong enough (Hy-tough/ARB/Ashcroft internals) so no worries there.

The 6x6 is an off road, go anywhere camper, not a rock crawler and is about as big and heavy as a Land Rover can get (4500kg).

So, 33" Muddies Vs 35" ATs.....

 

[Victory_Overland]

I would run BFG AT or GY Duratrac AT as my only two options for all around tires. I think your 2nd to last statement clearly articulates your needs, MT is not one of them when you lay down the percentage of time you may spend in that type of environment where you would need an aggressive MT tire. I am guessing you are going to need a minimum of 2 x spares with a 6 x 6, so that would be another reason for me to go with a tried and true AT like BFG or Duratrac.

And you get the load rating you need in both of those tires. Personally, I think a 33" is where I would stay. 35" is going to give you the long gear you want, but really hurt you off-road unless you regear. That goes with any vehicle. Plus, I watched an Aussie military 6x6 on the Big Island of Hawaii and the articulation was amazing. I think you might lose some suspension capability with that 35" tire unless you do some modifications to allow them to tuck up in the wells.

I could be way off here, just offering an opinion on what I know from my Aussie buddies who wheel those 6x6 pigs all over the world. They are where on BFG AT as well. Of course the 6x6 replacement Merc G-wagon was also on 33" BFGs.