Michelin xzl 255/100 r16
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whatcharterboat
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Hey Tony . How are ya? Still thinking of selling your crewcab?
Had a 637 crewcab in today and was thinking of you. Ex NSW railways truck fitted with some dodgey 19.5" rims . Different rims front and rear and the offset was too narrow so they were rubbing on the steering link. The guy was a roofer but is hoping to use the truck for his holidays as well. Mad if he didn't.
Anyway, as you've found out XZL's are getting harder and harder to source. Beaurepairs around the corner from us in Yandina are the only tyre shop in Oz that get them on a regular basis and that's only because of the beach buses we build for Adventure Tours, Discovery, etc. Ask anywhere else in Oz and you'll probably just get blank stares.
The beach operators buy alot of them, as you can imagine, if you are running a fleet of 5 or 6 Fg's, do between 80 and 100kk's a year in each truck and only get 60 kk's out of the XZL's at best (and they stretch the mileage believe me). 50kk's is more like it for you or I. Also the price has gone through the roof in the last year. Used to be about $500 each. Now you're looking at more like $800 each with a tube and that's at mate's rates. Maybe with our good dollar at the moment that price will come down next batch.
I know there are a lot on back order at the moment at Beaurepairs but that's where I'd start your inquiries. They usually bring in a container of them at a time.
Next thing is the rims. If you intend to just get away with your standard rims turned around on the back, then you'll need to fit a spacer ring on the rear> you know that weird shape of the wheel mounting surface on the rear drums, well it causes the standard FG wheel centres to crack with single rear wheels . The new FG84 has rectified this but you'll definitely want to cover yourself with with the weight of an older crewcab loaded on a trip to the Cape for example. Not saying it will completely rectify the problem but it will help. Again , one of the reasons we went to the heavier 19.5" wheel centres.
Regards John.
Had a 637 crewcab in today and was thinking of you. Ex NSW railways truck fitted with some dodgey 19.5" rims . Different rims front and rear and the offset was too narrow so they were rubbing on the steering link. The guy was a roofer but is hoping to use the truck for his holidays as well. Mad if he didn't.
Anyway, as you've found out XZL's are getting harder and harder to source. Beaurepairs around the corner from us in Yandina are the only tyre shop in Oz that get them on a regular basis and that's only because of the beach buses we build for Adventure Tours, Discovery, etc. Ask anywhere else in Oz and you'll probably just get blank stares.
The beach operators buy alot of them, as you can imagine, if you are running a fleet of 5 or 6 Fg's, do between 80 and 100kk's a year in each truck and only get 60 kk's out of the XZL's at best (and they stretch the mileage believe me). 50kk's is more like it for you or I. Also the price has gone through the roof in the last year. Used to be about $500 each. Now you're looking at more like $800 each with a tube and that's at mate's rates. Maybe with our good dollar at the moment that price will come down next batch.
I know there are a lot on back order at the moment at Beaurepairs but that's where I'd start your inquiries. They usually bring in a container of them at a time.
Next thing is the rims. If you intend to just get away with your standard rims turned around on the back, then you'll need to fit a spacer ring on the rear> you know that weird shape of the wheel mounting surface on the rear drums, well it causes the standard FG wheel centres to crack with single rear wheels . The new FG84 has rectified this but you'll definitely want to cover yourself with with the weight of an older crewcab loaded on a trip to the Cape for example. Not saying it will completely rectify the problem but it will help. Again , one of the reasons we went to the heavier 19.5" wheel centres.
Regards John.
Thanks
Hey John thanks for that i will give them a try and yes im thinking of keeping it. But i will put singles on it i would love the 19.5s but with rim and tyres im up for near 8gs and i think im going to get a complete camper body for the back made up so its back to the drawing pad for me to come up with a design i was thinking of down sizing to the new v8 troopy but im happy with the canter if i could get a bit more top end speed out of it. i plan on doing the simpson next year with some mates on the trail bikes and take the fg as a back up truck so the singles are a must. Do you guys have a prefrence for any tyre that balloon better. Hope alls well up there you seem to be doing some good trucks of late Thanks heaps Tony
Hey John thanks for that i will give them a try and yes im thinking of keeping it. But i will put singles on it i would love the 19.5s but with rim and tyres im up for near 8gs and i think im going to get a complete camper body for the back made up so its back to the drawing pad for me to come up with a design i was thinking of down sizing to the new v8 troopy but im happy with the canter if i could get a bit more top end speed out of it. i plan on doing the simpson next year with some mates on the trail bikes and take the fg as a back up truck so the singles are a must. Do you guys have a prefrence for any tyre that balloon better. Hope alls well up there you seem to be doing some good trucks of late Thanks heaps Tony
whatcharterboat
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Hey Tony. Glad to hear you're keeping the truck. It's a pretty good setup and you know what you've got as opposed to getting as new Cruiser.
We're hoping to have our own 5 stud 19.5" in a couple of months if that's any help. First batch is getting made now. And yes>> you will get more top speed. Gearing is changed by about 10%. The Toyo's are around 900mm and the XZL's are about 930mm. 19.5 Hankook AMO2's are a little smaller (and cheaper) and Bridgestone 305/75R19.5 (read the thread about the ATW up to Cape York) are about the same as the XZL's > mate, they are really the only decent selection for us here for a single rear wheel conversion. I saw the bigger ridgestone's after 20kk's of Anne Beadell, Canning , etc and they were hardly marked. That says something although they look like they wouldn't get too far in mud. Real road pattern but excellent in sand.
OK, for ballooning, the XZL's are the one. They give a very long footprint. Perfect for sand. You pay a bit of price for it though. With the 100R sidewall profile, they tend to move around alot on the road.
The Toyo 19.5"s are the ones we're recommending now. For mileage and as an allround/allterrain tyre. Only found them at the Brissy Truck show this year so we never knew about them when you called in last year. OZ101 just came back from Fraser with the Toyo's on and said he had to drop them down to 30psi a couple of times but said at that pressure they too were unstoppable. You couldn't go too far at those pressures but. Some of the Canter guys on Fraser are starting to use them and they don't go down below 40psi. Mind you with the XZL's they rarely go below 65.
But hey, you've got to do the math. As I said don't expect much more than 50kk's from the XZL's on a loaded crewcab. They're just like running a set of knobby motorcross tyres on the rod on your XT/DR/XR/whatever.
Actually the beach guys said they would still be buying the old road version of the XZL if they could still get them. Michelin but you can't get them anymore. A 100R straight road pattern. Shame.
What do they say >>> Flat out like a lizard drinking. See ya. John
karakum
New member
XZL's are rare even in Europe. Needed a set for my Bremach and had to run around to get some. Priced at approx EUR 300, today 450 US.
The reason is simple, as I have been told by insiders: These tires are made for military pruposes. The Army fills their stock every 2 year, therefore Michelin doesn´t make them more often.
The reason is simple, as I have been told by insiders: These tires are made for military pruposes. The Army fills their stock every 2 year, therefore Michelin doesn´t make them more often.
charlieaarons
Explorer
I believe those are called 9.00R16 XY. I used to have a set.
www.aircrafttyres.com claim to have some.
Charlie
whatcharterboat
Supporting Sponsor, Overland Certified OC0018
Yeah Charlie , they may have been 9.00R16 too . We got some old Michelins lying around . I'll see if I can find one to confirm and post back.
M.Bas
Adventurer
They still list "new" XZL's, I bought 6 a while back. The "new" XZL's are around 8 years old and were old stock of a Spanish company.
When I picked up mine they had several stacks all the way up to the roof.
Peter_n_Margaret
Adventurer
The OKA used these as standard.
I changed to 305/70R19.5 XDE2 Michelins instead.
Higher load capacity, bigger section, chip more, don't bag quite as well, more expensive, last longer........
I have had an exceptional run with them for about 150,000km of serious work now under all conditions (check the link below).
Cheers,
Peter
I changed to 305/70R19.5 XDE2 Michelins instead.
Higher load capacity, bigger section, chip more, don't bag quite as well, more expensive, last longer........
I have had an exceptional run with them for about 150,000km of serious work now under all conditions (check the link below).
Cheers,
Peter
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