Mudless "mud terrains" for expedition driving?

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
Well that is interesting info regrading wear. One of the things I don't care for on the M55 is the built up area in the center of the tread that makes the depth of the tread much shallower in the middle.

ashooter said:
SNIP...


Edit to add this FYI: Just got off the phone with the owner of a tire shop I kinda know (friend of a friend) and he said that Toyo M/T's in 265/75/16 and 285/75/16 in his area (mostly sand/caliche and gravel) seem to be getting an average of about 25k-30k miles before they needed to be replaced. I told him I would have hoped to have at least around 8/32nds of tread left at 30k miles, and he said "No way - not gonna happen, but you will probably get 40k out of an M55 with that much tread left". He said some of his customers get 60k out of the M-55 before replacing them.
 
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ashooter

Adventurer
Yeah that really surprised me. I figured the M/T would last longer than that... I can probably stomach paying $250+ per tire if it is TOUGH and will last 40k miles, but 30k miles tops for what will likely be $275+ per tire? I don't think so.
 

mauricio_28

Adventurer
At what point does the tire pop out of the rim?
At what point does the rim and tire start spinning independently?
At what point does the tire suffer irreversible damage, compromising its normal pressure, high-speed safety?
Would you not have been able to traverse the trail at, say, 20psi?
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
The answer to each one of your questions is that "It Depends" on many factors (the tire, vehicle weight, driver, wheel, on and on...)

mauricio_28 said:
At what point does the tire pop out of the rim?
At what point does the rim and tire start spinning independently?
At what point does the tire suffer irreversible damage, compromising its normal pressure, high-speed safety?
Would you not have been able to traverse the trail at, say, 20psi?
 

R_Lefebvre

Expedition Leader
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of those pictures either. Wow. I would think that would compromise the sidewall structure.

I've heard of the M/T's not lasting too long, and combined with the price, that's why I went with the S/T's and said "good enough".
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
Yeah, I would just keep in perspective that is one man's second hand experience. I did a search last night and found others on forums saying they were getting 40-50k out of their Toyo MTs.

Your mileage Will vary.

ashooter said:
Yeah that really surprised me. I figured the M/T would last longer than that... I can probably stomach paying $250+ per tire if it is TOUGH and will last 40k miles, but 30k miles tops for what will likely be $275+ per tire? I don't think so.
 

madizell

Explorer
R_Lefebvre said:
Yeah, I'm not a big fan of those pictures either. Wow. I would think that would compromise the sidewall structure.

Damage can occur from such use, but rarely does. Assuming that someone who needs bead locks to survive on the trail already knows a bit about driving in rocks, we might also assume the driver knows better than to try to go fast under these conditions, and won't spin the tires. (Rock crawling per se is different -- you really can't spend time caring about your tires while driving competitively on rocks). As long as caution is used, the flexure of the tires won't by itself cause damage to the sidewall. Get the vehicle in motion, however, and you can bruise the sidewall with such low pressures. For this kind of low pressure use, I would limit myself to bias ply tires, and would not use a radial.
 

Azlugz

Adventurer
I run the same type terrain here in AZ with some mud after the rains. Last change I went to Procomp Extreme Mud Terrains and they have worked great in everything I have been thru so far and the new Extreme's are heavier sidewalled than the old mud terrains
 

24HOURSOFNEVADA

Expedition Leader
I didn't post those pics to hijack, only to demonstrate that tires ability to be used at a very low psi. It wasn't that low for the entire trail, only the last big obstacle called Cadillac Hill.


Make no mistake. Speed, duration and terrain all need to be taken into account on when running very low psi, or damage will be a given.
 

ashooter

Adventurer
24HOURSOFNEVADA said:
I didn't post those pics to hijack...


One of the things I like about this site is that nobody throws a fit when a thread drifts a little from the original topic. I've gotten a lot of good info here from that!
 

maybe_a_80...

New member
Life_in_4Lo said:
Those Cooper ST's in Redline's pics almost look like BFG TA/KO's and I know ProComp and others have similar tires... I always thought the Cooper SST was a nice tire too. Bajataco.com had a nice review of them

That is good info at www.bajataco.com

With the Cooper Discoverers, it is important to note that there are three variations of the commonly discussed "ST" - note the S/T and S/T-C use the same tread pattern and the STT uses a different tread pattern. Wording is shamelessly copied from the Cooper Website. The bajataco review regards the STT.


S/T: The Discoverer S/T is Cooper's premium all-purpose SUV/light truck traction tire that is a hybrid of three designs - all-terrain, high void, and commercial traction. The Discoverer S/T fits a wide range of SUVs and light trucks up to 1 ton, but is especially suitable for high-powered, high torque light trucks where optimum wear and traction are required.

S/T-C: The Discoverer S/T-C is Cooper's premium all-purpose light truck traction tire that utilizes a special cut and chip resistance tread compound. A hybrid of three designs - all-terrain, high void, and commercial traction - the Discoverer S/T-C is especially suited for off-road applications where cutting and chipping of the tread that leads to reduced mileage is of primary concern.

STT: The Discoverer STT's computer designed, non-directional tread employs a combination of features including deep buttress lugs, notched and scalloped shoulder lugs, and a unique center traction zone to create a bold, aggressive tire for tough off-road applications.
 

ashooter

Adventurer
Well, just a small update...

Based on everything I've heard/read and what I've seen in the last couple of months of Toyo M/T's being used by seismograph crews here in West Texas, I've got my heart set on some Toyo M/T's (or maybe M-55's) in 255/85R16. These seismograph guys try pretty hard to kill their tires and don't seem to be killing the M/T's very efficiently.

The problem now is that nobody around here can get the 255 M/T's.

I figure once I get the paint job on the truck done, if I can find some M/T's I'll go that route. If not, M-55's it is.


...Redline - Any updates on your 255 M/T's?



?
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
Nope, the Toyo MTs have yet to get dirty. Over the past few weeks my energy was focused on the gearing/locker project and wearing-in the gears. I haven't had time to hit the trails. At the end of June/early July I will be on a few day camping trip and the Toyos will see their first off-highway use.

I've had Toyo MTs before and I don't expect any surprises. They are a extremely rugged tire, and consequently firmer/stiffer than most. They are relatively quiet and happy on-highway. Off-road, removing more air will be required to get them to flex and ride soft.

You started off wanting a very rugged tire for rocks and I think you should stay true to that goal. The Toyo MT is that tire. I’m sure the seismograph guys are like other work crews (loggers, miners) and the truck/tires are just tools and get used very hard.

It’s been a long time since I had the M55s in my shop but from memory... The M55 highway whine/singing tone is quite different than the more traditional hum of the Toyo MT. However the ‘volume’ is similar. I’m guessing on the freeway the M55s are still quieter than the MT, but not by much. I find the MT tone/rumble more pleasant than the M55 whine. I would personally choose the Toyo MT over the M55 (now that they are both out in 255/85) just for the superior thread depth, void ratio , and the sidewall lugs.


ashooter said:
Well, just a small update...

Based on everything I've heard/read and what I've seen in the last couple of months of Toyo M/T's being used by seismograph crews here in West Texas, I've got my heart set on some Toyo M/T's (or maybe M-55's) in 255/85R16. These seismograph guys try pretty hard to kill their tires and don't seem to be killing the M/T's very efficiently.

The problem now is that nobody around here can get the 255 M/T's.

I figure once I get the paint job on the truck done, if I can find some M/T's I'll go that route. If not, M-55's it is.


...Redline - Any updates on your 255 M/T's?



?
 

Redline

Likes to Drive and Ride
Yeah P., I didn't make a big deal about it... I let it leak out slowly.

I think a couple weeks ago in Scott's thread about his interest in the Toyo MT I confessed to purchasing a set of the Toyo MTs (maybe this thread too, I don't remember).

LT255/85R16E :)

I've yet to put many miles on them and no dirt, but I know what to expect. They are load range E and though currently on the 4Runner, if I decide they are too firm for my dedicated off-road tire they may find a home on my F350 (a perfect match). But I will likely keep them mounted on a set of 4Runner wheels for at least a few months. The upcoming Nevada Trophy may be just the event for this super tough tire.


p1michaud said:
Have I missed something here? Did Imelda strike again...

:rockon:
 

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