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I went around to a few tyre shops in Bunbury today and found out this:

185/70R-14
-Maxxis MAP1 for $91
-Maxtrak at Discount Auto... supposedly made by Maxxis $80
-Kumho around $112
-Yokohama around $125
-Hankook around $128
-Michelins around $146 (sounds a bit dear)

185/75R-14
-BobJane all-rounder for $99 (this flexes less without a rim when I pushed on it )
-a lot of other makes too, within $10+/- of the 185/70R sizes
-I've been warned by others that this size may cause clearance issues,
due to my backspacing causing the wheel to swing around.
-Probably why I have an oversize spare (195/70R-14)

175/80R-14
-$160 from Michelin, MXTE model
-this one is 0.7" taller dia. than my 185/70R-14
-works out to about 9mm taller radius
-this size intruiges me, though the price is very-dear!

185/75R14 because bigger is better. Clearance will be fine.

I'd be leaning away from Bob Jane All rounders, just because I feel better about buying tyres that the tyre manufacturer puts their own name to. Probably not much in it though.

Budget $110 each and you should get some change.

Dane.

GOD wrote:185/75R14 because bigger is better. Clearance will be fine.

I'd be leaning away from Bob Jane All rounders, just because I feel better about buying tyres that the tyre manufacturer puts their own name to. Probably not much in it though.

Budget $110 each and you should get some change.

Dane.

Yeah they're rubbish tyres, keep away. Def go for a quality tyre.
Do you have to stick to a skinny tyre for clearance? will a 205 fit, say 205/70/14 or 205/65/14?

I've had 205/60/14 Sumitomo on a Corolla Seca Twin Cam that had trouble with wheel spin till i put them on. (lots of fun...redlined at 90kmh in 1st )

Or go with my fav...Yokohamas

+1 sumitomo tyres

195/70 will give you 80mm more width all up on the sand and about 4mm higher than the 175.

http://www.net-comber.com/tirecalc.html

nachaluva wrote:Yeah they're rubbish tyres, keep away. Def go for a quality tyre.
Do you have to stick to a skinny tyre for clearance? will a 205 fit, say 205/70/14 or 205/65/14?

I've had 205/60/14 Sumitomo on a Corolla Seca Twin Cam that had trouble with wheel spin till i put them on. (lots of fun...redlined at 90kmh in 1st )

Or go with my fav...Yokohamas

My Sunraysia's have drastically different backspacing,
making the wheel swing in an arc, not just pivot when I turn the steering wheel.
This is why I had to put fender flares on my car to get it to pass pit-inspection.

I definitely DO NOT have problems with wheel spin.
My EA82 is far too underpowered to be worried about spinning.
The only time I'm surprised by "breaking loose" is when I'm in 4Lo.
This is why I want to stick to a narrower tread pattern;
low rolling resistance for better acceleration.

GOD wrote:185/75R14 because bigger is better. Clearance will be fine.

I'd be leaning away from Bob Jane All rounders, just because I feel better about buying tyres that the tyre manufacturer puts their own name to. Probably not much in it though.

Budget $110 each and you should get some change.

Dane.

I hope that is true.
I have 1cm minimum gap on the front mudguards
at the worst steering angle using 195/70R-14s.
Does that still sound okay?
Now you make me want to reconsider going taller.

They claimed their tyres are made by Bridgestone.
I was impressed that under my hand pushing down,
the tyre did not cavitate under the tread, on an unmounted tyre.
Instead, the tread part remained flat and only the sidewall flexed.

d_generate wrote:195/70 will give you 80mm more width all up on the sand and about 4mm higher than the 175.

http://www.net-comber.com/tirecalc.html

195/70R-14's look great.

I tried my oversize spare on one corner.
It's about 6lbs heavier with full tread than my 185's, low tread and same rim.
So considering the extra weight, plus tyre width,
I'm thinking it might rob a noticeable amount of highway passing power.

Alex wrote:+1 sumitomo tyres

I've got some on now and they are better than what I'd expect from an almost-bald tyre.

I haven't seen any dealers offering them locally though.

I'm pretty intriuged by the Maxxis MAP1's.
They have heaps of "siping" (narrow slits for hydroplane resistance)
just like my current Sumitomo tyres.
Good price too at $91.
They have a tread-wear rating of 400, traction A, temp? A
My current tyres have a tread wear rating of 380.

Would 20 points in tread wear rating make a noticeable difference in grip on dry road?

Would having heaps of siping be good or bad for beach driving?
Kumho's and Hankooks look similar to the MAP1's for siping.

The Yokohama's had an unusual look.
Not much siping and five well-defined tread ridges-and-valleys.
Makes the tyre profile look more like a pulley than a highway tyre.
Would this type of tread be better for beach driving?

It's all down to tread pattern, which one I pick.
I'm still comfortable with re-using the 185/70R-14 size.
I can use one of my old ones for a full-size spare
and I know this size won't rob extra power from my motor.

Bob Jane do sumitomos same with Ian diffan.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

Had a closer look at Maxxis MA-P1's today:

They have a slightly aggressive highway tread;
outer tread shaped like teeth or claws, gaps at least 5mm...
could be better than average highway tyres for offroad grip

They also have a 440 tread wear rating, not 400 like I'd thought.

So a firmer/harder compound with wider gaps between tread lugs...


Hi-Fly tyres are also a bargain at $72 each
A design to decrease noise and "side-slip", so they claim.
Seems mediocre in tread pattern, but compounds a bit grippier than MA-P1's.

Deep sand makes for a lot of friction... perhaps a harder compound is better for hot sand?

Alex wrote:Bob Jane do sumitomos same with Ian diffan.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

thanks I might have a look

2nd Hand Yank wrote:Had a closer look at Maxxis MA-P1's today:

They also have a 440 tread wear rating, not 400 like I'd thought.

So a firmer/harder compound with wider gaps between tread lugs...

1. You cannot compare the UTQG numbers between manufacturers. I have seen the cases when a 700 tyre had the same wear mileage as a 400 rated tyre from another manufacturer.

2. I looked many times at Maxxis MA-P1 tyre as a candidate for my Outback. I would not say it has lots of sipes. Actually, I wanted to get it because it had less sipes, thus the thread blocks were firmer and would not squirm when cornering.

3. If you want a tyre good sand driving, you need to find one with the weaker sidewalls, so that the tyre would more readily spread on the ground when deflated. A good approximation for the stiffness of a sidewall is its speed rating. For example, the All-Terrain tyres in my size (205/70R15) come in S rating. The Highway-Terrain tyres are available in S and T... even in H rating. The passenger tyres are available mostly in H speed. The latter are not good for deflating and sand driving.

valerian wrote:1. You cannot compare the UTQG numbers between manufacturers. I have seen the cases when a 700 tyre had the same wear mileage as a 400 rated tyre from another manufacturer.

2. I looked many times at Maxxis MA-P1 tyre as a candidate for my Outback. I would not say it has lots of sipes. Actually, I wanted to get it because it had less sipes, thus the thread blocks were firmer and would not squirm when cornering.

3. If you want a tyre good sand driving, you need to find one with the weaker sidewalls, so that the tyre would more readily spread on the ground when deflated. A good approximation for the stiffness of a sidewall is its speed rating. For example, the All-Terrain tyres in my size (205/70R15) come in S rating. The Highway-Terrain tyres are available in S and T... even in H rating. The passenger tyres are available mostly in H speed. The latter are not good for deflating and sand driving.

1. This one's not much of an issue for me.

2. You have considered Maxxis MA-P1's for sand driving?
Yes it has firm, chunky blocks for a "highway tyre"
and I suppose a weaker sidewall may also be an advantage.

3. So the lower the speed rating, the better it works aired down?

Great post btw.

I'm a fan of Maxxis tyres. I'd say go with them. Cheap, long lastings and tough (from the ones I've seen and used).

2nd Hand Yank wrote: 2. You have considered Maxxis MA-P1's for sand driving?

I don't do sand driving.

3. So the lower the speed rating, the better it works aired down?

Yes.

IMHO, you cant beat Yoki Geolander AT-S for all round performance, on & off road. (I wish they'd give me a commission for all the recommendations i've made lol )

nachaluva wrote:IMHO, you cant beat Yoki Geolander AT-S for all round performance, on & off road. (I wish they'd give me a commission for all the recommendations i've made lol )

do they come in 185/70R-14?

http://www.yokohama.com.au/downloadfile ... ileid=6716

No.
And even if they did they would probably cost $150+ each.