Well, I finally ordered my new Goodyear kevlar MTRs. I got the 33.4" tires. A bit bigger than my current 32s. I also ordered my Aussie locker and hubs today too. Should have all that done by end of Feb. Cant wait!!!!!!!
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Well, I finally ordered my new Goodyear kevlar MTRs. I got the 33.4" tires. A bit bigger than my current 32s. I also ordered my Aussie locker and hubs today too. Should have all that done by end of Feb. Cant wait!!!!!!!
I talked to Mike over at Indy4x, he hasnt heard anything bad at all about them. He said their offroad performance was awesome. If their wear rate follows their previous MTRs, these should be a 40K tire easy. I just like them for the sidewall strength and the asymmetrical tread pattern. Looks cool, and mine have a no questions asked warranty. I rip it, they send me a new one, and I got a 80 dollar rebate....sweet. A set of 4 with S&H and warranty, 1300. The warranty works so that I do not even have to take it in, I just call them and they mail me a new one. Very convenient. I will post pics once they are mounted and a review after the spring Uwharrie meet in April.
http://www.goodyeartires.com/goodyea...=Light%20Truck
I like my MTR's but they are showing their wear and they have no where near 40,000 miles on them...of course almost all the miles they do have on them are to and from the trail and trail miles!:bwgy:
MARLIN--- That's super news!!! I was kinda' hoping you'd go huge and get the tall 285/75R18 (35" O.D.), but the 275/70R18 (33.4" O.D.) will be fine I'm sure. Everything I've read about them is outstanding with bullet-proof toughness (perfect for your kind of wheelin').
You ought to mount them White Letter "Out", so they show motion while driving and be showy while the VX is parked. You could also watch them rotate in the reflection of the big store front windows in the mall (that's always fun). Spending that much money on tires; I'd want to shout it out to the world, so mount 'em White Letter "Out"!!!:yeso:
BTW-- Billy, there are two(2) types of G/Y "M/T-R's". The two(2) types are totally different and have different tread patterns. Which specific model do you have???
A: M/T-R
B: M/T-R with Kevlar
The Kevlars just came out in Aug09, so he has the original MTRs. But I am sure running them lowered air pressure and on trails takes its toll. Since I oly put 5K a year on my truck, these tires should last me as long as my engine lasts. I ordered two more General AT2s and I am switching the two best remaining from my truck to my wife's new 2010 F150. The not so good nicked up 3rd AT2 will become my spare. no more bald donut!!!! It is kind of a sad day, once I get the locker installed, the neon lights and the new tires, there isn't much left to do to the old girl. :( I am going to work a new bumper, something that will conform to the headlight/grill pattern. I have a lifter ticking, but it has done that since day one. Never could clearly hear it with the exhaust leak, but now that is fixed and I can hear plain as day. No problem though, she runs like a champ. I have some stuff to do to the wife's truck, install the dvd player, upgrade crappy factory speakers, lift kit, digital rear view and sensors, and maybe a few other things. Then its all over!!!!!!!!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Riff Raff
I'm liking mine so far. Put a set of 315/75R/16's on in Aug. and 5000+ miles later I estimate about a 1/8" of tread gone, so they should be good for 30K or so. Like other MT's they're not really designed to ba a DD, but I do it and they handle really well on the road for a large tire, just a bit more wandering on the ruts. They are fairly quiet too, but I expect the noise to go up as they wear.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marlin
Wheeling has been great, took a trip to the mountains of N.M. in Sept. and even with the locker/ATRAC on the fritz they just crawled over everything in my path. All in all I like them better than the old style MT/R's I had on the VX, and the asymetrical tread just looks cool too! Just be sure you mount them correctly, there is an inside/outside designation on the tire.
That is weird, I was reading a review on one of the jeep sites that said they asked the rep if they were directional, they said they were not. Oh well, looks like Riff gets his wish white letter out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay Dunford
If you want em black out, just put em on the other side, they'll be turning the same direction...:yesgray:Quote:
Originally Posted by Marlin
Yep, it's wierd but Goodyear makes some sizes with a blackwall out (like mine) and most with the white letters out. They are mildly directional (by looking at the tread), but with the inside/outside being specified the pattern is pointing in different directions on each side. There are 3 different tread lug styles across the tire and the larger, wide spaced lugs are supposed to be on the outside of the rim.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marlin
No, no, no . . . if you do that time will be reversed and the universe will implode!!:bgwb:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ldub
Riff, as you frequently ask.....what have you been smokin'?...."hoping you'd go huge"...I'm confused, is the same Riff I know?....http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/c...nfused0081.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Riff Raff
And Marlin....I thought it was imperative to keep your spare the same O.D. as your new tires to prevent screwing up the TOD? 33.4" new tires vs. 32" old. :_thinking
I was waiting for the "rotating mass/unsprung weight manifesto" too...WTF?:_confusedQuote:
Originally Posted by VX KAT
Dude...that only happens when you divide by zero...:smilewinkQuote:
Originally Posted by Jay Dunford
http://www.omjapan.se/wp-content/upl...e_by_zero1.jpg
My tire theory is this-- if a VX'er ain't gonna' listen to reason by keeping individual maximum tire weight to no greater than 44 lbs each; and is hell-bent on getting excessively heavy tires, then I say "GO BIG; or, GO HOME!!!"
Thus, my ultimate recommendation for MARLIN was the G/Y M/T-R with Kevlar in 285/75R18 (35" O.D./65 lbs) in BSW and mounted on the Stock OEM 18x7 rims which would greatly help reduce front wheel well rubbing issues to a bare minimum due to the OEM rim's proper offset/backspacing. For MARLIN's "spare", I would recommend the very skinny and lightweight 35" O.D. Mickey-Thompson sand tire of "Baja Pro" in 35x10.0-15 (35" O.D./40 lbs) (Part #2555) and sells for $220 each at www.PerformanceParts4Less.com. This combination remains my best recommendation for MARLIN.
However; despite my best efforts, MARLIN chose the smaller 275/70R18 (33.4" O.D./63 lbs), and saved a whooping 2 lbs per tire. For a "spare", he'll use a 32" O.D. Grabber AT2 from his previous VX set. Yes; it doesn't match the O.D., but as long as it's installed on only the front axle, then it should be OK in an emergency. With the beefy M/T-R with Kevlar, I suspect MARLIN will never get a flat no matter how hard he tries (then again, MARLIN can find a way to break anything).
So NOW what...:confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by Riff Raff
Marlin has to go home?...:rotate:...:laughing:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Riff Raff
And as an added bonus, you might get to crash test that bumper...:yesgray:
as far as i know goodyear doesnt put white lettering on tires that have to be mounted in any specific direction.. like their fortera line only has white lettering on the non directional tires, same with their car tires that have the whitewall option, of course the biggest goodyears i typically see are 285/75/16 wrangler silent armors, so may be different with the MT-Rs if you have any Q's about them i can call our rep monday to ask about it
I believe that this only might matter to TOD in the front. I have been running a 32" on one side and a 31" on the other rear since Oct. No problems. As for running it on the front, I will have manual hubs and the front will be free wheeling except on trails anyway. I think there may be a lot of unjustified crazy no different size tire hype. I couldn't find anywhere that anyone put theory to practice.Quote:
Originally Posted by VX KAT
As long as the smaller tire is placed in the right place...no problems (just like the donut spare).
Since you'll be replacing it with an Aussie Locker, It won't matter that two different size tires on the rear axle will prematurely wear out the clutch packs in the LSD.:confusedwQuote:
Originally Posted by Marlin
Well, it took 4 hours, but finally got the Kevlars mounted. They do not stretch and you have to get em warm to get a bead set on them. Boo!!!!! As for the tires, all I have to say is that they are awesome!!! Relative to my vehicle, my handling went from a 5 to a an 8. The stiff sidewall helped immensely with body roll. The noise went from a 7 to a 5. I am not knocking the AT2s, but these tires kill them on ride and sound. Of course, for the price of one MTR you can get two AT2s, so you figure out what its worth. Here are a few pics. I need to do some pounding/cutting on the front cladding, but no biggie. I know, I need to quit being lazy and get a license plate mount.
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...u/IMGP0821.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...u/IMGP0822.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...u/IMGP0823.jpg
Looking good Marlinstein.
Congrats MARLIN, they truly look awesome. It looks like you went muddin' even before you cleaned off the blue protecive white letter covering, LOL.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marlin
I agree with your comments regarding better corner handling & slightly lower highway noise levels when comparing to your previous set of lightweight Grabber AT2's.
The lightweight C-Load Range AT2's are only 6-ply in the tire sidewall, when compared to your stiff E-Load Range 10-ply M/T-R's with the added rigidity of Kevlar which gives an additional 35% more sidewall stiffness probably close in comparison to an F-Load Range (12-ply) tire. It's no wonder they needed to be heated-up before mounting, and will have zero tire roll when cornering. The super stiff sidewall M/T-R's will simply skid around a corner before they even attempt to tire roll.
The reduction in tire noise on the highway is quite apparent due to the tight-knit tread pattern near the center. It's a well designed tread to be highway quiet with the center rib portion, and offer superior off-road traction with it alternating shoulder lugs. The lightweight AT2's have 5-rows of traction lugs across the entire tread width and do not have a center rib or a tight-knit center tread portion like the M/T-R's to offer enhanced highway noise reduction.
While the VX OEM tires weighed only 34 lbs each; the Grabber AT2's at 44 lbs each, your M/T-R's are significantly heavier at 63 lbs each (almost 30 lbs each over OEM). Since your VX is focused to be more of a "trail rig", the added tire weight is a tradeoff in order to gain offroad toughness. You're a smart guy, so I know you'll take the necessary precautions when driving on the street with those much heavier tires.
Yes; as you said, the M/T-R's are exactly double the price of an AT2. For your kind of serious off-roading you need a tough tire that can withstand your type of abuse, and I'm confident the M/T-R is exactly the right tire "for you" regardless of price.
I can't wait to hear your report on how they perform offroad. Please keep us posted, as the new G/Y M/T-R with Kevlar is truly a unique tire with unique capabilites. Again, congrats on your purchase; they look simply stunning.
Lastly, consider the License Plate holder from JCWhitney that simply inserts into your 2" receiver hitch with the angled-up taper to retain your departure angle. Get the JCWhitney "illuminated" License Plate bracket to illuminate your plate at night and your done.:bgwb:
All this talk about tire noise...didn't your VX's come with a stereo?:bwgy:
Yep, I upgraded that POS too...now I can't hear all the rattles I have on the truck:)
Played with the new tires in the mud today. Made me think of driving a tractor. That thing didn't even slow down. They were completely cleared in 20 feet or so. I am happy so far.
hey, just to let you know... they will get noisier as they wear a little (at least my MTR's did...and everyone ive talked to who drives em says they get louder)
but they are an amazing tire... i was very happy with mine.
Update on the kevlars. Performance was awesome on the trail, zero problems.
I pressure washed the truck today, noticed the tires looked funny. In order for white lettering, they paint the outside white, then put black over that, and shave off the outer part on the lettering, voila, white letters. Well, my black layer is coming off, so I will end up with a whole white wall. Boo!!! So I called Goodyear, they told me to take it in. I finally found an actual Goodyear store. They are ordering me four brand new ones, no charge. They said it will be a few months. Woo Hoo! I am driving around on free rubber!! I used 1/32" in 1000 miles. Not bad. The guy at the shop was not friendly at all, and kept trying to get out of it. He was like "its gonna be months, do you still wanna do it?" The longer it takes the better, as far as I am concerned.
SO I guess I just have to keep them covered in mud;)
He commented that there were rub marks and some nicks in the sidewall, so it might not be covered. I asked him to take a look at his own site, that is what the tire was built for, hence the 1" thick sidewall. LOL, what a tool.
Truck looks great man! Ya some tire place guys are like that, they don't wanna deal with any "inconvenience" and will try to weasel their way out of it any time they can. If they let you keep the old ones, send em' my way, wink wink
Sheeit. If they let me keep, em they will stay on the wheels as is. I could honestly care less about the appearance, but at 1300 bucks for 4, might as well have em look nice if I can.:)Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
for sure lol, those things are expensive! I was thinking about them and decided for the use I will put the VX through, not worth the cost lol
I used to think that way, then I got more into wheeling, tore open a new AT2 on the sidewall, threw away 200 bucks. I decided after the PITA of changing a tire on the trail/mud/slop etc... I might as well get something that will eliminate the problem. The remaining tires did not go to waste, they are now on my wife's 2010 F150 I got her for Vday. "Waste not want not" (at least that is how I convinced her that I needed 4 new tires)Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
MARLIN--- Good point. Basically, you get what you pay for these days. When considering a tire purchase, one must truly analyze their own lifestyle and determine if they're more street, more off-road, or a combination of both.
Initially when I first recommended the lightweight AT2's; your lifestyle was more a combination of street/off-road. However; over time, you gotten bitten by the off-road bug and your VX lifestyle changed to more of a dedicated off-road'er. As such, the need for a more beefier trail tire that can withstand the rigors and abuse of such an off-road lifestyle was required.
Thus, my follow-up recommendation was the Good/Year M/T-R with Kevlar which is about as bullet-proof as you can get for serious off-roading. The M/T-R with Kevlar is unique in that it is a multi-role tire with half A/T and half M/T tread patterns built into one. With the added protective strength of Kevlar, it is highly unlikely you will ever experience a flat again while off-roading. Then again, if anybody can test the breaking point of something-- MARLIN is up to the task.:yeso:
At this moment in time I'm alot more street or light offroading than heavy offroading. I'll hit the mud holes and backtrails every now and then but the rocks and what not is rare for me to get the time to get out there. As the kids get a little older that will change (I hope), and then I'll drop the coin on some Kevlars or something similar. My next new tire purchase will probably end up being the Swamper Trxus MT's, love em'. Good job convincing the wife ;) I have to do that every now and then. "But honey, if I spend the extra money now it won't break in the future" lol.
I just got my new Kevlars installed. The manager proceeded to lecture me on the use of my tires,saying it was obvious that the sidewalls had contacted rocks and other sharp surfaces...duh!!! I told him, "no ****, thats what those tires and my truck were made for". He was not amused, he seemed disappointed that Goodyear offered to replace my tires for free, I didn't pay a single dime. They did not wear well either, 1/8" off of the front an 1/16" off the rear in less than 2K miles. I also managed to tear off a few of the outer lugs. They handle awesome, and are very quiet, and are killer in mud and on rocks. But based on wear and cosmetic issues, i would not buy these again. The new tires are slightly different, so hopefully Goodyear fixed their QA problems on the cosmetic black coating and the softness of the rubber. I will post up in a few months if they do the same thing as my first set.Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
On the RS I am putting some Swamper TSL Bias Ply tires. Those things are indestructible and much cheaper than the Kevlars. I could buy 5 for less than I bought 4 Kevlars.
You ended up getting an RS?
Yep, Joe D (Joe darlington, team Isuzu ECORS, Darlington offroad products) has a cherry 93. He asked me if I wanted it, he has had it for some time. 126K miles NO RUST, never been wheeled, he is putting in a aussie in the front, diff drop, sliders, all maintenance done. All I gotta do is put new wheels/tires, lift, and trooper wide stance front end and she is trail ready:) A zu far more rare than a VX, and she will do what she was built for, wheelin!!! Like Fight Club, I just have to destroy something beautiful.Quote:
Originally Posted by RamAirZ
Its actually going to be the wife's rig. She has wanted a tummy tuck for the last few years, and she said she would rather have the truck...go figure;)
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o...d4x4/93RSa.jpg
haha that's awesome man! Congrats
Just wanted to update on the Kevlars. I already updated my tire rack review as well. The new tires now have 1500 miles or so on em. Two trips to uwharrie. No problems, whatever problem they had before, Goodyear seems to have fixed em. No torn lugs or missing chunks, the cosmetic black is still black (although a different tint, not sure if anyone else would notice, but I am now super sensitive to it).
I have not checked tread depth, but they seem to be wearing evenly and not near as fast as the other set. In light of the improvements, I would recommend these tires for the avid offroader. Not so much for the once a year weekend outing, they are way too expensive for that, I would stick to some type of AT tire for that, but if you are going to regularly trail your truck, this tire is awesome.