New tyres for the Jimny

[mud_muncher]

Hi All,

So i have had the skinny swampers for a few years now and while they have been a great tyre i am thinking of a change. I am looking at a 33inch tyre in a 10.5 to 12.5 size. Here are my requirements in order of importance. I dont mind going to an 8inch rim.

1. Great all round offroad perfermance, car is a weekend worrier.
2. I would prefer a softer compound, will help on rock, life is of no importance.
3. I would prefer radial as a nice tyre to drive on the freeway to tracks further away (and so RACV can take me back) .
4. It can be less agressive then the swamper as this should save my drive train a bit more, but still would like to be able to do "hard" tracks.
5. Price is always a factor for a zook owner.

I am looking the the FEDs, buckshots, bighorns, mudstars or open to any other suggestions.

thanks

[christover1]

I'll vouch for the Federal Couragias.
Soft compound, quite good on the road,
and noise seems to be lower than most mudders.
(If you can believe a deaf sod )
Have side wall protection, and good lugs.
Been on my Sierra and the same tyres are now on the Vit.
So tread life is fair.
Off road is very good,
never lost a bead, or any other probs.
Don't think they come in 33/10 but do in 33/12
Good prices, too.
Negative: real size is a bit less than that claimed.

I haven't driven on any of the others mentioned

[Greg]

it's a weekend warrior and you want to downgrade from a swamper?

mucho-confuso

you realise that everyone else in the world is trying to own a weekend only car and upgrade to something more agressive - but you will be going against this trend.

perhaps an upgrade to beadlocks would be a smarter move? if you think that the compound is too hard, the beadlocks would at least allow you to get the most out of them by running a lower pressure.

[mika]

kevlar MTR's? Not cheap but good road manners and I believe softer compound than other radials. Probably more suited to rocks than mud but would still be a good all round tyre. 33x12.5 would probably stay on a 8" rim at fairly low pressure on a Jimny?

[gwagensteve]

I think you are barking up the wrong tree here Harley.

A softer compound will mean more traction on high traction surfaces. That's going to mean more breakage.

A less aggressive tyre will mean more RPM and wheelspeed in low traction surfaces= more breakage.

An 8" rim will be more leverage on your axles=more breakage

A 12.5" tyre will be more weight on your axles = more breakage

Radials? Whatever.

I'm with Greg. beadlocks and proper low pressure.

If you want a "long trip" tyre, by all means an MTR ( I think they are excellent) but I'd look at 235 85 16 on GV rims so when you are all loaded up and miles away you're not pushing the driveline as hard and you still have some ground pressure.

PS 12.5's and 8" rims will be miles harder to fit - they won't tuck at all.

Personally, think you need to be looking at building some stronger axles/diffs so you can use the tyres you have already more fully.

Just my 2C.

[sierrajim]

We're Federal dealers here if you wanted to go for the Cougaria's.

I do agree though, 12.5's will take a lot of fitting. Radials would handle a lot better but afterall it is a zook.