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Land Cruiser Tyres – Buyers Guide
Land Cruiser Tyres – Buyers Guide
- Tyres
Everything you need to know about choosing the right Land Cruiser tyres.
So you are looking for some new Land Cruiser tyres. You want tyres that are fit for your overlanding adventures, and are also comfortable for all the highway you have to travel on while getting to your gravel destinations. And now you find yourself contemplating all the available options that lie before you, wondering how to choose the best tyres for your Land Cruiser. Welcome to the world of all terrain tyres.
All Terrain Tyres
Just to set things straight, that is what you’re looking for, an all terrain tyre. For the purpose of this article we’ll only be discussing all terrain tyres. Let’s face it, a Land Cruiser really shouldn’t have tar-only tires. We’ll discuss other purpose specific tyres in coming articles. So all-terrain tyres are just that; tyres that fit all terrains. You really want to find the right tyre set that will take you from the highway to beach to sand to mud (and more) without an issue. Rolling down the highway at 120km/h not sounding like tank tack is also preferred.
Often overlooked, having the right all terrain tyres on your adventure could mean the difference between calling all the shots on your trip, or calling the brother-in-law who you really probably should have invited from the beginning.
With such a wide selection available, buying new tires for your Land Cruiser bakkie can be a real ball ache. And just when you think you’ve made up your mind on what you want, that is often when a know-it-all uncle or a well positioned advert offering a tempting discount comes to make you start from scratch in your decision-making.
What are the ideal Land Cruiser tyres?
Most vehicle owners put long-lasting as one of the top attributes when asking this question. Also near the top of that list are other attributes like grip, both wet and dry, and noise. So then the ideal tyre is a quiet tyre that grips in both wet and dry conditions, doesn’t cake up in the mud, and still has great cornering ability. Right?
Sure. But we have news for you. That tire doesn’t exist… yet. So then really the best tire for your Land Cruiser is the one that has a good compromise between all the attributes you are looking for and here are a few guidelines for choosing the right tire for your vehicle.
1. Tyre Size
The size of your tyre is critical to the obstacles or terrain you’re going over. Taller tyres the give you more ground clearance. That’s really what it comes down to. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that bigger is always better. There is a line. If you go too big you’re going to start changing some of the primary attributes to your bakkie’s performance and reliability. Going for an overly sized tyre has knock-on effects. You should probably change your suspension, potentially your drive line, or drop your transfer case. So you need to ask yourself, “how big do I want to go and what am I planning on doing?”
People will often take their stock Cruiser and put the largest tyre they can on it and still have it run in good working order. So they’re not rubbing on anything, and the turning is okay. At this point we should probably let you know that we do not encourage that. The closer you can keep the Land Cruiser to stock, the better it’s going to operate on a day to day basis, within what it was designed to do. Ask yourself, “What is the most efficient size for my vehicle Land Cruiser?”. We like to run tyres that are just under 33 inches.
2. Tread Pattern of Tyre
This is where people sometimes get into a measuring contest over whose tread pattern is better. Let us just say right now, between all terrain and a mud terrain, they’re both good options. It really just comes down to what type of terrain you’re going to be covering.
The average overlander does a lot of highway kilometers with their Land Cruiser weighed down quite a bit. And so simply put, it’s just safer to run with an all terrain tyre. So are you going to be off road most of the time, or are you going to be on the road most of the time?
3. Tyre Compound
A harder rubber compound is going to last longer, but it’s not going to be as sticky or adhesive to the road you’re on. Softer compound tyres are going to grab the road better, but are going to wear out a faster. And you’re probably going to have to rotate your tyres sooner than with the harder compound.
4. The sidewall and tread ply of the tyre
So there is a tread ply and a sidewall ply. On any decent off road tyre, anything with a six ply tread or greater will be adequate. A two ply sidewall is adequate for offroad use even with the pressure down a bit, however if you can get a three ply that is really ideal.
5. Know the tyre on your Land Cruiser
This is really just a bonus point to help you understand what the numbers on the side of a tyre mean. Let’s use a BF Goodrich All Terrain. You should see something close to LT285/65/R18.
What does this mean?
LT = Light Truck
285 = Telling you that the tyre has a width of 285 millimeters
65 = This number means that the tire has an aspect ratio of 65%. In other words, your tyre’s sidewall height (from the edge of the rim to the tyre’s tread) is 65% of the width.
R = Speaks about the method used to manufacture the tyre. In this case it’s Radial.
18 = Indicates the size in inches of the rim that the tyre will fit onto.
So what is the best tyre?
Firstly, it needs to be stated that this is purely our opinion and should not be taken as law. It is a personal preference from us here at Land Cruiser SA, based on personal experience.
With that said, one of our favourites if you haven’t noticed already, is the BF Goodrich All Terrain or KO2. Why? The BFG KO2 is already a best selling tyre, and somehow BF Goodrich just seems to keep making it better. It’s made of a compound that is cut and chip resistant, and is designed to provide a longer lasting tread life. The sidewall of the tyre consists of a Tri-Guard construction which helps prevent any types of obstructions from piercing the tyre sidewall. Once again this increases durability that so many Land Cruiser owners have come to love and rely on. When it comes to driving on tar, the BF Goodrich KO2 is built to handle rain and snow as well as the next tyre in its category.
Pros and cons
In sum, it has a well designed tread that increases durability and useful life. It is a solid tyre providing great traction, both on the road and in off-road conditions. They perform excellently on wet surfaces. The only downside to this tyre, in our experience, is that it performs poorly in mud. However, if you know you will be doing some muddy conditions, then you should look at the BF Goodrich KM3 Mud Tire, which is another great tyre by BFG. Watch BF Goodrich KM3 Mud tire review.
Conclusion:
And so there you have it, some basic guidelines on how to choose the best Land Cruiser tyres. It should be said that this is just that, a guideline. You may well find that you have a different set of criteria by which you measure the best suited tyre for your Land Cruiser.
Let us know in the comments below, what is your favourite tyre? Or what else would you like to see in this article?
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