M & S tyres for car

[Guest]

Julian and Clive etc.
I am interested in your tyre comments, and if I may be permitted would like
to take it towards cruisers too as Clive mentioned.
First, I thought Colway were cheap and cheerful remoulds, so do they make
the carcasses now then ?
I used to buy them for my wife's car (mini, fiesta, Citroen Visa etc) and
they were OK - but she was Mrs No. 1 ;-) Would never dare do that for No.
2 whenever she learns to drive !
Again I would mention any of the Nokia tyres for snow, though not sure
about mud, yet I never see adverts in the UK 4WD press for Nokia.
You will recall that I have Dunlop Grand Trek TG35 AT's which take me
literally everywhere. Yes they could be improved with a clearer water
groove in the centre but the 3 grooves that exist are OK. But driving in
mountains we also have torrential rain, like Manchester but more so. Often
we have to stop and let it die down a bit. For this reason we like to have
even AT's with a groove in the centre to channel water away for when we are
on asphalt, its not all mountain track driving here.
We find it difficult to get on with an AT pattern like BFG AT's, Fulda
AT's and the Bridgestone Duellers, and they rarely sell here, all cos they
have a wiggly kind of tread block and no clear peripheral grooves to get
water away from the footprint.
Clive likes his BFG AT's too, but maybe the rain in (Horley is it Cliv?e)
is not so tricky to handle on the M23 and places. So what is the general
view on these AT type tyres for off-road grip vs wet asphalt safety I wonder?
As an interesting footnote. My office is in the university campus where
several offices are let out to various agencies. One of the American
agency big bosses parks a very newish Patrol near the front door, so I have
to pass it every day. One day it was sporting a new set of GY Wrangler
AT's. I just couldn't believe that such angular, even triangular, blocky
treads would wear that well and still maintain grip - they have one very
narrow central groove and appear very aggressive. The car does not move
that often and I guess very rarely even gets muddy. Then when the snow
started to fall, I noticed one day it had a new set of boots - Pirelli
Scorpion AT's, which to my mind are much more useful and better siped for
snow traction. If I ever meet him I will have to ask why he changed them.
Most of the Japanese 4WD's of the peacekeeping force sport the Pirelli's,
they are not combat vehicles that need the heavy tread patterns though. Any
comments anyone?
Thanks and cheers
Jon
'92 HZJ80 ex UN surplus in Bosnia

 

[Guest]

Jon,
It's more Rusper than Horley.
The AT type of tyre gets good write up's for what I use it, which
is more tarmac than off road. I have had them fitted for 12 months now
and have not had a problem, this included Three weeks going to, and
driving in, Russia, last winter. I try not to push it in the wet but
on the odd occasion when I have thought that I had overdone it the
tyres were fine. This could be of course because my opinion of
overdone may differ from reality. I have only had the tyres on mud
once and that was Salisbury plain, again no complaint. At the moment,
if I need tyres again, I will go for the same. The AT tyre types are a
compromise so they have to lose out to proper off road tyres on the M
+ S, and to sports tyres in the wet.
Regards, Clive.