Goodyear Wrangler A/T (Kevlar)

[PeterS]

So I am already looking / planning for my next set of tyres for the Fortuner. It’s a significant purchase so a bit of savings needs to be built up.

When we talk about a tyre being well priced, what factors are we looking at? Just the initial purchase price or the total cost of ownership including cost per KM.

When people in the forum quote their KM lifespan they are achieving, is this with 4 wheel or 5 wheel rotation (implies you will need to replace 4 or 5 tyres at a time).

As an example, the Goodyear Wrangler and Dunlop AT3G are approximately the same purchase price per tyre. But the Wrangler seems to get ~50k km per tyre. Dunlop guarantee 100k KM per tyre. Does that make the Dunlop effectively half the price of the Wrangler? Likewise is R5000 tyre that does 80k km more expensive?

I follow Jors Malan on YouTube. He lives off-road in an environment most of us visit 2-3 times a year. I noticed his FJ runs with Dunlops. I queried this with him. He is happy with his Dunlop’s and especially the price paid.

One thing I’ve noticed on these forums is that for every brand mentioned you will 100 yea’s and 100 nays

Not pushing Dunlop, just asking the question?

[Hedgehog]

So I am already looking / planning for my next set of tyres for the Fortuner. It’s a significant purchase so a bit of savings needs to be built up.

When we talk about a tyre being well priced, what factors are we looking at? Just the initial purchase price or the total cost of ownership including cost per KM.

When people in the forum quote their KM lifespan they are achieving, is this with 4 wheel or 5 wheel rotation (implies you will need to replace 4 or 5 tyres at a time).

As an example, the Goodyear Wrangler and Dunlop AT3G are approximately the same purchase price per tyre. But the Wrangler seems to get ~50k km per tyre. Dunlop guarantee 100k KM per tyre. Does that make the Dunlop effectively half the price of the Wrangler? Likewise is R5000 tyre that does 80k km more expensive?

I follow Jors Malan on YouTube. He lives off-road in an environment most of us visit 2-3 times a year. I noticed his FJ runs with Dunlops. I queried this with him. He is happy with his Dunlop’s and especially the price paid.

One thing I’ve noticed on these forums is that for every brand mentioned you will 100 yea’s and 100 nays

Not pushing Dunlop, just asking the question?

Maybe some perspective is required:

I had the same Dunlops SP22s (Not all Dunlops are the same) on my FJ as what Jors has.. And yes he gets on well with them, but, has lost a few of them... But he also has quite a few of them spare in his shed.

My experience with the Dunlop SP22s is having to fix 2 punctures within 5000km of owning the vehicle. And these were had on tar.

I also owned the Dunlop AT3Gms that are mentioned, and yes they are very good, but they are extremely heavy, and affected the vehicle's consumption that they were on quite drastically.

I now have Wrangler Adventures on my FJ (a petrol vehicle) These tyres come in two specs
a Non LT and an LT, the LT is more re-enforced than the non LT but they are sold at relatively the same price of each specification

The Wrangler has better grip, than the AT3Gs, deflate better, is lighter (a lot) and is strong enough that in the 40k km of rather punishing work I have not had a cut, chip, puncture, De-bead, or anything.. The same could not be said about the AT3Gs.. They cut and chipped rather easily

The Wranglers do not last as long..in km... yes, but in my opinion, for MY use.. They last longer.... (Because they do not damage as easily)

And, perform better off road, than any other AT tyre I have owned

They just do not look as MACHO

Also.. Stock availability of the Dunlops especially the AT3Gms are tenuous to say the least

[Hennie84]

So I am already looking / planning for my next set of tyres for the Fortuner. It’s a significant purchase so a bit of savings needs to be built up.

When we talk about a tyre being well priced, what factors are we looking at? Just the initial purchase price or the total cost of ownership including cost per KM.

When people in the forum quote their KM lifespan they are achieving, is this with 4 wheel or 5 wheel rotation (implies you will need to replace 4 or 5 tyres at a time).

As an example, the Goodyear Wrangler and Dunlop AT3G are approximately the same purchase price per tyre. But the Wrangler seems to get ~50k km per tyre. Dunlop guarantee 100k KM per tyre. Does that make the Dunlop effectively half the price of the Wrangler? Likewise is R5000 tyre that does 80k km more expensive?

I follow Jors Malan on YouTube. He lives off-road in an environment most of us visit 2-3 times a year. I noticed his FJ runs with Dunlops. I queried this with him. He is happy with his Dunlop’s and especially the price paid.

One thing I’ve noticed on these forums is that for every brand mentioned you will 100 yea’s and 100 nays

Not pushing Dunlop, just asking the question?

For the price of the Dunlops I would rather look at this, they also have a 100000km warranty
https://www.errolstyres.co.za/tyre/y...2/2656517HG015

These are also excellent tyres for what you pay
https://www.errolstyres.co.za/tyre/g.../2656517TAVAT3

[Chukudeer]

Interesting how peoples experience with these Wranglers differ. I had a set on my Navara, after 90k km I had zero issues, sold the bakkie and the tyres most likely had another 30k km left as they still looked new. Lots of survey work all over Southern Africa, tar, gravel, sand. At times towing heavy trailers in bad conditions. Launching the boat at low pressures......no issues at all, not even one puncture.

Currently have a set on my Discovery, they have done 40k km so far, still looking new. Again, tar, potholes, dirt, sand, boat.....

I lost more BFG AT's on my Defender due sidewall cuts and those things could never be balanced.

[HugoNotte]

So I am already looking / planning for my next set of tyres for the Fortuner. It’s a significant purchase so a bit of savings needs to be built up.

When we talk about a tyre being well priced, what factors are we looking at? Just the initial purchase price or the total cost of ownership including cost per KM.

When people in the forum quote their KM lifespan they are achieving, is this with 4 wheel or 5 wheel rotation (implies you will need to replace 4 or 5 tyres at a time).

As an example, the Goodyear Wrangler and Dunlop AT3G are approximately the same purchase price per tyre. But the Wrangler seems to get ~50k km per tyre. Dunlop guarantee 100k KM per tyre. Does that make the Dunlop effectively half the price of the Wrangler? Likewise is R5000 tyre that does 80k km more expensive?

I follow Jors Malan on YouTube. He lives off-road in an environment most of us visit 2-3 times a year. I noticed his FJ runs with Dunlops. I queried this with him. He is happy with his Dunlop’s and especially the price paid.

One thing I’ve noticed on these forums is that for every brand mentioned you will 100 yea’s and 100 nays

Not pushing Dunlop, just asking the question?

In simple terms, you are right. Same purchase price, double km equals half price per km.
But as Andrew says, some tyres treat you better than others.
Looking at the same tyre in "P" or normal specification vs "LT" already makes a big difference. I bet that many of those posting here about chipping and low km on their GYs don't use the LT version, specially when it comes to heavier vehicles.

Then there is the consideration of age. It's great to have a tyre that can last you 100,000 km. But if the vehicle (or trailer?) they are mounted on only does few km per year and it takes you 10+ years to wear down the tread, the tyre's compound might become harder and brittle and the tyres might loose traction or develop cracks, leading to you throwing away tyres with 5 or 6 mm of tread still left.
That happened to me with an older type Michelin tyre I had on an old Land Cruiser that did about 5000 km per year.

Some tyres with large tread blocks, like many M/T and hybrid tyres have got siping in those tread blocks to give better traction on wet tar, however often that siping isn't cut down all the way and will wear out after 4 or 5 mm of tread have been worn down. All of a sudden that tyre becomes very slippery on wet tar.

Mileage (or km) warranties on tyres are often to be taken with a pinch of salt, make sure you read the small print very carefully. Just recently someone here posted about Dunlop's 100k km warranty not being honored, because of clause 56h in the contract.

When you hear about great mileage someone got with a certain tyre, make sure how that someone used that tyre: what vehicle, what load, what road surfaces was that tyre driven on. Many tyres might give you high mileage on tar, but a farmer driving mostly gravel roads won't see 50% of that mileage. A lot of farmers got around 40k km out of a set BFG KOs, which many people got 100k km+ from. Those farmers switched to Nangkang, a tyre that would typically give 60k km on average. Yet they got 40k km driving mostly gravel roads on those tyres, too. Which one is the better tyre now? The expensive BFG or the (back then) much cheaper Nankang?

[Nabs]

My GY wrangler adventure currently has 32k on them and by my estimate not yet halfway done. Granted, I’m a tar driver but do go off the tar at least once a month to some far fishing spots. Not much rocks but lots of gravel and then obviously sand. So far I’m pretty happy with them.

[Waynesteele]

I have these on my V8 110 Defender.

I do probably a 70/30 split with the majority being tar as it is my daily and it handles the hills in Windhoek better than my other Landies which are diesels.

The daily is also stop start and short distance:
- drop off kidss at school then
- go to work
- leave work for home at the end of the day

This will also decrease the lifespan of my diesel Landies. Anyway....

The 30% gravel comes in when I go to my dads farm which is 200km round trip on a bad and good gravel road (which makes it a tricky road as when its good you can cruise at 90 -100km/h and the bad sections you cant be going more than 40km/h) notorious for chowing tyres once a month.

On the farm I like to explore with the Landy and it is hard rocky trails and deep sand in rivers which are on the menu.

So far so good.

Cant see any tread wear and they look like new.

Very happy.

30 000km

265/75/16 LT

[HugoNotte]

Very happy.

30 000km

265/75/16 LT

The "LT" is the important bit.

[Waynesteele]

The "LT" is the important bit.

Agreed.

Especially on a 4x4

[moxy dunn]

My Hilux 4x4 is on it's second set of Wranglers A/T Kevlar and I am a little disappointed with the 45000km I got out of the first set on 90% tar and 10% gravel.

Their performance in the wet and dry conditions is very good as well as braking and being puncture free.

I had a look on the new set and only see 265/65/R17 112T unfortunately no LT.

Pity the salesman did not offer me the LT spec although I was not aware of it.Would have opted for it for sure.

[Ooba]

My Hilux 4x4 is on it's second set of Wranglers A/T Kevlar and I am a little disappointed with the 45000km I got out of the first set on 90% tar and 10% gravel.

Their performance in the wet and dry conditions is very good as well as braking and being puncture free.

I had a look on the new set and only see 265/65/R17 112T unfortunately no LT.

Pity the salesman did not offer me the LT spec although I was not aware of it.Would have opted for it for sure.

45000km seems extremely low. I have done 30000kms now on my set of Wranglers and they still look new. I drive with a heavy foot aswell. Have rotated and aligned twice so far in the 30000kms.

[HugoNotte]

45000km seems extremely low. I have done 30000kms now on my set of Wranglers and they still look new. I drive with a heavy foot aswell. Have rotated and aligned twice so far in the 30000kms.

I bet you got the LT version.

[Nabs]

Did I miss something my whole life?
I understand LT is meant for heavier loads and harsher conditions but also degrades faster on paved surfaces whereas in an unpaved life it will outlast the P rated version, and vice versa.
Could this not be the reason why some folk are unhappy with the LT lifespan since they spend quite a bit of time on paved surfaces?

Like I mentioned earlier,
My non LT adventure is currently on 32k and still looking very good.

[HugoNotte]

Did I miss something my whole life?
I understand LT is meant for heavier loads and harsher conditions but also degrades faster on paved surfaces whereas in an unpaved life it will outlast the P rated version, and vice versa.
Could this not be the reason why some folk are unhappy with the LT lifespan since they spend quite a bit of time on paved surfaces?

Like I mentioned earlier,
My non LT adventure is currently on 32k and still looking very good.

LT stands for Light Truck, while P stands for passenger vehicle. P spec is the standard, so if the tyre doesn't specify, you can assume it's the "P" version.
If it's LT, it will say so on the sidewall. The LT tyre has got a stronger carcass and most probably different rubber compound. It is designed to carry it's load rating all the time, while the P rated tyre is designed to carry it's maximum load rating only part of it's life time / mileage. Usually the P rated tyre would give better ride comfort, specially on a lighter or unladen vehicle.

To me it sounds like the guys with heavier vehicles, such as Discovery and other heavy SUVs or heavy bakkies who end up with P rated tyres are the ones experiencing chipping and lower mileage.
The LT rated tyres should give you higher mileage on any road surface compared to the P rated ones on the same vehicle. Often the LT version is more puncture resistant, too, due to it being of stronger construction. This doesn't have anything to do with 2 ply vs 3 ply sidewall. A LT rated tyre would have a stronger sidewall than the same tyre in P spec.

Tar is the least abrasive road surface to drive on and any tyre should give it's best mileage if used on a decent tar road.

[Luka]

I got 72000km on my Goodyear Wrangler A/T (Kevlar) and thought they could do more but TWT advised against it. 70% tarmac.

[bobhof]

I've had these tyres for a while now but I've only done one serious trip with them to Khwai/Moremi. Got 2 punctures but both so slow I didn't even need to plug them - sorted them out when I got home. Never had a puncture on my previous set of tyres (stock Dunlop Grandtreks IIRC) that did 50000km. Didn't do any difficult 4x4 stuff so can't comment on that, but they do seem great on the tar. Who knows, maybe the punctures would have been worse if it were not for the fancy kevlar?

Just had a third puncture plugged yesterday. Thin nail straight through the lug. Was pretty slow so not exactly sure when it happened. So I'm now on 3 slow punctures in 20000km.