Thanx guys..!
Bought the "Michelin LTX A/T" 31.x20.5R15 yesterday...
Very quiet on tar...balanced easy...
Let you know how they are after a few thousand kilo's..
Some interesting test results to follow:
MANUFACTURER: MICHELIN
MADE IN JAPAN
PATTERN NAME: LTX A/T
ACTUAL TREAD WIDTH: 200mm
SPEED RATING: R
LOAD RATING: C 112
CONSTRUCTION: Sidewall plies - 2 polyester, Tread plies - 2 steel, 2
polyester
PRICE: $332
COMMENT
The Michelin carried higher speeds than most through the bitumen slalom
and remained composed. It offered great response to turn-in and gave a
great feel for what was happening. 9.5/10
On the gravel, the Michelin had plenty of grip, even giving off a loud
whining noise as it bit into the gravel circle. It was hard to make them
wheelspin, and they carried higher speeds around the circle than any other
tyre.
As far as balance was concerned, they understeered on turn-in but were
very difficult to make oversteer. Their best feature was sideways grip on
gravel, and no other tyre could repeat their performance. 10/10
They handled the clay pit well, biting in and responding to the accelerator.
8/10
The gravel incline saw the clogged-up Michelins struggle for grip, not
making much of an impression on the hill. 6
Really good bulge in the sidewalls at 20psi allowed them to sit on top of
the sand. They lacked a little bite to gain momentum quickly. 9/10
MANUFACTURER: COOPER
MADE IN USA
PATTERN NAME: DISCOVERER ST-C
ACTUAL TREAD WIDTH: 220mm
SPEED RATING: N
LOAD RATING: E 123
CONSTRUCTION: Sidewall plies - 2 polyester, Tread plies - 1 nylon, 2
steel, 2 polyester
PRICE: $308
COMMENT
The Coopers were the most off-road-oriented tyres in the field. As a result,
they aren’t well suited to the blacktop. On the bitumen slalom, the chunky
tread blocks squirmed around, making the steering feel vague. The
Coopers slid at all four corners of the HiLux as I tried to maintain a similar
speed through the slalom to the better bitumen brands. 6/10
On the gravel circle, the Coopers broke into understeer. They offered good
fore/aft traction on gravel roads, were good for braking and were quite
predictable, recovering well from high-speed slides. They had a tendency
to tramline on long, straight stretches. On hard-packed gravel, the
Cooper’s aggressive tread feels harder than the others and doesn’t get the
chance to bite in. It therefore doesn’t grip as well on this surface as some
of the less aggressive softer-compound tyres but performs well
considering. 7.5/10
The Coopers were the best tyres in the sloppy clay. Their ability to bite in
and grab handfuls of the stuff as they churned their way across was
second to none, even though the Mickey Thompsons weren’t far behind.
10/10
The steep gravel hill also suited the Coopers. Once again they
outperformed the rest of the field here as they bit into the slightly chopped
-up gravel and climbed to the top. Even after momentary losses of grip,
the Coopers were quick to regain traction and keep climbing. 10/10
The ST-Cs’ sidewalls bellied out well at 20psi and provided good flotation
on the sand. Good bite helped them gain momentum quickly. 8/10
The ST-Cs are the new cut and chip-resistant compound, but the tread still
showed signs of cutting and chipping after four days of abuse.
MANUFACTURER: BF GOODRICH
MADE IN USA
PATTERN NAME: ALL-TERRAIN T/A KO
ACTUAL TREAD WIDTH: 220mm
SPEED RATING: S
LOAD RATING: D 120
CONSTRUCTION: Sidewall plies - 3 polyester, Tread plies - 1 nylon, 2
steel, 3 polyester
PRICE: $269
COMMENT
There was too much tread movement when cornering hard on the bitumen
slalom. This resulted in slow and vague steering response. The lack of
general lateral grip saw the rear tyres slide sideways, leaving
impressive :blackies’ on the road that resembled those on a :slippery
when wet’ sign. 6.5/10
In a similar way on gravel, the BFGs showed good bite but switched
between understeer and letting go at the rear at moderate speeds. Like
the Coopers, the BFGs tramlined on the same long gravel straight. Overall
good general gravel bite. 7.5/10
The BFGs seemed at home in the clay pit. They were only a whisker less
impressive than the Coopers and responded instantly to more throttle by
ploughing through the slippery quagmire. 9/10
On the climb up the gravel incline, the BFGs bit in and travelled a good
distance up, but then they just stopped biting and spun. 8.5/10
At 20psi, the sidewalls bulged out well. They had a good combination of
flotation and bite on the sand. They steered out of existing ruts well and
responded to acceleration. 8.5/10
The tread showed signs of cutting after the test.
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