Sand Sand and some Tarmac

[Mojo01]

Ok, I am not a hardcore 4x4'r I dont go looking for big bog holes or mountains to climb.

however... I have started planing a trip of a lifetime ... The Simpson as we are going the the NT the long way.

Basically , Adelaide to Birdsville then The Simpson, then up to Darwin.

What I want to know is some opinions of tire choice, to do such a trip and I would like to know if any of the members here have done it and what they used. As my rig ( patrol+ camper) all runs the same size I currently carry 3 x spares even when touring ( yes i know its overkill ) and if you do the math that means 9 tires, currently i run roadie suv on the patrol ( yes i know shite, but you know why ) and the camper has some of my old bridgestone dulers on it.

before i goto a tire joint and make the owner very happy with a 9 tire sale, i would like to know what you guys think i should be equipping.

I dont give to rats as to brands and how good they are, i need to get through with a reliable set, that will perform $$$ mean nothing

I am looking for advice from people who have done ( been there ) this trip

I have done Birdsville many times, its a highway now :( time to see the guts of this wide brown land

[Bad-Trol]

Hi mate, I'm not someone that has done that trip, but its on my to do list next year, also with a camper, also with the same number of tyres.

I currently run Mickey Thompson MTZ's in a 33". After doing Port Hedland to Darwin this year, and LOTS of sand driving around where I live, I've opted to match Patrol and trailer with the same. The wear seems good even tho I run at Nissan factory specs on tyre pressure on the road, and run 22psi all around on the loose stuff.

If I knew I wasnt going to be doing any mud, I'd probably go with the M.T ATZ 4 rib as they are suppose to be better on noise and wear on the road. My mate runs the Dick Cepek's on his (which are 'similar' to the ATZ's) and they are awesome in the sand and on the road.. And he doesn't even lower his tyres down for the loose stuff!

Hope that helps a bit. I'm sure you'll get a million different opinions on this.

[megatexture]

i have 33" mtz also on car and camper and love them i have never had any issues driving in soft sand with trailer in tow. i have the same offset on the camper also so they can be interchanged ,you may get a slightly better economy if you went a slightly less aggressive tyre.

[GRA.GU]

Mojo, you won't have trouble with your tyres in the Simpson itself,in fact almost any tyre, including your present ones, would probably be adequate with the correct tyre pressures. But some of the access roads are more hazardous, eg the old Ghan track up to Alice Springs where you are actually running on the original train track complete with some of the old ballast and dog spikes. If you choose a tyre with a strong side wall and drive sensibly you'll have minimal problems. My crossings have been done on 235x85x16 BFG all terrain without incident. I also go against the fashion in running skinny tyres and believe I'm not disadvantaged in the slightest, either in sand or in rough stuff, so I'd recommend you stick with reasonably standard width tyres because they are what the engineers designed the vehicle for,and consequently inflict less wear and tear on the mechanical components, and those sizes are more readily available outback. Hope this helps.

[Morton]

I use Cooper ST's on everything except major mud, they are a very good compromise (intermediates), I have been everywhere & anywhere on them, get 60,000kms a set but run into issues with getting replacements, always have to wait on some to get to me if in the middle of nowhere, doesnt worry me though, I think it is best to buy readily available tyres as you will chew at least one out on a big trip, BFG's are a very good all round tyre, if doing alot of sand/bull-dust driving them muddies are a waste of money, they will be more a hinderance than a help, AT or intermediates would be the go, my choices would be the BFG or Coopers AT or intermediates, BFG being more readily available out back, if you go Coopers do a little homework & find a supplier close to where you will be, go to any Cooper supplier & they can advise you, tyres can take 2-3 days to get to you, it will come down to personal preference in the long run, as long as you know the pros & cons of each tyre out there