Originally Posted by
FNQGU
I'm currently running the Nitto Trail Grapplers and went with this choice as I had done two sidewalls on my BFG KM2's so I decided to look for the toughest sidewall tyres around. Nitto/Toyo kept coming up so I made the change.
With regard to the BFG sidewalls - I did one at 90kph on a Gulf trip between Burketown and Roper Bar where the road is rocky and corrugated and I probably sliced it on a rock, and the other was staked on a narrow track. That was my second set of BFG's. My observations - I liked the BFG up to about the 50,000klm mark, at which point they became hard and slippery on wet bitumen. Probably 3yrs old at that stage. I liked them offroad and even onroad for a mud tyre up until they hardened up. I got a fair bit of lug chipping but nothing out of the ordinary. The pucker factor from the sidewall blowout at 90kph just helped me decide to explore other options.
With regard to the NITTO Trail Grappler - they are heavier than the BFG for sure. I have now done 45,000klm on them and at around the 40k mark I noticed them starting to get a bit slippery on wet bitumen. I am now very careful on roundabouts if there is any rain around. Feels like driving on glass. I suspect I will realistically get 50K out of them but I am looking to change them out now as we get closer to the FNQ wet season. I have found them great off road, and even on sand, where I have had them down to 8psi. The heavier sidewall means that you really do need to drop the pressures more significantly. I have had no punctures or blow outs though which was my main criteria. There has been a reasonable amount of lug chipping but with regular rotations they have all worn fairly evenly. These tyres have given me confidence in them for real remote stuff and on many trips I have actually stopped carrying a second spare.
From what I've seen over the years, the most common tyres (in FNQ at least) are still probably the BFG, and for good reason. The Toyo and Nitto would now however be a close second. The Toyo has been around for a bit longer and is better known but both carcases have the same sidewall internals. In my circles, most of the blokes who really travel remotely appear to go with the Toyo Mud Terrain.
I have more recently been looking at getting the Toyo Open Country R/T or the Nitto Ridge Grappler. Same sidewall as the mud terrain tyre but a little less agressive and would be better for touring. Unfortunately they don't import the Ridge Grappler in 285/75/16 as I like the look of it the best. Might be the Toyo R/T for me.
The Toyo A/T does not have the same sidewalls as the R/T or the M/T and I've heard some very negative views on them.
Just my experience. Sidewall strength is still my highest priority in choosing a tyre. It might not be for others.