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leonski



Member Since: 14 Dec 2009
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 205

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Wheel and tyre combo....advice!
Hi All,

I would really appreciate some first hand advice on wheel and tyre combinations...and hopefully some pictures.
After several disappointing events in the snow and finally managing to get completely stuck yesterday in mud, in an environment I wouldn't have expected to get stuck in, I have come to the conclusion that the stock General Grabbers and maybe even the wheels aren't doing the vehicle justice, even in our light off road use.

I am after a tyre that will be predominantly used on the road but will also do some mildish off road/exploring when we are away.
Admittedly changing the wheels is not a must, but I am open to ideas!

Cheers,

Leon.
Post #219761 17th Mar 2013 8:19am
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rover



Member Since: 26 May 2012
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 146

United Kingdom 
Hope I am not teaching you to suck eggs, but, i have always found the thinner less aggressive tyres that LR fit as standard pretty good for most things including average to moderate off roading.

Are you using your centre diff lock?, even with agressive mud terrains traction can be lost easily in snow and mud if the centre diff is not locked. It becomes a one wheel drive vehicle.

Only cross axle diff locks enable no tyre to spin out. Traction control helps but only once you have already lost traction.

Standard tyres and a rear axle diff lock in my opinion is much better than big wide aggressive mud terrains with no rear axle diff lock. Unless you just like the hardcore look.
Post #219764 17th Mar 2013 8:54am
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
The sort version is... the General Grabbers (stock tyre) are rubbish so bin them.

A good all round onroad, offroad and in snow is the new stock tyre Continental Cross AT's. I've done almost 30K miles on mine and they have bags of tread left and I follow people round salisbury plains with there BFG AT's, MT's KM2's and any other tyre manufacture and have not got stuck once. Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #219766 17th Mar 2013 9:09am
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leonski



Member Since: 14 Dec 2009
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 205

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Hi Rover, Yes I did use centre diff lock!....to no avail, the mud was particularly sticky. Yes, the tyres were ok-ish when new, but with 30k on them I can now only summarise them as ineffectual, although they have loads of tread left.

Big Russ, I dont want anything too aggressive so the Conti Cross AT's sound like they will be right for the job and a good multi-purpose tyre.
I would be interested to hear how anyone else has found them.

Many thanks,
Leon.
Post #219789 17th Mar 2013 10:25am
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macduff



Member Since: 04 Nov 2012
Location: NE
Posts: 117

United Kingdom 
Mine has the old BFG M/T KMs on and I found its like a big sledge in compacted snow Shocked .
I recently attended the LR experience 1/2 day at Skipton and the instructors there really rated the CrossContact ATs and claimed the only times they "failed to maintain forward motion" in a defender was when the conditions were too boggy and it bottomed out (ruts created in this by D4s and RR were deeper than the defender due to higher clearance on those) .
It was bone dry whilst I was there so wasn't a huge test of traction but they certainly coped well with dry soil/mud.
So I'm tempted to look for a set of Cross contacts for daily use and keep the MTs for gloopy plugging. 2023 110 P400e
Post #219795 17th Mar 2013 10:45am
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nidge n



Member Since: 04 Feb 2012
Location: Cheshire
Posts: 718

 
BigRuss wrote:
The sort version is... the General Grabbers (stock tyre) are rubbish so bin them.

A good all round onroad, offroad and in snow is the new stock tyre Continental Cross AT's. I've done almost 30K miles on mine and they have bags of tread left and I follow people round salisbury plains with there BFG AT's, MT's KM2's and any other tyre manufacture and have not got stuck once.


x2. did quite a bit of snow running in the Derbyshire/Cheshire hills over the winter. Found that the Conti's did all i need Thumbs Up
Post #220094 18th Mar 2013 7:46am
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ericvv



Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

Switzerland 2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Post #220231 18th Mar 2013 6:03pm
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leonski



Member Since: 14 Dec 2009
Location: Northumberland
Posts: 205

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
I don't suppose anyone knows the best/cheapest place to purchase the Conti's from...
Post #220306 18th Mar 2013 9:48pm
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
Well they is always a cheap set going just as the numberplate change on ebay as new owners change them straight away wanting something more agressive Thumbs Up Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #220370 19th Mar 2013 7:10am
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Lishlandy



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: High Wycombe
Posts: 941

England 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 X-Tech LE Orkney Grey
From looking at other threads and my own experiences the Top 2 of each category I believe are as follows:

Mud Terrain:
BFG KM2
Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac

All Terrain:
BFG All Terrain
Cooper ST Maxx

Dealers choice:
Continental Cross Contact ( very good all round and a damn site better in snow and ice over the General Grabbers)
General Grabber (myself and a few others have used them offroad and they do stand up to muddy situations. Russ is just bitter because they gave him Continentals at the dealers Wink ) ***Beware these are awful in snow and ice *** ===================================
Steve
90 xs sw in Stonoway Grey - Sold
110 USW X-TECH
Post #220371 19th Mar 2013 8:11am
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mikeh501



Member Since: 07 Jan 2013
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1142

United Kingdom 
Lishlandy wrote:
From looking at other threads and my own experiences the Top 2 of each category I believe are as follows:

Mud Terrain:
BFG KM2
Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac

All Terrain:
BFG All Terrain
Cooper ST Maxx

Dealers choice:
Continental Cross Contact ( very good all round and a damn site better in snow and ice over the General Grabbers)
General Grabber (myself and a few others have used them offroad and they do stand up to muddy situations. Russ is just bitter because they gave him Continentals at the dealers Wink ) ***Beware these are awful in snow and ice ***


Copper stt are a far more known quantity tyre than the new Goodyear duratrac.
Post #220372 19th Mar 2013 8:19am
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 2785

United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
Lishlandy wrote:
Russ is just bitter because they gave him Continentals at the dealers Wink ) ***Beware these are awful in snow and ice ***


Thats why I still have them on then is it?

Which tyre are you refering to as being awful in snow and ice? Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #220374 19th Mar 2013 8:33am
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ken



Member Since: 18 Aug 2009
Location: Banging Birds with my bitches !!
Posts: 4328

United Kingdom 
Dura Trac is an AT tyre btw and a great one at that

Yes STT better than MTR but not as good as KM2's but tyres are very personal im afraid
Post #220378 19th Mar 2013 8:55am
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Lishlandy



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: High Wycombe
Posts: 941

England 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 X-Tech LE Orkney Grey
BigRuss wrote:
Lishlandy wrote:
Russ is just bitter because they gave him Continentals at the dealers Wink ) ***Beware these are awful in snow and ice ***


Thats why I still have them on then is it?

Which tyre are you refering to as being awful in snow and ice?


General Grabbers are bad in the snow and ice. Cross contacts are better than the General Grabbers but the GG's aren't as bad as you make them out to be Shocked ===================================
Steve
90 xs sw in Stonoway Grey - Sold
110 USW X-TECH
Post #220379 19th Mar 2013 9:00am
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Lishlandy



Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: High Wycombe
Posts: 941

England 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 X-Tech LE Orkney Grey
I knew not mentioning the STT was gonna come back to bite me. As Ken said, it's all very personable, driving styles, what you drive on on a daily basis will affect how each perform for you. The list was my take on what I have used and what I have seen other people use. ===================================
Steve
90 xs sw in Stonoway Grey - Sold
110 USW X-TECH
Post #220380 19th Mar 2013 9:04am
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