Which Tyres are best?

[KraftyPg]

Put em on the the back of a 78 model F100, 351 celveland, no load, wet slimy APM tracks and a whole lot of right foot and duelers side marvelously. Although uni joints in the rear of the old effies don't survive the hammering for too long but we did get quite a bit of experience changing them.

 

[Old.Tony]

I'm back in my car now, Continentals on and drive it a little harder than I drove the D22 - didn't lose grip once.

It's possible that the D22's Duellers were just mistreated. Doesn't matter, I've decided that they aren't the tyre for me.

 

[Dave]

Were they the 693's?

I think thats the ones, your D22 will have the same tyre.

But in saying that, my factory shocks didn't last long. They wouldn't have helped, when the Bilstiens went in I had the Coopers on.

Dave.

 

[Jason]

Yeah it's a bit weird, mine have done 19,500 k's now and are well and truly over halfway gone. I don't really fang it but that shows how soft they are.

 

[Bosshog]

The answer to the question "which tyres are best?" is... wait for it... it depends. It depends on what you intend using your Navara for? How much on and off road terrain will you cover? What sort of off road Terrain are you more likely to venture into? What's your budget etc etc etc.

For me I chose the D694 Dueler ATs as my D40 is my daily drive and they were a well priced good all rounder that came in 8ply so that I could still carry several 100 kgs in the back when I am working. They handle well when wet and have a moderately aggressive tread pattern.

One weakness is that the 8ply construction means they don't bellow out that much so when your in sand you gotta get down to 14/15PSI to get a nice big footprint.

That aside - has anyone tried Dick Cepek tyres (www.dickcepek.com)? Saw a 100 series with em on the other day.

 

[Jason]

I didn't know Dick Cepek had their own brand, are they made by Mickey Thompson? Maybe Mickey Thompson resell the FCII?

Checkout the Ford Crusher 4x4 in the download section. Noice.

 

[Jeff]

Tyres

08Kingcab,

Going on a Tag A Long and they (Vic Widman) requires an extra spare - tyre only, no wheel for some reason - probably weight.

Went to get tyres fitted today but dopey delivery driver took them to Hastings instead of Cranbourne - going back tomorrow - tyres are there now.

Not Cranbournes fault as I was there when he ordered them on the phone.


Jeff.

 

[Leprechaun]

08Kingcab,

Going on a Tag A Long and they (Vic Widman) requires an extra spare - tyre only, no wheel for some reason - probably weight.

Went to get tyres fitted today but dopey delivery driver took them to Hastings instead of Cranbourne - going back tomorrow - tyres are there now.

Not Cranbournes fault as I was there when he ordered them on the phone.


Jeff.

You rarely do more than 40k's for most of the trip, but you could still easily break wheels, and no else is going to have the same stud pattern, I had my tyres down 18 on the front and 22 on the rear, carrying 300litres of fuel 100litres of water. I had one puncture that was easily repaired with a plug, and deaply slashed a side wall but the tyre stayed up. (BFG A/T). Next time I'm taking 2 spares and another tyre as well.
You will need to upgrade your suspension, and expect it to be completly stuffed by the end of the 2000ks!

 

[Bosshog]

You will need to upgrade your suspension, and expect it to be completly stuffed by the end of the 2000ks!

I agree. I have an EFS 40mm lift and it took a caning on the weekend in sand dunes. I would hate to think about the rubbish OE shocks and springs. I also have full length bash plates and many a pray has been said to the 'Brown Davis God' It is quite off putting bellying out as you crest a steep dune - even at a very slow speed!

 

[Jeff]

Tyres

All done earlier this year - dont know the technicals but something like Old Man Emu brand heavier coils up front, heavier leaves down back and nitro shockers all round.

The biggest problem now is getting up into the back - need a step - getting on a bit now - cant jump up anymore.

The back hardly moved when I loaded it up for this years trip with 5 gerrycans fuel and 2 of water plus all the other gear we take with us plus the van.

Have to take 8 gerrycans fuel and 4 of water plus camping gear and food for 4 weeks and have no doubt that the new improved Navara will handle it.
We have travelled these types of roads before - Gunbarrel, Gibb River/Kalumburu Rds, Gulf Rd etc so know what to expect.

Tried to put a pic in here but it asked for a URL or something so put a pic in the gallery - I need to work on that.

Finally got the new tyres on today too - was expecting a harsher ride back home but not so - seemed less bumpy than with the old tyres on????


Jeff.

 

[SOLID D22]

Dont want to burst your or anyones bubble but iv been told that old man emu shocks are just monroes gas shocks painted yellow and the sticker on em.
Any truth in that?

And maybe the str's have a better lsd diff than the d40, maybe, dont know, but maybe thats what makes it so snappy at the back.
At least it explains why my car does the best donut's out in the paddock compared to my mates.

 

[KraftyPg]

Dont want to burst your or anyones bubble but iv been told that old man emu shocks are just monroes gas shocks painted yellow and the sticker on em.
Any truth in that?

I've heard the same thing and just about every forum on 4wd's seems to say the same thing so it sounds fairly accurate.

 

[Old.Tony]

There is a common practice in the manufacturing world known as "branding".

A manufacturer creates an item but finishes the item with another company's details (colours, model numbers, logos etc). It's packaged in that other company's boxes with that other company's address listed, and that other company pays for the goods.

It's actually quite lucrative for the manufacturer - guaranteed sales in large quantity. It's lucrative for the other company too - they don't need to tool up to manufacture the item, just ship it out.

 

[Jason]

Yeah it is very common, it's a shame the whole operation isn't more transparent (legislated) so better comparisons can be made.

Zordo would have all the good info on suspension re-branding, pretty sure there is a lot more than just that one example.

 

[KraftyPg]

Suzuki are selling re-badged Nav's (well Frontier's) in the States. No company is immune from it when the almighty dollar comes into play.

 

[ants_oz]

I understand that Old Man Emu shocks are in fact made in a Monroe manufacturing facility here in Aus. That doesn't make them Monroe's however....

I wouldn't imagine ARB are equipped to manufacture their own shocks so it only makes sense that the manufacturing would be outsourced.

Most of the bits that make up our Navara's are manufactured by someone else....so whose badge should really be on the vehicle?

Like most hearsay stories - there is some factual basis buried somewhere in there, but it rarely tells the whole story.

 

[SOLID D22]

I understand that Old Man Emu shocks are in fact made in a Monroe manufacturing facility here in Aus. That doesn't make them Monroe's however....

I wouldn't imagine ARB are equipped to manufacture their own shocks so it only makes sense that the manufacturing would be outsourced.

Most of the bits that make up our Navara's are manufactured by someone else....so whose badge should really be on the vehicle?

Like most hearsay stories - there is some factual basis buried somewhere in there, but it rarely tells the whole story.

Yeah but at the end of the day your only getting monroe technology but paying double or triple the price, thats what bugs me.

 

[KraftyPg]

Yeah but at the end of the day your only getting monroe technology but paying double or triple the price, thats what bugs me.

Don't you believe the claim from OME that while their shocks are made in the Munroe factory they are made in a separate part of the factory and made to an entirely different set of stringent rules and guidelines that even the staff don't know of so that there is no chance of OME's superb design and manufacturing process ever being used in Munroe shocks?

Words to that effect where in a press release I saw a while ago and while I can relate to them being built in a different part of the factory as if the manufacturing standards in two parts of the same factory aren't ever going to cross over in some way.

I'm not in the market for shocks so it doesn't worry me greatly but I agree with Solid D22 paying double or triple for one product just because it's got a different name on it and very little other difference no matter what the product is sucks. If (and it's probably a big if) you were in the market for a Toyota Camary a 10 years ago would you have been happy to buy the car Holden bought off Toyota and rebadged for twice the price.

 

[ants_oz]

Yeah but at the end of the day your only getting monroe technology but paying double or triple the price, thats what bugs me.

You may be right about the technology, you may not - I can't say for certain. If you're paying "double or triple the price" for OME over monroe's (gas magnum for instance) then I suggest something doesn't quite add up. OME's (basic nitrochargers) are around the $150 each mark from memory. Monroe gas magnums go for about $120 each for the same fitment. OME nitrocharger sports are about $20 a shock more expensive (well, that's what I was charged for the parts for my navara anyway).

But in my experience, price is irrelevant if I end up with a product with the kind of after sales support offered by OME. I've been in the unfortunate position of being in convoy in pretty out of the way places, with a vehicle that has destroyed shocks (not my vehicle). After fitting spares, getting the vehicle to civilisation, and having OME replace the failed parts no questions asked....well, that's good enough for me.

I have had old man emu shocks on 3 different 4wd's over the years (wrangler, patrol, navara) and never had a shock fail. Having only ever used monroe shocks on passenger cars, and having two monroe shocks fail on two separate cars, in my limited experience the old man emu product are WAY in front of monroe.

For my money I am quite happy to spend it on probably one of the worlds most trusted names in recreational 4wd suspension. Reputations are earned the hard way.

 

[SOLID D22]

Im not saying old man emu or monroe are bad shocks and they probably do do a good job, but in the past a few 4b owners i spoke to would never fit them again, thats their opinion not mine as i have never had them on my 4b, iv had monroes on my charger and they were the worst thing ever. I got koni adjustables now on the charger and same goes for the rear of the navara, pay a little more but get a better result at the end of the day.
Koni shocks are made for performance, on track or off roading and can be made to suit your needs in their factory.