Does anyone here remember the tire advertisement (Sears?) where there hammered a bunch of nails into a tire and then ran the Baja 1000... and it never
went flat?
Let me do a Google search...
Haven't found the nails one, yet...
Here's the Sears "tire the beat the Baja" ad from 1971...
I have had Goodyear Silent Armor 10ply tires on my van for the last 7 years or so. No sidewall cracking. 35,000 miles and counting with half of the
tread depth remaining. Never a failure of any kind. I do rotate all five [spare] yearly. I also run less pressure than called for by the label on the
inside of the drivers door. 70 to 80 rock hard beating to death, no way. 50 front 60 rear and even wear across the tread.
The original attraction that sold me on these was:
Kevlar is stronger than steel. All the better for airing down when needed.
Kevlar runs cooler than steel.
Kevlar runs quieter than steel on the highway where it matters.
I am guessing at this rate I should get 50,000 miles, unless a blowout changes my mind before then.
This is on a 2 wheel drive and predominately on paved roads, but when in Baja trying to dodge the road failures and bouncing around off pavement and
getting air repeatedly for hours on end without a hitch, I cannot complain.
I haven't heard how others rate these or how many miles others have gotten out of them. The KO2's seem to be the favorite lately and I assume for good
reasons.
I would buy these again.
None of this relates to off road racing, I assume, but stronger than steel has an attraction that is hard to beat.
The tread is comprised of five plies (two plies of polyester, two plies of steel, and one ply of aramid (Kevlar)) while the sidewall is two plies of
polyester.
Even though the sidewall has only 2 ply, it is stiff as a cardboard. 3 thin, flexible layers can give you more flex than 2 inflexible layers.
Quiet and durable for pavement - a disaster in snow and mud. Bad off road.
This has probably already been communicated, but tire air volume is really important if you want to go off-road. With large air volume, you have the
option to air down and get the effect of really soft suspension for short travel. It works great for traction and chatter bumps on dirt roads. Same
goes for trailers. Deflators and a good 12V compressor makes this easy. I would not go with more than a 16 inch rim myself. If a new truck comes
with more than 16 inch rims, I would sell them and get 16s. My 2 cents with thousands of off-road miles
I would not go with more than a 16 inch rim myself. If a new truck comes with more than 16 inch rims, I would sell them and get 16s. My 2 cents
with thousands of off-road miles
As mentioned earlier in this thread, clearance around the brake calipers may not permit running a smaller diameter rim. Offset may be a problem as
well.
[Edited on 10-18-2018 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
12.5x15 are still available, but not the name brands because the name brands have moved on to the more popular 17s and other bigger size that new rigs
come with.
And yes the 15s do limit the brake rotor size. Make brake upgrades, doable, but quite limiting.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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