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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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Best Tires for a Suburban 4x4 in Baja Dirt??
We've maybe been here before but I don't remember and I need to replace my Chevy Suburban 4x4 (Heavy Vehicle) tires ASAP. We drive a lot on Baja
barkroads and I know I need more than 4-ply and something gutsy. Any suggesstions???
[Edited on 8-21-2004 by Mike Humfreville]
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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BFG AT's
are what has gotten that 2 wd van of mine over almost every road in Baja. And, there are dealers all over Baja to honor the warranty if you have a
problem with one.
Right around $125.00 each plus $35. for the extended warranty.
Herb is experimenting with another brand so perhaps we shall hear from him with a report on those as well.
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David K
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Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Look at the Mud Terrains from BFG (Michelin) as well... Bajaboy Zac swears by them... NEVER a flat... and you need that Mike (because we all know you
never have a jack or lug wrench on board)!!
If the price shocks you, then check out the Futura tires at Pep Boys (made by U.S. tire mfg. Cooper)... about 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the French tires
and a 50k mile warantee. They also have a Mud Terrain look alike. Bedman turned me onto them... I went to Discount Tires for BFGs and at $160 each, I
went for the Cooper made Futura Dakotas at $60 each!!! Yes, they wore faster than BFGs, but when I replaced them at 25k, the new ones were only $30
each (half life waranteed)! That is for the 16" ones my Tacoma uses.
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Debra
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Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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I'm just soooooo proud
that Mike is thinking about tires at all! (let's see if he actually puts some on Vaca Blanca?)  
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bajaloco
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Mood: wishin I was fishin
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The BFG Mud Terrains are great but they don't wear near as well as the All Terrains. I run them on my truck, which is also heavy, and I could not be
happier. Check out the prices at America's Tire store. They were the best price and offer free rotation and a good road hazard warranty.
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Mike Humfreville
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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What I omitted was...
Number of plys. On our Cherokee 4X4 I kept getting flats so when we replaced them I went to our friendly small town tire guy in oilfield country. He
recommended what all the back country oil workers buy. I don't remember the brandname but they're indistructable.
And as for you wiseguys that think I get a lot of flats, read this: My Isuzu Trooper hasn't had a flat in a year and a half. And it's been in Baja
that entire time. Not a single flat. Read that and weep,!!!
The was the time a couple of years back where El Camote and Amo Pescar had to come back for us from Gonzaga with no jack...
I am a perfectionist! Thanks for the advice.
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Debra
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My Oh, MY........
Yes, I stand corrected! The Trooper hasn't had a flat in a year and a half! (wait?! are you sure?) since she hasn't moved from "Rice and Beans" since
then, she may be all "out of hot air!"
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
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Registered: 8-26-2003
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there is that...
But there's more than one source for hot air around here!
Off-subject but noteworthy, I did call Ricardo several days back. I told him we'd be down in October. He acted like we had talked to him yesterday.
Very nice and respectable fellow.
So these BFG AT's come in more than 4-ply?
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
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Location: Lytle Creek, CA
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Walmart quoted me $111 plus $10 for mounting, balance and road hazard warrantee plus #xx for taxes for size 32 x 11:50 x 15. BFG All Terrain T/A KOs.
Special order, not in stock.
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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mcgyver
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Registered: 8-22-2003
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Best Tires for Suburan 4 x 4 in Baja Dirt
Neal , How come you are not running 16" tires?New truck take offs are cheap here ,whells and all for $150. They told me that Chevy 16"would fit toyota
Tacaoma's.
Mike I ran Goodyear Unisteel load rage D on mine, thats what UPS runs on its delivery trucks, 16.5 is the smallest they make though, wish they did
make a 16".
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surfer jim
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Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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Maybe next he will ask for advice on AIR FILTERS
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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Surfer Jim,
I had forgotten about that bad afternoon on Shell Beach when I held you all up because of that dirty...filter. But after we beat it up to get the
dirt out of it and put it back in use, I somehow forgot about it. For a while anyway. A couple of months ago, a year after our great trip, I had to
take my Suburban into Daniel Chavez (our favorite mechanic of Mexican heritage in Santa Paula) because the car was not firing properly.
I walked home from his tiny shop and got a ride back several hours later to see what he'd found wrong.
It was nothing mechanical and he didn't charge me a dime. He waved the same old air filter, that you-all had found problematic in Baja, in the air
and slapped it against his leg. Another pound or two of Baja dust found it's way to Southern California. He replaced the old with a new filter for
free.
I am a dude that's into high maintenance, but is usually late in a party evening when my mind starts working overtime. It certainly has nothing to do
with my proper care and feeding of our equipment.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mike, buy that mechanic a BOX of wine!
I think I shook a KILO of Baja dust out of your filter that day... Perhaps a satellite image of the gulf, off Shell Island, will reveal the
contamination caused when the tide came in and devoured that pile of dust!
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Taco de Baja
Super Nomad
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Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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Mood: Dreamin' of Baja
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Go with the BFG AT's. They are quiet on the road, give good traction off road, and last longer than the MT's. I usually get 60,000+ miles on a set. I
do sometimes get flats with them, but probably would have gotten it with any tire. According to the side wall they have:
3 poly 2 steel tread
3 poly sidewall
look at other tires, most have only 2 ply sidewalls.
With larger rims (16+) you may be able to find tires with steel sidewalls, I know my dad used swear by the Michelin truck tire with the steel
sidewalls for Baja driving. But they may not be made anymore....
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Mike's Air Filter
I was there... a witness to it all... I only wish I had made a photo of David slapping all of that soot outta that air filter. It was amazing.
Mike, you do not need to apologize for holding us up..... it made for a great Baja memory that all of us will never forget.
Bob H
[Edited on 8-22-2004 by Bob H]
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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bufeo
Senior Nomad
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Location: Santa Fe New Mexico
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Mike,
I'll add a "Ditto" for the BFG ATs. We put a bunch of miles on them in Baja on the '99 Sub and had them on the '02 Silverado. Served us well, and
I'm a stickler for airing-down, airing-up. Never a problem, except for a nail in one that held up after a plug.
BTW, Mike, we no longer live in the SYV. We've moved over to mile-high AZ. Nicer air, and hours closer to PB.
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Mike Humfreville
Super Nomad
Posts: 1148
Registered: 8-26-2003
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Thanks for the info, again.
It seems everyone likes BFG AT's. What about Michlin LTX AT's? These are 10 ply @$160.00 ea.
Bufeo, Sorry to hear you are no longer in our neighborhood but we hope all goes well in AZ. I hope all's well in PB. We still haven't settled on
Bahia de Los Angeles but will be working toward it in Late September-early October.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
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This is a good thread
and Mike, don't rush into anything until we hear about them all. I love the BFG's BUT, when they are half worn, there is a big difference in traction
when you need it.
Herb is the one that pointed it out to me and it's true. That's why he is trying something new. And he has a LOT of "off road time".
The AT's have come back from trips with Cholla covering the sidewalls with no problem or punctures and the only problem I have ever had with them is
not airing down.
But, I am certainly interested in something better if there is!
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Herb
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Location: Torrance, CA
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Because JR has mentioned it twice now...
I'll chime in with some feedback. I am now running the Bridgestone AT Revo's based on feedback from Doug, The Tire Rack and some Xterra message
boards. I have only had them for about 7 weeks but have put over 7,000 miles on them. They have been all over Baja, the Sierra Nevada and Northern
California's Coastal Mountains. The terrain has included rocks, mud, deep sand, river crossings, etc. The only thing I haven't tried them in yet is
snow, which is where they seem to get rave reviews from others that far exceed any other AT type tire.
So far, the one weakness I have seen vs. the BFG AT's (which I had before) is that they tend to slide more on heavy rocky gravel. I have 4 wheel
drive, though, and just find myself engaging it more often to maintain control at higher speeds on these types of roads. Of course, this description
fits most of Baja's unpaved roads.
The Bridgestones, however, have shown much better traction on slick rock and in sand and shallow mud. The tread design (and other people's feedback)
would sugeest that they would also do better than the BFG's on rain slick roads. They are very aggressively siped which would also explain why other
reviewers rave about them in snow. I was concerned that this would lead to me loosing chunks in Baja's boulder sized sharp gravel/rock roads, but so
far this has not happened. Finally, I also get much better gas mileage witht he Bridgestones (3 mpg more) which is important to me because my
Baja/Backcountry rig is also my daily commuter and I drive all over SoCal for work.
I wouldn't tell you necessarily that this would be the tire for you, Mike. You'd have to look at the information provided and decide for yourself. If
all I drove was Baja's dirt roads, I'd still be up in the air about whether I made the right choice. But, given the variety of terrain that I travel,
I believe the Bridgestones suit my needs quite nicely.
Oh, and one more thing. After the tread was half worn on my BFG's, not only did I loose traction, but I was getting fairly regular flats on pavement.
The Bridgestones come with a 50,000 mile treadwear warranty at no extra cost. On top of that, Bridgestone gives you a 30 day test drive. If you don't
like'm in the first month, you can take'm back!
I'm sold, for now!
[Edited on 8-23-2004 by Herb]
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4baja
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my BFGs are great but check out kelly safaries too mike, i have never had a flat or problem with them . will be in BOLA in oct. for a birthday bash so
come by if your around.
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