[AfricanMogger]

Anybody ever used these tyres?
Duratough steel radial 335/80r20. The price is very good less than half of the price for Michelin xzl which is the only other option in SA at the moment, but I need to know if they can be used on road at high speed and long distance.

 

[krietpiel]

Nice looking tread !
There should be a load/speed rating on it somewhere - the XM47 has a rating of G if I remember correctly. A quick internet search should bring up the ratings and their meanings. How much are these in R ?

 

[AfricanMogger]

R4105. Will contact the seller again and ask him to go look for the ratings.

 

[MagMog]

China tires.
I would not take the risk having them at a loaded Mog driving 85km/h.
Here They are offerd for loaders, graders etc. only.
do they have a DOT#?

 

[krietpiel]

MPT ratings

I wondered about their origin !
I would be careful - but not dismiss them before speaking to someone who has experience of using them.

Below is table for Conti MPT tyres.

Sixth column has the load/service index;
eg 139J where J is the speed rating (100kmh)

Second pic gives speed rating tables;
This info should on the sidewall of the tire.

 

[AfricanMogger]

The only extra info I could get out of the dealer is Max load: 2575 kg and Max Pressure: 450 kpa. According to their supplier it has a max speed rating of 100km/h although that speed is not recommended by the supplier.

 

[krietpiel]

The only extra info I could get out of the dealer is Max load: 2575 kg and Max Pressure: 450 kpa. According to their supplier it has a max speed rating of 100km/h although that speed is not recommended by the supplier.

Mmmmm - does not look good.
Maybe worth asking if it has DOT approval - if not, I would stay clear.

 

[erwin Z]

Cut a real deal for a set with a spare, to try them out.

If they are going on a 406, you are good for 10 K GVW, as you might get to 6 or 7 K ?
100 KPH in a 406 sustained ? I wouldn't sweat it.

DOT approval for a machine tire isnt really priority is it ?

Worst case scenario, they suck in sand, go no where in mud, and heat kills their tread life or get eaten by rocks.

Or, they might be a surprise and actually be not half bad. Someone made them, and it cost to get them made. That says something.

 

[AfricanMogger]

If I was going to use my mog only on the farm I would buy them immediately. I want to be able to travel at 80km/h for a few hours at a time and not get tire failure due to heat build up.

It seems that they do come from China and the Duratough brand is focused on earth moving equipment and agricultural vehicles.

The seller does not seem to have a lot of knowledge about tires in general and can't supply me with any extra info.

They still seem worth a try, I just do not want to be the guinea pig.

 

[erwin Z]

So what you say is you like the XZL better and don't want to change ?
Granted, it will take a special tire to better or compare, but your options aren't limited to brands, its limited to usage.

You need a hi-way bi-way tire. Try to find someone who makes that in the size you need. Construction equipment really do test tires. Just at a reduced speed as a rule.

 

[AfricanMogger]

At the moment I have General M-type cross ply tires that are very near the end of their life. The only radial tire that I can source here is the XZL and the one's mentioned in this thread. The military is also now using radial General m-type tires, but it is impossible to get hold of them.

"Construction equipment really do test tires" this is very true and I'm sure they're built tough and strong, but would they withstand the heat build-up when doing long distance driving?

 

[krietpiel]

Making good quality rubber products (esp HD tyres) is a serious science - the Chinese still have some way to go when it comes to rubber and plastics. If by chance they are making these under the supervision of a well known Western company, they should have DOT approval.
Africa can be very unforgiving on tyres - these tyres might be good for showroom purposes and city driving, but if you intend to do serious driving (and it sounds like it) I would suggest you not waste money on them unless they have DOT certification. Rather bite the bullet for the more expensive and calibrated options.
Apart from rubber and integrity issues, balancing is another issue that may rear its ugly head. I have seen passenger tyres that have been so badly made, that they were just about impossible to balance.

 

[AfricanMogger]

My next question would be, and I am sure it has been debated widely, what are the pros and cons when it comes to radial vs cross ply! I just found a local dealer with some nice looking cross ply tires at a very reasonable price.

 

[dxmedia]

Cross ply's go square when the truck sits on them and it takes a few miles for them to warm up and go round.

It's an interesting point on the 'made in China'. In the UK, we treat anything 'made in the USA' as cheap junk along the same lines as 'made in China', now 'made in Germany' or 'made in the UK', different matter, but 'made in France' will have most people running to China for higher quality.

Remember that a LOT of the 'made in USA' translates to 'made in China and final assembly / packaged in the USA', your trade description laws have a lot left to be desired. Try and find anything for sale in Australia which doesn't come from China...

 

[AfricanMogger]

I want longevity and thus also reliability. Good off-road performance, such as mud, sand or rock is of no priority to me as the performance would still be better than a normal 4x4, I'm not planning on doing extreme off road driving. Safety on road would be important too. The radial tires are usually considered to have a much more comfortable ride and better on road performance. Is the difference in performance worth double the price. My options so far is: Michelin XZL @R9800; Duratough (radial) @R4500 or General Sand Trail @ R4500 (cross ply)

I am planning on doing a 8000 km cross-country trip in September, I thus can't afford to loose a tire. Most tires are lost due to sidewall damage, am I correct?, and the radial tires are particularly prone to this.

Thus, do I buy inexpensive cross ply tires or very expensive radial tires. Or do I gamble with the unknown China radial tires?

 

[tkv000]

I want longevity and thus also reliability.

Or do I gamble with the unknown China radial tires?

You answered your own question I think. You want reliability, then don't gamble.

Can't comment on the duratough or general, but Michelin is a proven brand. If I was going 8000km (geez!) in a 406 (you're a braver man than I!!!) I'd be putting on whichever one I could find across that trip, what are the local shops going to have? If NONE, then, carry tubes, spares, etc.

 

[frenchian]

You're right that most losses are through sidewall damage, we've lost 2 XZls this way and now have another with a worrying sidewall nick in 30,000 km in Africa so far.
XZLs can be hard to find - we had to get one shipped from Joburg to Keetmanshoop, I think they are available in Lusaka, nothing in our size in Tanzania, but easy to find in Kenya. You'd probably find that your Chinese tyres would be similar.

At that price, I'd be buying the Michelins - but it very much depends on just how dependant you are going to be on your vehicle - ie how remote are you going to be.

You need to watch very closely what is on the track, particularly when it's rutted.

Definitely carry spares - we won't go anywhere rocky and remote if we don't have 2 functional spares.

Where are you headed?

Ian


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