New wheels for long journeys as well as field work

Maebb5087

Member
Hi guys looking to finally get some wheels, i do some long jouneys and im in the fields with the van. Please as a wheel virgin can you help, I was thinking off road tyres ? but open to advice on every thing

cheers guys
 
I’m in the same situation and have narrowed it down so far to:

BFG 225/65/17
Cooper Discoverer AT3 Sport2 235/65/17
BFG 245/65/17

All are load rated for T32 but the BFGs are a slightly lower speed rating than the factory standard tyres (S instead of T) My insurer has confirmed in writing to me that they have no issues with any of the above and won’t increase premiums either as long as they are informed.

all are larger diameter than the standard tyres obviously so would be best to get speedo re-calibrated especially on the 235 or 245s. I spoke to my VW dealer and they say they can do this for £114 + VAT.

I’m also fitting a 35mm lift kit so the larger diameters shouldn’t be an issue for me. I’ve seen some pictures of the BFG 245/65/17s fitted on here with Standard suspension and whilst they ‘fit’ they do look very close to the rear arches with not much room to spare if you get any mud build up.

if the BFGs were available in 235/65/17 they would be my choice, but they’re not. The BFG 225/65/17 would be the most sensible choice but I’m a sucker for the raised white lettering on A/T tyres and the 225s are only in plain black.

I think the BFG 245/65/17 would look the best by far with the aggressive tread, wider and larger diameter tyre and the white lettering but it’s a big step up in size so if you have any drive shaft/gearbox issues then VW may not honour warranty (understandably). I would think a lift kit would be a must with these too if you’re going to do anything off road with any real axle articulation. I’ve got DSG and 4motion so not sure how adversely affected the transmission would be.

the Discoverer AT3 Sport2 look a good compromise on size but not as aggressive looking as the BFGs and only fractionally quieter on paper. They do have the white lettering at this size and Cooper are a respected A/T tyre manufacturer but I’ve not found much in the way of reviews on these. They Definately don’t look as good as the BFGs but they are also speed rated T the same as the VW factory tyres.

Another thing to consider is the space in the spare wheel well if you fit larger tyres. I can’t comment on this at the moment as I need to have a measure up.

it’s a genuinely tough choice between all 3 for me! I know there are other more sensible tyres for on road with better wet weather performance on tarmac and lower noise and fuel consumption but they just don’t do it for me.
 
99CF9734-D10A-473C-A53C-1DDE7080B322.jpeg
BFG AT K02 3 peak 104.
Never going to drive over 85mph on French roads, so the lower speed rating suits me.
never going to drive at 122mph !!
 
@Californication69 what size are these? 225/65/17? How do you find them noise wise and on road in the wet? Standard suspension?
Was std suspension but went to CRS at Cannock and had H&R ARB 30mm diameter upgrade.
standard is 24mm front, 25mm rear.
H&R springs on the front and Koni frequency response shocks.
the ride is sublime now.
Absoluey perfect.
Correct with tyre sizes.
They’re on Ajucaba ? 17” 7J with
Spacers 25mm rear, (Short bolts into spacer)
21mm front. (Long bolts straight into hub)
But I’m getting Tomahawk Outlaw 17” 8J with 10mm spacers.
So all Bolts go directly into Hubs.
and I’ll have the same amount of sticking out of wheel/ tyre in wheel arch.
Awesome tyre for winter. 3 peak M&S awesome in snow, under 7 degree tempcontrol awesome.
can drive up kerbs with no worry of tire damage.
Above 7 Degs, deep water no pull on outside lane of motorway - no steering pull. Brilliant.
Wet road,not as good as Nokian weatherproof all season. (Which is what I’m going to use as a summer tyre, brilliant in summer, wet grass, wet mud, campsites etc in a 18” 255/45 104 load rating)
As a winter tyre it’s definitely the right choice.
noise, yes, lots, turn radio up and sing all your fav tunes. Cali Ocean extra insulation helps.
Think if you ran BFG on a conversion it would be a lot noisier. Hope that helps
 
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