The 2003 Disco I scooped up for $1500 has been an awesome “farm truck” so far.
4WD works great in the dirt, but when the dirt turns to mud, the Cooper Discoverers that are on there right now ain’t cuttin the mustard. They’re also a little sketchy in the snow
Any suggestions for a decent set of mud/snow tires that won’t exceed the cost of the vehicle? (With the former taking precedence, as it only snows a couple times a year here.)
Mud and snow don't go together for tires. Pick one. Mud tires are fine in deep snow (as in several feet), but downright dangerous on packed snow, ice, slush, etc.
I have Yokohama ATS 33s on my Chevy truck. Does will in the mud. Was ok in the snow in Maine but nothing I'd want to do daily.
I have been very happy with the Falken ATs I put on my Cruiser. They offer a MT as well. I did quite a bit of research and they seemed to be the best bang for the buck.
Which cooper discoverers do you have?
If they arent very aggressive you could go to a more aggressive AT if this thing is driven on the street. Most mud yires especcially cheap ones are generally terrible on the street.
If its all off-road, most cheap mud tires are decent in mud and deep snow.
What size are you looking for.
Federal couragias are popular around here. Years ago, a lot of the farmers used to get buckshots, and all there variations, for real cheap for their farm trucks.
I've got Treadwright Guard Dogs on my XJ. They have smaller tread blocks than the typical M/T, so performance is acceptable on hard packed snow and slush, and they're fantastic in the deep stuff. Ice performance still isn't great and they kinda suck in the wet too, which I didn't feel was the case initially (mine have about 23k on them now.) I feel like they had a gummier compound on the outside that got worn off or something. They've gotten louder too and they're also heavy. All in all, not perfect but for a budget tire I think they would suit your needs.
To clarify: It’s a straight “farm truck.” No street use. It’s not even registered or insured. And like I said, it’ll see way more mud than snow. The Discoverers on there are A/T’s. Tire Rack says they’re 255/55-18’s, but I’m not in front of the car right now.
255/55/18s are about right for the Disco. Problem you are going to have with your 2003, the transfer case does not lock. that is the one year LR really screwed the pooch and went all electronics on traction. 2002 still had the mechanism in the Tcase, but no way to shift it. 2004 they brought everything back. 2003.. you are SOL
In reply to mad_machine :
I’m aware of this. But for $1500, it’s basically a 4-wheeler that seats 5 with A/C, heat, and sexy-ass piped leather seats.
What about the general grabber’s. The red letter ones. Or the retread mud tires.
How about some gnarly chinese cheap real mud tires?
the earlier disco2s had 16 inch rims, they can be had for relatively cheap. Just make sure you are not getting Disco1 rims, those use a wider bolt pattern like the original Range Rover.
In reply to EvanB :
a Discovery with those would be the best thing ever. It’d look like this British off road races that I love to watch!
I know there are a lot of used tore stores that focus on used off road tires. For a farm tuck I'd be looking for something used from them or off Craigslist. Any good MT should be a big upgrade over the ATs for what you're doing. Find something that fits with as much tread left as possible.
Buy a circle track tread cutter and turn your tires into mudders.
Mud tires don't work in snow. Snow tires don't work in mud. Skinny tires work best in snow. Fat tire work best in deep snow. Snow tires only work when new...blah blah blah. All that might be right. Or it might be wrong. All I know is that the most impressive mud and snow tires I ever had were, believe it or not, Firestone Town & Country Sno Biters. From the '70s. Replete with white walls and some dry rot. I had them on a farm vehicle. CJ5. Every other tire I had on that including BFG Mud Terrain KM2's were inferior in the goop. Goop is snow and mud mixed together which we get in March and April.
A lot of the meatier snow tires do tend to work acceptably in mud. Although when it gets warm out, mud tires will do better. And the mud tires will be less prone to chunking, etc. when abused off-road.
Hit Craigslist. There are usually a ton of used mud tires on it around here. For straight farm truck age is irrelevant and the age cracks will just add traction.
Here's a set of ProComps, which are a pretty good mud tire, in 18" for $160. https://charleston.craigslist.org/wto/d/mud-tires/6443596552.html
There is bound to be something local to you.
In reply to mad_machine :
Ask me how I know.....That's why I have a set of them FS. Found out the hard way they won't fit my RR Classic. Dang it.
Best value mud tires I have found are Kenda Klevers
I put them on some trailers I build and have had them on a WJ Grand Cherokee as well.
Hard to find a better value IMO.
If its all off road use get you some retreads, but swapping down to 16s would probably make any route you choose much cheaper.
I’ll check the size today. Couldn’t find anything on CL in 255/55-18.
Confirmed: They’re 255/55-18’s. I know what to ask for for my 40th bday bash! :)
Those Falkens seem to be pretty popular around here.
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