Member Since: 28 Dec 2020
Location: Oakham
Posts: 11
How good are road tyres on mild off road?
Hi, recently bought a d3. It currently has very cheap road tyres on. Bought the vehicle as I’m a stonemason, I need to tow a heavy trailer and quite often drive over fields to walls, in muddy stone quarries etc. I’ve done this in big vans and it’s mostly not gotten stuck. I’d like to know how good decent road tyres would be? I’d like to keep it as road biased as possible to avoid road noise, poor economy etc.
Would all weather tyres be enough? Or is the amazing 4x4 only really working if it’s got at least a/ts on.
Thanks for your time.
Last edited by underdose on 11th Jan 2021 9:01 am. Edited 1 time in total
11th Jan 2021 7:53 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8225
If you can do it in a van the Disco will laugh at it with road tyres, mud and snow are the best long term option when it’s time to replace.
On LR complimentary off road days you never see a Disco with anything else but normal tyres and they are going up 1 in 5 off road hills.It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
11th Jan 2021 8:03 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73080
Unless said fields are soft and boggy, they are big old heavy beasts and once they start to sink it doesn’t matter what tyres you’re on. Plus grass is slick as a slick thing with extra slick, not called green glass for nothing. The biggest danger here is over confidence, it a LR so it’ll go anywhere, it won’t. The LRE courses are carefully sculpted to show what the car can do, not what it can’t.
11th Jan 2021 8:11 am
philm
Member Since: 02 Oct 2016
Location: Manchester
Posts: 732
When I had my D4 on Pirelli scorpion tyres, I took it in Quarries and across fields with a trailer without any problems.L633 Defender
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11th Jan 2021 8:18 am
underdose
Member Since: 28 Dec 2020
Location: Oakham
Posts: 11
M3DPO wrote:
If you can do it in a van the Disco will laugh at it with road tyres, mud and snow are the best long term option when it’s time to replace.
On LR complimentary off road days you never see a Disco with anything else but normal tyres and they are going up 1 in 5 off road hills.
Thanks guys, that’s helpful. Would the hit to fuel economy on mud tyres not outweigh the long term benefits, or is the real life effect not overly noticeable?
Thanks Phil, the Pirelli’s were what I was looking at.
11th Jan 2021 8:37 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8225
DSL wrote:
Unless said fields are soft and boggy, they are big old heavy beasts and once they start to sink it doesn’t matter what tyres you’re on. Plus grass is slick as a slick thing with extra slick, not called green glass for nothing. The biggest danger here is over confidence, it a LR so it’ll go anywhere, it won’t. The LRE courses are carefully sculpted to show what the car can do, not what it can’t.
Like the man says “stone quarry in a VAN with a trailer on the back” my experience with vans off tarmac and they are useless without a trailer even with off road tyres, Disc with normal road tyres will eat it.
Off road tyres will make little difference to economy, some can be very uncomfortable to the ears!It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
11th Jan 2021 8:41 am
Dave T
Member Since: 03 Jul 2009
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 6910
Scorpion atrs were the best all round bet I found, no noise/consumption increase but would also last a lot longer than road going scorpionsJoined the BMWX5 45e group
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11th Jan 2021 8:49 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
Scorpion ATRs are rarer than an honest politician and might not actually be made anymore in a Disco-friendly size.
I'd suggest either Grabber AT3 or the Scorpion AT+ but they're not pure road tyres although they are much better on road than ATs of old were. Both do increase fuel use a bit, however. But both are winter rated which is a "nice to have" for some of us. Land Rover supply vehicles on Scorpion Verde All Season which will get around quite well off road so long as one is careful.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
11th Jan 2021 9:05 am
RRSTDV8
Member Since: 07 Apr 2014
Location: Here
Posts: 13541
DSL wrote:
The LRE courses are carefully sculpted to show what the car can do, not what it can’t.
That's something that I've always thought - people go on about how the courses show you how capable the vehicles are - and they are - but the courses are scripted to show off the vehicles.
I drove around Eastnor a couple of times in my own RRS (back when they did such trips) and even then, the tracks that they use for development work are well founded, not axle deep mud. The wading trenches are likewise well founded. So there's not too much risk of getting stuck. Sure, on steep climbs you can fail the climb but not in a way that you can't safely retreat.
But having said that, it's surprising what these old barges will get though if you're careful.Visiting from rrsport.co.uk
2012 RRS SDV6
2008 RRS TDV8
"When you fire that first shot, no matter how right you feel, you have no idea who's going to die! You don't know who's children are going to scream and burn. How many hearts will be broken. How many lives shattered. How much blood will spill, until everybody does what they were always going to have to do from the very beginning: SIT DOWN AND TALK!"
11th Jan 2021 9:09 am
stew 46
Member Since: 01 Dec 2011
Location: cornwall
Posts: 10147
Pulling a heavy trailer across a field is asking a lot unless you’ve got tractor tread , I’ve pulled my plant trailer across a few fields with discos and defender , most ok on the flat but not good if pulling up a slight hill
Trailer and digger are just under 3.5 tone-------------------------------------------------
if you cant hold on dont let go , it ill come in handy for something even if you never use it.
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11th Jan 2021 9:36 am
CongoBoy
Member Since: 05 Mar 2019
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 529
Dave T wrote:
Scorpion atrs were the best all round bet I found, no noise/consumption increase but would also last a lot longer than road going scorpions
I used these back in the day on my D1 when I wasn't doing as many kilometres on gravel/dirt roads but more tarseal (and they are still on the old boy 8 years later!) They were very good.
I am currently using BFG ATs on both my D3s. The only reason I bought them here in the UK were that they were on a very good price. I don't seem to have a probelm with the noise but then I am a bit deaf after 15 years in the military!!2008 D3 HSE Stornoway Grey (UK)
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11th Jan 2021 10:33 am
jamez79
Member Since: 03 Sep 2018
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 585
Why not put some all terrains on as a balance between on and off road, just to give you a slight edge and a bit more confidence. But not too much confidence as that's when you'll get stuck!
I'm running Avon AX7/ Cooper Discoverer ATT's (they're the same identical tyre, just branded differently) I've not noticed any worsening of the fuel economy, no increased road noise and it'll go over fields easily enough. Obviously they ain't mud pluggers so have limits, but they are a bit better than road tyres, off road.
Anyway, it'll be much more fun getting stuck in a disco than in a van!
11th Jan 2021 10:42 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73080
Not for some.
11th Jan 2021 10:47 am
jamez79
Member Since: 03 Sep 2018
Location: Staffordshire
Posts: 585
Ah yes, I read that yesterday.
11th Jan 2021 10:49 am
underdose
Member Since: 28 Dec 2020
Location: Oakham
Posts: 11
So answered my own question today. Was working in a field, one my rwd truck was fine in, and was losing lots of traction. Not enough to panic but enough to know I’d like the assurance of more capable tyres. Especially with a trailer. I think ATs are a good compromise. My fuel economy seems to be particularly poor at the moment, so didn’t want to overkill.
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