Yokohama Geolander P265/70 R17: good compromise between overlanding and daily drive?

[RockClimber]

Since I am new to this forum, I'll introduce myself first. I have always been passionate about offroad vehicles, ever since my father took me with him as a little kid on trails with his MOD Defender. My current car is A 2010 Toyota Hilux. Thanks to a great trade in deal, I have just purchased a 2015 JKU Sahara Billet Silver! :wings: It's a Diesel (we are lucky enough to get those here in Belgium), which is a big plus for me.

I was looking to fit my new Jeep with a good pair of tires that would fit my overlanding needs and still would be reasonably comfortable during my daily driving (20km to work, 40km to the climbing gym every other night).
Since the term "overlanding needs" may be a little bit vague, I'll explain a little bit further: my hobby is rock climbing and most of the tracks leading up to the crags here in Europe are no worse than a bit of dirt and gravel. In winter I go climbing in spain and some places get a little bit worse in terms of loose rock on the road and giant potholes. I think all this could still be done with a stock jeep. However the real test will be a trip to Iceland I am planning for next summer, where we will be taking the F roads in to the highlands.

So I was wondering if this tire would be good enough for my needs: Yokohama Geolander P265/70 R17 ?
I get a great deal on it from my dealer, so price wise it's fine. The size translates to a 32" tire on a 17" rim.

Do you think this is fit for my trip to Iceland (and many other adventures to come) or would you recommend something else?

Other Mods I'm considering:
2.5" AEV lift, Roof rack (Gobi Stealth) and tent, lockable storage system, Steel bumper with winch

 

[JeepSafariDigest]

Hum interesting.. Load rated E 32'' x 10.50'' odd thing here and I don't like.. is that tirerack (my search site) doesn't list options.. and doesn't even suggest options like "one needs to have spacers etc installed" IE they say these tires wont fit my Jeep..

The tire seems more road worth being it's a load rating E.. It does have a nice tread pattern. I would say these tires are best suited for the road and less for the off road.. Maybe 65/35

 

[Dake21]

I don't drive a jeep but;

I was very close to get the Geolander instead of the AT3. I turned them down because they are more street biased and since I plan of going to the new cottage every summer (backwood) I needed something a bit more aggressive and better in mud. I am sure they are good for DD, they are not too noisy from what I have heard but make sure to rotate them often. Since in europe you barely have any snow, you should be good because AT tires aren't that good in winter condition. On the Suzuki forum a lot of people use them on their jimny and they seem to be happy with them. I can't see why they wouldn't be up to the task, they seem to be very good.

If you mean ice and deep snow for iceland forget any kind of AT tires. You'll need a studded deep lug tire with the proper compound.

A bon entendeur

 

[RockClimber]

Hum interesting.. Load rated E 32'' x 10.50'' odd thing here and I don't like.. is that tirerack (my search site) doesn't list options.. and doesn't even suggest options like "one needs to have spacers etc installed" IE they say these tires wont fit my Jeep..

The tire seems more road worth being it's a load rating E.. It does have a nice tread pattern. I would say these tires are best suited for the road and less for the off road.. Maybe 65/35

Thanks for looking into it. Seems like I need to expand my tire knowledge, since I don't know a whole lot about load rating. Would a higher load rating influence road performance much?
Just to be clear, it's not intended for rock crawling. Think more river crossing, mud, gravel, vulcanic ash (which is a bit like sand I think) and off course a whole lot of concrete. For Example: to get to Iceland I have to drive 1000 km to Denmark first, mostly highways.

 

[carbon60]

I'm putting a set of Cooper Discoverer AT3s on my parent's 4Runner on Saturday. Chose them based on the OJ review. They beat the other contenders at speed on dirt, which I feel is key to overlanding. (They do thousands of forestry road miles per year.)

Ask me in a year and I'll tell you if I like them.

 

[RockClimber]

I don't drive a jeep but;

I was very close to get the Geolander instead of the AT3. I turned them down because they are more street biased and since I plan of going to the new cottage every summer (backwood) I needed something a bit more aggressive and better in mud. I am sure they are good for DD, they are not too noisy from what I have heard but make sure to rotate them often. Since in europe you barely have any snow, you should be good because AT tires aren't that good in winter condition. On the Suzuki forum a lot of people use them on their jimny and they seem to be happy with them. I can't see why they wouldn't be up to the task, they seem to be very good.

If you mean ice and deep snow for iceland forget any kind of AT tires. You'll need a studded deep lug tire with the proper compound.

A bon entendeur

Iceland in summer should be little snow from what i've seen. And In Europe we haven't had much snow over the last two winters. However, I'm keeping my original rims in case I would want a more snow or heavy offroad tire to switch to from time to time. May I ask which tire size you went with for the AT3? I think the southern part of Belgium may be comparable with your backwood setting.

 

[JeepSafariDigest]

Thanks for looking into it. Seems like I need to expand my tire knowledge, since I don't know a whole lot about load rating. Would a higher load rating influence road performance much?
Just to be clear, it's not intended for rock crawling. Think more river crossing, mud, gravel, vulcanic ash (which is a bit like sand I think) and off course a whole lot of concrete. For Example: to get to Iceland I have to drive 1000 km to Denmark first, mostly highways.

I've been brought up having a concern with the tire's load ratings.. Typically tires on most vehicles are load rated C which means the tire will flex or bend at the side walls.. where as the load rated E's are going to be a bit stiffer and not as forgiving..Also the load rating is based on a thickness or how many plys are in the tire.. use to be steel belts, now it's more of a compound or a blend of materials to create the layering thickness of the tire.
Because of the things you suggested that you'll be driving over, I'd check the specs/stats on these tires for winter weather, sand, mud etc.. So yes there is allot to consider when selecting a tire based on your climate.

 

[JKU87]

Hey Rockclimber,

I was recently in the market for new tires and the guys on the forum here really helped me out. I ended up going with the Cooper ST Maxx in 255/80/17 and they can be found here:

http://www.treaddepot.com/tire/90000019974.html

I wanted an upgrade from the BF Goodrich All Terrains I was running. My JKU is my daily driver, I do take it off-roading and plan to do more exploring and camping in the coming months. My JKU was pretty capable off-road with the BFGs but I wanted something more aggressive but not a full on mud terrain. The ST Maxx is a combination of both an all terrain and mud terrain tire. They've been on for a week and I have been satisfied so far but only have done pavement driving. I'll be going out to explore some trails next weekend which should be a good test of their off-pavement performance. The best thing about the 255/80/17 size is that they'll fit the stock 17 inch rim with no needed additional modifications. They measure up to be a little under 33 inches. Give them a read because it seems like they'd suite you well for what you're looking for.

Corey

 

[RockClimber]

I'm looking in to the Cooper AT/3 at the moment and they do get better reviews. I'm just biased to the Geolander, because it's the only good tire my dealer will trade in for the stock tires. So although I know the Cooper AT/3 may be better fit for my goals, I'm trying to conclude if the difference in performance is big enough vs the fact that I can't trade in my stock tires then.

Any suggestions on the size combined with my suggested 2,5" lift?

 

[JKU87]

Just to give you an idea, I ordered Old Man Emu heavy duty springs which should net me around 2.5 inches of lift once the truck has a heavy load (after market bumpers, winch, roof rack, etc.). I was told I'll get about 3.5 inches of lift when it's installed because those heavy items will not be installed right away. The ST Maxx in 255/80/17 is roughly a 33 inch tire.

 

[RockClimber]

Just to give you an idea, I ordered Old Man Emu heavy duty springs which should net me around 2.5 inches of lift once the truck has a heavy load (after market bumpers, winch, roof rack, etc.). I was told I'll get about 3.5 inches of lift when it's installed because those heavy items will not be installed right away. The ST Maxx in 255/80/17 is roughly a 33 inch tire.

Can I conclude from your name that you were born in '87 and drive a JKU? Just like me in that case!

Well, I'm going with a roof rack and tent and steel bumper and winch, so that will add a lot of weight. Problem with the lift is that here in Belgium you are only allowed to have a 5cm lift, which roughly translates to 2,5". Also all non original parts may have to be removed to get trough the yearly vehicle inspection. So That means no bumper/roof rack. I'm afraid my lift will net over the 5cm then and I'll have to change my springs every year. Damn nanny state...

 

[kayadog]

Are you sure you don't want to go bigger than 265/70r17 with the 2.5" lift? That size is slightly shorter than the stock 255/75r17. 255/80r17 or 285/70r17 might be a better size for you. The Geolander's are an ok mild AT tire and highway but are getting a little dated. I'm currently running Cooper AT3's and Hankook ATM RF10's and are very happy with both on and mild off road and both have been great in the winter. If I had to pick one I think the ATM's are slightly quieter and a little more aggressive looking but I'd go with whichever on was cheaper. No reason to get a more aggressive tread for your intended use.

Both my tires are P rated and are fine for my use but if you are planning on adding a lot of weight definitely consider an LT tire. The Cooper AT3 comes in LT 285/70r17 C range and the Falken Wild Peak and Geolanders come in LT285/70r17 D range. So do Duratracs, but they may be more aggressive than you are looking for. Be aware that a lot of E range LT tires are heavy and ride stiff.

 

[lumpskie]

For what it's worth, I think the Geolander AT/S is a really good tire. It LOOKS like it street tire but does really well off road. I run them on the Wagoneer and I have a friend to ran them on him 4 Runner. That guy did everything in them, including some of the hardest Colorado and Moab trails out there. Here's a video of him running the Trifecta and Cliffhanger in Moab on 32" Geolanders.

http://youtu.be/kdphZfQsfeo

I want to say he got 4 or 5 years of hard wheeling and daily driving out of them too.

Here's a close up of the tread design. 17/32 tread depth is really good for an A/T tire.

 

[Dake21]

Iceland in summer should be little snow from what i've seen. And In Europe we haven't had much snow over the last two winters. However, I'm keeping my original rims in case I would want a more snow or heavy offroad tire to switch to from time to time. May I ask which tire size you went with for the AT3? I think the southern part of Belgium may be comparable with your backwood setting.

235/65r17. They self clean very good you can see the mud flying behind you. In high speed gravel it feels like a train on track.

River crossing, mud, gravel, vulcanic ash (which is a bit like sand I think) and off course a whole lot of concrete.

Sounds like what I do most of the time, expect vulcanic ash. They feel just as good on pavement, green lanes and dirt roads. In fresh snow they are good, but on ice I have to be careful.

 

[RockClimber]

I want to say he got 4 or 5 years of hard wheeling and daily driving out of them too.

Good to hear. I was concerned after reading a review from someone who got only 25.000 km with them.

I Should probably mention I have General Grabbers AT2's on my Hilux now (265/65 R17 112T). And while I didn't do a lot of heavy stuff with the Hilux due to it being a company car, I'm glad wit their performance and wear off. They perform well on pavement and in mud and I have had them for 85.000 km (about 50.000 miles). Anyone knows how this tire would compare to the Geolander in terms of road and offroad performance?