33x12.5-15 mud tyres

Hi Timbo,

Do you do alot of mileage with the G230 ?

The reason I ask is that I believe the 230 is not a speed machine at the best of times on std tyres. If you get to fit 33/12.50x15 tyres I reckon you will make it into an insatiable alcholic of that expensive commodity fuel.
Also, they kill whatever power it does have and especially off road with mud tyres.
Just a couple of little things you may not have fully considered. Although maybe I'm being too sensible.

Regards,

Mike

I think that as long as your springs are in good order you should be ok but someone might know better.
Have you considered 33x10.5x15s ?

Good advice from tyreman.
I bought a set of goodyear wrangler 235x85x16 M/Tr on merc steels for 250Quid- and no clearance problems even with tyred old springs

sprinters are 15" rims if the same stud pattern as a G, as far as im aware

There is a good argument for 15" rims off road - a longer footprint particularly when aired down

I think it depends on how far you go and how extreme the conditions are. I think that ,rather than flotation the idea is more of a caterpillar track and having 15" rims will give more side wall height - Below is a copy of an email discussion with someone in Canada about Michelin XZLs:-
I haven't had the tires on for long but I bought them because of their strength and aspect ratio. A friend has them on his G wagen and runs them down to 7psi in really soft sand and at75mph on the motorway( full pressure) - he runs a saharan travel company from Ireland so does huge mileage(gvw 3ton) and of course your government uses them in Afghanistan. Apparently Gratz took the entire production of 825s - which explains why you can't find any. Mine came one at a time from ebay( £25- £60) but nothing has come up for 2 years now. There is a UK company called 'Vass' who dispose of british army tires ( I could ring them for you).
I've been using Goodyear wrangler M/TR on 15 alloys for around 70,000 miles without a puncture or damage, just a little 'heel and toe' wear - a hard act to follow. I do about 40% off road use on mud, farm tracks and desert sand and rock, the rest on tarmac. They were quiet, strong and did everything I asked except in soft sand where they dug in.
I have now changed to the military 6.15 gearbox and need a taller tire to keep motorway speed up and more clearance in the sand.
If Goodyear had a narrow 34" tire I would have bought it.
So far I find the XZLs to be quite a bit noisier and my driving style is changing since they don't corner nearly as well ( the goodyears had much better road grip but were quite a bit wider so it's unfair to compare particularly since they are on 5.5j steel rims ET63 which are too narrow - good tip to widen them, thanks). Off road they offer very good grip but I have to watch the pressures. No sand yet.
I'm preping the car for an extended trip in north Africa and whilst certain these are the correct choice I will miss the Goodyears on road performance.I think the Michelin has a lower speed rating too.
The attached picture is of Frank at 65mph on 825s in southern Algeria on a mix of small rocks, hard and soft sand - a tough test for any tire - but then I took the pic on my goodyears.
It's hard to recommend the 825s except by reputation and they seem to have their shorcomings but I needed a tall, narrow tire that will take the punishment of bad roads and tracks in africa but I don't relish the 1,000mile motorway to get there.
The first time I used the tyres in mud was the worst condition for a tall,narrow tyre at 50 psi - heavy rain,12" of wet,soft soil on top of clay, 1 in 4 slope. They cut straight through the soil and spun on the clay - diff locs on all 4 wheels going round axels on the ground. I had to winch out but luckily it was only about 20yds. The goodyears (31x10.5x15) have done this and more many times without a problem - floatation presumably. At road pressure there is only about 6" width on the tar where as at 25 psi you get the full effect of the tread and get something approaching the Goodyear width and more length of footprint because of the larger diameter - at really low pressure (michelin approve 7psi in emergencies) they are excelent in sand - like caterpillar tracks.
One other thing - on ordinary dirt/rocky tracks they are very precise and go exactly where you want.
I think it is just a case of getting used to them ( and at $650each for hutchinsons I will be sticking with steel rims).

IMHO unless you have a very specific purpose for the 33 x 12.50's they will be a retro grade step over the 31 x 10.50's. Only up side (in some peoples eyes) is from an athethetic point of view.

As the concensus seems to be be. Stick with what you have or go for the 235x85x16's

timbo, are your tyres all terrain or muds, and what condition are they in?

Hi Mike,
yes I did paste all the above but i did write it in the first place.
If i summarise:-
Yes I did manage to collect 6off 8.25x16 xzls.
I have used goodyear wrangler M/TR 31x10.5x15 with great success as did the Bowlers in the dakar.
In very soft sand with a loaded vehicle, 250L fuel, 80L water,roof tent etc my little 230ge struggles and of course we all want more power, especialy low down.
Solution:-
military 6.15 gearbox for low range power
8.25 xzl x16 tyres to compensate for loosing 5th gear - will still do 75mph(just)
The very low 1st gear, low range allows you to drop the clutch when stuck in soft sand and with 1bar you have nearly 600mm of flat tyre on the ground.
My confidence in this set up comes from seeing it work and with a 300gd at that.
Also it is not for racing but for dealing with whatever difficult situation might arrise in the middle of nowhere(possibly alone).
cheers
Chris