Silverstone 35x11.5x15

[moonhopper]

I have been offered a set of silvestone extreme for $300.00 each. Is there anyone using them in this size if so what are your thoughts on them. They are going to go on my rangie.

[albundy]

I got a set, happy thus far with them. Shit on wet clay, but better then a simex on wet rocks IMO. Run them a 40psi on tar seal, noisy as hell but wear much better. I run them at 8-10 PSI off road. Real bastards to fit though. They look heaps better on rim rather then off rim. That's a pretty sharp price, I would go for it.
Al

[DieselBoy]

I'm running the MT-117 Extreme on Thunderguts, they are pretty good so far, they seem to be about as hard in the side wall as the Simex's though, even a 5psi they still don't bag much, and thats on a fairly big truck.

They would suit a big heavy diesel vehicle more than a light weight rally truck

[4WDbits]

I use 35/11.5-16 on the LC. Grip to most things like smelly stuff to a blanket and clear the tread quicker than anything else I know of. The LC is in the 2.5 ton bracket so might not be the same on a zuk or trials truck.

[turoa]

They would suit a big heavy diesel vehicle more than a light weight rally truck

thats all good, he doesnt own a lightweight trials truck

should go good on the rangie

[darinz]

I ran then on my GQ for a couple of comps in 2005 and they would have to be the best tyre on the market for hard wet clay. A little bit to aggressive for a general purpose tyre but man do they clear the tread well and dig really well.

[H2OLOVA]

Shit on wet clay
Al

they would have to be the best tyre on the market for hard wet clay

Have been looking at these myself so will be interested to find out why one thinks they're crap and one thinks they're good. Can you guys give any more info as to why you each think that about those tyres. Different vehicles maybe??

[Bulletproof]

Shit on wet clay
Al

they would have to be the best tyre on the market for hard wet clay

Have been looking at these myself so will be interested to find out why one thinks they're crap and one thinks they're good. Can you guys give any more info as to why you each think that about those tyres. Different vehicles maybe??

Hi Jase
I think it may come down to tyre pressures. The silverstones have a better rubber compound for the road and wear better than the simex I run. They also have about 3 or 4 less lugs which makes them more open and what I have seen go well in clay as long as the pressure is 10lbs or less
The down side is they are not true to size. A 35 is only 34 and thats what made me go for the simex. The silverstones are also quite a bit cheaper than the simex.

Cheers Richard

[hosehustler]

Hi Jase,
Dad has a set of simex's and iv'e been on plenty of trips with him.
I was passenger in AL's truck at Haast this year on the silverstone' s, others had simex's at Haast for me to observe as well.
Personally 4wding on both coast's as you do I would never own either unless I had 2 set's of rim's and tyres, there's minimal times here on the east you will benefit, in fact often simex pattern are a hinderance, however on the west coast (especially north west) they are the weapon of choice.
If you are able to have 2 sets of tyres, the silverstones are the tyre for you, they are cheaper by far, they have proven to out perform simex's on the international winch challenge circut (due to less lugs= more open= more ability for tread clearance), and you have a winch, if you can't get through or over the obstacle with lockers articulation and tyres that dig like shovels........half an inch more will make minimal differance..... you just use the winch.
Besides as you've witnesed first hand....unless you're in the lead few trucks on a trip on an extreme track back markers are always winching as the track is cut to shreds for the back markers
Here's a couple of examples



On tracks like these (where you're not clearing out the bog holes) it's good to be trip leader

[DieselBoy]

I have never understood whay people think that simex and silverstone are crap in clay??

Thats what the tyres are designed for. Thats the predominant soil type in the Malaysia where both brands are made.

The nice open tread pattern clears nicely with a bit of wheel spin, and there is heaps of bite also. Even better when the edges are still nice and square

It leads me to thinking that perhaps those that report them being crap in the clay don't often come across such terrain, and do not realise just how slippery wet actually is (fawken slippery), that and perhaps have not had the pleasure of trying to go those same places with a tyre that has a lesser void between tread blocks to do a good comparison.

Up here in the Waikato, the majority of our tracks have a clay base, the result being the more open and aggressive the tyre is, the better results you have. Lesser tyres just fill with clay immediatly and you stand still on the spot.

I would suggest that the main down side of the aggressive silverstone tyres will prove to be wet swampy ground where i can see them digging straight down

[albundy]

Shit on wet clay from my own personal experience on the westcoast. Got hung up on some good rocks in the 3rd washout because the tryes would not get any traction on the wet caly. I will clarify that it was on sidlings that I found they slipped. On the flat they were fine. Just how I found them. Remember my truck is a heavy pig of a thing.
Al

[Sadam_Husain]

I have never understood whay people think that simex and silverstone are crap in clay??

I've always found my simexes crap in clay, But I guess its depends on your definition of clay, anything that is soft enough for the tyre to dig and bite into then there working and doing what there designed to do but if its hard slipprey clay that the tyre just sits on top of the surface and they are shit and theres poor traction.

[DieselBoy]

(I being constructive here)

I suppose what i was getting at was that you guys found them crap in comparison to what other tyre????

I was suggesting that perhaps you guys haven't compared them to a lesser tyre on your own trucks and that you might have found that you slip and slide around a whole lot more than you do with you Ex terks and MT-117's????


On hard slippery clay you would surely want the most aggressive and open tread pattern possible for maximum bite on a slippery surface, much like the logic behind snow chains on an icey road.

I would suggest that you would find a more closed tread pattern even worse on both of your scenarios???

It makes sence to me that a more closed tread pattern would clog quiker, and have less bite than an more open pattern, it would also spread the load over a greater surface area making the tyre sit on top, making them even slipperier???

[doddzee]

On hard clay with very similar trucks i have seen mickey thompson claws and maxxis creepys out perform simexs many times. They just dont seem to want to bite. Also on rocky sections these tyres seem to outperform the simexs.

For the terrain that the welly guys drive on (rallywoods etc) i dont think they are a good choice of tyre.

Im currently looking for a tyre to run on an f class truck for the trials season. Considering the silverstones but think they may be a litle stiff in the sidewall for that application.

[DieselBoy]

Check my pic above, thats with 5psi in the tyres

[Leithfield]

Have had personal experience with Simex ET I's, ET II's, and Creepy Crawlers - in my experience, irrespective of PSI, the Simex were appreciably inferior to the Creepies in both wet and dry clay.

[Sadam_Husain]

On hard clay with very similar trucks i have seen mickey thompson claws and maxxis creepys and mudzilla's out perform simexs many times. They just dont seem to want to bite. Also on rocky sections these tyres seem to outperform the simexs.

For the terrain that the welly guys drive on (rallywoods etc) i dont think they are a good choice of tyre.

x2 for the Wgtn terain we have here, my simexes look better than they perform

[Bulletproof]

Hi Jase,
Dad has a set of simex's and iv'e been on plenty of trips with him. however on the west coast (especially north west) they are the weapon of choice.

Only tyre to use up there. As far as I know at this point Andi Delis and myself are the only trucks to drive out of little Totara heading back to the steep bank on the tailings track. I have since found out Don Nobles has also driven it on superswampers which are also very open with the 3 lug pattern.

We both had 35x11.5 simex extreme treekers .I have seen others try on different tyres and fail so I think it is alot to do with the open tread wrapping around the roots.

We both had under 10lbs

I didn't use them on ALs trip to Ikamatua because I believed the BFGs were better.

Cheer Richard

[Leithfield]

Agree with ET's for the Coast - fantastic tyres for the terrain; the ET II's are my preferred compromise choice overall.

[4WDbits]

There are a lot of finer points to consider when comparing tyres such as how new and square the tread is, how easily the tread clears and of course tread patter. Not all Simex ETs are created equal, there are triple block and double block designs and each will perform differently in the same situation.
For any sort of firm base terrain or matted surface semi firm base terrain a more open the tread and smaller rubber patches will generate greater the grip. Other surfaces other treads, maybe.
Also when talking Silverstone sizes, not all 35s are 34. I spent a good part of a weekend mounting and measuring (albeit just a tape measure and mark one eye ball) all the sizes I had, the results are on the web site. The 35/11.5-16 is the largest and the 33/10.5-15 should be called a 32/9.5-15. Its all there to look at, warts and all.

[hosehustler]

Check my pic above, thats with 5psi in the tyres

Hi Pete,


One thing we've found down here is the cross ply's are great at low pressures such as you were running in the pic and agree 100% they are hooking up in those conditions superbly, also have found out the hard way at that pressure in deep ruts without beadlocks or tubes....... we pop the tyre off the rim way too often
I hate re-fitting tyres in the bush.....when it's raining

[albundy]

Yep popped my front right off yet again on saturday and it only had 14psi in it. Looking at beadlockers now.
Al

[Bulletproof]

The best tyre I have ever seen in clay is the Firestone SAT. Simex and Silverstones are about the nearest to that pattern.

It is not the lugs but the shape of the case that is the secret. The case is round like a tractor tyre which is the ultimate for traction,but tractors run low pressures.

I have never rolled a tyre off a rim and I put them in pretty rough terrain.

My general observation is that most people fit tyres on too wide a rim. I have 35.11.5x15 simex extreme treekers and are they fitted on 7 inch rims, thats the max size to use for off roading with that size tyre.

Advantages. Tyres dont get pushed off rim as easy at low pressure.
The narrow rim opens the tread at the top and allows it to clean better

I have removed all the shiney paint off the rims and repainted with flat paint. I also use tractor tubes.

For clay I wouldn't go past a Silverstone or Simex and if there are no deep ruts will still use the 750x16 SATs

Cheers Richard

[DieselBoy]

Ok, i'm going to show my tight assness now

You can get a set of bead locked rims made for about $80 a rim if you supply the rims.

I decided that i would do some experimenting with some alternatives.

I got my hands on some Eurethane, the stuff that panel beaters use for bonding steel, used for attaching new roofs to cars etc etc.

I roughened up the contact surfaces on the tyres and the rims, and applyed a liberal bead of Eurethane to the surfaces. Once set, that stuffs seriously strong.

Not as good a bead lock by any stretch of the imagination, but its just enough to keep the tyres in place under most situations.

It'l be interesting to see if i can get the tyres off the rims when teh time comes

[nstg8a]

It'l be interesting to see if i can get the tyres off the rims when teh time comes

i sa that trick on a yank website a while ago, they dont seem to have too much trouble getting them off, its the getting them off without shagging the bead that can the problem.

[wopass]

Ok, i'm going to show my tight assness now

You can get a set of bead locked rims made for about $80 a rim if you supply the rims.

I decided that i would do some experimenting with some alternatives.

I got my hands on some Eurethane, the stuff that panel beaters use for bonding steel, used for attaching new roofs to cars etc etc.

I roughened up the contact surfaces on the tyres and the rims, and applyed a liberal bead of Eurethane to the surfaces. Once set, that stuffs seriously strong.

Not as good a bead lock by any stretch of the imagination, but its just enough to keep the tyres in place under most situations.

It'l be interesting to see if i can get the tyres off the rims when teh time comes

i call it the poo lock and i have the same thing the only difference is i used holdfast fix all, 36" centipedes on 15x10 rims for over 2 yrs and never popped a tyre off yet....touch wood

[timotheus]

Have you looked at how the Staun/Endless air style lockers work?
Some canvas a sewing machine and some some small inner tubes and you could do them for FA.

[albundy]

I have never understood whay people think that simex and silverstone are crap in clay??

Thats what the tyres are designed for. Thats the predominant soil type in the Malaysia where both brands are made

Couldn't agree more with last sentence, but Asain clay is vastly different to our sth island clay, and that nth island shit as well. The shit here is even different to the stuff I am used to back home. Clay here is like a soft rock in my opinion.
Was on Worsleys spur on saturday. Usually hard as rock. With all the rain and snow it is so soft, but it is still ahrd enough to clog tyres, brakes ets. The tops of the ruts where collapsing under the weight of the trucks. It took us about two hours to go 100mtrs. Once part the clay it was fine. The trucks that attempted it with AT's didn't even go far past the start line, except for a set of Coopers on a Vx, I was suitably impressed.
AL

[Madaz]

DieselBoy wrote:
Ok, i'm going to show my tight assness now

You can get a set of bead locked rims made for about $80 a rim if you supply the rims.

I decided that i would do some experimenting with some alternatives.

I got my hands on some Eurethane, the stuff that panel beaters use for bonding steel, used for attaching new roofs to cars etc etc.

I roughened up the contact surfaces on the tyres and the rims, and applyed a liberal bead of Eurethane to the surfaces. Once set, that stuffs seriously strong.

Not as good a bead lock by any stretch of the imagination, but its just enough to keep the tyres in place under most situations.

It'l be interesting to see if i can get the tyres off the rims when teh time comes

i call it the poo lock and i have the same thing the only difference is i used holdfast fix all, 36" centipedes on 15x10 rims for over 2 yrs and never popped a tyre off yet....touch wood

Thats got a be a challenge if I ever heard one

Time to take you guys for a proper day out at Karikariki with us young fellas

[Nizsafari]

I'm running 35x12.5x15 Maxxis Creepys.. Offroad usually at about 6psi on 8 inch un-beadlocked rims... get this... Using double sided sticky tape between the bead and the rim... NEVER popped a bead....