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37" KM2's beadlocks and low pressure

3K views 14 replies 6 participants last post by  Toy-Roverlander 
#1 ·
Hi all..

Let me explain a bit of 'why' first...

Over here in europe large real offroad tires are getting extremely hard to come by. This is due to them having to a an S-mark, S stands for Silence. Tires need to be Silent to be allowed to be sold in europe. You can imagine it would be hard to get a bogger, Krawler, Trepador or whatever "Silent".
The other thing is they need to be made with clean oil..

Sure, great for the environment and whiney people tha complain about tire noise but it does mean it's nearly impossible to get some proper tires.

I was looking for 37x12.5-16 Creepy Crawlers... well.. not much luck..

Even Silent tires like the KM2 are hard to get in the big sizes, but I found a place that has them in stock, 37x12.5-17.

These are radials. I was planning on bias ply tires on beadlock rims. How would a radial do on a beadlock rim at lets say 8psi or so?
Hard question to ask without some info, so here goes. I drive a toyota powered, toyota 80series dual locked axled SOA softtop Series IIa LWB Land Rover.
Currently it sits on 33" KM2's and I'm quite impressed with the abuse they put up with.
I do what you could call, compared to you guys, moderate wheeling. Bit of rockcrawling, forests, bit of mud... you know, bit of everything.
I'm a gentle driver, as this truck is also my daily driver.

I guess the thing I would be most concerned about is is the sidewall of the KM2 at really low pressures possible with beadlocks. Any experience here?
I've searched bit didn't find much else besides general reviews.
 
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#2 ·
dang, europe sucks :eek: :flipoff2:

shouldnt have any issues, i am running a 37" on 16.5" beadlocks and havent had any problems going to single digit air pressure, 5, 8, etc.. just remember, you may not always need to go that low, 12 or so might give you enough grip, depends on how heavy you are and what the surface is like.
 
#3 ·
It does!

I wonder where all the guys doing comps get their tires from ....

The annoying thing is that on all the 4wd tire supplier websites they're listed with prices and evertyhing and when you call them up they go like 'uuhhh no sorry.. not available, no idea when they will be again...' . One guy was telling me how he had 35" KM2's on backorder for 4 months now :eek:..
:shaking:

Good to hear you don't have any issues.

Mine is not that heavy, 4,400lbs with near equal fr-rr weight distribution.


There's one offroad pay and play site nearby that's very rocky (does have huge boulders and all) with steep climbs and slippery clay when wet to make it interesting:D
 
#6 ·
Thanks. I've send a few emails to different suppliers so I'm curious as to what they have to say. I'm looking for the 37x12.5-16 creepy crawler.


Great rig! I love that style of truck!!
Thanks!


Any more with experience with 37" KM2's on really low pressures on rocks and general wheeling?
 
#7 · (Edited)
I have a set of 37x12.50x17 KM2s on beadlocks on a 1977FJ40. I will tell you the sidewalls are soft. At low pressure they get a lot softer. It can be done, but you have to always be aware of sidewall dangers on the trail. I have not cut a sidewall yet, but it is really a dual purpose Rig that sees little trail time. I have an FJ40 based buggy that I cut the sidewall on a set of bias ply 42 IROKS with their first trip out...so it all depends on how you drive it.

Oh...ya...and Europe sux. I will look on with pride now when I see a guy driving down the road in a truck lifted 3 feet on tires that sound like a C130 as it passes by and the exhaust also shakes my rear view mirror. I'll just say..."God bless America!"
 
#8 ·
Thanks again for you input:smokin:

I noticed that the sidewalls on the KM2's are quite soft. They bag well at 14psi I usually have them at (as in pic above).

That's what appeals to me about the Creepies, with the way I drive I don't have to be carefull about the sidewalls. I'm very gentle to it compared to the rockcrawl vids I've seen on youtube :D.

That's my only concern with the KM2's... the sidewalls... I do like the other benefits of it.. the street manners...treadlife... It's a good tire..

Perhaps I should just give it a go and see what happens... after all, it's not like i've got much choice in tires at the moment......
 
#10 · (Edited)
I have 35" km's, on a 15" rim. so not exactly what your looking for but close. I don't run bead locks but I find the tires work best at 10psi or below. They work very well aired down low and I have been very happy with their performance.
I'm sure they are no creepie, but one of the best tires I have used so far.
Also sidewalks have never been a problem. I have heard some negative, but I've been through stuff I swear was gonna ruin one and .come out ok
 
#11 ·
Thanks for your reply! Good to hear you're not having any issues either.
What rimwidth do you have? No issues with air burping out?



Unless I come across a set of Creepies, or something else that could tempt me, I'm seriously thinking about the KM2's.

I'll have to look around for some 17" rims though... I was looking at the Rock8 steel beadlock wheels... they seemed a 'bargain' at 260dollar each... But after the usual crap and shipping a set of 5 would set me back $2300 :eek:... $935 of that is shipping:eek:..

Never mind.... I might just weld on some beadlock rings on some 17" ordinary rims :D
 
#13 ·
Good to know... thanks!


Well... what do you expect... I don't know how much a rim like that weighs, but it sure as hell ain't light...

I bought the Hellfire Faworks high-steer kit for my 80series front axle... it weighed in at 50lbs or so.... you know what shipping cost me??.... $485!! :eek:
Shipping IS expensive!

BTW... there are many reasons NOT to move to the US.... but that's beside the point ;):D
 
#14 ·
BTW... there are many reasons NOT to move to the US.... but that's beside the point ;):D
I only see one reason...your women. It's kind of hard to argue with what you guys have going on in that area. But other than that...Europe has become so full of itself with socialized everything that it is finally seeing the results of an entitlement society.
 
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