Feedback Yoko Geolander 16" ATS (ATR) Tyres

agora

Forum Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2009
Messages
7
I have experienced and heard the stories of the Geolander SQUELLERS and the low average kms. (I only got about 20,000kms). Well add this to the list.
I recently purchased a set of 215:60:R16 Yokohama Geolander ATS tyres. for my MY06 Foreseter X. On the newly graded dirt road to Hill End (NSW) I had a small piece of stone penetrate the tyre between the blocks. The stone punctured the tyre. By the time I pull up to replace the tyre (within 150 meters as I was on a slope) the tyre rim had cut the inside wall of the tyre. The tyre supplier and Yokohama rep of course said bad luck!. I had only done 500km on these tyres. Far too soft for Aussie conditions (My opinion)
My previous tyres were Cooper highway tyres which I travelled over 60,000 km before replacing with these ATS's which included 15,000 km through the Merinie Loop, Tanami Desert Road, Cape LeVeque Rd and The Gibb River road with no problems.
Anyone had any better luck with these tyres.
 
i had a set of the atII's which wern't to bad but they did wear pretty quick. iv'e replaced two with the ATS which seem to be holding up a bit better but honestly i think the money could be spent better on coopers or BFG's. depends on the sizes your after. iv'e got the 65's now but i'm thinking on getting the 70's next.:lildevil:
 
G'day agora & :welcome: to ORS

I currently have a set of the Yokohama Geolander ATS tyres (215/65/16) on my Forry & so far I am very happy with them. And believe you me, a lot of those have been on really rough terrain.

Will I buy them again....most probably yes.
But that just depends on what is around & available when it comes time to have them replaced.

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Thanks for feedback, looks like I will continue using these tyres.
regards
agora
 
I have had the same tyres on for almost a year now with about 35000 km on them, and they are probably not half worn yet. They have been through the Pilbara which is usually tough on tyres and have been down to 8psi in sand.
I'm quite happy with them and would get them again.

cheers
 
I'll likely be on the market for new tyres soon, in another 10-15k kms....

Top of the list at the moment is exactly the ATS in 215/65R16 size, so I'm glad to see there's people out there happy with them.

If anyone else has got them on, let us know what you think of them!!

Cheers,
Pedro.
 
After reading good feedback on here about the A/T-S, I will probably be getting some of these shortly since my Pirellis are are on their last legs and I want something more offroad-orientated.

On the point of size, check with your local authority about the legality. For example the guidelines from the RTA (applies to NSW, Australia) state the following:

"The outside diameter of the wheel and tyre combination must be no more than 15mm over the largest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle and not more than 15mm below the smallest diameter wheel and tyre combination specified for the vehicle."

By my calcs, going from 215/60R16 (standard on many Forries and Outbacks) to 215/65R16 increases the diameter as follows:

2 x 215mm x (0.65 - 0.60) = 21.5mm

(I have a copy of the RTA guidelines if anyone wants them - the pdf is too big to upload here.)
 
I had some concerns before I bought the AT-S tyres too after reading a few bad experiences from other site members.

To be fair most referred to the older AT-II range, but if it wasn't for the free Yokohama Road Hazard Protection I may have chosen a different tyre. I got mine through Tyres & More, however Bob Jane and other key Yokohama dealers also should provide the guarantee. Did you fill out a certificate with the tyre serial numbers on it?

In regards to size I was strongly considering the 65 aspect ratio and even went as far as getting an endorsement from my insurance company for the larger size. Although in SA this is technically illegal (>15mm increase in diameter) so I wasn't sure if the 'endorsement' would overcome this if I made a claim.

Also, my wife was using the car as a daily driver and wasn't keen on a deflated spare :rolleyessarcastic:
 
Had my A/T-S fitted last week, 215/60R16.

Compared to the Pirelli P6 (passenger car) tyres I was running before there is a faint whining noise noticable on smooth bitumen but it's not loud enough to be irritating and over about 80km/h the wind noise drowns it out. They have a bit of a howl during hard cornering but nothing like the squeeling of the original Geo G900, and seem to grip the road almost as well as the Pirellis. Now I just need to get them dirty!
 

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Geolanders

Keep hearing complaints about Goelanders. I've still got the originals on my Outback. I've done 43,000 kms. Still life in them. Includes 14,000 trip up the centre of Oz to Katherine across to Broome down west coast across Nullabour and home to Bairnsdale. Did the Bungle Bungles, Cape Laveque and plently of other dirt. Only problem blew a tyre on a cattle grid. Luckily picked up a spare of similar condition. I can't speak highly enough of them, although I've not driven with anything else.
 
We have covered this thing with 65 series tyres before.
Remeber that the insurance company might cover the car with these tyres on but this has nothing to do with the state laws. If you were to have an accident and someone was injured, and for example were in Vic, and the TAC investigated the crash and the car for a 3rd party claim you could well find yourself in serious trouble.
They are within their rights to say the fitment of wheels/tyres that are outside of the prescribed wheels/tyres was a contibuting factor to the accident and wipe your 3rd party insurance and you are up the creek without a paddle.
My thoughts on the Pirelli P6's......yuk. Car drives like a bag of s..t!
Can't wait for them to wear out so i can get some decent tyres. They were on the new wheels i got the other day. Just don't suit a Forester IMO.:puke:
 
Dealer here in Vic advised that you could legally go over up to 50 mm circumference and under up to 15 mm.
 
Don't worry about what dealers tell you.Check it out properly on the Vic Roads website. 50mm sounds like a lot to me and i think it is wrong.
 
Sigmund said:
Dealer here in Vic advised that you could legally go over up to 50 mm circumference and under up to 15 mm.
Click to expand...
That's a lot & doesn't sound right to me.

silver said:
Don't worry about what dealers tell you.Check it out properly on the Vic Roads website. 50mm sounds like a lot to me and i think it is wrong.
Click to expand...
I agree.

Tyre regs Vic

Page 3... No 8 Wheels & Tyres... Point 3

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
16" rims is 215/60/16. Not sure what the speed/load rating is but check your compliance plate on the sill or drivers side door.
17" would have a lower profile tyre that is roughly the same diameter.
Bridgestone make a semi off road 215/60/16.
Best bet if you can do it is source another set of steel rims and put the off road set on one and straight roads tyres like the Bridgestone Adrenelins on the other set of rims.
It's pretty obvious from reading the posts about tyres that there are many different ideas on tyres. I'm a Bridgestone fan as i have used their tyres for many,many years and have a great run with them.
Some tyres are more suited to some cars than others and i can tell you from personal experience to stay away from Pirelli P6's. They just don't suit Foresters.
I have them on the front as they were on the alloys i got and the longer i drive with them the more i hate them. I have had to turn the music down sometimes as i thought there was something wrong with the car. The noise they make on coarse chip roads is just plain ugly and the way the car 'tracks' with the ruts is bloody awful.
 
Thanks for that tip.

Yeah, I've scored a spare set of 16" rims and am looking at Bridgestone 693 II's which are an AT tread and LT construction. Only available in 65% though which makes them marginally over the legal limit.
 
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