Tire woes: they keep getting punctured

[iamtheari]

My poor 2004 Cayenne Turbo just can't catch a break. I put Continental ExtremeContact DWS tires on its stock 19" rims last fall and have been very happy with them in all conditions here in western North Dakota, except one. While they are among the best street tires I've ever had and the best tires I've ever experienced on ice, they just plain suck at not having holes punched through them by gravel and scoria roads. (Scoria is a popular aggregate material used for roads here, including my own driveway. Its sharp edges are unavoidable.) I got a flat rear tire due to a rock getting stuck in the tread in early September, replaced both rear tires, foolishly did not check more carefully to see that the tire shop gave me the good used tire as a spare (I noticed today that they threw out the good one and sent me home with the one that has been impaled by a rock), got a smaller scoria-related gash yesterday, and found out this afternoon that the local tire shop deems the tire to be fubar. Rather than buy a new tire every 5,000 miles, I want to find something a little more rugged.

As a stopgap, I ordered a set of 18" rims with Blizzak DM-V1 tires to be delivered to my parents' house, where the car is currently stranded. They will show up probably the middle of next week. They can't possibly be less puncture-resistant than the DWS were, so I'm hoping they last through the winter. Meanwhile, I want to work and plan ahead for next summer. The main thought is to get off-road tires with a reasonable speed rating (I normally drive 45-60 mph locally, 85 mph when I go on a road trip, and rarely go up to 115 mph in emergency passing situations) for summer use. They could go on the 19" rims or they could go on a second set of 18" rims (leaving the 19" rims in storage or with summer, highway tires for special road tripping purposes).

From what I've been able to find online, the Transsyberia in rally dress wore Dunlop Grandtrek MT2 RF tires in the 235/60R18 size. Does anyone know any source for these tires in the USA? I can't find one. I think they'd be the perfect answer to my question, if they can be procured without smuggling them back from overseas in my luggage.

There are no 275/45R19 or 255/50R19 off-road tires that I can find. Others report that the 19" rims can also safely wear 255/55R19 tires. In that size, I have found the following off-road-looking options:
Pirelli Scorpion Zero
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac

In 18", apparently the OEM sizes are 235/60R18 and 255/55R18 but at least some people report that it is okay to run 255/60R18 or even 265/60R18. Among those, here are a few to choose from:
BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2
Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2
Cooper Discoverer CTS
Cooper Discoverer H/T Plus
Cooper Discoverer HTP
Cooper Discoverer ATP
Cooper Discoverer A/T3
Dick Cepek Trail Country
Falken Wild Peak A/T
Firestone Destination A/T
General Grabber AT 2
General Grabber HTS
General Grabber UHP
Goodyear Wrangler All-Terrain Adventure with Kevlar
Hankook DynaPro ATM RF10
Nitto Dura Grappler
Nitto Terra Grappler AT
Pirelli Scorpion ATR
Yokohama Geolander A/T-S
Yokohama Geolander H/T-S

Does anyone have positive or negative experiences with any of these tires? I mostly want to be able to drive comfortably on the highways without getting a gash in my tire every time I get to my own driveway. Thanks!

[fintstone]

Don't know about the tires you asked about...but have had no problems with the Continentals you use and live on a gravel road. I have also used Michelin Latitudes without problem, but they cost a lot more...so went back to the DWS.

You do realize that in general, when you replace cars on an all wheel drive...you should really replace all at once to ensure you don't damage your drivetrain (or at least both on the same "axle".

[iamtheari]

Our scoria is sharper than normal gravel. When I first got my pickup many years ago, it had two-ply tires and I had three flat tires inside of a week. Ten-ply tires never had a problem until I found a straw screw somewhere to puncture one.

I did replace the rear pair when the first one was punctured. They only had 14,000 miles on them so it would have been a waste to throw away the fronts. Now I have a good one with 5,000 miles on it, two with 19,000 miles, and a rim without a tire. It is quite expensive to buy, ship, mount, and balance two new tires every 5,000 miles. That's why I am looking for something that will work well with the Cayenne and not get a non-repairable hole every time I go somewhere.

[Surf65]

These heavy Cayennes wear through tires fairly quickly so I always look for the best sellers, best value on Tire Rack. I was reluctant to try Kumho Ecsta's from Tire Rack but the salesman said they lasted longer than the Continental's that were OEM so I gave them a try most recently and they are fine. Ive got 141,000 miles on my 08' so I've tried them all and none last that long. Try Tire Rack and see what they recommend for the scoria that causes punctures.

Cheers, Matt

[iamtheari]

I just talked to Tire Rack finally, since the weather is improving. Two things I can say:

1. The Blizzak DM-V1 XL tires that I ordered from them in December, mounted on new 18" rims, have been real champs. I'll take a good look at the wear when I take them off the car for the summer, but so far from what I've seen they are holding up well and they have not yet (knock on wood) had any issues with the scoria roads. They're squirmy on dry roads as you'd expect from a winter tire but overall very stable at highway speeds.

2. Tire Rack has good customer service. They recommended the following options for durability on a 19" wheel:

Michelin Latitude Tour HP in 275x45R19
Goodyear Eagle LS-2 in 275x45R19
Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenza Plus in 255x50R19
Pirelli Scorpion Verde All-Season Plus in 255x50R19

Does anyone have any experience or other comments with any of these tires? The Bridgestone option has the best price and mentions light-duty pickups in its description. Other Duelers are popular on pickups here but I don't know the Alenza series.