Best Tires For 1995 F350 & 1996 Squire 8000?

[rruff]

The Dura-Grapplers seem to be the best overall choice from what I've seen so far, but I'm open to further input.

I was leaning that way also, but ended up going with Hankook ATMs in 325/65r18. DTD had a great sale over Labor Day that was hard to beat. They price matched Amazon, plus I got $230 in rebates, free mounting balance and shipping (I bought wheels also), no tax. They have a good sale going on now on ebay.

So far the MPG impact seems minimal compared to stock P tires, which I'm thankful for. The few tests I'd read led be to believe they'd be decent in this respect. There is just a touch of noise, and I seem to feel road bumps more than before, but high speed on dirt/gravel is oddly smooth. Running 35psi front and 30 rear (no load).

There is a tradeoff between offroad durability and traction that goes beyond noise and ride harshness, and that is MPGs ($$$). You can easily end up paying as much as the tires cost in the first place in extra fuel.

In this comparison between the Michelin LTX MS and Dick Cepek ATs (both LTs) the difference was a whopping 15% in MPG. If tires last 45k miles, based on a nominal 15mpg, $2.50/gal, gives $1,125 in extra gas.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/129-1104-tires-and-fuel-economy/

 

[PackRat]

First, check the door VIN tag to see what tires the FACTORY recommends. Then, armed with those specs you can certainly use a higher rated tire if you wish as long as your rig isn't overloaded to begin with. Proper inflation for the load is imperative; while the "ride" when the Squire is off may feel a little hard and bouncy, it will feel different with the Squire loaded. Changing tire air pressure can be a dangerous proposition in terms of the life/safety of the tire vs how they ride.

So...Prioritize what you are looking for (MPG, price, ride, durability, noise, etc.?)....I think many of us have quite different expectations for MPG, number of miles per year, noise, cost, ride, durability which may color our preferences somewhat.

 

[Vic Harder]

I had a chance to test out my new Yokohama Geolandar G015 tires in the snow today. They work great. Lots of traction in city stop and go traffic.

 

[fish more]

I put the same Yokohama Geolander GO15 on my Super Duty, the tires would not balance, all four tires had excessive road force, America's Tire took them off and I had them install Toyo AT II's 295 70 18. No problem with the Toyos, even better tires in the snow

 

[Vic Harder]

Odd, these are wonderfully balanced. Good to know that the AT II have even better snow traction.

 

[fish more]

It too six trips to Americas Tire before they agreed to replace the tires, At least they took care of the problem !!!

 

[Moss Grimmick]

The Cooper ATP and AT3 are of the same carcass (this from a conversation with a Cooper rep). The primary difference is in looks.
The ATP tread looks more aggressive, and likely provides a slight improvement on off-pavement. The AT3 probably performs better
on highway. The difference may be slight enough that it would be hard to tell. I have AT3 and am quite satisfied, and do considerable driving on off-pavement/backcountry roads.

I would recommend all terrain tires for better traction over regular tires. A good all terrain won't be any louder than a highway tire, considering the noise coming from the camper deflecting wind.

 

[Backroad Joe]

I find the statement below from a previous post to be dangerous.

"Changing tire air pressure can be a dangerous proposition in terms of the life/safety of the tire vs how they ride."

Required tire pressure is a balance between road conditions and load. I carry an air compressor on both my truck/camper and my trail jeep. The tire pressure is constantly monitored and adjusted depending on conditions and load.