tire choices ?

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penner

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Looking for new 265/70/17" "E" tires for my 1500 Silverado. Thinking of the Cooper AT3 LT's , Michelin LTX A/T'2s or maybe going back to the BFG KO2's. Like I said in previous post the truck is my dd and our trips with the camper are usually long distance. Will be doing the Nfld/Labrador trip this summer and hopefully the Dempster Hwy next spring/summer. Just looking for some opinions. Thanks.
 
I'll suggest the Yoko AT-S' as well. I've been getting good service from the three sets I currently have. For as mild of a tread as they have, I have never felt like I needed something more aggressive. That includes mid-calf deep new ruts in snow with no chains.
 
I like both the Coopers and Michelins. For a DD and lots of asphalt, I think Michelin might be the better tire. My F350 had them from the factory. Quiet, smooth, good ride.
 
I went with the Yokohama Geolander A/T G015. Quiet on the highway, great gravel and on snow and ice. Have not tried mud/sand/sand yet.
 
I'm not a Cooper fan. My Coopers wore quick and uneven. I put other tires on and had no such issues, so I figure it's the tires. In my experience, Michelins wear very well and are of high quality. I have used BFG tires (owned by Michelin if I remember right) and they have always been an above average performer, not great at any one thing, but good at many.
 
I liked BFG AT's (not KO2's) well enough to buy a second pair. BFG AT's lasted 70-90,000 miles (depending on your tread depth comfort), are quiet on the road (we travel trans-continental), have good dry road cornering, have good fuel economy, but do not excel at anything else (snow, wet, rock, sand...). KO2's are a much better snow and off-road tire but everyone I met said they only last half as long as BFG AT's.
 
I don't have enough miles to have an opinion yet, but I was surprised that our KO2s were not that loud. Also mpg was similar to our P rated tires. If I'd known, I'd have bought them from the get-go.
 
 
Running Cooper ATPs E load range. Very happy with them on sand, gravel(don't slide around), wet handling is not as good as my Michelins but still good. They are pretty quiet and track well on the highway. I tried BFG KO2s but they felt squishy at highway speeds, even at 80 psi.
 
I've heard good things about Falken Wildpeak AT/3W's

I have Cooper Discoverer A/T3s and am happy with them at 25,000 miles.
 
JaSAn said:
I've heard good things about Falken Wildpeak AT/3W's

I have Cooper Discoverer A/T3s and am happy with them at 25,000 miles
Click to expand...
How do you find the A/T3's for "road noise"??
 
My A/T3s are a little noisier than the BFG Rugged Trail that were on the truck before and a little quieter than my buddies KO2s on a GMC.
 
I ran the KO2s on the Dodge. Great tire for everything but tire wear...disappointed with the mileage. Probably a great tire for a Jeep or smaller SUV but not a full-size truck. So far I’m liking the Toyo AT-2s on the Chevy.
 
FWIW: I have a 1993 Dodge Diesel ClubCab 4WD 3/4 ton which I use to carry our 2007 FWC Keystone.

I use Michelin LTX M/S 235/85 R16 tires from Costco. In August 2017 I bought the newer Defender LTX version to replace my old LTX tires. They are quiet and my truck handles well with them. Tread is sufficient for snow, dirt and light to moderate mud & sand.

Realistically I drive >80% of the time on pavement so I would rather get long life for the money. I carry chains but rarely have needed them. I ski at Mammoth Mountain every year so have used these in rain, snow and on ice. I have found that most of my off pavement driving is on graded dirt roads and only very rarely on dirt tracks or mud or sand.

My camper is not on full time. Most of the time I have the bed cap on. The camper only goes on for trips (we probably drive a total of 4,000 to 6,000 miles a year on our trips). I drive a total of about 6,000 - 8,000 miles a year in the truck these days (this past summer we drove to Anchorage, AK and back so had more like 12,000 total miles in 2018).

I have been getting >60,000 miles out of these tires. I am on my third set.

Craig
 
Thanks for the responses Guys. Told my local tire Guy to order me the Cooper A/T 3's . He said if I don't like them he will work something out for an exchange. Thanks again.
 
I had AT3s and was pleased with the results. Likewise for Toyo, BFG and Michelin.

I rotate tires at every oil change, 5000 miles. I have a 4 wheel alignment done every 2 years, unless I bang a wheel too hard. Also, inflating/maintaining/monitoring tire psi to your axle loading. Use the Toyo chart. Only tire manufacturer I know of still publishing this data.

Over the past 3 decades, I believe 5000 mile tire rotations, every other year alignments and hawking tire psi have contributed to 50,000+ miles on sets of BFGs, Cooper and Michelin tires on F-150, F-250 and F-350 trucks.

Tires are a compromise amongst mutually exclusive variables IMO. You have to decide the variables important to you and select accordingly. Important to me are reduced highway noise and good sand traction. I'm happy when I get 35,000 miles on a set, that is what I call my break-even (happy with longevity) point.
 
Cooper STT PRO. Had my first set on a Tacoma Pre-Runner and now on my Ram 1500. Very happy with them. A bit of noise at 35 - 45 mph but not bad. A year old and not showing any wear yet.



gallery_8354_1205_234096.jpg
 
I have the STT PRO on my truck as well. Quieter than I expected and not showing much wear at all after 2 years.
 
It is getting to be that time...I have been looking at different tires. I first bought AT/3's C when I got the camper in 2011. They wore out at 40K. I bought AT/3's E when I got the Colorado diesel. I have 35K and the AT/3's, though handle well, have worn out and are very noisy (that wah wah wah sound on highway) I do monitor the pressure and my aliment is fine. I know they are good (rep'd by my tire shop) but I want less noise and longer wear. We live on a dirt road and many roads here are dirt.... winter here is real snowy... but I do most mileage on pavement. I will get an E rated tire again as it feels safer (we are traveling this summer on 1,500 mies of gravel)...
It is a decision that one has to live with for a long time and it is expensive to boot. I appreciate the information above. Still not sure what to do as opinions can go either way. I have 245 75 17 tires. I guess I'll just have to try a new set out and hope for the best
 
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