tire choices ?

[craig333]

STT is a good looking tire. I'd consider 40k pretty darn good myself. I'll probably go with the Cooper AT3s next round but its a tough decision. I know my truck rides well with the BFGs.

 

[klahanie]

I have a 4 wheel alignment done every 2 years, unless I bang a wheel too hard.
...

Over the past 3 decades, I believe 5000 mile tire rotations, every other year alignments ...

Hmm ... a factor I haven't really considered.

Do you typically feel the alignment going out of spec over time ? Have the service shops reported back that adjustment was needed or beneficial ? Or is the regularity more of a "just checking" sort of exercise.



Tires are a compromise amongst mutually exclusive variables IMO. You have to decide the variables important to you and select accordingly.
Tend to agree. Add to that variations in people's expectations and satisfaction levels. One has only to read online reviews - first guy states a tire is absolute rubbish, next guy asserts the same tire is the best tire in the history of the world.

As for longevity, my Toyo AT2s still have life on them at ~30K miles. First set I replaced at ~25K so there must have been a change made to the rubber compound. Again, longevity can vary between owners depending on terrain use . I think gravel is tough on tires and, I understand, very hot asphalt temps can greatly accelerate wear for some rubber formulations (perhaps for All Weather tires)

And then there's also vehicle weight. At least here, reviews are from camper users.
Thanks to the posters

 

[dharte]

I recently put some Goodyear Duratracs on my F250 with Hawk. Very expensive but in my opinion worth it. On my spring trip to Death Valley they worked exceptionally well on and off road. They are also relatively quiet on the highway (a little louder than a regular AT). Going over Carson Pass in a heavy snowstorm (chain controls in effect) the truck never lost traction. I hope they wear well, but my truck (which weights 10k pounds without passengers, and supplies)) eats up tires, regardless of brand in about 25k miles. I also looked at the new Falken Wildpeak, but they were sold out in my size nation wide. The guy at America’s tire said the Falken’s are the tire being spec’d on the new Jeep Wrangler truck.

 

[Bwht4x4]

I've found the GY Duratracs the best tire I've ever ran. As soon as the stock OEM tires on my Ram 2500 wear out I'll be back to the Duratracs.

I recently put some Goodyear Duratracs on my F250 with Hawk. Very expensive but in my opinion worth it. On my spring trip to Death Valley they worked exceptionally well on and off road. They are also relatively quiet on the highway (a little louder than a regular AT). Going over Carson Pass in a heavy snowstorm (chain controls in effect) the truck never lost traction. I hope they wear well, but my truck (which weights 10k pounds without passengers, and supplies)) eats up tires, regardless of brand in about 25k miles. I also looked at the new Falken Wildpeak, but they were sold out in my size nation wide. The guy at America’s tire said the Falken’s are the tire being spec’d on the new Jeep Wrangler truck.

 

[Bombsight]

I'm rolling with E rated Toyo Open Country's. My next set will be F rated of the same.

 

[smlobx]

Another vote for the Toyo’s.

I have always been a Michelin fan and still like them a lot but I wanted a slightly wider tire for my F-350 that also had the benefit of increased load rating so I decided to try the Toyo’s.

I just got back from a 5400 mile trip to the Colorado Rockies and also spent some time in Utah.

We had the pleasure of being one of the first full size trucks up Hurricane Pass and the tires performed beautifully.
The road manners were great as well but they were a slight bit noisier than the Michelin’s.

 

[craig333]

I got my third puncture on the BFG AT KO2s. Nothing like laying in the hot gravel changing a tire. I go to America's Tire Co. to get the flat repaired. I mention to the guy my spare is fourteen years old (no ones fault but my own that I ignored that way too long) and he goes "no, its sixteen years old. Ouch. He didn't have to try to hard to sell me new tires. I went with the Cooper Discoverer AT3s this time. So far they're riding quite nice. Just need to get a few days off to test them offroad. The best of the old BFGs is now my spare like I should have been doing all along.

I could have attempted to plug the tire, the rock penetration was in the middle of the tread and with hindsight and an old spare I probably should have.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Craig,I think you’ll like the Coopers. Sorry about the flat, that’s no fun.

 

[karsonb]

I went with Nokian E rated tires, made from canola oil, lowest rolling resistance of any tire, a recognized traction device, no chains needed. Great treadwear warrantee I am on mynsencindnset, and cannot believe how good these are. Best tires I have ever had, bar none.

 

[penner]

I've got 17,000 KM on the AT3's now . Only thing I don't like about them is that they seem to pick up a lot of gravel. I think more than my KO2's but maybe that's just me. Did notice an awful lot of GY Duratracs on construction and hydro trucks on our drive through Labrador.

 

[buckland]

kaesong, What is the load idea of your tires? From what I found on the web it is 1,200 lbs each? Total weight 4,800? Seems low.

 

[ntsqd]

I can't fault the GY Duratrac's that we had. They worked great until their wear induced noise over-powered a 12 valve Cummins. I replaced them with Yoko A/T-S II's, which have done everything the GY DT's did and are wearing better and with less noise. Noticed the other day that even though there is a lot of tread depth remaining that the wear bars are getting close. I think that I'll repeat these tires.

 

[craig333]

Happy with the Coopers so far but not enough miles on them to be really sure.

 

[buckland]

third set of Coopers AT3 ... like'm

 

[Vic Harder]

I can't fault the GY Duratrac's that we had. They worked great until their wear induced noise over-powered a 12 valve Cummins. I replaced them with Yoko A/T-S II's, which have done everything the GY DT's did and are wearing better and with less noise. Noticed the other day that even though there is a lot of tread depth remaining that the wear bars are getting close. I think that I'll repeat these tires.

The Goodyear Duratracs seem very popular with the oilfield services folks that run up and down graded gravel road all day long. I've heard that compared to other brands, they are the best for this kind of usage.

 

[ntsqd]

Vic, Interesting that you would say that. I bought them based on input from a friend who was a Ford Service Tech in Farmington and those oil patch guys all ran the snot out of the D-T's there too. Now he's up at a Ford dealership in South Dakota and seeing the same thing with the oil patch guys there too.

 

[Bombsight]

I wouldn't buy Good Year tires if they were the only ones on the planet. I worked for that sorry company for 22 years.
Toyo Open Country's all day every day here.

 

[klahanie]

^ switched to their CT and have been impressed. Will write up a blurb when we get back home...

 

[BillTheHiker]

I like my cooper at3 load range E. At 32k miles they have slightly more than half tread left. Noisy on highway but I suspect any E range tire is relatively noisier.

 

[Ohpyramids]

Just completed a 2000mi trip with new E rated Nitto Ridge Grapplers on my f-150. The road noise was minimal for how aggressive they are. Very happy. No experience in snow or rain yet.