Tires

[ColoradoGuy]

My 2006 Tacoma access cab is nearing 35,000 miles, and the original tires are ready to be replaced. Because tires aren't something I'm knowledgeable about, I thought I'd ask the forum for advice.

The truck carries an Eagle shell full-time. I'd like to hear what others have experienced. I'm willing to pay for Michelin or other top-of-the line tires, but wonder if there might be some tires that perform better than others under the load of a 4WC.

What characteristics should I pay attention to? What number of plys, etc.

Thanks in advance your your advice.

Paul

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

I think a nice "D" rated set of tires would work great.

I'm not sure how many plys' that would be for the side walls.

Something in the back of my head says ...

3 plys = "C" Rated passenger tire (approx. 35 psi)

6 plys = "D" Rated (approx. 50 psi)

10 plys = "E" rated (approx. 80 psi)


any good tire shop would be able to give you some advice

I'm sure others will chime in on the forum too

there has been a couple of threads on the tire topic





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[Alex]

I move from stock tire to 265/75/16 load range D tire. It's a firmer ride but more stable. In compare the stock tire rides like marshmallow. I thing C or D will both work, D will have a tougher side wall if you plan to take the truck offroad D will give you more sidewall protection. Truck tires will have LT designate instead P for passenger tire. Usually C rate max inflate is 50psi, D is 65psi.

 

[brett13]

I don't pay attention to "C" or "D" nomenclature. Last time I bought tires, I went to a half dozen tire places and a dealer and no could actually define what the letters stand for except a vague "carries more weight". Still haven't found an actual definition. Anyway, I look to see what the max weight the tire will hold and how many ply. The more weight, the stiffer the tire and worse the ride- but if you always have the camper on, a stiffer tire is better. Bigger tires weight more too, so you'll trade off mpg.

 

[craig333]

Driving my old truck and camper (much heavier camper) I had more than a few blowouts. Not fun on the highway. This round I have E rated tires. I'd much rather sacrifice ride comfort for the safety of a higher capacity tire. Especially with weight of the diesel I'll never try and get by with a lower rated tire.

My current tires are getting ready to be "retired"
So far I'm leaning towards the bridgestones revo's or toyo open country. I'll do more research on the goodyear silent armor tires. My buddy with heavy truck has good wear on his bfg at's so I may think about those too.

http://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/3rd-generation-ram-forum-no-engine-transmission-discussions/169024-new-member-seeking-recommendation-tire-selection.html

 

[HERR42]

i run the goodyear silent armor tires.
they are quiet....but i managed to puncture one on the road between teakettle junction and the racetrack playa....i drove home to sacramento on it without repair.....just stopped a lot for air after bridgeport. not bad.

get e rated tires. i have run both....no more D's for me.

e tires last a bit longer and have a lot less side wall flex.

 

[Tomas Tierra]

With a Tacoma and a shell model, the d rated tire should be fine for you. I ran c rated tires for ever with a T-100 and a heavy loaded FWC without a problem...my personal preferance, BFG AT "KO's"..5 sets, and thousands of offroad miles later-NOT ONE FLAT!!! ( i hope I didn't just jinx myself)

I don't really commute, or drive much daily, so wear has never been an issue for me.. about 30,000 miles a set or so. by the time I replace my tires they are tired. not just tread life, but overall sidewall shots and chipped tread..if you drive alot, I'm sure there's a better highway tire out there.

I have 5 BFG's on both of my trucks.

 

[pvstoy]

I did not want to chime in too early because I have no clue what tire companies are putting out there these days. I like to hear how the new tires are doing.

With that said, like TT I have used BFG AT "KO's" for many years without problems or flats. I have them on the 4-Runner also.

There maybe a better tire out there but the time and reasearch to find it is a learning curve. I'll stick with what has proven to me as a good tire. Maybe 5 years down the road when these might be done the light bulb will go off.......

 

[Tomas Tierra]

And they look cool with a bunch of crap on em...

 

[bobg333]

Here's another vote for BFG AT KOs

They're reasonably quiet on the hwy too.

 

[LAWNMOWERMAN]

I am jumping on the BFG band wagon too."E" rated tires are confidence builders.

 

[winter200]

The new michelin LTX AT2's for me. E rated. Great tread and long life.

 

[chnlisle]

I've used BFG A/T's on just about everything I've ever had including the Ram. I know they're D's (285x70x17) not E's but they hold up well. On the T 100 I got 55K off the first set and sold it with 55K on the 2nd set. With fuel being what it is I keep them at max lbs on the Dodge. I figure I have a couple of years to figure out what I'll get next.

TT, BLACK SIDE OUT!!!!!

I'll check in when I get back on the 23rd. Everyone stay cool and go camping.

 

[SunMan]

Another BFG Vote

I've been running BFG A/T's on all of my rigs since 1989 and have had only one flat (in town, from a nail). I've made multiple runs to the tip of Baja and back, with countless miles off road. Getting ready to pull the trigger on a new set now. Been tossing around the idea of going with "E" rated now that I have a camper, but will likely go with the "D's".

...and I average between 40-50K miles per set.

 

[Marc]

Like many others, I too have run BFG AT's on many of my trucks with good results. This time around I went with the Toyo Open Country AT's in a 285/75/18 E rated. I have over 20,000 miles on them so far and could'nt be happier. They are quieter, balance easier and have better traction in mud

Marc

 

[brett13]

Like many others, I too have run BFG AT's on many of my trucks with good results. This time around I went with the Toyo Open Country AT's in a 285/75/18 E rated. I have over 20,000 miles on them so far and could'nt be happier. They are quieter, balance easier and have better traction in mud

Marc

How are they in snow, Marc? Can they be siped too?

 

[Marc]

Brett

They work great in Snow and I believe they can be siped, but I wouldn't go to the trouble. They are pretty good the way they are.

Marc

 

[Yukon]

I just bought new Nissan Frontier. Using the stock tires I had a flat in the first 10 miles on the first forest road I went up! So, I switched to Yokahama and got a set of "E" rated (10 ply) tires. What a difference! I feel a lot more secure. Ride is a bit stiffer, but I can feel the stability of those babies.

Chris

 

[Jack]

We switched from the stock all-season 4-ply tires to 6-ply Toyo A/T Open Country all-terrain tires when we took a long trip through upper BC. The have performed well and seem to be holding well on mileage.

I also checked out Consumer Reports. They note that for any significant off road travel, you want light truck ("LT" instead of "PP rating) all-terrain instead of all-season tires.

If you subscribe to CU, the link is http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/tires-auto-parts/tires/tire-sorter-suvs/ratings/ratings/index.htm. Otherwise, your library will have Consumer Reports - look for "tires, light truck" in the index of the latest issue (the index covers the previous 36 issues). They rated the following tires at the top: Nitto Terra Grappler, Bridgestone Dueler APT III, Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, Toyo Open Country A/T, Hankook Dynapro AT RF08 (scored 75 to 64).

In the Pacific NW, Les Schwab is generally a good bet for good price and good advice - I don't know if they are in CO.

 

[DobleTraccion]

Tall, skinny BFG "TAKO"s (E -rated) on the Broken W camper.
Can't say enough good about them from past experience.

Not the best for deep sand (they don't display quite the deflation bulge of softer, wider skins), not the best for deep mud, but superb sidewall strength, impervious to spines and nails, and long-wearing.