Tires

[couesbitten]

I'll throw my vote in for the Falken Wildpeaks. I've got more than 33k on mine and don't see them running less than another 33k.

 

[Fatcamp]

ST Maxx 10 ply on the 4runner.

Toyo Open Country 10 ply on the F250.

 

[SDHNTR]

I wonder if those of you getting substandard treadwear on three-quarter and 1 ton pick ups are aware of your load rating. You need at least an E or even an F rating. Put a C or D rated tire on those heavy trucks and you will burn right through the tread.

Similarly, those talking about 10 ply versus six ply, that is old technology and Terminology. With modern materials most tires these days only run one ply, or sometimes 2-3 depending on material, yet they have the same load rating and probably superior strength and puncture resistance than the old school “10 ply” or better. So those saying you absolutely need a 10 ply tire don’t even understand what they are saying anymore. Assuming the proper amount of weight above them, the sidewall puncture strength will all be about the same.

Here is some practicality:

Jeeps, and Toyota’s - C rated is fine. D if you carry loads. Anything more is overkill, additional weight, loss of power and mileage, and gains nothing.

half tons - D is fine.
3/4 tons - E
1 tons and heavy towing - F

Then other than that, buy the tread pattern and purpose for your needed application. Don’t run a mud tire in the snow and expect good performance. Don’t run an AT tire in sticky mud and expect good performance. Use the right load rating, rotate them regularly, inflate them properly, don’t drive like a fool, and buy the right style tire for the right purpose and they will all do a similarly good job and last about the same. The details and anecdotes are nothing more than just good forum fodder.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Two things I never skimp on are tires and brakes. Your needs match my own however, my selection is anything but cheap or even midrange in price. That said, the Toyo Xtremes are great on the freeway and offroad, come with a 50,000 mile warranty and I am on my 5th set...having relied on them in the past on my old Ram and now on my current one.



Buy once-buy again...no tears, just peace of mind.

 

[micus]

I just wore out a set of K02's on my 17 Tacoma, in my experience they were prone to flats and were average to below average in snow (cat hunting), however they lasted a long time (85000km) with lots of abuse.

I had a set of Cooper St Maxx's on my f150 for a season and loved them but sold the truck they were on. I put another set on the Tacoma this week and again am very happy with them.

I have 2 buddies who run the Falken wildpeak's (at3w I believe) and they really like them a lot as well.

 

[Fatcamp]

I wonder if those of you getting substandard treadwear on three-quarter and 1 ton pick ups are aware of your load rating. You need at least an E or even an F rating. Put a C or D rated tire on those heavy trucks and you will burn right through the tread.

Similarly, those talking about 10 ply versus six ply, that is old technology and Terminology. With modern materials most tires these days only run one ply, or sometimes 2-3 depending on material, yet they have the same load rating and probably superior strength and puncture resistance than the old school “10 ply” or better. So those saying you absolutely need a 10 ply tire don’t even understand what they are saying anymore. Assuming the proper amount of weight above them, the sidewall puncture strength will all be about the same.

Here is some practicality:

Jeeps, and Toyota’s - C rated is fine. D if you carry loads. Anything more is overkill, additional weight, loss of power and mileage, and gains nothing.

half tons - D is fine.
3/4 tons - E
1 tons and heavy towing - F

Then other than that, buy the tread pattern and purpose for your needed application. Don’t run a mud tire in the snow and expect good performance. Don’t run an AT tire in sticky mud and expect good performance. Use the right load rating, rotate them regularly, inflate them properly, don’t drive like a fool, and buy the right style tire for the right purpose and they will all do a similarly good job and last about the same. The details and anecdotes are nothing more than just good forum fodder.

10 ply rating is load E. True it just confuses people, but it's where we are at.
As far as not using E rated tires on light trucks it really is the never ending debate. You know enough to know both sides and that it goes round and round.

Will a tire shop even put C or D rated tires on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck? I was told once they wouldn't, but don't know it for a fact. I only have a heavy truck to move weight so never considered it.

 

[swavescatter]

In my case the KO2's were proper E load rating tires that exceeded my axle weight rating. In fact, I had to go with 18" wheels instead of the 17" I wanted due to proper load rating not being available in 17" at the time (in 35x12.5).

KO2's just wore quick. Used to love them...

Edit - just so there's no confusion I always ran proper inflation while towing, and scaled out my setup.

 

[Mosby]

u must have never traveled on any red scoria rock roads or you wouldn't have made if far with them 2 or 6plys

Lucky I guess. I live on a gravel road in NW Arkansas and my neighbors have talked about cut tires but I haven't had a problem. I spend a lot of time and miles on 29N, I 70 and 35N out of Kansas City to get to where I hunt and I like the extra fuel mileage. But your right. If I was having tire problems on roads where I lived or hunt, I would quickly buy a set of E rated 10 plys. That hasn't happened yet....knock on wood. Everything has a cost/benefit and you pick your poison.

 

[SDHNTR]

10 ply rating is load E. True it just confuses people, but it's where we are at.
As far as not using E rated tires on light trucks it really is the never ending debate. You know enough to know both sides and that it goes round and round.

Will a tire shop even put C or D rated tires on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck? I was told once they wouldn't, but don't know it for a fact. I only have a heavy truck to move weight so never considered it.

View attachment 320310

I have a buddy who unknowingly drove his Chevy 2500 out of the shop with P rated AT tires. When they wore out after 25k and several flats he cursed Firestone tires. I had to explain it wasn’t the tire’s fault. It was the idiot who put mini van tires on your big rig!

 

[ktm450]

I recently went through this same thing for my 3/4 ton. I drive 50 pavement/50 rough gravel or worse. I have had BFG’s, Coopers AT3, TOYO MT’s, Duratrac, Cooper ST Maxx, and now Falken AT’s in the past 5-years on different rigs.

Falken AT’s are my absolute favorites. I was skeptical before doing the research. They do everything better than the above. Cooper ST Maxx is #2.

 

[roosiebull]

I just wore out a set of K02's on my 17 Tacoma, in my experience they were prone to flats and were average to below average in snow (cat hunting), however they lasted a long time (85000km) with lots of abuse.

I had a set of Cooper St Maxx's on my f150 for a season and loved them but sold the truck they were on. I put another set on the Tacoma this week and again am very happy with them.

I have 2 buddies who run the Falken wildpeak's (at3w I believe) and they really like them a lot as well.

what load range were your KO2's? what load range are your Maxx?

i have KO2's on our tundra (E rated) and i was liking them a lot across the board, so i ordered a set for my colorado zr2 (also ordered E rated) after 2-3 weeks i got a rock flat.... wth? then a couple weeks later get another leak (yesterday).... seriously, wth?! i decided to check the tires, just to make sure they are load range E, because they sell 265/70R17 in both E&C load range.... well, i'll be damned, mine are load range C! i went to get it fixed, and brought my receipt with me, and asked what the 10 was after the size on the receipt, and the lady told me that is my load range, 10=E (which i knew, i just wanted to put her on the spot before explaining the situation)

2 leaks in a month with my little pickup is why i get 10 ply tires, i took the duratracs off that still had a lot of life left so i wasn't dealing with flats during hunting season, and i made sure they knew i NEEDED 10 ply tires, that's what i paid for, that's not what i got, and now i am dealing with the stuff i deliberately tried to avoid.

i have to deal with it at the store i bought them from, so when i go back home after elk season, i'll get it situated, and it sounds like they aren't going to give me much resistance, and i had the location i was at document everything today so they can't play dumb if they choose.

there is a huge difference in puncture resistance between different load ranges, it's a much bigger factor than the tire itself, so if your KO2's were load range C and the maxx are load range E, it's not a fair comparison when talking about getting flats. i pretty much have to have 10 ply tires, or i will be dealing with flats on a very regular basis.... it's a bigger deal than the tire itself getting flats or not getting flats

 

[duckhnter50]

I have Mickey thompson baja boss A/T on a 3/4 ton diesel. I've only had em for about 10k miles but lots of towing and they seem like there gonna wear good compared to past tire brands

Sent from my SM-G892U using Tapatalk

 

[Bloomscorners]

Over the years I’ve tried many different brands having a similar duty cycle as you driving a lot of miles on the highway but then also going on job sites and into the field hunting. By far the most versatile and durable tires I had that last almost 70k was the Goodyear ATS. Paid the extra for the road hazard as it helped for the unforeseen punctures

 

[def90]

Been using BFG All Terrain T/A KO2's on my Jeep Wranglers for 25 odd years now. Drive a ton of USFS service roads with all kinds of jagged rocks and roots and so on in them and have never had a flat. Drive and hold up well on the highway and plow through deep snow like butter.

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Ko2 on my taco and duratracs on the wife’s t4r. He current set has 60k on them and we will get another 10k. They both wear like iron but the duras are a good bit louder then the ko2. Will buy both again in a heartbeat.

 

[NorCal Mixed bag]

Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Period. And specifically those, not a more aggressive Niito, more mud-terrain tire. ALL of my friends and I have them deployed on every make/model, Ram/GMCs/Fords, 1/2 tons, 3/4s and 1 tons….average for the group is over 60k/set, sometimes significantly more. They can be pretty outrageously expensive, but they wear incredibly evenly when properly rotated, and they last…..

 

[mtwarden]

I’ve always thought a 10 ply tire would be better in the realm of puncture resistance. Then I read that applies to the old ply rating and that the new technology using load rating makes ply rating obsolete and that E rated tires offer more in load capacity, but not in puncture resistance.

I compared the weight of the tire I’m using (E rated BFG KO2) vs a like size KO2 in C rating. The E rated tires weigh ~ 7 lbs more than the C rated tires, so obviously something is different in the tire carcass.

Soooo I emailed BFG and asked them simply if their E rated KO2 provided more puncture resistance than the C rated one.

Got the email back and their answer was YES it does, in the sidewall. No mention of the tread. It makes sense as the sidewall has to be stiffer (beefed up) to provide more load capacity.

Soooo…. if you’re concerned with sidewall punctures, consider a E rated tire, if not and you don’t need the the extra load capacity, consider a C rated tire.

Nice to finally have that squared away

 

[Beendare]

My take

_

 

[Fatcamp]

I’ve always thought a 10 ply tire would be better in the realm of puncture resistance. Then I read that applies to the old ply rating and that the new technology using load rating makes ply rating obsolete and that E rated tires offer more in load capacity, but not in puncture resistance.

I compared the weight of the tire I’m using (E rated BFG KO2) vs a like size KO2 in C rating. The E rated tires weigh ~ 7 lbs more than the C rated tires, so obviously something is different in the tire carcass.

Soooo I emailed BFG and asked them simply if their E rated KO2 provided more puncture resistance than the C rated one.

Got the email back and their answer was YES it does, in the sidewall. No mention of the tread. It makes sense as the sidewall has to be stiffer (beefed up) to provide more load capacity.

Soooo…. if you’re concerned with sidewall punctures, consider a E rated tire, if not and you don’t need the the extra load capacity, consider a C rated tire.

Nice to finally have that squared away

Not quite squared away. You still need to ask about the tread area specifically and then message all the other tire companies with the same questions. I think you should start with Toyo. Thanks, bud.

 

[mtwarden]

I would definitely inquire if I was running a different tire