Best overall tire suited for Overlanding/Expo?

[Flip_4_It]

I run the goodyear duratracs. Best tire I have owned for my driving conditions, lots of ice/snow, gravel roads, and dirt. I tend to stay out of the mud if I can regardless of what tires I have on. They have great traction on very low noise. I am running studs on mine and they are still quieter than the other two sets of non-studded tires I run. At low speeds they are also very smooth riding and I don't feel any wobbles from the tread pattern like I do on my other tires.

As for size, I would not recommend increasing the tire size more than one size unless other suspension modifications have been made. It is my experience that the trade off in handling is not worth the larger tire sizes on a stock rig.

 

[01tundra]

Been very happy with my Duratracs so far, only had them for about 4k miles though.

 

[Haggis]

Could a Duratrac owner answer a question for me? I noticed a couple of months back a vehicle with a set of worn down Duratracs mounted up, I'd say they were down to about 1/3 tread left. There was no sign of siping on these worn treads. So does the siping on these tires extend the full depth of the tread or are they only around half depth?

 

[tacr2man]

JAMI those Chapparrel M/T look very like the Nokian Tread pattern !!

If you are looking at off/r tyres i would suggest that going below 70 aspect ratio is not a good move as you are heading for less s/absorbing capability in the tyre which can lead to sidewall damage JMHO

 

[Scott Brady]

This has been our experience:

90% of travel conditions: BFGoodrich ATs. Don't fear the higher load rated versions, as the carcass still has good deformation

Dry conditions, moderate to technical terrain: Goodyear MTR. The new version is a surprisingly good tire. It is a new favorite

Muddy conditions, but still pavement ready: BFG Mud Terrain. New version is quieter and better on rocks (less chunking), but suffers in side slope (lateral) grip

Muddy conditions, limited pavement: Interco Irok. Excellent tire in mud and rocks. My choice for technical terrain performance. Bad on the road and HEAVY

Toyo Open Country: Great looking tire and an aggressive AT. Extremely strong sidewall, but as a result, fails miserably in sand. Heavy

We run BFG AT on nearly all of our trucks because of the broad range of performance and being nearly the perfect tire application for the desert southwest where we live.

 

[Redline]

Could a Duratrac owner answer a question for me? I noticed a couple of months back a vehicle with a set of worn down Duratracs mounted up, I'd say they were down to about 1/3 tread left. There was no sign of siping on these worn treads. So does the siping on these tires extend the full depth of the tread or are they only around half depth?

Great question to which I would also like a definitive answer. The deep factory siping is one of the many features I love on the ******** Cepek F-C II treads. The attached photo is a 38x13.50" ******** Cepek F-C II, worn down to about 10/32" (from 20/32") after 40,000 miles. Lots of siping remains.

 

[Haggis]

Great question to which I would also like a definitive answer.

And an important one too as the loss of siping will have a noticeable effect on the effectiveness of a tread design. Take the Pro-Comp MTs I ran. New, with the siping they weren't to bad when the snow fell but at the 20,000 mile mark the siping disappeared and they were scary when dealling with icy conditions.

The deep factory siping is one of the many features I love on the ******** Cepek F-C II treads. The attached photo is a 38x13.50" ******** Cepek F-C II, worn down to about 9/32" (from 20/32") after 40,000 miles. Lots of siping remains.

I loved my FCIIs also. Great winter tire and one that you get your moneys worth for as long as they last. I'd be running a set right now if I could have found some at a decent price point. I wouldn't mind running the FC IIs on the LJ when the Deans need replaced this fall. I think the Maxxs might be to heavy of a tire for the Jeep.

 

[LawnDart-XJ]

Hey Phil I would go with siped KM2's in the 31" size. But you knew i would vote for that
John

 

[Philagony04WJ]

Yeah John I knew that was coming sooner rather than later. Too bad most of the metric 17" sizes in KM2 are E-rated. Good call though.

I had the same thoughts as the last few posters, does the Siping on the Duratracs stay around for the life of the tire, all the way to say 3/32nds or does it dissapear at half its treadlife?

What do you all think of the Nitto Terra Grapplers? A buddy at work here has had the same set of 33" tires on 16" rims on his Ford F250 and now his Chevy 2500. He swears by them. They are E-rated and he used both trucks for plowing with a large 8ft V-blade. He has gotten 60k out of them with minimal rotations. Looks like the siping on them are just now starting to vanish.

I know you can have siping added to a tire at any point in time, but if its already in the tread design I would like to see it there for the life of the tire, not having to pay $60 just before replacing the tires anyways.

Now if anyone sees my theme here, I keep mentioning E-rated. I would like to avoid E series at all costs really. I dont plan on having "that" much weight in/on my truck. It just seems like alot of the "good" sizes come that way. Oh well.

 

[Redline]

Now if anyone sees my theme here, I keep mentioning E-rated. I would like to avoid E series at all costs really. I dont plan on having "that" much weight in/on my truck. It just seems like alot of the "good" sizes come that way. Oh well.

I hear you and I agree. A recent post on my blog includes many points about sidewalls and load ranges.

http://roadtraveler.net/wheels-tires-and-sidewalls

James

 

[Redline]

And an important one too as the loss of siping will have a noticeable effect on the effectiveness of a tread design. Take the Pro-Comp MTs I ran. New, with the siping they weren't to bad when the snow fell but at the 20,000 mile mark the siping disappeared and they were scary when dealling with icy conditions.

Agreed.

I loved my FCIIs also. Great winter tire and one that you get your moneys worth for as long as they last. I'd be running a set right now if I could have found some at a decent price point. I wouldn't mind running the FC IIs on the LJ when the Deans need replaced this fall. I think the Maxxs might be to heavy of a tire for the Jeep.

You know I LOVE the FCII and I'm willing to pay more for them if that's what it takes. Over the (longer) life of the tread I think it's a few dollars or cents. But regardless of the price, I'd rather have the tire I want on my rigs.

 

[Philagony04WJ]

Redline, after reading your blog on the sidewall differences, I dont feel so "afraid" about at some point running E series tires. Its hard to get ALL the info you want on a certain tire(ie:sidewall plies,etc), but at least you make it apparent that NOT ALL E's are soooo stiff. It depends on # of sidewall plies, tread plies and rubber compound.

Thanks for that insight, it is helpful!

 

[Redline]

You are welcome.

It's tough to talk about the firmness of tires without referring to a specific tread. Although there is much talk about 3-ply sidewalls, and I generally agree they are good, they are not required for overland travel. Most light-truck (LT) tires still have 2-ply sidewalls.

Today I drove a few miles on a set of BFG AT 285s, load-range E, with 3-ply sidewalls. While the LR E BFG is a pretty flexible tire, it is still slightly firmer than another tire I have in the same size in a LR D with 3-ply sidewalls, which is firmer than a LR D with 2-ply sidewalls...

There are some really firm/stiff tires you should probably avoid: Toyo MT, Cooper S/T MAXX, probably the MT/R Kevlar... and many others. If the tire you choose comes in both a LR E and LR D, don't be afraid to pick the LR D. But if you want a specific tread design and it only comes in one flavor, I vote that you should get the tread you want. And like I wrote, sidewall height helps

 

[WCO]

Okay that thread is about 1 specific tire. I have never used that tire, but I have seen/driven a few trucks with those tires, and I will not ever own a truck with them on it if its my DD/highway driven truck. Sorry but that's my experience with them.

Would you mind expanding on your experience with the STT? Or writting about it in the STT thread......knowledge without explanation/reason is useless.

Thanks,

Will

 

[Erik N]

A little off topic, but check out this craigslist score! 4@ 255/85/16 Big O Bigfoot XT for $180 delivered! Being that I only use my rig once or twice a year, and the truck itself was free (traded an old work flatbed for it), these are definitely the "best overall tire suited for Overlanding/Expo" for me!
They will replace a tired set of 255/85 Chapparell AP's. I'll post up some pics later this year, when I mount them up. Yes, I know studded tires are illegal during the summer months.

Anyway, just wanted to share my excitement. Carry on... :safari-rig: