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-   -   New Goodyear Wrangler Authority tires installed. (https://www.toyota-4runner.org/engines-suspension-wheels-tires-audio-accessories/278083-new-goodyear-wrangler-authority-tires-installed.html)

YBstranded 09-29-2019 03:41 PM

New Goodyear Wrangler Authority tires installed.
 
2 Attachment(s)
I was all set after tons of research to go with the Falken Wildpeak AT3 for my new tires.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and we get a fair amount of snow. I also use my T4R to tow a utility trailer with a 1200lb UTV in it into the woods fairly regularly, so I wanted a beefy tire for the frequent towing and rocky off-roading.

I had bought a used Jeep Wrangler a couple of years ago that came with the Goodyears on it and loved them. They did phenomenal off-road and seemed to wear like iron, plus they didn't seem too loud for such an aggressive tire.

But, they were only available at Walmart, and I hadn't seen them for sale for a couple of years.

I had the Falkens in my cart on Amazon and went to the Walmart.com site to verify I was getting the best price. Lo and behold, the Goodyear Authority was available again!

Still, the Falkens were rated so high...

But, I ordered the Goodyears in the factory LT265/70/17 size for $145 each.

They arrived a week later and I decided to wait a couple of months until winter to install them.

Then, a month later, I was backing into my gravel driveway up to the shop and the rear tires broke loose and I was momentarily stuck. That had never happened before with any other vehicle or tire.

That incident made me nervous. I'm going deep into the Idaho woods for elk hunting in October and decided I better get the new tires installed.

Got them put on by the nearest Walmart tire center in Clarkston, WA.

That was a total comedy of errors. Had to take them to a different local shop to get them balanced properly.

But, they are now properly installed and balanced and I have about 500 miles on them.

Initial impression? I should have gone with the Falkens... Maybe...

The Good:

These tires are sexy looking! Whether you admit it or not, looks play a significant role in how you choose tires, and these tires look awesome.

They have an aggressive sidewall, great looking tread, and white letters, which really look good with my black rims.

Mine are E-rated 10 ply tires and I am running 48 psi. They are very stable towing and they make the T4R feel almost sportscar-like due to much crisper handling.

They seem to be wearing well, but way too early to tell.

Noise level is present, but not obnoxious.

Barely any mud exposure, but they did awesome, as expected, based on my old set. Wet weather handling is great with no hydroplaning when hitting standing water on the highway.

We did get some early snow today, but nothing stuck on the roads, so no idea yet. These have the M+S Severe Service rating, so they should be good.

The Bad:

Gas mileage has been horribly affected. With a GoRhino roof rack installed and everything else stock, I was averaging 20.2 mpg.

With these tires, I can barely crack 18 mpg. They are 12 lbs heavier than stock and have a much more aggressive tread.

They took a lot of weight to balance; 5 ozs on one tire.

The ride is definitely rougher, but I was expecting that and it really doesn't bother me.

Overall, they seem to be a decent tire and should really shine when I get into the mountains in a couple of weeks.

They do great towing and they look amazing. It's just the big drop in gas mileage and difficulty in balancing that has me doubting them.

Since Walmart raised the price on them to $165 a tire since I bought mine, I will likely go with the Falkens next time.

But, it's really too early to tell just ow good they are. I will definitely have a better idea after a few months of off-road and winter use.

YBstranded 10-18-2019 03:36 AM

UPDATE: Took the TR4 into the woods on an elk hunt last week and the tires performed very well. Going up a muddy mountain road towing utility trailers, all three of us in the mini caravan had different tires. Guy with Toyo M55s had to go into 4wd. Guy with Big O ATs stayed in 2wd but was spinning and fishtailing. I stayed in 2wd and tires gripped exceptionally well with no fishtailing or loss of traction. Very happy with the performance.

Can't wait to try in the snow!

WISluggo 11-11-2019 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by YBstranded (Post 3373790)
UPDATE: Took the TR4 into the woods on an elk hunt last week and the tires performed very well. Going up a muddy mountain road towing utility trailers, all three of us in the mini caravan had different tires. Guy with Toyo M55s had to go into 4wd. Guy with Big O ATs stayed in 2wd but was spinning and fishtailing. I stayed in 2wd and tires gripped exceptionally well with no fishtailing or loss of traction. Very happy with the performance.

Can't wait to try in the snow!

Any more updates?

tyler2019 11-14-2019 02:24 PM

I agree - they look proper cool. Is this a hybrid tire or all terrain.
I went with SL / p-rated tire for better ride quality and acceleration (General Grabber ATX) but I bet if you're driving into the bush like that it's nice to have the peice of mind that you're less likely to puncture.

YBstranded 11-15-2019 08:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WISluggo (Post 3387512)
Any more updates?

Not really... Since I went on graveyard shift, I haven't had a chance to go into the woods much lately and no real snow here yet. Still no snow in the forecast. Usually we get a good storm in November, then not much until January or February. Northern Idaho/Eastern Washington is weird.

Might have a brown Christmas in the 40's. Might have 4' of snow and -20 degrees. You just never know these days.

Satter 02-02-2020 08:37 PM

Great choice. I always go with Goodyear Wranglers.

JLTD 04-22-2020 12:48 PM

Wondering how things have been since November?

(Sent a message to YB)

YBstranded 04-23-2020 10:03 AM

1 Attachment(s)
I have about 7000 miles on them and they don't look like they've worn at all. Still same mild noise level and still horrible gas mileage. 17mpg average all winter.

But, we never really had a winter. Weird as hell. I've driven on them in two snow storms. In Northern Idaho. Crazy.

They are horrible in snow. Well... They are horrible in hard-packed snow, and fresh snow, and on black ice.

They wear like iron because they have a very hard rubber compound that is slick as snot on ice and hard-packed snow.

They broke loose extremely easy and I had to keep it in 4wd in even the lightest of snow to keep the traction control light from coming on every time I touched the gas.

But in deep wet snow, they were great. In the dirt and mud, great. Very tough and no issues.

I could get through the sloppy stuff in 2wd with enough throttle.

Will be changing them out before next winter, though and going with the Falkens and hopefully a lift and 33's.

JLTD 04-23-2020 08:13 PM

Much appreciated; thanks!

Rio Bravo 05-28-2020 10:42 PM

It's great to see someone else went with the Walmart Wranglers.

I have had the Goodyear Wrangler Authority 265/75r16's on my 3rd gen and they have been great tires so far. Around 35k miles on them and they still perform well. I have started getting some chunking, but they lasted a lot longer than I expected. They're not too loud and do well in the mud. Much better than a standard all terrain and I can easily get 40-45k out of them.


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