Can't Decide: GY Wrangler SA vs General HTS tires

[malmgren]

I need your opinion as I can't decide on what tires to get. Before you reply, please don't suggest Revos or some other tire. I've narrowed it down to the two choices. I actually had Revos twice on my 00 Jeep GC. They were great snow tires, but they just wore a bit too fast for me paying $175/tire every 35K miles. Plus the original revos don't have stock sizes for my Limited 4R. However, the Revo2 does fit, but again the low mileage is a downer.

I live in the SF Bay Area and mostly do a mix of highway/street driving. I do about 5-10 trips a year to Tahoe area (except for the last two years when starting a new family got in the way). I'm also a powder snob and prefer to go during a storm or just after, so clear roads are usually a no-go if given the option to drive up there or not. I don't do much hardcore off-roading. I don't do mud and just thinking about having my $35K vehicle getting tossed around on boulders doesn't get me too excited. I bought the truck mostly for reliability, comfort, and yearly trips to the Sierra snowpack with maybe 1 or 2 short off paved road trips.

The General HTS tires have gotten great reviews online, and they are supposed to do well in snow. But just looking at the tread design vs the SA, I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that the puny tread design will hold up well in the ice and snow. The Generals are also about $135/tire for stock size vs $175/tire for the Silent Armor tires. The General tiers are also out of stock in most places including Tirerack, so I assume they are a good product if they sell out quickly. The reported decrease in MPG for the SAs is also a con, but not a huge factor.

What do to....what to do... ?

I haven't seen too many other 4R around town or here on t4r.org with the General tires. Do you have them? Do they hold up well on snow and ice? Will they let you pass the road checkpoints even though the tread looks like they can't handle more than a light dusting?

What to do... what to do...?

I'm going to buy something in the next couple weeks, just need a push in the right direction.

 

[Merle]

Between those two, I'm going with the GYSA. They're snowflake rated and have a pretty loyal review.

Currently have the stock Michelin Cross Terrains, and they are NOT snowflake rated. But in the last two years (even with conditions where they shut down the highway) they haven't had a problem up on US 50. 55,000 and they were still good through chain control miles.

I'd expect no less from the GYSA's and the reviews do not disappoint in that regard.

 

[Thai]

Goodyear SA.

 

[CannondaleMan]

I have had my GYSAs for about 2 years now and have had no problems with them. I do not off-road (mostly because there is nowhere to do it here in the People's Socialist Republic.)

I would not change my decision on purchasing them. We have now done 2 cross-country trips that were almost all highway driving and they performed exceptionally well. In the winter/snow/ice/rain they are excellent tires and I have had no difficulty and only spun once on our lovely black ice - which any unstudded tire would probably have slid on.

They are not that loud, except on grooved pavement or those cement highways that they so love to use in the South - but a turn of the radio volume helps that out, but it can be annoying.

 

[malmgren]

Yeah, I just couldn't take the chance that the General's would hold up under the harsh Sierra conditions. So I ordered the SAs from Tirerack and have an appt on Thur to have them installed. I'll reply back to the thread with my likes and dislike after I've had them for a while.

 

[Merle]

Yeah, I just couldn't take the chance that the General's would hold up under the harsh Sierra conditions. So I ordered the SAs from Tirerack and have an appt on Thur to have them installed. I'll reply back to the thread with my likes and dislike after I've had them for a while.

Where did you go and get them installed? Calderons?

Big O tires claim they'll price match. They look at the price including shipping and charge you that and add tax. I think a set for me was $930 for 275/65R18's

 

[malmgren]

I had them installed at Adds Tire Wharehouse in Sunnyvale for $60 total cost. That includes road force balancing on the GPS Hunter machines, TPMS, and I kept my old tires since they only had 25K miles on them.

Those guys were great! I was in and out of there in under an hour. I did talk to Discount Tire and they wanted $160 in labor costs.

And all places (Adds, DT, and WW) were wiling to price-match with Tirerack at $179/tire. However... They ALL wanted to throw the $85 shipping charge back into the price along with 9.25% sales tax. WTF? The Add's guys did tell me that TireRack only makes a buck or two off each tire that they sell since they sell thousands per day, so they couldn't price match that low (minus the shipping charge.) That killed the deal for me and was a no brainer to get the tires from TireRack (no sales tax). $801 total from TireRack and $60 for Adds (+ $20 installer tip since they were great to deal with) = $881 total price.

Oh and there's also a $40 MIR too!! Tirerack sent that to me a few days after I got my tires installed.

 

[malmgren]

Also, here's my first impressions after about 200 miles.

They are big and beefy tires!! I'm sure snow, rain, and some ice will be no match for them.

However, they are a bit louder than the Dueler 840s that came stock. And to be honest, it's a bit of a distraction. Perhaps, it's just my mind tuning into the noise, but it definitely is noticeable. At speeds as slow as 35MPH, the whine/hum of all that open tread on the road is noticeable. It doesn't get much louder as speed increases, just a different pitch. It's very noticeable when slowing down from high speeds. There's a small part of me that wishes I went with the Revo2s, but I think I'd rather trade a small increase in noise vs. a 35K mile tire lifespan. We'll see... I have 25 more days before I can return them for no cost.

I'll report more when I get a chance to play with them in the snow this winter.

 

[borgzman]

You may need to drive few hundred miles, IMO those chemicals applied during production contribute to the stiffness of the rubber. Until the tread is a little roughened that it can grip well, the noise may fade away.:driving:

 

[hambone575]

Any chance you can take some pictures?? I am pretty much sold on these tires.. I can already see that the stock tires are not going to be good in the snow and ice and conditions we have in the NorthEast. Especially if i have my new truck and want to go anywhere

 

[chaz]

GYSA loud? i had em & thought they were super quiet, in fact, the quietest, (too quiet) tire ive ever had on a 4x4, not to mention handle & perform well in all weather. but i do prefer a more truck like tire on my 4xs, thats the only reason i changed. hambone 575, pics on stock rims sent your way.

 

[chaz]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Wrangler+SilentArmor

 

[Black4runner]

I know this thread is old but I just wanted to comment on the General.

I went with the General Grabber HTS. They are much better than the Bridgestone Duelers HT 840 that came with the 4runner. They are quiter and ride smoother. According to reviews, they will out perform the Duelers in the rain and snow.

If you are not looking for a beefy off road type tire, then go with the General HTS. Probably one of the best tires for the money for on road.

 

[ran]

Are you talking about stock size here or 255/75/17 ??

 

[Black4runner]

Are you talking about stock size here or 255/75/17 ??

Mine General HTS are stock 265/65/17

 

[BayRunner]

Bumping this up again, anyone try the general HTS in snow? how do they do?

 

[bigwerm411]

GoodYear Silent armours are great all around. Got about 10,000 miles on them and couldnt be happier. For those with snow concerns I made to to work everyday after that post christmas hell be got i New York city. 255/75/17

 

[Black4runner]

Bumping this up again, anyone try the general HTS in snow? how do they do?

I visited my family up north in Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the holidays. As most know, they got hit with about 4-30" of snow.

Even though I grew up driving in the snow, I now live in the south and we rarely get a dusting so I am not used to driving in snowy conditions anymore.

Before the trip, I bought 4 new General Grabber HTS Tires in 265/65/17. I cannot compare them to the OEM Bridgestones in the snow because I never drove in the snow with the Bridgestones. My 4runner is only 2wd but it did very well in the snow. There was an accident on the way to PA from NJ. 4 inches of snow on the ground and the police had everyone detour down a single lane back road that had many hills. I was nervous because I had my 2 yr old with me and I just saw a AWD Volvo SUV rear end slide out from them. Traction control kicked in a few times but I never got stuck. I kept it in 2 gear and took it very slow (10-15mph). Once I got back to PA, my family lives on a steep hill that was covered with about 3" of snow. I kept it slow and the traction contol barely kicked in. Once I got to the top I decided to test out the traction control. I had my father stand behind me. At a complete stop on the hill, I hit the gas a bit hard to try and get the traction control to kick in. It felt like I was barely moving foward. I could feel the power being cut. My father said only the right wheel was spinning. I then hit the Auto LSD. At that point I started moving foward and made it up the hill with no problem. My father said that both the tires were spinning when I had auto LSD on.

So the bottom line is that the tires worked great on a 2wd 4runner driving up to 4" of snow on hilly terrain. Do I wish I had snow tires or AT tires? Yes but we live in the south and mostly drive on the street so the HTS is a much better choice.