DuraTrac owners

[Kotrin]

After running BFG M/T's for countless years, they sound like a baby sleeping to me =D

But honestly, I barely hear them. I do know that with all my windows up, and general Portland, OR traffic around me, can't hear them. When I drove out to Pullman, WA to work for a few weeks, I heard them, but it wasn't anything to be 'worried' about. I put my stereo on 10 and i can't hear anything outside, windows down, radio goes to 20-25 and I still don't hear them. I was trying to decide what I will get when these go and debating about Wrangler Kevlar MT's.

 

[007Tacoma]

For what it is worth...

My 2003 SE 4WD came with Duratracs, and there was definitely a hum. Was it bearable? - Definitely. They didn't bother me. At that time I was more worried about fuel economy then. Since they were oversized, they were costing me about 2MPG.

I gave them to my sister for her 2006 SR5 2WD, and she ran the hell out of them. They did get louder towards the end, but I think she got 58,000 miles out of them.

I ended up with Firestone Destination AT's in stock size on my 2003. They were much quieter than the Duratracs. Plus they handled really well off road, highway, canyon, in snow, and on ice.

I wanted to go back to Duratracs on my 2015, but we needed a good highway tire for snow and ice (we regularly make 2,000 to 3,400 mile trips). "...and now for something completely different..." We are testing the Michelin M+S2's right now. Quiet, but nothing near as capable as the Duratracs.

I can highly recommend all three tires: Duratrac, Destination AT, and so far the M+S2.

 

[cbreze]

I have the 285's since I bought the rig , so now they have just over 20K on them. They seem to be a tad louder than when new, but still much quieter than they aggressively look. I would buy them again , no problem. However, I think next time I'd go with a narrower width. 275's or 265's maybe. For me the 285's look cool but the width is overkill and not something I need in my daily driving. They seem to float a bit in heavy snow, not sure if that's being so wide or the 38lbs I keep in them, maybe a bit of both. Either way I don't need em that wide. My MPG is around 16 to 17.
Saw a 4R the other day pull up next to me. Same tires as me only fully studded all around. Now those I could hear coming 2 blocks away. I can only imagine how that sounds going down the road from inside.
EDIT: Forgot to mention I am lifted 2 1/2 inches. I had some rub on my splash guards which were easily trimmed slightly, but still close to the inside of the fender.

 

[gunkl]

Just pointing out that I asked specifically about 285/70/17 duratracs and how they fit.

I had a set of duratracs on my 94 toyota pickup and loved how they worked. I've had Goodyear M/Ts, BFG A/Ts, and BFG M/Ts in the past, of varied sizes on varied vehicles, and I'm familiar with all of the above's noise and handling characteristics.

I have a 2014 Trail Premium with the TE wheels, I'm mostly curious how the bigger tire fits for you guys, and I don't need to be pointed at the tire fitment guide, I've seen it many times. There's enough variation between manufacturer, it'd be more interesting to know about the experience of those running the bigger size. If you can be specific about what wheels you have that would help as well. To compare apples to apples, the most interesting would be someone with TE wheels running 285/70/17 telling me if they get any rub and/or what pounding they did to eliminate it.

thanks in advance guys

 

[gunkl]

285/70/17 arent only wider, they are more than 1" taller (at least, based on the fitment guide). (Thanks for the edit comment/trimming)

What about the width is a problem? Do they stick out the sides and throw crap on your truck?

Specs from the Duratrac page;
LT265/70R17 (both C and E load ratings available)
Approved Rim Width (in.)7.0 - 8.5
Measured Rim Width (in.)8.0
Section Width (in.)10.7
Tread Depth (in 32nds)18
Outside Diameter (in.)31.7

LT285/70R17
Approved Rim Width (in.)7.5 - 9.0
Measured Rim Width (in.)8.5
Section Width (in.)11.5
Tread Depth (in 32nds)18
Outside Diameter (in.)33.0

[edit] Adding stock AT20 spec
Tire size Product code Speed rating Load Index Load range Sidewall Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG) Max load (lbs) Max inflation pressure (psi) Approved rim width (in.) Measured rim width (in.) Section width (in.) Tread depth (in 32nds)
The distance between the outer edge to the grooves in a tire.
Outside diameter (in.) Revs per mile MSRP*
P265/70R17 290105041 S 113 SL BSW 300/B/B 2,535 51 7.0 - 9.0 8.00 10.7 11 31.7 660 $207

I have the 285's since I bought the rig , so now they have just over 20K on them. They seem to be a tad louder than when new, but still much quieter than they aggressively look. I would buy them again , no problem. However, I think next time I'd go with a narrower width. 275's or 265's maybe. For me the 285's look cool but the width is overkill and not something I need in my daily driving. They seem to float a bit in heavy snow, not sure if that's being so wide or the 38lbs I keep in them, maybe a bit of both. Either way I don't need em that wide. My MPG is around 16 to 17.
Saw a 4R the other day pull up next to me. Same tires as me only fully studded all around. Now those I could hear coming 2 blocks away. I can only imagine how that sounds going down the road from inside.
EDIT: Forgot to mention I am lifted 2 1/2 inches. I had some rub on my splash guards which were easily trimmed slightly, but still close to the inside of the fender.

 

[cbreze]

They don't seem to stick out imo. They don't seem to fling stuff onto the truck either any more than any other tire. My splash/mud flaps seem to help a lot tho. I try to stay out of the mud tho if I can help it as I just don't like getting the underside all full of it. Had the spare down the other day and comparing widths I just think I'd maybe prefer the more narrower width. I have another 2 or 3 years to go probably with these so I may be more ready to change size by then. Just considering it at this point. I'd like to research the pros/cons of getting "E" rated tires next time. The 285's don't come in that load range. Definitely going to get my money's worth out of these first. 20K and they still look like new. I like that. Not being lifted seems problematical being able to run these. I thought I saw some info in a thread here someplace about some people doing that tho. Without a lift I'd think it would look to crowded whether they would even work I wouldn't have them without the lift.

 

[gunkl]

ok thanks for the input.
Also, C versus E, in my opinion E is just overkill for the 4runner.
Better off going with the lighter tire, it *can* handle the load, according to goodyear.com the stock size duratrac is 115, AT20 (stock) is 113), so even just changing from passenger to LT duratrac ups the load capacity.
I can't see any benefit to E, possibly if I were towing some massive trailer and running the truck at full load most of the time, but thats rarely if ever going to be the case.

They don't seem to stick out imo. They don't seem to fling stuff onto the truck either any more than any other tire. My splash/mud flaps seem to help a lot tho. I try to stay out of the mud tho if I can help it as I just don't like getting the underside all full of it. Had the spare down the other day and comparing widths I just think I'd maybe prefer the more narrower width. I have another 2 or 3 years to go probably with these so I may be more ready to change size by then. Just considering it at this point. I'd like to research the pros/cons of getting "E" rated tires next time. The 285's don't come in that load range. Definitely going to get my money's worth out of these first. 20K and they still look like new. I like that. Not being lifted seems problematical being able to run these. I thought I saw some info in a thread here someplace about some people doing that tho. Without a lift I'd think it would look to crowded whether they would even work I wouldn't have them without the lift.

 

[cbreze]

Yeah, I'm not that sold on the "E's". My dura's are D's and have been fine for my needs. They are quite heavy enough

 

[MikeinCincy]

How about balancing these babies? I have Duratracs on the stock rim size and have now made two trips to my local dealer in the past week and despite the guy telling me he drove my vehicle, my steering wheel is still shaking pretty badly between 55 and 65 mph (especially so at 60 mph). I know these tires are known to be difficult to balance, but, shouldn't a trained Toyota tech be able to balance these with their road force balancing machine? :wacko:

 

[cbielat]

This was the beginning of day 2 of 3 straight days of wheeling. Punctured the side wall in two places. Plugged the punctures with 6 plugs and wheeled on it the rest of day 2 and all of day 3. The side walls are definitely thin. I really like these tires and am on my second set. Just wish the side walls were much thicker.

 

[guitarsail]

Um...is that a stick through the sidewall? I friggin stick?! Haha. I just got Duratracs, and love them. Noticeable hum, but not nearly as bad as MT's but little noisier than AT's.

 

[RickC5]

Um...is that a stick through the sidewall? I friggin stick?! Haha. I just got Duratracs, and love them. Noticeable hum, but not nearly as bad as MT's but little noisier than AT's.

Um, no, that's one of the PLUGS he mentioned. If you're NOT carrying plugs in your off-road box, WE will be the folks laughing at you when you get a flat and wish that you did have them.

 

[alfonzo]

Tires are like skis. One ski cannot be the best for all conditions. I choose to run 285/70r17 Duratacs for winter and trails, and Michelins for summer trips and commuting.

 

[cbielat]

Um...is that a stick through the sidewall? I friggin stick?! Haha. I just got Duratracs, and love them. Noticeable hum, but not nearly as bad as MT's but little noisier than AT's.

Those are 6 plugs in the sidewall.

 

[cbielat]

Tires are like skis. One ski cannot be the best for all conditions. I choose to run 285/70r17 Duratacs for winter and trails, and Michelins for summer trips and commuting.

As I've been skiing and snowboarding all of my life, I understand what you're saying. Although I do have a couple snowboard set ups where one of those boards can ride all types of terrain. I know there are skis out there which are designed to do the same. These are those tires. I've been more than happy with them in all conditions as they are an all terrain tire. The only downfall is the thin sidewall. After wheeling Duratracs for 3 years, this is the first time I sliced the sidewall and can't believe it took that long for it to happen. I guess I've been lucky.

 

[guitarsail]

Those are 6 plugs in the sidewall.

Haha ok. They were dirt colored and the two together look like a stick. Has me all

 

[cbielat]

Haha ok. They were dirt colored and the two together look like a stick. Has me all

Yeah, kind of looks like that.

 

[wfo9]

As I've been skiing and snowboarding all of my life, I understand what you're saying. Although I do have a couple snowboard set ups where one of those boards can ride all types of terrain. I know there are skis out there which are designed to do the same. These are those tires. I've been more than happy with them in all conditions as they are an all terrain tire. The only downfall is the thin sidewall. After wheeling Duratracs for 3 years, this is the first time I sliced the sidewall and can't believe it took that long for it to happen. I guess I've been lucky.

Having it cut that close to the rim... I'm guessing the rim took at least some cosmetic damage also.

Looks like you were wheeling it pretty hard, or perhaps the wider track got your wheel where you were not expecting it...

I've been pretty happy with my duratracks and the abuse they have taken, but I'm now running MTRs (for those harder core side wall ripping situations...) Still have the duratracks for daily driving and moderate trail use.

 

[cbielat]

Having it cut that close to the rim... I'm guessing the rim took at least some cosmetic damage also.

Looks like you were wheeling it pretty hard, or perhaps the wider track got your wheel where you were not expecting it...

I've been pretty happy with my duratracks and the abuse they have taken, but I'm now running MTRs (for those harder core side wall ripping situations...) Still have the duratracks for daily driving and moderate trail use.

Actually, that rim was fine. I do have a deep dent/gouge on the lip of the driver side front wheel that if it went any deeper, the rim would have been useless by not holding air. The cuts were from a rock in a deeper muddier section that we couldn't see. Jared [MENTION=79132]Nyc-Runner[/MENTION] was behind me and had the same thing happen to his tire as well. We were running Blues and Blacks for 3 straight days. So yeah, you could say we were doing some serious wheeling lol. An awesome time for sure.

 

[mo_mo]

55k+ miles review

I put a set of Duratrac LT265/70R17 Load Range C on in early 2015. 5 years and over 55k miles later they were on their last leg. I typically ran 38psi on tarmac, and off-road was adjusted as needed for the trip/trail. I initially tried running them at maybe 42psi, but it was a bit harsh. Load and Inflation Tables can be found on Toyo's website here: Find the Correct Tire Inflation Pressure | Toyo Tires
Stock P265/70R17 @ 32 psi /1.1 = 2204.5 lbs
Revised LT265/70R17 LR-C @ 2204.5 lbs = 43.6 (splitting the difference between the 40 and 45 psi ratings)
The wear pattern was good and flat although the inside tread was more worn then the outside by ~1/16" after 55k. The vehicle tracks straight, but does need an alignment, so I attribute the wear to some suspension settling and mis-alignment vs tire pressure.

When I first threw on this set of LTs I could feel a slight power drag / decreased acceleration at slow speeds / take off. It wasn't much, and I quickly adjusted to it compared to the stock Ps. The extra weight was never an issue and not noticeable at speed.

These tires did me well. In the dirt, mud, and rocks of basic trails these things ate up the terrain. Grip galore both on and off road, and controlled the rig great. No issues in the rain either. I didn't have an opportunity to get them into snow and ice, but they did handle a few heavy downpours and hailstorms with ease.

I had a few screw/nail punctures over the years, but they never let me down. Often they didn't even drop air pressure and TPMS never activated. It was only me seeing the shiny worn screw and pulling it that let air out. Standard tire repair kits were easy to use and held up with no issue.

They do need to be rotated and properly inflated, otherwise there was some, but not severe, steering wheel shake at 60mph ~+/-5mph.

Rolling through a parking lot at ~<5mph you could feel the tread of the tire just a slight bump bump. I didn't feel it off road or at speed.

Noise... yup, they get louder and louder. At 70mph on the freeway, tire noise, wind noise, and then engine noise, in that order with tire noise way in the lead. My new set of replacement tires (Toyo Open Country AT III LT285/70R17 Load Range C) are dead quiet in comparison (wind, engine, then tire noise @ 70mph)...but they are brand new, so I'm not giving them a pass just yet. It is just painfully obvious how stark the difference in noise is. With the Duratracs the noise isn't horrible, but you will have to speak up with telephone calls or cabin conversations, but the radio isn't at max to drown out the tire noise.

Mileage. Wasn't impacted measurably over the stock Dunlop Grandtrek AT20s. Maybe a 0.5 MPG hit at the worst, but this was a stock diameter Duratrac. I added some additional weight to the rig over the years, so I really can't say the Duratracs are the culprit... it was a negligible difference.

If you get a good price on them and want to be worry free for traction off road without going full MT, then these are a good tire if you are okay with a bit of extra rolling tire noise.