Getting new tires and need my fellow members to help me decide.

[Catahoulabulldog]

I’m buying new tires in a day or two. I have it down to the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T’s the Yokohama geolandar MT G003 or the Nitto Ridge Grapplers. Which should I choose and why? Do you have any of these tires on your 5th gen? What do you like/dislike? I know 2 are hybrid one is MT. Do I need a mud tire for my trail driving? Plan on Colorado New Mexico Arizona souther cali areas. I will be doing quite a bit off roading so that’s why I’m leaning towards the MT but I will also be doing a lot of highway traveling as well. Help! any input is appreciated but please stick to the tires I mentioned above. Those are the only 3 choices I’m interested in after all of my research. Thanks!

 

[Jeremy556]

In Illinois, you should get an A/T tire. Unless your 4runner is a trailer queen, you're going to spend the vast majority of your time on pavement. I know you have some trips to this area planned, but you know what we don't have much of here, most of the time? Mud.

Yes, I know mud tires do much better everywhere off road, and have run much more aggressive mud tires than you are looking at for a couple hundred thousand miles. But they suck on the road.

I have not personally run any of those tires, but I have known several people that have run the Nittos and no one has any nice things to say about them, other than how they look. They are a brodozer tire, not meant for actual off road use.

 

[Catahoulabulldog]

In Illinois, you should get an A/T tire. Unless your 4runner is a trailer queen, you're going to spend the vast majority of your time on pavement. I know you have some trips to this area planned, but you know what we don't have much of here, most of the time? Mud.

Yes, I know mud tires do much better everywhere off road, and have run much more aggressive mud tires than you are looking at for a couple hundred thousand miles. But they suck on the road.

I have not personally run any of those tires, but I have known several people that have run the Nittos and no one has any nice things to say about them, other than how they look. They are a brodozer tire, not meant for actual off road use.

Thanks for the reply. I am in Illinois but we are hitting the road full time and won’t be back in Illinois during the winter. We will mostly be in the southwest Colorado Southern California but no snow. I’ve had my fill of snow and winter. We will go with the weather basically. We will be mostly on trails forest roads nothing crazy off road. That’s why I’m wondering if the MT’s are the wrong choice since we will be traveling on pavement to get to where we want to go. I’ve never ran a mud tire before so I have no experience with them. The Nitto’s were my 3rd choice. I’m pretty much decided on either the mickey’s or the Yokohama’s.

 

[Matt831]

If forest roads I would go with anything Michelin..Defender or LTX AT2

 

[spartacus]

I've driven on Yokohama all terrain with 3 peak rating in the past. They are pretty good tires. So I am leaning yokohama. Driving with MT tires on the pavement in rain and snow takes some getting used to because they don't have the same grip as all terrain tires.

 

[rwh963]

driving general hts tires. pretty good.

 

[Catahoulabulldog]

Thanks for the info. I’m down to the Yokohama MT or the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss at.

 

[fkheath]

As others have said, I would skip the mud terrain tires. Too aggressive and not really needed for even difficult off roading.

But on the other hand, just an LT tire is not always good even in light snow.

So that leaves something in between.

I've used BFG KO2 for years and really like them, though there is a lot of polarized opinions about them. They are a good "in between" tire that is more aggressive than an LT, but not a mud tire. They are quiet and smooth on the highway, and have good deep lugs for off roading.

I go to southwest Colorado every summer, and travel on all but the very most difficult trails, and I have never had a problem with the KO2s.

With all the good off road capabilities of the 4Runner (depending on trim level: traction control, locking diff, A-Trac, etc), you can go just about anywhere you want with just a good trail tire.

 

[Ripper238]

I wanted a Mud/AT tire that was good in the rain and has good on road manners. Goodyear Duratracs were the clear winner so I went with them.

Have been grate on road and off road mud, 35k on them and still good tread too.

I have to say those Yoko's look pretty sweet, definitely more of a Mud tire. The MT Baja look more like an AT.

 

[02SE]

I'd go with Yokohama, just in the X-AT version.