Help! BFG A/T KO's or Goodyear Duratracs?

[kenlainpro_]

I know there's threads out there like this already, but I'm trying to get a more recent update mostly because a lot of people didn't have long term reviews on the Duratracs. Anyway, these are the 2 tires I think I've narrowed my search down to. I'd like to hear y'alls opinions on them and how long they last, also if you had any problems with them. My biggest concern is how they perform in the rain. I was considering Nitto Trail Grapplers, but I heard they wander on the road.

 

[skyak]

17" or 18" wheels?

 

[kenlainpro_]

17" or 18" wheels?

I haven't got the vehicle yet, but probably gonna be 18"

 

[mrpanic7]

I haven't got the vehicle yet, but probably gonna be 18"

My cousin claims his duratracs have gone 30,000+ miles and they still look pretty good. Honestly these are both really good tires I owned some A/T KO2's myself on a previous truck. What are you planning to do or more so where are you planning to drive your 4Runner?

 

[bill_runner]

i run the bfg a/t ko's. i love them. it rains a lot here and they do fine. they do good off road. they are quiet, and they wear well too. hope this helps

edit : they are 32''s on a 15" wheel

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Do a search on this forum. This has been discussed to death already.

 

[kenlainpro_]

My cousin claims his duratracs have gone 30,000+ miles and they still look pretty good. Honestly these are both really good tires I owned some A/T KO2's myself on a previous truck. What are you planning to do or more so where are you planning to drive your 4Runner?

My 4runner will just be a daily truck. Mostly city/highway driving and little off road. The off road driving will mostly just be some country dirt roads and farmland, nothing extreme.

 

[kenlainpro_]

i run the bfg a/t ko's. i love them. it rains a lot here and they do fine. they do good off road. they are quiet, and they wear well too. hope this helps

edit : they are 32''s on a 15" wheel

Thanks a lot!

 

[skyak]

What size are you looking for?

Smallest Duratracs are LT275/65R18.

Smallest BFG AT's are LT265/65R18.

I don't believe the 18" Duratracs will fit a stock setup very easily.

 

[kenlainpro_]

What size are you looking for?

Smallest Duratracs are LT275/65R18.

Smallest BFG AT's are LT265/65R18.

I don't believe the 18" Duratracs will fit a stock setup very easily.

I'm honestly not sure what size I want yet but I do plan on lifting the runner so if I do go with a bigger tire it won't be a big issue.

 

[NJshadow93]

I can only comment on the Duratracs. I love them. They have about 8000 miles on them and still look brand new (as I would expect). The online reviews that said they had to replace them at 15,000 miles have to be bullshit. Unless you drive your truck like a racecar, these things should make it to 40,000 miles. I have had nothing but excellent traction in all conditions I've tested them (mud, snow, wet/dry pavement)

 

[Yeager_22]

I can only comment on the Duratracs. I love them. They have about 8000 miles on them and still look brand new (as I would expect). The online reviews that said they had to replace them at 15,000 miles have to be bullshit. Unless you drive your truck like a racecar, these things should make it to 40,000 miles. I have had nothing but excellent traction in all conditions I've tested them (mud, snow, wet/dry pavement)

Agreed. Hell of a tire! I have about 20K on mine. These are very very quiet tires, they have worn very well. Great in all weather conditions. I'm running 285/70/17.

 

[zimm]

I've had both. Although the BFG's were on older F150's. Love the duratracs. Better in rain, not loud for how aggressive they are, better in snow/ice and they look better.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I've run a few trucks on BFGs and then I went with Nittos previous to the Duratracs and I doubt I'll ever look back. The BFGs have a bit of an edge in durablity off road but the Duratracs haven't shown any issues for my excursions. Once back on pavement the differences are bigger and the Goodyears are much better at water evacuation at hwy speeds and don't seem to slide on wet pavement at slower speeds like the BFGs have a tendance to do. Snow traction is good for both but it's the overall DD performance that gives me the nod toward the Goodyears.

 

[kenlainpro_]

Thanks y'all. You're really helping out!

 

[Ruffian]

Ok here's my review and I've had both brands. The BFG's are awesome tires...when I lived down below 3,000 foot elevation. When I moved to Tahoe City, elevation 6,500 I started falling out of love with them. What killed my love? Tahoe winters. Mainly snow. They were great in rain, daily driving, off road aired down and tackling class 5 trails etc. But when I moved here they seriously failed in daily snowy weather. I had to air them down to 28 psi in front and 25 in the rear to be safe. The tread pattern does not do well in snow at full air pressure. I'd get stuck on my own roadway, they'd just spin on snow deeper than 8". Driving along and I'd try to brake the vehicle would just slide any which way at any amount of speed. That was when I remembered being told the BFG AT KO's were not rated for snow for a reason. After 2 winters in dealing with the airing up and airing down as storms came and went I decided to use last years tax refund to get better winter tires. I got the Duratracs on last August. I'll admit that with the first wet snow fall in Oct. I was upset when I got to work. Then I found out that everyone was slipping and sliding on the way in to work that day. The snow was just that bad! So after several months of winter, no more airing down and I just happened to look at mileage today, 7,800, I am very happy with them and I don't regret the $1,200 I spent last Fall. Now however there is a slight * next to that last comment. I will run Duratracs as long as I continue to live up here. As soon as I move back down below heavy snow country I'm going back to the BFG's. Mainly because of the softer rubber compound in the Duratracs....which is why along with the better snow traction lug pattern they are better in the snow. I got 65,000 miles on my 1st set of BFG's and was 42,000 in to the 2nd set when I took them off, put on the Duratracs, and sold the BFG's to a contractor. I'm ok if I only get 50,000 miles out of these Duratracs as honestly living here I don't drive as much as I do down off the mountain. That's my story.

 

[kenlainpro_]

Ok here's my review and I've had both brands. The BFG's are awesome tires...when I lived down below 3,000 foot elevation. When I moved to Tahoe City, elevation 6,500 I started falling out of love with them. What killed my love? Tahoe winters. Mainly snow. They were great in rain, daily driving, off road aired down and tackling class 5 trails etc. But when I moved here they seriously failed in daily snowy weather. I had to air them down to 28 psi in front and 25 in the rear to be safe. The tread pattern does not do well in snow at full air pressure. I'd get stuck on my own roadway, they'd just spin on snow deeper than 8". Driving along and I'd try to brake the vehicle would just slide any which way at any amount of speed. That was when I remembered being told the BFG AT KO's were not rated for snow for a reason. After 2 winters in dealing with the airing up and airing down as storms came and went I decided to use last years tax refund to get better winter tires. I got the Duratracs on last August. I'll admit that with the first wet snow fall in Oct. I was upset when I got to work. Then I found out that everyone was slipping and sliding on the way in to work that day. The snow was just that bad! So after several months of winter, no more airing down and I just happened to look at mileage today, 7,800, I am very happy with them and I don't regret the $1,200 I spent last Fall. Now however there is a slight * next to that last comment. I will run Duratracs as long as I continue to live up here. As soon as I move back down below heavy snow country I'm going back to the BFG's. Mainly because of the softer rubber compound in the Duratracs....which is why along with the better snow traction lug pattern they are better in the snow. I got 65,000 miles on my 1st set of BFG's and was 42,000 in to the 2nd set when I took them off, put on the Duratracs, and sold the BFG's to a contractor. I'm ok if I only get 50,000 miles out of these Duratracs as honestly living here I don't drive as much as I do down off the mountain. That's my story.

Thanks! We rarely get snow here so that shouldn't be a problem for me

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

My 4runner will just be a daily truck. Mostly city/highway driving and little off road. The off road driving will mostly just be some country dirt roads and farmland, nothing extreme.

Ok, if no one else will ask, I will.
A. Why are you shopping tires for a vehicle you don't even own yet?
B. If you're only going to do light off roading and don't have to deal with snow, why are you considering 2 of the most expensive/aggressive AT tires?

Is it a brand popularity decision?
Since you asked for opinions/recommendations, I think you'd be better suited with a pair of Nittos or Hankooks since they would probably perform equally as well in the off road situations you mentioned and only cost a fraction of the ones you listed.

Just my .02

 

[kenlainpro_]

Ok, if no one else will ask, I will.
A. Why are you shopping tires for a vehicle you don't even own yet?
B. If you're only going to do light off roading and don't have to deal with snow, why are you considering 2 of the most expensive/aggressive AT tires?

Is it a brand popularity decision?
Since you asked for opinions/recommendations, I think you'd be better suited with a pair of Nittos or Hankooks since they would probably perform equally as well in the off road situations you mentioned and only cost a fraction of the ones you listed.

Just my .02

1. I wouldn't exactly call it shopping. I'm just curious on what people think about these tires since they caught my eye. 2. Is it really a big deal i'm looking at stuff for a 4runner im in the process of getting? And 3. I want a good quality tire, and they seem like they are by what i've read about them. I've read plenty of reviews of people saying they use those tires mostly on road with light off road, so i don't see a problem. Thanks for your input though. I did consider Nittos but road wandering was something i read about them.

 

[Dusty Driftwood]

1. I wouldn't exactly call it shopping. I'm just curious on what people think about these tires since they caught my eye. 2. Is it really a big deal i'm looking at stuff for a 4runner im in the process of getting? And 3. I want a good quality tire, and they seem like they are by what i've read about them. I've read plenty of reviews of people saying they use those tires mostly on road with light off road, so i don't see a problem. Thanks for your input though. I did consider Nittos but road wandering was something i read about them.

No big deal, just curious. What's that old saying about counting chickens? Anyway, I think you'll be hard pressed to find anyone that has anything negative to say about either of those tires because (in my opinion) they are the most popular off road tires around these days.

BFG's have a long history off road and Duratracs are the new front runner that everyone "needs" to have. I think both are probably great tires. But, since I'm a cheap ass, I probably wouldn't spend that much on tires. Anyway I digress, congrats on your potential new rig, post up some pictures when you get it.