Tires: What should I do?
So I ordered the black TRD rims and now trying to decide on which tires & size to go with, and looking for honest advice/opinions.
I want an aggressive tire that:
a) fills more of the wheel wells
b) gives a nod to/focus on mud handling
I encounter plenty of random THICK mud patches at my parents ranch, and while my stock tires worked the first 12K miles, now they just cake up the mud and look like slicks when I'm in the thickness and I keep getting stuck accessing those areas of the property and sliding down the creek bed due to zero traction. My pops already had to pull me out twice.
So far I have narrowed it down to a few finalists based on reviews focusing on/off-road performance, reliability, lifespan (relative) and aggressiveness:
•Cooper STT Pro (in either 265/70/17 or 285/70/17)
--E Load Range
--Superb mud tire
--Can handle any terrain
--Best reviewed MT tire for on-road noise level (quieter than the Nitto!) and performance/handling
--Great on wet surfaces
•Cooper Discoverer STT MAXX (in either 275/70/17 or 285/70/17)
--E Load Range
--Can handle any terrain
--Mediocre mud handling, but reviewed as better with mud than K02s
--Great on-road performance/handling...Even in wet conditions, which the K02s aren't being well reviewed in that category at all
**Note: I didn't list any other MT options other than the STT Pro, as its the newest, highest reviewed and quietest one on the road I've found reviewed thus far.
Factors:
•I have a 3front-1rear RevTek spacer lift (for now), and 4WP said it will "comfortably fit 33"s, and will fit 34" tires with slight shifting of liner"
•TRD wheels are 7" wide (285s recommend 7.5+). I know there's PLENTY of discussions on here, and PLENTY that say it's fine to throw 285s on the TRD wheels, but I've also been told to expect sub-performance, added wear on drivetrain components, and accelerated tire wear, and UCAs rubbing??
•I don't care about gas mileage, as prices are only gonna go down
•Should the KO2 be on my list? Are they good with mud or not? Too many conflicting reviews on these. I'm just not sure if the negative reviews are due to bad initial batches/shipments (even had recalls), or if there's a larger issue with the tire designs in general. Specifically the wide-ranged balancing issues and the weird wobble at 55-65 mph others have mentioned after repeatedly rebalancing.
Either way, the K02s don't perform better in mud than the ST MAXX, at least from what I've been reading.
Ultimately I really want the STT PROs, and guess I can accept staying with stock size (265) for now and grab the STT Pros (E range), but want to ensure my reasoning for doing so is sound.
I've read a ton of STT Pro reviews state the tires are actually smaller than the advertised measurements, and I'm starting to wonder if I can fit 285s with a RevTek lift and do so safely with the 7" TRD wheel..
So yeah, crazy long post, but this is what has been on my mind for the last week lol
If it were you, which direction would you take and why?
Is the 7.5" width recommendation for the 285s a safety concern or just tread wear concern? (We have a 9 month old and another in the oven..)
Anything better than the STT PRO??
Thanks in advance for opinions/advice!
I'm still a little green, so take it easy on me @
ST1FLER
Heck, @
marshal - What's your take on this one, Pór favor!
\m/
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