Looking for the perfect 265/70R17 tire - head is spinning

[ForgetYourMap]

Context:
I know I may get a bit of backlash as this has been a widely discussed topic but the more I read, the more confused I get. There's a lot of conflicting information on this forum and people's opinions change over time so it is hard to filter all of that out.

I am interested in hearing from members who have long term experience with any of these tires below and can help guide me to making the right choice.

I basically want to go and order these this week or next week so I can get everything done at the same time. I have the spacers and lift sitting in my truck right now and am planning some camping/road trips very soon.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!


Road Stance:

• Daystar 2.5/1.5
• Spidertrax wheel spacers

Priorities:

1. aggressive look
2. road noise
3. good on-road manners
4. control on wet roads
5. ready for occasional off-roading
6. quality & durability
7. Price is a low priority - I put low mileage on my truck and I look at this as an investment as I'd rather sink money in now than be unhappy later

Contenders:

• BFG T/A KO
  -seem to be widely used on here but I worry that this is a very outdated design and I've heard about quality control issues
• Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
  -very high on my list but these tires have a lot of varying opinions on the forum
  -heard about quality control issues, the local tire shop has said negative things about them
• Hankook Dynapro ATm RF10
  -I was leaning towards these for a long time but started to read more and more stories of people having issues at 20,000k with road noise
• General Grabber AT2
  - read good things on here but very limited information. local tire shop said that the 4runner is too good of a truck to put cheap tires on
• Cooper A/T3
  -lots of great stuff on here about these tires but too be honest I really am not a fan of the look of these
• Maxxis AT-771
  -highly recommended by local tire shop but very little info on here
• Kumho KL78
  -highly recommended by local tire shop but very little info on here

 

[RobSinclair]

I had the Cooper AT/3s for a few thousand kilometres. The dealer I bought the truck from installed them. They did well in the mud and off road. They were good in the snow as well. I damaged them offroad. It wasn't too bad but some tread blocks had pieces torn off.

I sold them and I upgraded to 33.5" Toyo Open Country M/Ts after I installed my lift. They have a very aggressive look but are not too noisy on the road. They are 10ply and the tread is holding up very well. Very little wear after 10 000km. No real damage from offroading. The toyos are expensive but might be a better investment due to durability and longevity.

 

[xxaarraa]

You will get wildly VARYING opinions and recommendations - everyone has their favorite tire.

I love Duratracs. Much better than Grabber AT2s which I also liked.

 

[Burnzy]

I just put a set of 265/70 17 Nitto Terra Grapplers on about 3 months ago. Granted they are only 3 months old but I couldn't be happier. Very quiet, did great in the snow, pretty smooth ride and has done well in a few muddy situations(nothing hard core). Bonus is that there is almost no rubbing. Just a tiny bit at full lock on occasion, and mine is 100% stock. One last thing , the terra grapples are not very expensive. I doubt you would ever get the mileage that you would from a Michelin or Hankook but it seems to be a pretty decent option for you. My .02

 

[S p a r k y]

Your top 3 opinions or reviews will be for Dura's, BFG KO's, and AT'3's!

My opinion, would be for Dura's or BFG, both look better and it is weird to say, they cost more!

Never ran BFG at's, rode in them a lot, they were my 2nd choice! Love my Dura's!! Will have them again!

 

[cgv69]

I've only had my T4R for a few months and it's still rocking the factory HT type tires for now but on my Chevy Z71, I've had both the BFG AT KO's and General Grabber AT2's. That truck currently has Cooper AT3's on it.

The problem with recommendations is different people have different requirements. My Truck doesn't spend much time off road and I don't "rock crawl" with it so things like sidewall protection isn't much of an issue. I do however see a decent amount of snow and rain and mud so those things matter more to me.

All AT type tires pretty much suck in the deep mud. Even the Duratracs aren't all that in the mud from what I understand. AT's are better suited for snow (at least around town, on road snow) and rain.

I got around 50k miles out of the BFG's and close to 60k out of the Generals. Pretty good for both considering I never rotated either set and am not great about checking tire pressure. In my experience, they both performed about equal both on road and off. Good road manners, limited noise. decent traction in rain and snow. In mud, they were both poor but in fairness, I never got stuck with either of them. In the end both where fine. I might have to give a slight edge to the BFG's in the traction dept but not enough to justify their added cost?

I just got the Coopers so it's too early to say much about them. I went with them because I've read a lot of good things about them and got a great price on them. I wasn't thrilled with the look of them either but I will say they do look a little better in person (and have a much deeper tread then I was expecting). I'd still say the BFG's or General's look better. (i.e more aggressive/off road looking)

I guess I'll end by saying that when I get the lift done on my T4R and upgrade the tires, I'm probably going back to the Generals AT2's so take all of that for what its worth.

 

[NC4runAR]

Your top 3 opinions or reviews will be for Dura's, BFG KO's, and AT'3's!

My opinion, would be for Dura's or BFG, both look better and it is weird to say, they cost more!

Never ran BFG at's, rode in them a lot, they were my 2nd choice! Love my Dura's!! Will have them again!

:iagree: I was extremely surprised at my BFG KO's road noise, very quiet. Although opinions are miles wide and very few are miles deep. Ive only had the KO's for a few days. I know [MENTION=44866]ARK_SWAMP_RIDER[/MENTION] has Dura's and loves them, and he has had bad luck with the hancooks (poor wet performance). Hope this helps

 

[Brazenhead]

I'm not recommending these tires, but I am seriously considering selling my wifes' Yokohama geolander ats and replacing them with these. Mickey Thompson Baja Radial STZ - Free Delivery Available | TireBuyer.com

 

[JB.]

Context:
...head is spinning.

Priorities:

1. aggressive look
   .....

Though it's not the way I buy tires, if looks is your top priority then it should be very easy for you unless you fall for the idea that there is a perfect tire or that there are large differences between tires (after adjusting for performance application).

Just get the tire you like the looks of best and call it a day.

 

[ARK_SWAMP_RIDER]

As mentioned above, I hated the Hankok ATMs after about 10k miles. Got very noisy after that (considering it's an AT) and unsafe driving in wet weather. I sold them with about 15k miles and switched to Duratracs. Put probably 10k miles on my first set, then switched to a different size rim and bought another set. So far about 7000 miles on the current set. They are better in every aspect in comparison to the Hankooks. Less noise, better performance overall, and look much better, although I guess that's subjective.

You'll find negatives about any tire. There are still a lot of great options out there. I would suggest considering the availability of each tire in this size. You'll probably want an LT, most will be either C or E rated. The E is overkill for a 4runner in most cases. The C is lighter so less impact on gas mileage/braking. I know the BFG AT and Duratrac come in a C rating, don't think the others do ( going off the top of my head, could be wrong).

You should also consider the Toyo Open Country AT2, it's been getting good reviews around here as well.

Here's a comparison I put together previously, it shows available sizes and weights for several of the ones you're considering.

 

[jimmied]

If road noise is big factor, get the revo ii. Looks good, not too aggressive but enough. Has great reviews and feedback. I went cooper at3s due to set up at time and they are great cheaper tires. Not sure I would buy again though. I am probably in minority though.

 

[SierraDan]

Not to throw a wrench into the mix but i've had good luck with my Destination A/T's on my Sierra and 4R. The set on the 4R are older, have a little dryrot cracking on the outer corners but nothing serious, had it at 80+mph and they felt stable. I don't offroad, I get A/T's for good traction in rain/snow and the Destinations perform well in that, my Sierra is 2WD/open diff and gets around in snow fine with a little weight in the bed (235/75/15 size).

I'll probably stick with the stock 265/65/17 size for my 4R and since I want an LT load range E, i'll try the Dick Cepek Trail Country. It has an aggressive look and i've read it does great in snow, and not expensive either.

At work we've used Wrangler SilentArmor Pro Grades and those were great. Traction is worlds better in snow than the Wrangler HT's they use now (tougher than SR-A's and longer lasting but don't last as long as SilentArmors). Anyways they're a tad pricey but for the traction and longevity, they're about the best bang for the buck. The Pro Grade with the extra kevlar layer makes them last so long, plus makes them stronger, less resistant to puntures and chunking.

Then there's their new Wranger Adventure A/T which looks similar to the Trail Country but has the same kevlar construction as the SilentArmor, and may be their replacement. The come in load range E Pro Grade too. I think i'm gonna try a set of these on my Suburban since it really needs E range tires. Right now it has Michelin LTX M/S tires E range, and they grip great even in snow in 2WD (lots to do with the Burban's weight i'm sure) and with 20k miles still look new. I'd be happy with another set but I just really like A/T tires on trucks.

 

[kevinpt]

you could also go with 255/75/17's. i got some 255/70/18's on my truck about a month ago and love the ride height and ride quality of the 32" tall tire and best part is it fits stock

 

[Hobson]

I have had Duratracs for around 15,000 miles and love them. Road noise is minimal until 85 mph, look great, and grip even better.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/99885604@N03/12679611123" title="Untitled by Adam Hobson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/12679611123_1382dae3ea_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>

 

[zopperman]

I have had Duratracs for around 15,000 miles and love them. Road noise is minimal until 85 mph, look great, and grip even better.

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/99885604@N03/12679611123" title="Untitled by Adam Hobson, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/12679611123_1382dae3ea_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="Untitled"></a>

Interesting you say that. I find the road noise worst at 50 MPH on the dot and then it gets better from there.

I do love my duratracs and they are wearing quite well. Gonna rotate them on Friday.

 

[jimmied]

Interesting you say that. I find the road noise worst at 50 MPH on the dot and then it gets better from there.

I do love my duratracs and they are wearing quite well. Gonna rotate them on Friday.

Rotate right onto my truck, I will rotate mine right over to yours.

 

[smokinjo]

Touring tires

I replaced my OEM Michelins at 68K. Could have stretched it a bit more, but tire s were on sale, and set to go up. I chose Multi-Miles, a Yokahama tire made in Salem Virginia. They are warranted for 70K, and Tireman of NW Ohio adds their own signature warranty with a few extra warranty additions. I have had them for about 8K, and they do fine. They are a TOURING tire. They are quiet and smooth, good in wet, and fair in snow. They look decent too.

 

[iBison]

I haven't had them a long time yet and live in Illinois so it's just flat roads here for the most part. They have done great in snow and rain, very slight road noise. Shop said very important to rotate them regularly, they said 6k is recommended, but they recommend 5k.

 

[ForgetYourMap]

Starting to really lean toward the Toyo AT2s. They weren't even on my original list but after reading about them here and getting some quotes locally they seem more reasonable than the duratracs. The BFG KOs are still a possibility but I will know more after I spend the weekend stopping by a few local tire shops.

For the toyo's its unfortunate that the only choices are a P tire or a LT with an E rating. I don't know if I need a E rated 49lb tire but I sure like the look of it better than the P. Thoughts?

 

[20034RunnerV84x2]

If you want good road manners and good traction Michelin LTX MS2 are a great tire, but you'd be compromising on looks. They're mostly an on road tire.