Needs vs wants

[Jono.ful]

It sounds like you've already made up your mind about the duratracs since you want a more aggressive looking tire.

Pretty much, but I work away from home, and we're in Mexico for a week right after I finish this hitch, so since they're not yet mounted I've got a solid 3 weeks to think about it. Basically I'm open to considering the options.

 

[DEKA3]

Ok moving on....

... Anyone have experience with the Silent Armor off the black top?

ON road:

Quiet, smooth ride, not bad on MPG or in your case KPL (kilometers per liter). I have practically maxed out the speedometer a few times and they felt very stable at those speeds. I have gotten a few nails in them, and they patched up very good. As a matter of fact, I have 1 patch and 1 plug on the same tire and have no worries should I need another.

OFF Road:
Gone a couple of times on snow packed back roads and the tires did well. Since I do not go mudding or off roading on a regular basis, I would buy these tires again.

They are a great tire on dry road, and wet (raining) roads.

They arent the type of tire I would buy if I were living in the mountains though.

If I were you, I would go with the Duratracs based on your needs. Seems like you like them better based on looks only though. If you have read their reviews, and are ok with the cons of the tire, then go for it.

 

[Jono.ful]

There are valid reasons beyond looks, I need a good balance between highway manners and off road capability.
A lot of the complaints about the duratracs seem to center around the thin sidewalls. Most of my off road driving is on muddy oilfield lease roads and the occasional fire road. I have yet to see any broken shale or large moguls/rock crawling. I generally do not carry more that 200lbs in the back, and only pull a trailer for maybe 200 miles a year. We can get snow for about 7 months of the year, but I plan to run studded nokian hakka 7s next winter, so snow performance is a low priority.
The silent armors seem to be a great tire for their intended purpose, but I'm worried that they won't be aggressive enough when I need them to be.

FS - four Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor Pro Grade LT285/70/17 (#748532189), new/never mounted