New Falken AT tire (A/T3W)

[OMG Itz Mart]

if anyone is interested in the 275/70 r17 falkens, i just got mine installed by discount tire this week and they matched walmart's price of 165 each. discount has them priced at 219 each. ends up being saving you 54 on each tire. this helped me pull the trigger.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Falken-Wildpeak-AT3W-LT275-70R17-Tire/551192357

 

[Anand]

if anyone is interested in the 275/70 r17 falkens, i just got mine installed by discount tire this week and they matched walmart's price of 165 each. discount has them priced at 219 each. ends up being saving you 54 on each tire. this helped me pull the trigger.

FWIW, I just looked and Walmart has the 255/80/17 A/T3W's for $169, a notable savings over DTD or TireBuyer... Enough that it's making me rethinking my original plan to wait to upgrade in tire size until my current ones are worn... My current A/T3W's (265/70/17) have just shy of 30k on them and still look great

 

[Silver(ado)T4RLE]

Just installed 265/70/17 SL's on our new to us 2018 limited.
I had run the E rated on my Silverado for approx 30000 miles, about 1/4 of which involved washboard gravel roads. Only 1 screw puncture (sustained after an emergency evasion into highway median) and still had 14/32nds tread left when I traded the truck for the runner.

Reason for going SL for the runner were weight and ride comfort. So far, fairly happy, little increase in highway road noise over the stock 20" yokohama pizza cutters and the washboard gravel doesn't rattle my brains out of my ears.

Time, Iowa winter and spring mud season and deer season will test durability, but I expect the SL to perform adequate for our needs.

Will report on any developments!

 

[RedRunner_87]

FWIW, I just looked and Walmart has the 255/80/17 A/T3W's for $169, a notable savings over DTD or TireBuyer... Enough that it's making me rethinking my original plan to wait to upgrade in tire size until my current ones are worn... My current A/T3W's (265/70/17) have just shy of 30k on them and still look great

This is making me rethink going with stock size. That is $30 cheaper a tire over DT/DTD.

 

[lukeskywalker]

Between the two, SL is just the better tire for our rigs. E load is way overkill. I do believe C load is perfect but in the case of this tire, the weight savings of the SL has proven to make the tire an absolutely pleasure on road.

Off road, I’ve pushed my SLs harder than any other tire and it’s held up better than expected (not a single issue). I’ll continue to post if my experience changes but so far they’re great on and off road.

M4ster will likely post up here but he’s pushed his SLs further than probably anyone and has been super happy with them.

Conclusion: If load range C is an option and you don’t mind the weight penalty, that’s the way to go with our rigs. They ride great. You will sacrifice daily drive ability due to weight. Beyond that, I’d take SL over E and I’m glad I did.


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I pulled the trigger in buying some SL 285/70/17 at3ws for a decent deal. Discount Tire price matched and it took them two rounds though to get them properly balanced. I found the road driving to be a lot rougher than expected. Heavy and slower.

The tech made a remark about heaviness, and I was a bit confused. I looked at the tire and realized they put on the LT E range tires instead of SL.

I have a choice to make...keep the LTs on or opt for a replacement of SLs. I'm wondering HOW MUCH BETTER is the mpg and road driving of the SL's vs. the LTs. If it's minimal I won't bother. I know about the off-road ability of the LTs.

I do about 10% off road / overlanding. I'm in Colorado.

I had the standard 265 Grabber AT2s before...I think in p-load. I took those tires to pretty rough'ish trails and didn't have one puncture or problem. Driven cross country about 4 times. About 20+ different trails.

Thanks for any thoughts!!!

 

[Silver(ado)T4RLE]

vs the stock 20's on my limited (went with a 17" rim and at3w s-rated that weigh almost exactly the same as stock setup) I've noticed about .5 mpg less that I can probably attribute to increased tire width in contact with the road.

 

[jhguth]

I've had these in 275/70 C-Range for a little over 1k miles and so far really prefer these to my KO2s, they ride smoother and were balanced first try no issue and they feel much better on wet pavement than the KO2s

 

[NoGaRunner]

After almost 45K on the Duratracs, this morning I had a set of Falken ATW3s installed in 275/70r17 C flavor, including the spare.

Have only put 25 miles on since they installed but these tires are insanely quiet compared to the Duratracs, even when those were new, and definitely more comfortable. Anxious to see how these do in the rain coming in tomorrow. Not sure when I'll be off-road next but I can't wait to see how these do. Discount Tire seemed to nail the balancing on them 1st go, no issues up to the 75MPH I hit on the highway.

On-road there is zero rubbing - was doing full-lock turns, forward and reverse in my cul de sac to see if there would be any. And I verified even with the bigger spare I still have room to slide the bike rack and hitch as far as needed (was concerned about that).

 

[progress4m]

I pulled the trigger in buying some SL 285/70/17 at3ws for a decent deal. Discount Tire price matched and it took them two rounds though to get them properly balanced. I found the road driving to be a lot rougher than expected. Heavy and slower.

The tech made a remark about heaviness, and I was a bit confused. I looked at the tire and realized they put on the LT E range tires instead of SL.

I have a choice to make...keep the LTs on or opt for a replacement of SLs. I'm wondering HOW MUCH BETTER is the mpg and road driving of the SL's vs. the LTs. If it's minimal I won't bother. I know about the off-road ability of the LTs.

I do about 10% off road / overlanding. I'm in Colorado.

I had the standard 265 Grabber AT2s before...I think in p-load. I took those tires to pretty rough'ish trails and didn't have one puncture or problem. Driven cross country about 4 times. About 20+ different trails.

Thanks for any thoughts!!!

Just purely based on my gut feeling: I think you definitely will feel the difference in ride by going from LT E range to SL… and will not be minimal…

To your point about SL (P rated tires): I have always had P rated tires and all of my 4Runners, I used my SUVs for overlanding with light\moderate trails (Rockies, Moab, etc.) and off road when hunting… I also used to tow- boat and travel camper (around 4K)- never had an issue with my (P rated) tires…

In addition, here is my experience with AT3WS:

Around two month ago (when my Nitto TG2 (stock size, P rated) got old), I put 265/70/17 AT3WS P rated (SL) on my 4runner.
They were balanced and road forced (took couple trips to Discount Tire to do it properly) and I have had them for about 4 weeks, I liked the look and the grip (wet, dry, gravel road) they have provided… and wanted to really like them and keep them… however, one thing I could get used to was the rougher ride vs. old Nitto TG G2 I had before….
It was not the balance or noise (both were great), it was just the part where you feel every pebble on the road… interestingly, when I would hit the big pothole it felt soft…. Have no idea why… so on the end of 4 weeks I went back to Nitto TG G2… and l my truck is smooth and “plush” as it was before…

 

[Decipher]

I pulled the trigger in buying some SL 285/70/17 at3ws for a decent deal. Discount Tire price matched and it took them two rounds though to get them properly balanced. I found the road driving to be a lot rougher than expected. Heavy and slower.



The tech made a remark about heaviness, and I was a bit confused. I looked at the tire and realized they put on the LT E range tires instead of SL.



I have a choice to make...keep the LTs on or opt for a replacement of SLs. I'm wondering HOW MUCH BETTER is the mpg and road driving of the SL's vs. the LTs. If it's minimal I won't bother. I know about the off-road ability of the LTs.



I do about 10% off road / overlanding. I'm in Colorado.



I had the standard 265 Grabber AT2s before...I think in p-load. I took those tires to pretty rough'ish trails and didn't have one puncture or problem. Driven cross country about 4 times. About 20+ different trails.



Thanks for any thoughts!!!

I actually ordered both LR E and SL in 285/70-17 and faced the same dilemma about which way to go. As M4STER shared here with his experience, Falken extends the same sidewall design and strength in both their P rated tires as well as LTs. So the only difference is extra protection down low and a little extra tread depth. The trade off is a huge jump in weight with the LTs as well a ride unnecessarily harsh, as a load range E tire is designed for heavy pickups pulling and hauling heavy loads...not the 4Runner.

After much debate I decided that the reality of my driving is such that I’m on pavement way more than off so opted for the SLs. Glad I did! I absolutely love them and they’ve been impressive off road. Plus you don’t have to air down at all if you don’t want to, and if you do, only air down marginally since SLs find their strength with standard pressures.

Falkens does offer Load Range C in 285/70-17 now which strikes the perfect balance, IMO, of off-road strength and on road compliance. The C’s are also heavy though, so it’ll impact your pickup, MPGs, and overall responsiveness. But between E and SL, no regrets here with SL at all...and I off-road hard and tow regularly.


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[Mudballz]

Well a 1000 miles with my falken at3 and heavy rain and muddy roads so far has been excellent on and off road but 2 things a weird little shimmy that comes and goes at 65 rebalancing done 2x and gas mileage drop
Road noise has been better after I pumped up air to 39
Waiting on winter and snow for the next evaluation
Mike :shrug:

 

[lukeskywalker]

For the record,

I went off and switched LT to SL. 285/70/17.

I'm running 2.5" setting 7/5 Biltein 6112/5100 with 1.5" spacer in the rear, with FX Pro 8.5" wheels.

The fronts are about even on 1/2 tank of gas.

THE RIDE IS VERY NOTICEABLY BETTER IN SL THAN LT. So for any of you with this dilemma, I would 100% opt for the SL (p).

There is mininal Rub, only on full turn reverse against the mud flap.

I have about 22.5 inches from mid hub cap to fender bottom. Perhaps the weight of the skid plate and roof rack.

Also took the P tires off road a bit in 6" of snow in the CO mountains up some high inclines in 2WD. No slipping.

VERY GOOD TIRES. Thank you. Hope this helps.

 

[Decipher]

^I have an extremely similar setup and my experience is the same. I did get rubbing up front to the point where I chopped up my fender liner to get rid of rubbing. Beyond that, these tires have been incredible. We have snow in the forecast tomorrow night. I’m dying to try these in the snow again and compare my last winter experience with the KO2 and Ridge Grapplers to what I remember these doing.


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[DeltaWhiskey]

For those with 285/70/17 what kind of mileage drop did you have? It’s not a dealbreaker to me, I’m just curious what to expect when I get them later this month. Planning the eibach pro kit install at the same time ��

 

[snowpeak]

I know this has been covered extensively in other threads, but since someone mentioned P rated tires I want to see if anyone else is running P rated Falken AT3W's and going offroad, what's your experience like?

 

[Drobs]

Based on the responses in this thread, I left my P rated Falkens aired up for my recent off road adventure in the Ozark National Forest.

They worked just fine on mud, jagged rocks, mud holes, slippery inclines, creek crossings, stair steps, off camber, rocky muddy - down hills with big rocks. Did I mention rocks?

Tame portion of the trail:

Found a video of the trail. We came from the other direction.
YouTube

 

[ProfessorP]

I know this has been covered extensively in other threads, but since someone mentioned P rated tires I want to see if anyone else is running P rated Falken AT3W's and going offroad, what's your experience like?

I’ve taken mine off road for hundreds of miles. Keep in mind that I’m in Florida, so most of that was in FL and a little in GA. Mostly sand, mud, tree roots and Vienna sausage cans(wow some hunters leave a mess!).

Had one tread puncture from a sharp piece of 3/8” rebar on a forest road twenty feet off the highway. 12” rebar cut at an angle and perfectly buried Sticking straight up at the entrance to the dirt road. Either I’m very unlucky or some a$$-hat was having a little fun ruining someone’s day.

 

[jhguth]

Based on the responses in this thread, I left my P rated Falkens aired up for my recent off road adventure in the Ozark National Forest.

They worked just fine on mud, jagged rocks, mud holes, slippery inclines, creek crossings, stair steps, off camber, rocky muddy - down hills with big rocks. Did I mention rocks?

it's actually more important to air down your p tires to prevent a puncture since they aren't as tough as a LT tire

 

[Drobs]

it's actually more important to air down your p tires to prevent a puncture since they aren't as tough as a LT tire

I know this is a long thread but you might do some more reading earlier on. Reasons not to air down:

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3282400-post1412.html

I have all the equipment (Viair 300P compressor) to air down / air up but didn't on this trip and had no problems.

I plan to hit this trail again, and will try airing down to see if there is any difference.

Edit: Using the stock size tire - I worry about ground clearance. Sure 10psi shouldn't have much affect on it but it is a concern. I'd feel better about it with more skid plates - which I'm lacking right now.

 

[jhguth]

I know this is a long thread but you might do some more reading earlier on. Reasons not to air down:

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3282400-post1412.html

I have all the equipment (Viair 300P compressor) to air down / air up but didn't on this trip and had no problems.

I plan to hit this trail again, and will try airing down to see if there is any difference.

Edit: Using the stock size tire - I worry about ground clearance. Sure 10psi shouldn't have much affect on it but it is a concern. I'd feel better about it with more skid plates - which I'm lacking right now.

air pressure is very important, it's one of the key things for puncture resistance. watch this:
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