New Falken AT tire (A/T3W)

After having my Wildpeaks for about 5000 miles and varying road conditions, they are definitely not as good as I thought or my initial impressions. On road and wet performance is great, but snow and mud are challenging.

Snow: Not bad in deep snow, or in a straight line, but going around a corner, making a turn from a stop with a light dusting on the ground can be absolutely terrifying. The problem is that the only way to correct this is to keep it in 4wd, however most of time the rest of the road conditions dont require 4wd or would be detrimental to the system. Definitely not confidence inspiring.

Mud: Mud with a hard pack underneath is fine, but once you get into soft-earth like a grassy field, they are useless for maneuvering, and clog up like no other. I've ran other tires on the same terrain with no problem.

Definitely not happy with the performance of the tires. Will probably be switching them out for a set Grabber ATXs.

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kneira831 said:
After having my Wildpeaks for about 5000 miles and varying road conditions, they are definitely not as good as I thought or my initial impressions. On road and wet performance is great, but snow and mud are challenging.

Snow: Not bad in deep snow, or in a straight line, but going around a corner, making a turn from a stop with a light dusting on the ground can be absolutely terrifying. The problem is that the only way to correct this is to keep it in 4wd, however most of time the rest of the road conditions dont require 4wd or would be detrimental to the system. Definitely not confidence inspiring.

Mud: Mud with a hard pack underneath is fine, but once you get into soft-earth like a grassy field, they are useless for maneuvering, and clog up like no other. I've ran other tires on the same terrain with no problem.

Definitely not happy with the performance of the tires. Will probably be switching them out for a set Grabber ATXs.

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I think you will be very happy with the Grabber ATX! They have been phenomenal. I was going to try the Falkens, but like you, my friend had the same experience with them. So I decided to try out the Grabbers, and so glad I did!
 
kneira831 said:
After having my Wildpeaks for about 5000 miles and varying road conditions, they are definitely not as good as I thought or my initial impressions. On road and wet performance is great, but snow and mud are challenging.

Snow: Not bad in deep snow, or in a straight line, but going around a corner, making a turn from a stop with a light dusting on the ground can be absolutely terrifying. The problem is that the only way to correct this is to keep it in 4wd, however most of time the rest of the road conditions dont require 4wd or would be detrimental to the system. Definitely not confidence inspiring.

Mud: Mud with a hard pack underneath is fine, but once you get into soft-earth like a grassy field, they are useless for maneuvering, and clog up like no other. I've ran other tires on the same terrain with no problem.

Definitely not happy with the performance of the tires. Will probably be switching them out for a set Grabber ATXs.

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I agree with you on the snow performance. I took a turn from a redlight and my back end completely fished tailed. I was shocked because it was barley any snow and I took the turn easy.
 
kneira831 said:
After having my Wildpeaks for about 5000 miles and varying road conditions, they are definitely not as good as I thought or my initial impressions. On road and wet performance is great, but snow and mud are challenging.

Snow: Not bad in deep snow, or in a straight line, but going around a corner, making a turn from a stop with a light dusting on the ground can be absolutely terrifying. The problem is that the only way to correct this is to keep it in 4wd, however most of time the rest of the road conditions dont require 4wd or would be detrimental to the system. Definitely not confidence inspiring.

Mud: Mud with a hard pack underneath is fine, but once you get into soft-earth like a grassy field, they are useless for maneuvering, and clog up like no other. I've ran other tires on the same terrain with no problem.

Definitely not happy with the performance of the tires. Will probably be switching them out for a set Grabber ATXs.

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk

Sent from my SM-N960U1 using Tapatalk
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Appreciate the review. I just bought 5 of these for my 4th Gen based on the reviews that they do well in rain, and on road, and are pretty alright off road. I haven't taken my T4R Offroad but plan to do a little bit this summer on some simple/basic trails, so I'm hopeful these will do well for my needs.
 
kneira831 said:
After having my Wildpeaks for about 5000 miles and varying road conditions, they are definitely not as good as I thought or my initial impressions. On road and wet performance is great, but snow and mud are challenging.

Snow: Not bad in deep snow, or in a straight line, but going around a corner, making a turn from a stop with a light dusting on the ground can be absolutely terrifying. The problem is that the only way to correct this is to keep it in 4wd, however most of time the rest of the road conditions dont require 4wd or would be detrimental to the system. Definitely not confidence inspiring.

Mud: Mud with a hard pack underneath is fine, but once you get into soft-earth like a grassy field, they are useless for maneuvering, and clog up like no other. I've ran other tires on the same terrain with no problem.

Definitely not happy with the performance of the tires. Will probably be switching them out for a set Grabber ATXs.

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Interesting because my experience is the exact opposite. It seems like anyone running E-load (don’t know what yours are) is having issues the passenger or other loads don’t have. This is across the board with any tire. E-load on our Runners is just wrong. That tire is designed for heavy trucks that haul and tow. It seems like the uniform complaint surrounds this observation.

I’ve been running the KO2s in C-load (285/70-17) and while they’ve been a good tire, I miss the performance of the AT3W so much that I’m looking to switch back.


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Decipher said:
Interesting because my experience is the exact opposite. It seems like anyone running E-load (don’t know what yours are) is having issues the passenger or other loads don’t have. This is across the board with any tire. E-load on our Runners is just wrong. That tire is designed for heavy trucks that haul and tow. It seems like the uniform complaint surrounds this observation.

I’ve been running the KO2s in C-load (285/70-17) and while they’ve been a good tire, I miss the performance of the AT3W so much that I’m looking to switch back.


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Mine were P-rated. Definitely agree that E-load is too much for most people. I was surprised at their performance, and a little disappointed. I did go with Grabbers and so far have been very happy with them.

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JVC8790 said:
Appreciate the review. I just bought 5 of these for my 4th Gen based on the reviews that they do well in rain, and on road, and are pretty alright off road. I haven't taken my T4R Offroad but plan to do a little bit this summer on some simple/basic trails, so I'm hopeful these will do well for my needs.
Click to expand...

The AT3W is not the strongest but has great traction offroad, better than KO2 for traction in rock for example.

I have used my P rated ones extensively and my needs are not basic.
 
kneira831 said:
Mine were P-rated. Definitely agree that E-load is too much for most people. I was surprised at their performance, and a little disappointed. I did go with Grabbers and so far have been very happy with them.

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I'm kind of stuck between the Falkens (mostly for price) and the Grabbers. The Falken seems like a miracle tire, from most of the reviews I've read. In the back of my mind though, I keep thinking "you get what you pay for".

How do the ATX compare to the Falkens so far? Notice any diff in mpg, road noise, ride, etc? Also, have any pics? Thanks!
 
Decipher said:
Interesting because my experience is the exact opposite. It seems like anyone running E-load (don’t know what yours are) is having issues the passenger or other loads don’t have. This is across the board with any tire. E-load on our Runners is just wrong. That tire is designed for heavy trucks that haul and tow. It seems like the uniform complaint surrounds this observation.

I’ve been running the KO2s in C-load (285/70-17) and while they’ve been a good tire, I miss the performance of the AT3W so much that I’m looking to switch back.


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Always on the look for a Plan B, the only tire that seems interesting to me is the
Cooper St Maxx in 255 75 17 because it combines aggressive AT thread with a 3ply sidewall and an LTC rating. It is the only tire I know to combine those 3 features.

The downside is 54lb of weight which is tolerable but I like that the P Wildpeaks are 46.5. Besides, the Wildpeak is 133$ vs 220 for the Maxx. Going through tires every other year, it will take a really bad experience to move on from the AT3W.
 
the only regret for me going with AT3W's is that i got the 265 instead of 275. just because if i wanted to lift it, the smaller tires are gonna look stupid.
 
mlnhtrang said:
the only regret for me going with AT3W's is that i got the 265 instead of 275. just because if i wanted to lift it, the smaller tires are gonna look stupid.
Click to expand...

I really wanted the 275 when I got mine but they were not yet available.

Unfortunately, the LT-C 275 70 17 weigh 57lb which puts them way above what I am willing to suffer even for a tire with a 3-ply sidewall--and the Wildpeak is 2.

The good weight and load ratings are in 255 75/80 17 but there is no Wildpeak AT3W in 255 75 17 unsure about 80.

Even if you have E-load 265 they are still lighter than C load 275.
 
I had AT3W's in LT265 for about 60,000 miles. They handled everything I threw at them. So much so I just installed 285/75r17's today.
 
Horsethief said:
I'm kind of stuck between the Falkens (mostly for price) and the Grabbers. The Falken seems like a miracle tire, from most of the reviews I've read. In the back of my mind though, I keep thinking "you get what you pay for".

How do the ATX compare to the Falkens so far? Notice any diff in mpg, road noise, ride, etc? Also, have any pics? Thanks!
Click to expand...

The new Discount Tire ratings have the Wildpeaks as the best of all ATs for which they have them in 265 70 and 255 75 (see my thread in the tires section). DT tire ratings (handling, noise, comfort)

They do not have P-metric ATX ratings, unfortunately. FOr LT-E the Falken gets 3 for handling and 4 for comfort and 4 for noise vs 3/2.5/2.5 for the LT-E ATX.

To my eye, the two tires look extremely similar with the ATX shoulder protectors seemingly even better.

I linked somewhere the AAA 65-page study that shows that cheaper tires perform the same as expensive tires.

That said, I am not a fanboy. If I find something that does the job better for me, I will switch. They are not a miracle tire, but they are the best I have found so far. The downsides I have found are:

--It has good sidewalls for a P-metric AT but as with any other P metric tire offroad one needs to be careful and keep pressure at street levels. With the latter proviso, I have been fine over many miles of harsh terrain. But there is no peace of mind comparable to having a 3-ply sidewall tire like my previous LT-D KO2.

--The advertised initial thread is 14 but I have got as many 12 readings as 14 readings with the dominant one being 13. My KO2s also had less tread than advertised.

--Third, the tire wears as fast as my KO2 used to, even though it is P-metric with silica. Since the desert eats the tires, and the Falken starts at 13/32 this means that I am on an 18-month replacement schedule. Add the fact that the lower the tread the less the puncture resistance and the price becomes essential.

So, for me the 133/tire is a big reason of why I really like the Wildpeak. At 200/tire? I would be trying to get something stronger with more starting tread even if that would mean some on-pavement penalty.
 
^Super insightful post, again. Thanks!

I was one of the original AT3W owners until I fell into a deal for take-off KO2s I couldn’t refuse from a Rubicon.

I ran P-Series AT3Ws and, truth be told, they were better in every way than my KO2s have been. I really feel like I’ve downgraded in performance in all conditions and street manners. The only place my KO2s beat out the AT3Ws is in the load rating C, which as I’ve said before, strikes the perfect balance.

I trust in everyone’s review including the negative experience. I do love the new General Grabber line and am strongly looking at those, but my honest opinion is that you simply cannot beat the value and performance of the Falken. They really crushed this tire!


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I have the Falkens on my 4runner and both Land Cruisers after running Grabber AT2s and KO2s. The P rated Falkens have amazing snow and ice traction for an AT, much better than the KO2 and slightly better than the KO2. That said, they are still an AT, and there are better snow and ice options. Nothing beats dedicated winter tires.

If you are looking at the ST Maxx tires, read the reviews and take advice from a former owner. Heavy and VERY hard to balance. I returned mine after three tries to balance (shop had Hunter road force machine). Told me they had the problem with the ST Maxx on a few occasions. Got a refund and bought another set of Falkens (no balance issues on any of my 3 sets).

The Falkens have a slight softer compound, so they wear a bit faster than some ATs I have had. I am still on track to get 50k miles out of them on my 3 ton Land Cruiser. I rotate every 5k or so and they have remained quiet. My KO2s off my 12 4runner had 35k miles and still looked new, but their scary ice performance convinced me to get rid of them.

ATs for on road driving are a compromise. The Falkens are, iMO, less of a compromise than most.
 
Horsethief said:
I'm kind of stuck between the Falkens (mostly for price) and the Grabbers. The Falken seems like a miracle tire, from most of the reviews I've read. In the back of my mind though, I keep thinking "you get what you pay for".

How do the ATX compare to the Falkens so far? Notice any diff in mpg, road noise, ride, etc? Also, have any pics? Thanks!
Click to expand...

I never owned the Falkens but my friend had them in P rating. She really liked them in the beginning but they started losing a lot of functionality pretty quick. When driving her 4R, turning in light snow and slush, I felt the back end get squirly with little effort. The tires also became louder rather quickly. They wore down pretty quick too, most likely from the softer compound? She has been impressed with the ride and handling of my 4R with the ATX, in comparison, and is planning on going with a set once her Coopers are done.

http://https://www.toyota-4runner.org/engines-suspension-wheels-tires-audio-accessories/267719-general-grabber-atx-tire.html
 
mlnhtrang said:
the only regret for me going with AT3W's is that i got the 265 instead of 275. just because if i wanted to lift it, the smaller tires are gonna look stupid.
Click to expand...

I don't think the 265's look stupid on a 2.5/2 lift, but that's just me. I just installed the lift this weekend. This was the day after the install so it may settle a bit more.
 
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