Konkordmusk
New member
I feel that I have put enough miles on these (around 1000), and have got them tested in mud, snow, dry and wet road.
I have these in the 35x12.5x17 LR/E flavor.
Dry road performance: Initially, VERY quiet for an M/T. However, its still a mud terrain and although Falken bills these to offer a quieter ride, they still hum but it is MUCH better than my previous worn out ProComp Xterrains.
They grip very well and feel very soft, the tread blocks definitely feel softer than most M/T's. I don't much feel the extra weight, since my old tires were of very similar weight and I got used to those. Gas mileage is no different. I am regeared to 5.29's as well.
Wet road performance: I could not find one instance of slippage or reduced performance in wet conditions. It hasn't been raining much in California but when it did, I found confidence in these tires. I was able to "safely" drive through a decent puddle at speed (off public roads), to check hydroplaning, and like any tire I lost a little control but not enough to have me give my seat bottom a mohawk. Very impressed with wet performance for a M/T.
Mud: Wow. Self clearing on these is next level stuff. I basically crawled through a mud pit in 2wd and dipped in and dipped out with no issues. They spray mud everywhere like crazy (which is a good thing!) so close your windows! (More of a note to self.) They really just hook up in the mud with no complaints.
Snow: I actually literally had to venture off the beaten path to check snow performance. I visited the Rubicon during Memorial Day weekend, and was surprised to find snow still on the ground. I found a good patch of the stuff, and decided to put it in 2wd and see what would happen. I ended up getting stuck, and promptly put it back into 4wd, upon which point I walked right back out. I did not go faster than 3-4mph at this time, maybe even slower so I cannot comment on higher speed snow maneuvering. After playing around with a few other snow drifts, I did not feel very confident with these tires, and had to utilize a lot more skill to ensure I didn't get stuck. Take from this what you will, but I would still not hesitate to hit some snow with these at the proper PSI and such. During this trip, I did NOT air down.
Rock Crawling (at stock PSI): Very nice. Never met a rock I couldn't climb (although I didn't go through big sluice, little sluice, etc..) These tires have extra step down supports in the tread blocks to ensure that if you stick a rock right in the space between blocks, it will give you extra support and grip. They also have a few "Rock defense" features that I didn't feel I fully tested, but maybe I did and just didn't notice due to ease of travel with them.
Overall impression: I like them! I would feel safe recommending them to a 3rd gen owner looking for a quieter ride out of an M/T tire while still maintaining the standard definition of a mud tire.
Cons: I got these in 12.50 wide, and was a little disappointed when I inspected the tread contact width: it was only 11 and some change. If you look at the tire, you'll see the sidewall scoops/curves up into the tread, giving it this characteristic. It appears that the more the tire wears down, the more width I'll have on the ground.
This size is only available in a Load Range E. But then again, most other M/T's this size are. Still a con, I'd prefer a L/R: D.
And now, onto the pictures!
Clip of me mounting the tire:
I have these in the 35x12.5x17 LR/E flavor.
Dry road performance: Initially, VERY quiet for an M/T. However, its still a mud terrain and although Falken bills these to offer a quieter ride, they still hum but it is MUCH better than my previous worn out ProComp Xterrains.
They grip very well and feel very soft, the tread blocks definitely feel softer than most M/T's. I don't much feel the extra weight, since my old tires were of very similar weight and I got used to those. Gas mileage is no different. I am regeared to 5.29's as well.
Wet road performance: I could not find one instance of slippage or reduced performance in wet conditions. It hasn't been raining much in California but when it did, I found confidence in these tires. I was able to "safely" drive through a decent puddle at speed (off public roads), to check hydroplaning, and like any tire I lost a little control but not enough to have me give my seat bottom a mohawk. Very impressed with wet performance for a M/T.
Mud: Wow. Self clearing on these is next level stuff. I basically crawled through a mud pit in 2wd and dipped in and dipped out with no issues. They spray mud everywhere like crazy (which is a good thing!) so close your windows! (More of a note to self.) They really just hook up in the mud with no complaints.
Snow: I actually literally had to venture off the beaten path to check snow performance. I visited the Rubicon during Memorial Day weekend, and was surprised to find snow still on the ground. I found a good patch of the stuff, and decided to put it in 2wd and see what would happen. I ended up getting stuck, and promptly put it back into 4wd, upon which point I walked right back out. I did not go faster than 3-4mph at this time, maybe even slower so I cannot comment on higher speed snow maneuvering. After playing around with a few other snow drifts, I did not feel very confident with these tires, and had to utilize a lot more skill to ensure I didn't get stuck. Take from this what you will, but I would still not hesitate to hit some snow with these at the proper PSI and such. During this trip, I did NOT air down.
Rock Crawling (at stock PSI): Very nice. Never met a rock I couldn't climb (although I didn't go through big sluice, little sluice, etc..) These tires have extra step down supports in the tread blocks to ensure that if you stick a rock right in the space between blocks, it will give you extra support and grip. They also have a few "Rock defense" features that I didn't feel I fully tested, but maybe I did and just didn't notice due to ease of travel with them.
Overall impression: I like them! I would feel safe recommending them to a 3rd gen owner looking for a quieter ride out of an M/T tire while still maintaining the standard definition of a mud tire.
Cons: I got these in 12.50 wide, and was a little disappointed when I inspected the tread contact width: it was only 11 and some change. If you look at the tire, you'll see the sidewall scoops/curves up into the tread, giving it this characteristic. It appears that the more the tire wears down, the more width I'll have on the ground.
This size is only available in a Load Range E. But then again, most other M/T's this size are. Still a con, I'd prefer a L/R: D.
And now, onto the pictures!
Clip of me mounting the tire:
my initial snow review of them, was on many times refrozen snow. In the picture, were looking at fresh powder.
