New Tires to replace my DuraTracs (LT275/65R18) 2006 Ltd w/ ToyTec Ultimate Lift

[EinVB]

I've had a decent experience with my DuraTracs when I put them on several years ago. Treadlife has been superb over 80K miles. Gas Mileage suffered some, driving in the rain req'd more caution and the tires wandered some at highway speeds.

I'm about to pass on my 4runner to my 16 yr old son who just got his license and IMHO needs something safer and more stable in the rain and at highway speeds with some offroad capability (mainly sand in OBX) I'm looking for a solid AT tire that performs well in those conditions yet still has a tougher somewhat aggressive sidewall design. I really thought I would go with the Cooper Discoverer AT3/XLT because it seemed like the optimal mix of what I'm after... but they don't carry a LT265/65R18 size only a LT265/70R18 which also only seems to come in E Load.

My concern is whether these will still fit well in replacement of the duratracs (where I did have minor rubbing on my UCA at full lock).

By comparison the LT265/65R18 Duratracs are 32.3" Diameter, 11" wide; whereas Cooper AT3/XLTs are 32.6" Diameter and 10.7" wide. So, this might in fact solve the UCA rubbing, because the duratracs do have knobby outer tread lugs... but will the overall diameter be a bit too much? I think this along with what appears to be a heavier weight due to limited E Load option - I'll have to pass on these for the 4Runner.

Other tires I'm considering but unsure about:
BF Goodrich AT/KO2
Falken Wildpeak A/T3W
Nitto Ridge Grappler
Nitto Grappler G2
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

Thoughts or reviews on any of these or any other tires I should be considering?

 

[jscott6]

+1 for the Falken Wildpeak A/T3W. Very quiet, no gas mileage drop, great in the rain, even wear, great offroad, lower cost than many others, have not been in snow. Extremely happy with mine.

 

[aelarson]

Other tires I'm considering but unsure about:
BF Goodrich AT/KO2
Falken Wildpeak A/T3W
Nitto Ridge Grappler
Nitto Grappler G2
Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S

Thoughts or reviews on any of these or any other tires I should be considering?

I have experience with 3 of these tires, so I can share my thoughts on each.

Duratracs: I've had 2 sets and loved them both dearly. Great off-road traction, great in the snow, compliant on the street. Like you mentioned, great tire wear. I haven't experienced the issues that you have in the rain, but I agree that they like to wander and tram line a bit.

KO2's: My dad runs these on his Tundra and I drive his truck regularly. Great tire wear so far (60K miles on them with decent life left). Great in the snow, no issues in the rain, firm ride on the street (he has E's).

Nitto G2's: Had these on my 5th Gen TRD Pro for my entire ownership period of 2.5 years. These are just OK. Don't have nearly the same level of performance of Duratracs or KO2's. Never struggled in rain, but snow performance was mediocre at best. Lateral grip in the snow was horrid, couldn't take a corner at any speed without stepping the back end of the truck out. For the price, I'd say they are better than any highway/all season tire, but don't compete in the A/T world.

 

[Keros]

I have BFG KO2's in 285/60R18

They're a great all around tire, savage off-road.

Their weakness is cold, wet pavement. Certain situations they respond like you're riding on ball bearings, so you've gotta be real careful when it's cold and rainy (Which is the entire winter where I live). Generally speaking, they fail to gain good initial bite when a change in direction/loading happens presumably due to the sturdy carcass of the tire. So if you need to make a sudden, hard stop don't slam the brake suddenly; instead load up the brakes gradually to gather all your weight onto the front axle, then make the tires beg for mercy using the ABS. Which can be hard to do with the brake setup in the 4Runner... just jumping on the binders suddenly will likely result in a slide for a few feet before ABS gets things under control.

They have been satisfactory in snow. Kind of okay-ish on ice, the 4Runner's AWD picks up enough slack you can get where you need to go, but stopping can leave something to be desired. So be prepared to expect longer stopping distances compared to something like a LTX M+S

I'm sure the extra width of the 285 exacerbates these problems. But they look cool.

I have a love/hate relationship with them. We've been seeing a counselor but I think when the time comes I'll be trying something different.

 

[EinVB]

Great feedback guys! Much appreciated! Keep it coming and I might actually figure this out ::ybrick:

 

[montijo505]

I've had a decent experience with my DuraTracs when I put them on several years ago. Treadlife has been superb over 80K miles. Gas Mileage suffered some, driving in the rain req'd more caution and the tires wandered some at highway speeds.



I'm about to pass on my 4runner to my 16 yr old son who just got his license and IMHO needs something safer and more stable in the rain and at highway speeds with some offroad capability (mainly sand in OBX) I'm looking for a solid AT tire that performs well in those conditions yet still has a tougher somewhat aggressive sidewall design. I really thought I would go with the Cooper Discoverer AT3/XLT because it seemed like the optimal mix of what I'm after... but they don't carry a LT265/65R18 size only a LT265/70R18 which also only seems to come in E Load.



My concern is whether these will still fit well in replacement of the duratracs (where I did have minor rubbing on my UCA at full lock).



By comparison the LT265/65R18 Duratracs are 32.3" Diameter, 11" wide; whereas Cooper AT3/XLTs are 32.6" Diameter and 10.7" wide. So, this might in fact solve the UCA rubbing, because the duratracs do have knobby outer tread lugs... but will the overall diameter be a bit too much? I think this along with what appears to be a heavier weight due to limited E Load option - I'll have to pass on these for the 4Runner.



Other tires I'm considering but unsure about:

BF Goodrich AT/KO2

Falken Wildpeak A/T3W

Nitto Ridge Grappler

Nitto Grappler G2

Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S



Thoughts or reviews on any of these or any other tires I should be considering?

The Falkens do great in both rain and snow. I'm running them in SL, wish I would have gone C load at least, but overall I'm happy with them. Tread is aggressive enough and no noticeable road noise. Haven't been off road much but others have reported decent performance.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[m85476585]

I have BFG KO2's in 285/60R18

They're a great all around tire, savage off-road.

Their weakness is cold, wet pavement. Certain situations they respond like you're riding on ball bearings, so you've gotta be real careful when it's cold and rainy (Which is the entire winter where I live). Generally speaking, they fail to gain good initial bite when a change in direction/loading happens presumably due to the sturdy carcass of the tire. So if you need to make a sudden, hard stop don't slam the brake suddenly; instead load up the brakes gradually to gather all your weight onto the front axle, then make the tires beg for mercy using the ABS. Which can be hard to do with the brake setup in the 4Runner... just jumping on the binders suddenly will likely result in a slide for a few feet before ABS gets things under control.

They have been satisfactory in snow. Kind of okay-ish on ice, the 4Runner's AWD picks up enough slack you can get where you need to go, but stopping can leave something to be desired. So be prepared to expect longer stopping distances compared to something like a LTX M+S

I'm sure the extra width of the 285 exacerbates these problems. But they look cool.

I have a love/hate relationship with them. We've been seeing a counselor but I think when the time comes I'll be trying something different.

What would you get instead? I'm coming from LTX M+S2, strongly considering KO2s, and I'm worried about worse winter performance. I can get winter tires is I need to, but I'd rather not. But maybe a tire that's great off road and also great in winter is too much to ask for?

 

[Drak]

I think the Falkens meet all your requirements and are probably the best bang for the buck tho I've never used them.
I would, tho.

I ran KO2's for about 12 years on two different SUV's.
Confidence rating - 100%, I think only a real snow could beat them.
If you're off road often, very hard to beat.
But that doesn't really sound like your application.
I won't run them anymore, IME around their half-life the ride just becomes too uncomfortable to bear and I'm far more onroad these days.

On the 4Runner, I'm running my second set of Discoverer AT/S (4s now) 275/65/18.
Love them.
Not quite as confident in the snow, but very close.
The ride tradeoff is so worth it tho.
And I've never got stuck with them either.

I would suggest downsizing your Cooper XLT to a 60 instead of upping it to a 70.
I have a 3" lift and I rub on the extremes.
It doesn't really bother me, but I would never get a larger tire than I now have.
And I could do wheelwell work if I really wanted to.
I don't think you'd lose a thing by dropping to a 60.

I would say the 60 XLT, the Falkens, or the Nitto's.
No experience on the Nitto's except I know some other guys who run them and really like 'em.

The 4S doesn't have the 'tough guy' sidewall you want.
Doesn't slow me down, I think my 4Runner looks tough enough w/o that rugged sidewall look and I love the ride and the performance.

I just posted my ride in the lift and tires section if you want to see the Discoverer 4s look 'tough' :wink2:

 

[momo.75]

i went from KO's to Falkens and couldn't be happier. For the most part my KO's were good but when it came to wet roads I felt like I was driving on ice. I have yet to find a downside to the Falkens.

 

[Keros]

What would you get instead? I'm coming from LTX M+S2, strongly considering KO2s, and I'm worried about worse winter performance. I can get winter tires is I need to, but I'd rather not. But maybe a tire that's great off road and also great in winter is too much to ask for?

I've had the LTX M+S2 on two different trucks, two different sizes and they performed great. Excellent all-around tire. Too bad michelin made them from crap rubber that split apart (on both sets). But that's another story.

Had my eye on the Cooper Discoverer AT3 4S as an all-around tire. I watched some off-road videos with them and they seem to hold their own just as well as any other highway oriented AT.

In my opinion, deep snow traction and off-road traction share many tire characteristics in common: deep and stable lugs with large void spaces. It's ice traction that's rather unique and is relatively similar to wet pavement traction, where small void spaces with tiny flexible tread blocks (sipes, in this case) that feel the road surface and conform to its irregularities, as the many tiny channels move water away from between the rubber sipes and the surface its trying to grip. Having a lot of small channels for water to evacuate from the squeegie effect of the tire gives the water less distance to go to get out of the way of the rubber.

Having a big blocky tread like the K02 or the General Grabber AT2 just isn't going to move water as fast as a traditional microsiped winter tire... 3 peak rating or not. I think tires like the AT3 4S (or the Michelin LTX series, if you're a masochist) are a good middle ground to have a stable tread pattern that can take a beating off-road and still find some purchase on slippery surfaces like wet cold asphalt and ice.

Basically everything is a compromise. It seems that the more badass a tire looks the more terrible it is in the worst conditions of daily life on the road.

 

[03v84Running]

Have the Falkens now and think they perform well all around and look good for the price.

Wondering what wheels you have and what the offset is? If your rubbing on the UCA as of now going bigger may cause some problems.

 

[EinVB]

Have the Falkens now and think they perform well all around and look good for the price.

Wondering what wheels you have and what the offset is? If your rubbing on the UCA as of now going bigger may cause some problems.

I have the stock Limited wheels (but powder coated them in gun metal due to finish corroding and flaking off a few yrs ago) with DuraTracs (LT275/65R18). Agreed going bigger would be a problem here