Time to choose my tires

[preacher35]

So, it's been about three weeks since I installed my Toytec Ultimate lift and after a TON of research, I have decided to go with 285 70 17's. I have also narrowed my choices down to BFG A/T KO's (E rated) or Goodyear Duratracs. Price is close between the two. However, there are a couple of little things I wanted to ask you all (whom have owned either) what you think.

1) Highway handling (I have read that Duratracs tend to wander at high speeds)
2) tread life (I have read that the BFG's tread wears prematurely at the center of the track)
3) sound (I am getting the impression that the BFG's are quieter than the Dura's)

Your opinions/views are GREATLY appreciated!

 

[wkeryder4]

I love my BFG's. I do quite a bit of highway driving for work and they handle great at highway speeds. So far I have put about 14k on them and I don't see much uneven wear if any, I just make sure I rotate them whenever I change my oil. My 265's are pretty much silent for what I was expecting however I don't think I would be against anything with a bit of noise. That being said, every time I see the duratracs I wish I had gone with them. I haven't heard many bad things about them aside from them being a little noisy and as far as wear they are on par with the BFG's. I also like the look of a more aggressive tire personally so my vote is the Duratracs.

 

[preacher35]

I love my BFG's. I do quite a bit of highway driving for work and they handle great at highway speeds. So far I have put about 14k on them and I don't see much uneven wear if any, I just make sure I rotate them whenever I change my oil. My 265's are pretty much silent for what I was expecting however I don't think I would be against anything with a bit of noise. That being said, every time I see the duratracs I wish I had gone with them. I haven't heard many bad things about them aside from them being a little noisy and as far as wear they are on par with the BFG's. I also like the look of a more aggressive tire personally so my vote is the Duratracs.

Yes, I'm leaning toward the Duratracs... I suppose I can live with the noise... but NOT highway wandering.

 

[SI2IS2T4R]

I'm about 500 miles into my new Duratracs...

Big change from my Toyo Open Country A/T. But, then again my Toyo's were at 2/32 wear. So, it's like going from a tire with no tread to a very aggressive A/T.

And that's the very reason I went with the Duratracs. They are still an A/T meant to be good performers on the roads as well as off-road. What's my freeway experience like? Well, I'd have to say it's too early for a full review, but I can say these initial impressions:

-Noise: there is a low hum around 60/70mph+. Easily dismissible and not terribly noticeable unless you're listening for it.

-Do I get wandering? Hmmm. I don't think so. But, then again, I travel on heavily trafficked I-5 in the Seattle area where the freeway has groove wear.

-off-road prowess is excellent so far! I haven't been to the trails yet, but on my lunch breaks for fun, I commonly venture down Seattle suburb allies full of dirt, ruts, hard dirt, soft dirt, rocks, etc and it handles like a dream compared to worn out Toyos.

-Grippy. Well, it's a new set of tires... So, whatdya expect. I can zip around town, really push the accelerator and steering to more of a limit without getting squirrelly. Actually, recently I had to break abruptly on the freeway, and the rubber stuck to the road more than I was prepared for. There's less electro-gadgets interfering with my drive.

I guess that's all I have for now. I am loving them so far and I'm extremely happy with the look.

PS. Here's something I wasn't thinking about. If you're someone who likes to keep your vehicle clean and the tires dressed, these tires aren't for you. The aggressive sidewalls take some work to clean, and then dress. If you don't spend time on that kind of stuff, then no worries.

 

[S p a r k y]

No wondering with my Dura's, they ride great. I haven't cleaned them a whole lot since they have been on, but like [MENTION=98481]SI2IS2T4R[/MENTION] said, they do take some time to clean and put some shine on them. Lots of nooks and crannies. However I am happy with my Dura's.

 

[KidVermicious]

Got about 4000 on my E rated Duratracs. They were nice and silent at first, but are getting decidedly noisy. Varying the air pressure hasn't helped much. My KM2s on the other truck are much quieter, I can only assume that the AT KOs would be quieter still.

The Duratracs were great in winter ice and slush, and they've hooked up almost as well as the KM2s when I get off pavement. I think they're a better offroad tire than the AT KO, if that sort of thing concerns you.

 

[Byrdman713]

Preacher are u in Houston? Did u do anything else besides the lift? Spacers or alignment specs to not rub or UCAs?

 

[gshadow325]

No wondering with my Dura's, they ride great. I haven't cleaned them a whole lot since they have been on, but like [MENTION=98481]SI2IS2T4R[/MENTION] said, they do take some time to clean and put some shine on them. Lots of nooks and crannies. However I am happy with my Dura's.

I thought you were a cooper man? lol

Price you paid for your duratracs i'd be happy too.

I'm 15000k into my USED AT Ko's and they still have at least another 15k in them. I know i will make it thru another winter with them.

My used set is showing signs of dry rot, most common complaint from AT KO owners because they wear so well. I am running 45psi so my tires have a flat contact patch. lots of people dont know that and run the wrong pressure, too much or too little. causing uneven wear.

wandering- thats subjective to the road and vehicle. i know my truck doesnt have that problem and i run 285's

i am kicking the idea around about replacing my tires with duratracs too. dont forget AT KO's is a 10 ply load e tire vs duras come in 6 ply load c also. a load e 10 ply will be a heavier tire and drastically change driving characteristics.

i think i will continue my quest for another killer deal on used BFG AT KOs, i really love mine. i have customers that only put the AT KOs on their trucks. its something about them. get one set and you hooked :dammit:

 

[S p a r k y]

I thought you were a cooper man? lol

Price you paid for your duratracs i'd be happy too.

:

I was counting down when I would see you quote that!. I was going to suggest the AT3's to him, but I keep those on the Low Low. I use the AT3's on my desert runner baha monter floating tank truck. Top Secret!

Yea def happy with what i got them for, thanks for pushing me to look.

 

[preacher35]

Preacher are u in Houston? Did u do anything else besides the lift? Spacers or alignment specs to not rub or UCAs?

I am actually in Friendswood (just south of Houston on the way to Galveston). I installed the Toytec Ultimate lift, as well as Light Racing UCA's. I only used ONE spacer (1.5") on the driver rear spring to even out the infamous 4Runner "lean".

 

[gshadow325]

I was counting down when I would see you quote that!. I was going to suggest the AT3's to him, but I keep those on the Low Low. I use the AT3's on my desert runner baha monter floating tank truck. Top Secret!

Yea def happy with what i got them for, thanks for pushing me to look.

no problem, btw a 5th gen guy local to me is selling the tire you got in 17's used for cheap if you looking for another set!

 

[preacher35]

Ok everyone. So I just got back from getting my new tires installed at 4Wheel Parts. I decided to go with the Goodyear Duratracs. What was the final factor in choosing them was that they are lighter than the BFG's and I managed to get them for less than what the "E" rated BFG's were going for. I'll give initial impressions in about a week, after I have put some miles on them. I will say that they look great. However, I'm going to have to remove my front mud flaps as the tires are hitting them in turns and it sounds terrible. No amount of trimming the mud flap will relieve them, so they've got to go. Thanks for all of your comments!

 

[JB40]

i am kicking the idea around about replacing my tires with duratracs too. dont forget AT KO's is a 10 ply load e tire vs duras come in 6 ply load c also. a load e 10 ply will be a heavier tire and drastically change driving characteristics.

Load C Duratracs are probably in my future... I love thinking about Load E ruggedness, but for a mainly street driven kid-hauler with the occasional camping trip / snow commute, I think they would be overkill. I'm not rock crawling. I'm trying to keep myself honest about my priorities.

I was counting down when I would see you quote that!. I was going to suggest the AT3's to him, but I keep those on the Low Low. I use the AT3's on my desert runner baha monter floating tank truck. Top Secret!

Yea def happy with what i got them for, thanks for pushing me to look.

Honestly, I've seen these referenced a few times, and I don't get it. Every one of the AT3s I've seen have looked like Camry tires. No aggressiveness whatsoever, might as well get Michelin LTX Ps. How do these keep coming up in conversations about (relatively) aggressive AT tires like KOs/Duratracs?

Am I looking at the wrong ones?

 

[AZ4runner08]

Thought I would chime in on the Duratrac's, no wondering what so ever and pretty quite as well.

 

[gshadow325]

OMFG no affiliation with this ad but i sure wish i wanted 17's like the op

285/70/17 bfg at kos $20 each for the two used ones $75 for the new one!
BFGOODRICH All-TERRAIN T/A

3 for 115? deal

edit: now a 4th tire for 75! OMFG
http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/pts/4510084098.html

 

[AZ4runner08]

I think that maybe the wondering comments in the past could be a result of them when they are brand new. They are a bit rounded until they wear a bit so that very well could be the issue. It took about 500+ miles for mine to wear down....

 

[gshadow325]

Honestly, I've seen these referenced a few times, and I don't get it.

[MENTION=59048]S p a r k y[/MENTION] and I have abeen going back and forth with some members about tires for a long time. some members feel the tire for the money is the cooper at3. some members feel the BFG AT KO is a old, overpriced, over rated tire.

the tire debate is always on the forums a few times a month if not more.

general consensus is cooper is budget friendly
bfg at ko will dry rot before they wear out
duratracs load c and e are great overall tire but more on expensive side.

so many choices, so many opinions to add to the mass confusion. this is when i suggested to sparky...craigslist. he found a set at a killer price for his duratracs like i did for my bfg at ko's

 

[JB40]

[MENTION=59048]S p a r k y[/MENTION] and I have abeen going back and forth with some members about tires for a long time. some members feel the tire for the money is the cooper at3. some members feel the BFG AT KO is a old, overpriced, over rated tire.

the tire debate is always on the forums a few times a month if not more.

general consensus is cooper is budget friendly
bfg at ko will dry rot before they wear out
duratracs load c and e are great overall tire but more on expensive side.

so many choices, so many opinions to add to the mass confusion. this is when i suggested to sparky...craigslist. he found a set at a killer price for his duratracs like i did for my bfg at ko's

Yeah I get that the BFG vs Duratrac conversation. What I don't get is why the Coopers?

One of these things are not like the other... The pics of at3s I've seen look less aggressive than the OE tires.

 

[gshadow325]

One member insists that bfg are crap and coopers are the best and he can get them for real cheap. When questioned how, it never adds up.

 

[S p a r k y]

Yeah I get that the BFG vs Duratrac conversation. What I don't get is why the Coopers?

One of these things are not like the other... The pics of at3s I've seen look less aggressive than the OE tires.

Just ignore [MENTION=93434]gshadow325[/MENTION] and I about coopers AT3's we just have fun with saying things about them! Good tires, we just kid and hijack!!