Tire Situation, need advice!

[Durglas]

I am a 21 year old college student and the proud owner of a 2011 T4R Mag. Gray SR5 (put about 1500 miles on it so far) and I'm in the market for some new tires to get rid of these stock Dunlops.

I am an avid backpacker (use a lot of forest service roads to go hike places in GA, AZ, CO, NC) and I drive in snow and crappy conditions during the winter since I live in Nebraska and I make frequent trips to Colorado so I need a sturdy, reliable A/T tire. The truck is also my DD.

I called a local tire place and asked him about BFG T/A KO's and he was astonished that I wanted to run an E rated tire on my truck and then tried to sell me some Firestone Destination A/T's or some Goodyear AT/S'.

So to my question: what would you guys recommend for me? I do some offroading and drive a lot in the snow in the winter, but I want to keep the same tires on year round and the truck is my daily driver on the street. I also take some road trips.

I was looking at getting 275/70/17's as far as sizing goes but I'm open to suggestions.

 

[TheSentinel]

I am a 21 year old college student and the proud owner of a 2011 T4R Mag. Gray SR5 (put about 1500 miles on it so far) and I'm in the market for some new tires to get rid of these stock Dunlops.

I am an avid backpacker (use a lot of forest service roads to go hike places in GA, AZ, CO, NC) and I drive in snow and crappy conditions during the winter since I live in Nebraska and I make frequent trips to Colorado so I need a sturdy, reliable A/T tire. The truck is also my DD.

I called a local tire place and asked him about BFG T/A KO's and he was astonished that I wanted to run an E rated tire on my truck and then tried to sell me some Firestone Destination A/T's or some Goodyear AT/S'.

So to my question: what would you guys recommend for me? I do some offroading and drive a lot in the snow in the winter, but I want to keep the same tires on year round and the truck is my daily driver on the street. I also take some road trips.

I was looking at getting 275/70/17's as far as sizing goes but I'm open to suggestions.

As far as I know, E is the only rating you can find that size in. Call around and ask if anyone will match this price on BFG AT 275/70/17 and save yourself some money, I know America's/Discount Tire will match, described in my thread if you do a search:All Terrain T/A - OnlineTires.com
:AK47:

 

[philsey]

Welcome. If you Search the 5G forum for "tires", you'll get 20 pages of hits.

In the last 6 months, lots has been written on the subject.

 

[Durglas]

I apologize if I shouldn't have made this thread but I have been going through old threads for awhile and I couldn't find anybody in the unique situation that I am in. I'm also studying for my finals next week so I haven't had much time to research

I'm new to the forum and new to 4runners so I don't want to end up making a stupid decision tire wise, sorry if this thread is spam

 

[SeattleMike]

I love my GY Duratracs, and heartily recommend them in the E-rating (121Q), but they are stock size.

Here's my post on winter driving with them:

Monday night we ventured out into what became the first horrible storm of the season in Western Washington, with the traffic jam on I-5 making national headlines, heading east on I-90 up to Alpental/Snoqualmie Pass. Our excuse was learning how to handle the TE in storm conditions but really, we just wanted to let our puppy play in the fresh powder before the ski lifts opened for the winter.

We passed the snowplows 14 miles from the summit. Unbeknown to us, they closed the highway after we had passed the last exit, 5 miles from the summit. Prior to that it was merely a traction tire/chains requirement, which meant we were fine with the Duratracs. Two miles from the top, visibility was maybe 500 feet and as we came around the last bend to our exit we were met with a highway filled with big rigs that had tried to cross without chains (or been caught by surprise) and were now stuck. They had a grader coming down the exit ramp as we picked our way through traffic which made me ponder the wisdom of continuing, but the road to Alpental was mostly 18" of fresh powder over a packed based of 3"... and the tracks of other vehicles guided me to the parking lot at the base of the ski run.

The point of all this is that we went up and down the mountain, on roads that had been closed due to the horrid weather, through an area that was quickly becoming an ice rink, and we never once lost traction. Not even so much as a warning beep from the ATRAC. I was very impressed with this truck's performance. Trail edition, E-rated Duratracs (44 psi), 45-60 mph on I-90, 20-35 mph on the side streets, in 4WD Hi, no lift. Wootness!

 

[Durglas]

Thanks for the reply, that story is pretty impressive.

I found some BFG T/A KO's for $160 so thats what I'm leaning towards at the moment but is having an E rated tire bad for long road trips of 65-85 mph? How much on-road comfort am I going to sacrifice?

 

[SeattleMike]

Thanks for the reply, that story is pretty impressive.

I found some BFG T/A KO's for $160 so thats what I'm leaning towards at the moment but is having an E rated tire bad for long road trips of 65-85 mph? How much on-road comfort am I going to sacrifice?

E-rated tires are heavier, meaning more rolling resistance and more weight, which will eat more gas, but you are going to have to sacrifice something somewhere to get a tire that can carry more weight, is good off-road and in the snow, and still be decent on the road.

 

[4RFan]

Mike - How is the ride on the E tires? Every tire dealer I have called in the area has strongly recommeneded against E rated tires; they say it will be an extremly stiff ride and I will feel every little bump in the road (and around here, that is a lot).

 

[Durglas]

Mike - How is the ride on the E tires? Every tire dealer I have called in the area has strongly recommeneded against E rated tires; they say it will be an extremly stiff ride and I will feel every little bump in the road (and around here, that is a lot).

That's what some of the tire dealers I am talking to are saying also.

 

[JohnJerk]

I run E rated BFGs and love them. The E rated gives great sidewall protection and the tread works well in the snow. I'm in Utah so plenty of dirt driving and a ton of snow. An all season was never a consideration for me. I imagine there are MPG and ride quality penalties, but the confidence to run fast on dirt/rock and snow is priceless. I've seen enough trucks changing tires in remote places to feel good about the extra rubber I pull around all year.

Plus, the BFGs will last for 50K - no or few other AT tires will do that.

 

[JB.]

I found some BFG T/A KO's for $160 so thats what I'm leaning towards at the moment but is having an E rated tire bad for long road trips of 65-85 mph?

Not as long as you keep enough air in them (40psi or more) and don't mind the mileage hit.

I was looking at getting 275/70/17's as far as sizing goes but I'm open to suggestions.

I think that may be one of the sizes without the snowflake, if you care, though I wouldn't let it stop me as I'd expect the difference to be pretty small.

How much on-road comfort am I going to sacrifice?

The comfort sacrifice would come from comparing them to P-rated tires. Once you've jumped to LT (load C,D,E) the comfort differences between load ranges are subtle. If everything is lined up as far as you're concerned and the only sticking point is the E load, don't worry about it, pull the trigger.

 

[harper7]

I've run e-rated tires for the last year and love em. I had 275/70/17 BFG AT's and now BFG KM2's that are E-rated.

Go to a 4x4 shop and ask them about e-rated tires for offroad trucks. Alot of times, a tire shop will try to sell you what they have,can get easily or make the most money on. Without a lift,275/70/17's are as big you'll be able to put on without rubbing though.

 

[TKO88]

I am running P265/70/17 Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors and love them. I have had these tires on four different vehicles and have had the same results on each vehicle. They are great on wet roads, snow and light mud. They are also very quiet, I have very little road noise as compared to the Dueler HTs that came on my 2010 SR5. I would suggest you take a look at them, I ordered mine from disount tire online.

 

[Durglas]

I went in to the tire shop in person and talked to the guy who worked there some more about the BFG A/T KO's and he still was convinced that buying that tire (275/70/17 E) was just about the most crazy thing he's ever heard, haha. I told him that my friend has the same tires on a 2000 ford ranger and has no problems and I'm not sure he believed me. He told me that the TPMS wouldn't work with the BFG's and that my ride quality would be crap. I don't know if it was because he was an "old timer" haha or if he just really didn't want to sell me a more expensive tire which doesn't make sense.

He then tried to sell me on the Nitto Terra Grapplers in P265/70/17 and told me that since it was P rated it would work better for my situation. He said he'd sell me the tires for $619 and give me $250 for my stock Dunlops. Pretty good deal in my opinion.

Still don't know what to do

 

[SeattleMike]

Mike - How is the ride on the E tires? Every tire dealer I have called in the area has strongly recommeneded against E rated tires; they say it will be an extremly stiff ride and I will feel every little bump in the road (and around here, that is a lot).

Stiff compared to what? A Coupe de Ville? A tractor? It's a truck, and e-load tires are light truck tires. The 4Runner, specifically, handles better, rides better, and looks better with truck tires on it. It's not going to ride like a Camry, but it didn't ride like a Camry on the stock tires either.

That's what some of the tire dealers I am talking to are saying also.

Like Harper7 said, tire stores make money off what they have in store and that is what they want to sell. If you are staying on paved roads, stick with the passenger tires. Otherwise, tell that tire guy to either sell you what you want or you will find someone who will.

I went in to the tire shop in person and talked to the guy who worked there some more about the BFG A/T KO's and he still was convinced that buying that tire (275/70/17 E) was just about the most crazy thing he's ever heard, haha. I told him that my friend has the same tires on a 2000 ford ranger and has no problems and I'm not sure he believed me. He told me that the TPMS wouldn't work with the BFG's and that my ride quality would be crap. I don't know if it was because he was an "old timer" haha or if he just really didn't want to sell me a more expensive tire which doesn't make sense.

He then tried to sell me on the Nitto Terra Grapplers in P265/70/17 and told me that since it was P rated it would work better for my situation. He said he'd sell me the tires for $619 and give me $250 for my stock Dunlops. Pretty good deal in my opinion.

Still don't know what to do

He's lying to you, the TPMS will work just fine, your ride quality will only be crap if they don't know how to properly balance a tire, and he's trying to shove you into something that has either a better profit margin or a better commission.

To anyone contemplating an e-rated light truck tire for the 5th Gen: They cost more and they will impact your mileage, but other than that... there is very little difference between "c" and "e". They usually share the same tread pattern and it is the tread pattern that will determine grip, noise, and wear... not it's internal composition. Air it up to 44 psi and enjoy the open road.

 

[Dispense]

I think most tire shop guys understand that an E load tire is designed to carry a good deal of additional weight. If you are not doing so, they don't think you need a tire load rated that high.

Folks here prefer to buy the E load tire for its added sidewall strength. It may be just added security/complete overkill or whatever, but quite a few guys here are running them without any adverse effects other than the ones already mentioned by SeattleMike.

I went with a C load rating since I will not be doing any serious off-roading or towing. I just don't need that added sidewall strength at a sacrifice for ride quality/mpgs.

It doesn't seem like you could go wrong either way. I'd make your choice and move on to your next mod =)]

 

[JB.]

I went in to the tire shop in person and talked to the guy who worked there some more about the BFG A/T KO's and he still was convinced that buying that tire (275/70/17 E) was just about the most crazy thing he's ever heard, haha. I told him that my friend has the same tires on a 2000 ford ranger and has no problems and I'm not sure he believed me. He told me that the TPMS wouldn't work with the BFG's and that my ride quality would be crap. I don't know if it was because he was an "old timer" haha or if he just really didn't want to sell me a more expensive tire which doesn't make sense.

He then tried to sell me on the Nitto Terra Grapplers in P265/70/17 and told me that since it was P rated it would work better for my situation. He said he'd sell me the tires for $619 and give me $250 for my stock Dunlops. Pretty good deal in my opinion.

Still don't know what to do

I thought you'd settled on not only LTs, but also those load E BFGS.

I agree with him about the Nittos in P -- that's a very good tire -- unless you plan on treating the tires VERY roughly off-road. LTs are a big compromise in many different ways. As for the TPMS, it won't be calibrated at all correctly with the LTs. It probably triggers somewhere around 29psi. That's substantially more underinflated for the LT than the P so from that standpoint he was right.

 

[TATRAM]

I swapped out the crap dunlops (ranked 54 out of 58 in category!! see: Consumer Survey Results By Category) I got the Firestones and they have been great so far - they gave me only $300 credit, so I paid $400 out of pocket. they are ranked #2 of 23, whereas the BFGs are #12. I like the look of the BFGs a little better (I have them on my F-150), but ultimately I valued the higher rankings in comfort, noise, snow/ice traction more. Also it was ~ $200 cheaper for the set. See: Consumer Survey Results By Category

 

[volrus7]

So can you only get the BFG AT KO's in an E rated tire? Or can you also get in c rated?

 

[ssmathis]

The BFG AT KO is only available as an E rated tire in 275/70/17.