Tires for new 2013 TE

[kingskot]

I got a brand new 2013 trail model 4runner in July. I'm pretty happy with it, although on a recent canoe trip I blew a tire traveling on some pretty hairy logging roads in northern Maine. In a nutshell, I'm not much of a "car guy", I just want a truck that will run and be able to handle a wide variety of driving conditions, so I'm looking for some advice on tires.

The truck came stock with Bridgestone Dueller H/T tires. As far as I can tell from reviews, these seem like reasonable tires, but after blowing one with less than 5,000 miles on it I'm wondering if there is something that would better meet my needs. Here are my needs:

- 90% of what I do is normal, highway driving, so I want something reasonable for that (not too "rumbly" a ride, or a massive hit to fuel economy)
- I live in New England and drive in the snow in the winter
- every few months I go pretty far off the beaten path for hiking, etc., so I need something that can handle rough roads (not boulder climbing, but rough gravel on logging roads, large rocks, deep mud, etc.) and carry a modest amount of weight (e.g., for a canoe trip, three guys, their gear, and a canoe, maybe 800-900 lbs.)

Any suggestions?

 

[Viper45]

Welcome to the forum, but I would try doing a search on the topic first next time. We get ~10 threads a week on this topic so there should be a mountain of knowledge that is rather easy to find.

Good luck on your search, and try and ignore the flaming that will follow shortly.

 

[dwc]

I got a brand new 2013 trail model 4runner in July. I'm pretty happy with it, although on a recent canoe trip I blew a tire traveling on some pretty hairy logging roads in northern Maine. In a nutshell, I'm not much of a "car guy", I just want a truck that will run and be able to handle a wide variety of driving conditions, so I'm looking for some advice on tires.

The truck came stock with Bridgestone Dueller H/T tires. As far as I can tell from reviews, these seem like reasonable tires, but after blowing one with less than 5,000 miles on it I'm wondering if there is something that would better meet my needs. Here are my needs:

- 90% of what I do is normal, highway driving, so I want something reasonable for that (not too "rumbly" a ride, or a massive hit to fuel economy)
- I live in New England and drive in the snow in the winter
- every few months I go pretty far off the beaten path for hiking, etc., so I need something that can handle rough roads (not boulder climbing, but rough gravel on logging roads, large rocks, deep mud, etc.) and carry a modest amount of weight (e.g., for a canoe trip, three guys, their gear, and a canoe, maybe 800-900 lbs.)

Any suggestions?

Run for your life...

Try this link. Any of the top 5 will serve you well.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT&width=265%2F&ratio=70&diameter=17&tireSearch=true&filter=y&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2013&autoModel=4Runner+V6&autoModClar=Trail

 

[kingskot]

Welcome to the forum, but I would try doing a search on the topic first next time. We get ~10 threads a week on this topic so there should be a mountain of knowledge that is rather easy to find.

Good luck on your search, and try and ignore the flaming that will follow shortly.

The "mountain of knowledge" is exactly the problem. I've never understood the philosophy that one shouldn't ask a question just because there is a ton of information that one can sift through. I'm happy to ignore the usual forum hall monitors and tough guys to get some useful responses that apply to my exact situation from people who know what they're talking about that will save me an hour or more of sifting through other threads. The third post has already helped, and is well worth the usual forum BS on its own.

 

[Viper45]

And my post would point you to a about ten threads from THIS year that give you those same first hand accounts that you're actively seeking. Instead of posting a self entitled second post, my suggestion (which you asked for by the way), was to do a little leg work on your end to save you the heartache of trolls, etc.

...ah never mind.

 

[dwc]

And my post would point you a about ten threads from THIS year that give you those same first hand accounts that your actively seeking. Instead of posting a self entitled second post, my suggestion (which you asked for by the way), was to do a little leg work on your end to save you the heartache of trolls, etc.

...ah never mind.

I understand both points of view. I'm also not a car guy, but I did spend a ton of time reading other threads about tires. Then I decided which tire was best for me. Other people don't have the time or interest.

The forums are whatever we want them to be. Self-entitled. Self-righteous. I've learned a lot here, and caused a little bit of trouble. At the end of the day, there's no need to feed the trolls, or pay attention to them. Why roam around in someone else's hell....

 

[kingskot]

And my post would point you to a about ten threads from THIS year that give you those same first hand accounts that you're actively seeking. Instead of posting a self entitled second post, my suggestion (which you asked for by the way), was to do a little leg work on your end to save you the heartache of trolls, etc.

...ah never mind.

Yeah, I'll try to survive the "heartache", thanks. My request for advice was about tires, not about how to search an internet forum. When I answer a forum question on something that I'm an expert in I either answer the question or provide an actual link to a resource that I think is applicable. Saying something that boils down to "use the search function" is neither one of those things.

Thanks to the people who actually provide useful information.

 

[kingskot]

I understand both points of view. I'm also not a car guy, but I did spend a ton of time reading other threads about tires. Then I decided which tire was best for me. Other people don't have the time or interest.

The forums are whatever we want them to be. Self-entitled. Self-righteous. I've learned a lot here, and caused a little bit of trouble. At the end of the day, there's no need to feed the trolls, or pay attention to them. Why roam around in someone else's hell....

I agree with this, and I definitely fall into the latter category from your first paragraph. Thanks for the link and allowing me to benefit from your work.

 

[Viper45]

Why roam around in someone else's hell....

And why continue to bump the useful and topical threads with something that can be answered with a search?

I don't understand why people:
1) Feel the need to create NEW topics, when there's already threads regarding this topic on the main page for the 5th gen section.
2)Get butt hurt when they're expected to put forth the tiniest bit of effort to find said answers. Especially when these choices impact grip/handling/other drivers/and their passengers safety. But I guess that's the status quo for this country anymore.
3)His OP said nothing about searching, thus I suggested it. I'm rewarded with sarcasm and being called a "hall monitor".

What's funny though, is if he takes your link (and since he didn't/won't search), he won't find another highly agreed upon (based on t4r.org) tire serving his needs in your top 5 link. Guess I'm an ass for helping and pointing out the obvious.

Out.

 

[dwc]

And why continue to bump the useful and topical threads with something that can be answered with a search?

I don't understand why people:
1) Feel the need to create NEW topics, when there's already threads regarding this topic on the main page for the 5th gen section.
2)Get butt hurt when they're expected to put forth the tiniest bit of effort to find said answers. Especially when these choices impact grip/handling/other drivers/and their passengers safety. But I guess that's the status quo for this country anymore.
3)His OP said nothing about searching, thus I suggested it. I'm rewarded with sarcasm and being called a "hall monitor".

What's funny though, is if he takes your link (and since he didn't/won't search), he won't find another highly agreed upon (based on t4r.org) tire serving his needs in your top 5 link. Guess I'm an ass for helping and pointing out the obvious.

Out.

I don't think I'm arguing with you. As for tires not in the top 5 on Tirerack, are you referring to the Goodyear DuraTrac?

 

[TomT]

It sounds to me like you would be happy with the venerable BFG All Terrain KO tire.

 

[UncleBilly]

Boy them Firestone Destination A/T sure get good ratings! Look pretty good also. My first choice are Toyo Open Country AT2's

 

[Canazes9]

I got a brand new 2013 trail model 4runner in July. I'm pretty happy with it, although on a recent canoe trip I blew a tire traveling on some pretty hairy logging roads in northern Maine. In a nutshell, I'm not much of a "car guy", I just want a truck that will run and be able to handle a wide variety of driving conditions, so I'm looking for some advice on tires.

The truck came stock with Bridgestone Dueller H/T tires. As far as I can tell from reviews, these seem like reasonable tires, but after blowing one with less than 5,000 miles on it I'm wondering if there is something that would better meet my needs. Here are my needs:

- 90% of what I do is normal, highway driving, so I want something reasonable for that (not too "rumbly" a ride, or a massive hit to fuel economy)
- I live in New England and drive in the snow in the winter

1. - every few months I go pretty far off the beaten path for hiking, etc., so I need something that can handle rough roads (not boulder climbing, but rough gravel on logging roads, large rocks, deep mud, etc.) and carry a modest amount of weight (e.g., for a canoe trip, three guys, their gear, and a canoe, maybe 800-900 lbs.)

Any suggestions?

One of these things is not like the others.....

If you get a tire that will handle deep mud well there will be compromises in road/winter driving performance. Ride comfort will be worse and noise will be noticeable.

If you are having puncture problems (you said you had a blow out) then moving to a heavier constructed LT tire will reduce that tendency. LT tires are commonly available in C, D, and E load ratings. The E rated tires have the highest load rating and the toughest construction. Many people find the E rated tires to be excessively rough and extreme over kill for our trucks. I live in an area where off roading involves a lot of puncture hazards - my vehicles live on LT E load tires and I find its a good compromise.

LT tires will require a higher inflation pressure than their equivalent P metric tires. There is a giant thread started by [MENTION=2798]JB.[/MENTION] complete w/ charts, graphs, etc:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/general-discussions/110299-lt-tires-need-more-air-pressure.html

Read it, figure out what pressure you want to run your tires or just inflate to 44psi and be done with it.

If you are still hung on deep mud, I would check into Mickey Thompson MTZ's - they are the best MT tires I've ever run, relatively quiet (for an MT), drive well on the street, OR is fantastic. Can't comment on winter driving 'cause I don't ever do any...

Goodyear Duratracs are the darlings of the forum as solid "all around tires". They are available in both C and E load ratings. Some people have experienced puncture issues w/ the side walls on the C rated tires. I've never run Duratracs myself, but they seem like a solid choice if you are looking for an agressive AT.

If you scratch "Deep Mud" off your list and change it to "occasional light mud" the tire that comes to mind is the Bridgestone Revo. I have run the E rated version of these tires and found them to be impressive performers on the highway and off road. They were very puncture resistant and their tread pattern went through muddier conditions than I thought possible for a light AT style tire. Again, I don't have any winter driving experience to offer from Texas, but these tires are supposed to be solid performers in winter driving conditions.

HTH

David

 

[Sputnik]

Toyo open country AT II

 

[desertred]

kingskot, Although there are weekly tire threads, not everyone provides their needs as directly as you did. Many seem to just want a "more aggressive looking" tire. As you state that you are not a 'car guy', I will provide a couple of things to consider when shopping for a replacement tire to fit your needs.

Some of the attributes that you seek in a tire are diametrically opposed to each other. You will have to determine which attributes are most important for you to get a tire that you are happy with. For example, you stated you wanted a tire that handles deep mud. Tires that are effective in deep mud generally have large deep tread blocks that are widely spaced to help shed the mud that tends to pack in between the tread blocks. These tires are generally much louder on the highway and the extra weight of these tires will likely effect your mpg. Likewise, highway based tires will provide the comfort, mpg, and noise levels you desire over a more aggressively designed tire that will handle off road conditions better. An all-terrain (AT) tire is a tire that falls in between these two goals that will provide decent off road traction and respectful highway manners.

The tires the dwc provided the link to are good tires. However, some may not fit your desires depending on the attributes you really want. Some of those tires are only available as LT (Light Truck) tires (such as the BFG), which will come with a stiffer sidewall and higher load rating over P-metric sizes. P-metric is what your TE came equipped with. Some of these tires can weigh 10+ pounds (per tire) heavier than your stock tires, which translates to a mpg hit. LT tires are constructed much more sturdy that standard P-metric tires due to the increased load requirements LT tires were designed for. LT tires come with a load rating that is specified by a letter of the alphabet. The higher in the alphabet you go, the higher the load rating (C and E are typical). Higher load ratings also generally allow for higher air pressures to be used.

If this sounds like gobble-tee-gook, check out some of the articles in the Tire Tech sections of Tirerack's web site. Go to the "Shopping Tools" drop down box at the top of the page that dwc linked to and select the "Tech Section". There will be a multitude of articles that can provide helpful shopping advice (such as Load Ratings). Hope this helps.

FWIW, I will be replacing my tires fairly soon and have similar needs as to yours. The top three tires I'm looking at are the Firestone Destination, the Cooper Discovery AT3, and the Toyo Open County AT2. The Goodyear Dura Trac is a very popular tire by forum members. It is a commercial traction tire that is rated for winter weather (snowflake symbol) and the C load range weighs only 4 pounds per tire over the stock tire. There might be a small hit to mpg and they might be a bit noisy due to the wide spaced tread blocks (I've never used them), but they would meet your other parameters. They are pricey!

 

[j_shoe99]

I had the same dillemma as the OP last Fall. Pretty much exact same buying criteria.

I really wanted the GY Duratracs, but they were pricey, and seemed too aggressive for my needs. The road noise scared me, as the potential drop in mpg's over another AT tire.

I narrowed it down to the Cooper AT3's, GY Silent Armor, or Bridgestone Dueler RV's.

Cooper had a very good manufacturing rebate, and in-store rebate, so I bought the AT3's. So far, so good....

 

[kingskot]

OK, some great info in here, thanks everybody. After reading all of this, I'm leaning towards a heavier tire and taking the (hopefully modest) MPG and highway noise hit (although I care less about the former). It sounds like if I drop the "deep mud" requirement my options open up a bit (which I think is fine for me, I only really got stuck once in my old SUV, and was still eventually able to rock out).

 

[Canazes9]

OK, some great info in here, thanks everybody. After reading all of this, I'm leaning towards a heavier tire and taking the (hopefully modest) MPG and highway noise hit (although I care less about the former). It sounds like if I drop the "deep mud" requirement my options open up a bit (which I think is fine for me, I only really got stuck once in my old SUV, and was still eventually able to rock out).

One more tip - buy yourself a quality air pump and deflate your tires to 15-20psi when you off road. You will get much better traction and have less tendency to puncture your tires. Don't cheap out on the pump - inflating 4 tires from 15psi to 44psi will take a cheap little wally world pump 30+ minutes if it doesn't burn up first.

David

 

[dwc]

OK, some great info in here, thanks everybody. After reading all of this, I'm leaning towards a heavier tire and taking the (hopefully modest) MPG and highway noise hit (although I care less about the former). It sounds like if I drop the "deep mud" requirement my options open up a bit (which I think is fine for me, I only really got stuck once in my old SUV, and was still eventually able to rock out).

Lot's of good choices, right? Everyone has their favorite. The other thing I like about the Tirerack site is that it will tell you the weight and dimensions of each tire, although I'm sure other sites do the same. Good luck with your choice. Any tire you choose will be a significant upgrade over OEM.

 

[Deserter]

I bought some Hankook Dynapro's for the exact same reason and purpose as you, could not be happier, look a bit more aggressive, quiet, fuel economy didn't go down and I haven't punctured on the same trails that I went through 2 BFG tires on 2 consecutive visits

they were cheap too