Tires for the desert

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SltrHouse

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I live in south east new mexico, I have to deal with grease wood, mesquites, mud, sand, rock, washouts, highway.

What is the best all around tire?
I'm looking at the duratracs, bfg ta ko2, open country.

The stock tires on my 15' are alright, but i need something that isnt a p rated tire. Any suggestions from someone who also has driven in these conditions.

Runner is used once a year for a winter trip to the colorado rockies, hunting all year different seasons, and my wife uses it to do errands.
 
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Any of those tires will work. I prefer the 3 ply sidewall on the KO2 but would not hesitate to use any of them. You will get many different opinions on this. Many go with the look they want over function. Search the forum for past tire threads. There are many of them. Your location is somewhat similar to where I am in the Arizona desert but I do not have mud.
 
The ko2 is cheaper than the others, and are in stock. I'm not worried about the look right now. Gotta wait until I lift and put on spacers, like i said the tires on it are good, but not enough sidewall to help me through sand w/o 4wd.

Picture kind of shows where I go and put 200 miles a weekend on. No roads, make em myself as I go quail hunting.

Which has a stronger sidewall to stop punctures? I know that they wont stop a puncture all the time no matter what. I've tore into the sidewalls on some AT/3's & ST MAXX & Geolanders on my work truck, all E1 rated.

Also would it be better for a C1 rating or E1 rating for this kind of driving?
 

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Tires

TA KO2's because of the sidewall - I live in Southern Az and I have both AT3's and KO (Not the KO2's). AT3's area better overall tire than the KO's but not the KO2's. Getting a 4runner in about a week and immediately swapping out stock for KO2's. I travel in Colorado and Baja as well. Great do it all tire. Great for airing down.
 
SltrHouse said:
The ko2 is cheaper than the others, and are in stock. I'm not worried about the look right now. Gotta wait until I lift and put on spacers, like i said the tires on it are good, but not enough sidewall to help me through sand w/o 4wd.

Picture kind of shows where I go and put 200 miles a weekend on. No roads, make em myself as I go quail hunting.

Which has a stronger sidewall to stop punctures? I know that they wont stop a puncture all the time no matter what. I've tore into the sidewalls on some AT/3's & ST MAXX & Geolanders on my work truck, all E1 rated.

Also would it be better for a C1 rating or E1 rating for this kind of driving?
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The S/T MAXX are 3-ply sidewall, so if you tore through those, I'd suggest getting whatever tire you like and investing in a good portable air compressor, or installing an on-board system. Airing down will prevent a tire puncture as much as which tire you choose (just my opinion).

This is a great video demonstrating that theory though it is for the tread, not the sidewall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kz8mmLkeks
 
SltrHouse said:
The ko2 is cheaper than the others, and are in stock. I'm not worried about the look right now. Gotta wait until I lift and put on spacers, like i said the tires on it are good, but not enough sidewall to help me through sand w/o 4wd.

Picture kind of shows where I go and put 200 miles a weekend on. No roads, make em myself as I go quail hunting.

Which has a stronger sidewall to stop punctures? I know that they wont stop a puncture all the time no matter what. I've tore into the sidewalls on some AT/3's & ST MAXX & Geolanders on my work truck, all E1 rated.

Also would it be better for a C1 rating or E1 rating for this kind of driving?
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If you put on 200 miles a weekend in the dirt I would go with the E rated tire just for extra insurance. There is more rocks where I live in Arizona from looking at your pictures. 275/70/17 KO2 tires aired down to 20-24 psi will work great in your area. If it were me I would get 5 tires so I had a flat in the middle of no where I would have a good spare I could rely on to get me home.
 
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Super Swamper ND IROKs are pretty well liked for durability too. $225/each makes them pretty reasonable for a very tough tire in a 285 size.
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Or go for bias ply tires. I didn't find any radials that worked for me so I ended up with bais ply swampers. So far I've yet to tear out a sidewall or put a hole in one. They come in lots of sizes. Horrible road manners, but if you're spending 90% of your miles in the dirt, I'd buy a set on some cheap steel wheels and run em when you're spending a lot of time in the sticks:
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I work and drive in a similar environment. Yes, the E rated BFG KO2's are a good economical choice, you can find a set for under 1K mounted. As stated earlier, get a quality on board air compressor, a tire repair kit, and a reliable jacking/lifting system (practice using it in various situations).

Oh yeah, .410 1/2 oz 8.5 all the way!!! Good hunting, sir.
 
Well I went with the new Cooper MTP's from discount tire. 4 installed under 1000$ for 265/70/17.

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They released in december, so I guess we'll see. Theyre based off the STT tire I guess, not 100% sure. The tread pattern is nothing like the STT. Very audible humming, but no pull or anything else even going 80mph down the highway. Going quail hunting tomorrow, gonna test em out in some dunes and rocks.
 
Vote for Cooper S/T Maxx's...love running them in 255/80/17 Skinnies! Awesome for the desert SW
 

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Plano26 said:
Vote for Cooper S/T Maxx's...love running them in 255/80/17 Skinnies! Awesome for the desert SW
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Had some Coopers 255/85/16 on my Land Cruiser - loved them, want to do what you've done 255/80/17 or was looking at 255/75/17 in the S/T Maxx. What kind of lift are you running?
 
I am going to Big Bend National Park next month and had a similar question. I was reading online that they recommend a 6ply+ tire for going off road there. My tires are 5ply and 2 ply on the sides. Do you thing they will be ok?
 
Loadedpocketz said:
What would be common options for that around these parts?
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A Hi-Lift jack might be an option for you. You've got sliders that are mounted to the frame, so that's a potential lifting point(s) there. I'm not sure if the stock trail wheels are compatible with the Hi-Lift Lift mate, if it does fit, there's more potential for a Hi-Lift. You really have to take into consideration your particular situation, both in terms of how your 4runner is set up, and the conditions you venture into.
 
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