Goodyear Wrangler DURATRAC's

I should just say they get louder with age, not necessarily an issue.

 

Bummers! Thanks for the heads up on that.

 

Missed that post:

33x12.5x15; they are load c and lighter km2s and bfg ATs in that size. I only have like 1000 miles on them, so no idea on wear.

Most 15" truck tires are load c: 30s, 31s, 32s, 33s, 35s, 36s, etc. Let me know if I got the question wrong...

Would probably done 33x10.5x15 since duratracs seem to run wide, but they don't come in that size.

 

Ahh, didn't realize you had 15s.

 

I had the chance to try mine out on ice yesterday. We went hunting and it went from rain to freezing rain to about 1/2" of ice on everything in about an hour yesterday morning. The tires handled the ice better than I expected on muddy ice covered game land's road.

Still super happy with them :beer:

 

Got some snow covered dirt road driving in and it was great!

 

Just mounted a set of Duratracs that were picked up used this summer. 265/75x16 on "throwing stars". With 5100's all around, on highest groove at front, and AAL at rear, there are no clearance issues.

Noise is there but not obnoxious until you hit freeway speed [70 here]. At that point it's a bit darty, especially changing lanes on a crowned roadway. Not much wet traction, about par for a mud tire - but that's not the reason you get these tires, is it? No balance issues, and tracking is good since the truck got aligned at install time.

With snow in tomorrow's forecast, I may be able to report back on how the tire performs in its intended environment.

4toys

 

I would have to disagree and say that this is actually why you do get them: because they are not a mud tire, and as such they perform much better than a mud tire. Though aggressive, Duratrac's are still an AT and really shouldn't be compared to mud tires. I am on my 3rd set and they're the best all-around tire I've owned.

Off topic, what's the story on the Z in your avatar? I've got an '82 280ZX, so I'm always interested in what others have.

 

Driving with Duratrac is reminiscent of the "GripSpur" bias ply tires I used to run on farm trucks about 30 years ago. Not very confidence-inspiring, especially in the wet.

From '94 to '04 I ran three different Z's on the track. The first was a '72 raced in SCCA ITS with some success; then I bought a '71 with 280 engine: 11:1 pistons, Slalom cam, headers, triple Webers, etc. It also had Wilwood brakes. I added coilovers, a Torsen diff and a cage to go "Vintage Racing", which was fun, but nothing like fender-to-fender sprints. The third Z was another '72 ITS car that I built but sold before getting the handling completely sorted.

Your 280-ZX was a heavier and more refined model than the original Z. A lot of its running gear was more robust but still fit in earlier year models.

Apologize to all the Duratrac readers for going off-thread. btw, I'm running 40 psi now, in an effort to extend tread life. Is this the optimum pressure for longevity?

4toys

 

There isn't one correct answer to this, everyones results seem to vary pretty widely. I personally run 35 in the front, and 32 unloaded/38 loaded in the rear. 40 was too harsh for my liking, and staying in the mid-30's has resulted in really good longevity for me, without sacrificing comfort.

Sounds like you've had some fun cars, btw.

 

Just got some Duratracs installed today. They're great tires but they were expensive. $260/each for 265/70/17

 

That is expensive for that size tire. I think I've seen two price increases on the 265/75/16's in the last year or so. Four Wheel Parts usually has decent prices, and I usually get Discount Tire to beat them.

 

That's a strange looking Tacoma!

Just kidding of course. Tires look great on it. Is that a plow attachment up front?

I just got some new Duratracs and going snow wheelin this weekend!

 

Yeah I have a 7.5 ft SnoWay for the truck, hence the tire upgrade. The OEM tires (Bridge stone Dueller AT) were so laughably bad in the snow I pretty much had to upgrade, so I went with the best!

 

So if they start losing traction at ~1/2 tread remaining, what about getting them siped; that should help wet traction a lot.

Just an idea; thoughts?

 

Mine still have the slits in the tread. I probably still have 3/4 tread left on my tires. They are just ridiculous when driving on wet roads.

 

When I get some time I'll take some measurements and pics and post them.

 

Yeah; what he said... At higher pressure the centers "should" wear out a little faster but may not be much.

You should notice mpg improvements that will taper off the higher you go, and an increasingly harsh ride.

 

So what's going on...

The rear fish-tailing when cornering...

Abs kicking in a lot...

Rear tire spinning, when tring to go up a hill (on asphalt)...

All of the above...?

Other stuff too (if so please specify)?

 

The tire shop set my Duratracs, 265/75/16, load C, to 36 psi for all 4. Hoping that will be about prime for even wear, mpg, and everything.

Oh yeah, I drove down to Cheyenne for the Thanksgiving holiday and got 17 mpg going down and 18 coming back up. The Wyoming wind was bad both ways, so I think I did about as good as before.