What's your opinion on the BFG Rugged Trail T/A tires?

So I've read a lot of people on hear complaining about the quality of stock Dunlops that come on some of the models. This got me to wondering what the opinion of folks on here is in regards to the stock tires on the TRD Off Road, or BFG Rugged Trail T/A's? I ask because I'm considering getting new wheels in the spring, and I'm deciding if I should be buying new tires as well. Can I get new wheels, and put them on the stock tires without a problem?

Thanks

Quick edit..... I doubt I will be doing any off road anytime soon, so I don't need the most rugged tires

 

I believe the term is, "Rugged Fails"

 

I have them right now... they absolutely suck. I am getting michelin ltx at2's replacing them this week. The rugged fails hydroplane like crazy and slick up in mud way too easy.

 

i think 'SUCK' is being nice.they should b outlawed imo.had them on a tahoe and, wow.they r garbage.

 

Any suggestions for replacement? It will probably be at least 80% Highway and at most 20% off road. Thanks for the help

 

Honestly, I didn't mind mine. They can't compare to my current tires, but I didn't think they were garbage either.



If I were you though, I'd go with an A/T tire. I prefer BFGoodrich, but there are other quality brands, too.

 

I agree with Jag on the Michelins, for the type of driving it sounds like you are doing I think they would work nicely. I do a bit of light off road with them and they do fine

 

Don't like 'em, but I paid for 'em so I'm damn sure going to use them up.

 

the General Grabbers seem to get a good rating

 

My truck came with rugged trails and i just bought michelins at2. I recommend them if you mainly drive on road.

 

yes i believe that is the correct term. those tires sucked on my truck

 

I agree. Unfortunately, they came stock on the '10 I just bought so I'm stuck with them for 35K miles or so. They are horrible in the snow. I'm already looking at their replacements.

 

I replaced my BFG Rugged Trails and oem rims (new FJ TRD rims and 265/75/16 BFG All Terrains) at 1,400 miles so I did not have a lot of time invested in them with the Tacoma.

I did have considerable time with them on my 05 Nismo 4x4 AC though. They wore well (35,000 miles when I traded out of the truck and on the same tires), were quiet on the road, didn't pack up in snow (drove through Colorado several times during the winter), and they looked decent (white outline version). I'm not sure why almost EVERYONE bitches about them on a regular basis. I live in TX and offroad weekly to get to obscure biking trails and would air down to 20 lbs or so and they would crawl through just about anything. I think that is key to any tire, proper air pressure for the terrain in question.

Now, if it had rained and the worthless TX mud that we have, otherwise known as clay, was abundant, I did start to have packing issues and slipping; but it's clay, that shit packs into just about anything. I would just drop into 4lo, engage the locker, and not even worry about it. When I left the trails, I would drive about 5 miles with the tires aired down to clear out the mud, then pull over and air back up.

They are decent tires for what they are and let's face it, if they were total shit then you would not see so many auto mfg.s using them on their Off Road packages. They seem to give the illusion of 'rugged' and have a decent 'driving in gravel or on grass' tread.

I have seen a recent trend with auto mfg.s using Goodyear Forteras on their SUVs and CUVs. They look 'beefy' but definately have the tread pattern of an onroad tire. My wife has them on her...sigh...Jeep Grand Cherokee and the side block area does give it a more aggressive look in comparison to an all out passenger car tire.

 

they are definately rugged fails. unless you do only light trail riding they get you stuck.

 

I haven't had to replace tires yet, so I don't have much comparison data. From what I have noticed:

-I'm from Oregon, about the rainiest state you can choose. These tires do fine on the road.

-I have 22k on them, and they seem to be wearing about the same (maybe better) than a MT tire. Maybe it's just me hoping they wear fast, I kinda want to try something else...

-I'm starting to do a decent amount of wheeling, I plan on at least 1 trip per month. I've gone in snow, mud, and dry dirt. I can't give testament to rock gardens. The hardest I've done is trails rated moderate at TSF in muddy conditions. I would say that I have a bit more difficult time than a more dedicated offroad tire, but with the capability of the truck and airing down to 20PSI, I haven't had need for a winch.
Here are pictures from my last run at TSF. It was very muddy, and the pics don't do quite the justice - anything brown you see is slippery mud. I'm in silver, RelentlessTaco is in white. On the second to last pic, I had to turn on the locker to reverse up the hill to execute a turn. RelentlessTaco's a much more experienced driver, and doesn't have a locker. Whether he chose a better line or the tires were simply that much better, I don't think his BFG KMs ever had a problem. Note that it was actually a bit more hilly than it looks in the pic.
-For snow, slapping on some chains at each corner and airing down makes things stupid easy, at which point the tire doesn't make as much difference.

-I think they have a decent curb appeal. I like white lettering, and on a stock vehicle they provide a much better look than the dunlops.


Considering that you don't really offroad, if I were in your shoes, I would scour for some Rugged Trail takeoffs. You could pick them up for incredibly cheap and they should be in fairly plentiful demand.

 

Chickenmunga, good review and food for thought. I think that the serious offroader has a problem with the BFG Rugged Trails but the average user and weekend warrior will find them to be a good tire. Once again, common sense prevails when it comes to proper air pressure and conditions.

I hate to admit it but I chose to upgrade to the FJ TRD rims and 265/75/16 BFG AT for mainly aesthetic purposes. They WILL help me in my offroad excursions but are really overkill for daily driving. This is the first time that I've ever upgraded rims and tires on a vehicle and have been extremely happy with my choice. The AT's are no louder on the highway than the Rugged Trails and they have a very aggressive tread block. On the downside, they are a seriously heavy tire at 10 ply and will cut into my mpg.

And that shot of the tree you drove under is impressive.

 

Yes they suck. KM2 or MTZ best tires period

 

I can't take credit for that - I'm actually the guy hiding on the other side

There's a few things at TSF that I respectfully avoid - that tree and a certain rock on Firebreak 5. I don't have a desire to push luck further than I need to.

OK, the rock I disrespectfully avoid. I give it the finger when I can, because I'd probably take that trail if it wasn't there.

 

well,seems there is 2 people on here that like them.

 

It's not that I like them, if I did I would not have replaced them at 1,400 miles. They are just not as terrible as everyone says they are. It seems that too many people are jumping on the bandwagon and blaming tires when there are other factors to consider.

I just read a post, to remain nameless, where the OP first blamed the weather AND tires for getting in an accident where another truck smashed into the bed of his Tacoma. He is driving an 09 and is saying that the tires are 1/2 worn and after a few posts from other members is putting the blame solely on the tires. The tires looked fine (in the picture), there is no mentioning of them spontaneously combusting...would better AT or MT tires really saved him from his accident on the road in inclement weather? My BFG AT 10 ply's aired up to 45psi are slippery than shit on the roads when it is wet out. If I were to air them up to the max 80 psi I'm sure it would be like driving on an ice rink during a rain storm.

Now if the tires were of poor quality, broken bands, tread blocks shearing off, inconsistencies in the rubber, entire strips of the tread pealing off, etc. THOSE would seem to be indicators of a crappy tire.

Also, I probably would not buy them aftermarket but would take them over another oem tire from an auto mfg. That brings up the question, what is the BEST oem tire that auto mfg's are putting on 'Off Road' packages? I think the Jeep Rubicon is still using the BFG MT or did they switch to Goodyears?