All Terrain tire recommendations for 2002 4x4

Hi all,

I'm looking for tire recommendations for my new-to-me 2002 Xtracab 6 cyl. 4x4 Taco. As with most people, 80-90% of my driving will be on the road, and the thing's pretty bouncy/vibratey on the road already (need to check the shocks), so I don't want it to be much worse. I'm a Scoutmaster, so I'll be driving through the woods occasionally, as well as hauling the Troop trailer both on- and off-road. I've heard great things about the KO2, but according to BFGoodrich's website, they don't make any that will fit my truck. I'm currently looking at the Rugged Trail T/A, per one mechanic's recommendation (er…actually he just wrote down "Rugged T," so that could be the Rugged Terrain, but since that apparently does not fit my vehicle, that seems unlikely). Does anyone have better ideas? Walmart quoted me $117 each; I'd prefer not to spend too much more than that if possible. I don't know too much about tires, so help me out!

Thanks!

 

do not get the Rugged Trails...they don't last very long.

 

I upgraded to a set of Falken Wildpeak AT3W and love them on my 09. I don't do any serious off roading, but they work well for driving logging roads in northern Wisconsin, and getting around on the Ice. you will find lots of different opinions regarding what tire is the best here. Wish you the best of luck on your decision and Welcome to Tacoma World!

 

Why won't KO2s fit your truck? It's one of the most common AT tires out there for Tacomas, I have them on my 04 in 265/75r16. Had them in a slightly smaller size before, 265/70r16. What size are you looking for?

 

I'm going by BFGoodrich's KO2 page, which, when I punch in my truck, says, "NO PRODUCT AVAILABLE FOR YOUR VEHICLE"

 

Weird, maybe they just never put the older Tacomas in on that program. KO2s are an extremely popular tire here though for 1st gen Tacomas, so you can definitely get one that fits your truck unless you have some obscure aftermarket wheels that they don't make tires for.

If you have the standard 16" rims that came on 1st gens in the later model years, you can fit 265/75 or 265/70 KO2s on your truck with stock suspension.

 

Except I don't. My rims are 15", which I think is the problem.

 

Cooper tires might be a good option for you

 

You can get a 31/10.50/15. That’s a super common size for almost all tire makers. Especially bfg

 

Interesting. What's the difference? And if it fits my rims, why doesn't the BFG site recommend them?

 

Probably because it's technically not a stock size that was offered on the 02 Tacoma, they likely only programmed it to show what the manufacturer recommended. Several sizes will fit, but only a select few were offered from factory by Toyota.

Or maybe it was a normal size and they just dropped the ball on their website..

 

Any way about it, a 31" tire will definitely fit a stock 4x4 Tacoma. If anything you might have to trim a tiny bit of plastic inside the wheel well but I doubt it. I ran 31s on stock suspension on my 04 and they fit fine.

 

Behold: BF Goodrich KO2s in 31x10.5r15 on a 2003 Tacoma with 15" wheels, in case you're wondering what it'll look like. You won't see this size listed on the door jamb which is why it isn't on the BFG website, but they definitely fit and I've heard from other sources it was a common dealer option. They're more or less equivalent to the 265/70r16. Haven't had 'em on for too long, so I can't give you a mileage report, but otherwise I'd give them a thumbs up. It was between these and the Cooper Discoverer AT3, which I've also had good luck with in the past. Those are also readily available in 31x10.5r15.

 

So I'm narrowing in on the Rugged Terrains (which I'm now convinced are what were initially recommended to me, as that's the $117 price). The KO2s look great, but as I'm probably going to spend a lot more time on-road than off, the decreased road noise and improved wet pavement handling look like a better deal. As long as it can handle middlin' off-roading, that should be good enough. If I start going mudding on a regular basis, maybe I'll buy a second set of tires. The reviews I've seen also say that the Rugged Terrains are good for towing loads, which I also plan to do. The only problem I've heard about the Rugged Terrains (which I've also heard about the KOs) is that they tend to hold on to gravel, then kick it off on the highway.

Anybody got other recommendations for mostly-highway, light-medium off-road tires? Someone mentioned Cooper above; which one? And why?

 

Cooper At3 tire is a good value tire. Do not get the H/T .The H/T was very bad in the rain and snow.

 

Cooper Discoverer AT3 would be a solid choice. I had them on my 4Runner and had great luck with em; got around 60k or so out of them before they started to noticeably fade in wet conditions. Like I said, I was very close to buying a set for this truck as well but wanted to try the KO2s. The Coopers are a little more civilized on the highway but don’t compromise much in the dirt; they seem to be popular among the overlanding crowd because they have a good mix of capability, road manners and fuel economy.

http://www.fourwheeler.com/product-reviews/1611-testing-the-cooper-discoverer-at3-tire/

 

You should go with Falken Wildpeak AT3 over rugged terrains.

 

Look for them on Discount Tire Direct’s eBay store. They are running a $100 off $400 promo right now

 

Er…except I misread my tires, apparently. The rims are 16"—P265/70R16.

 

well that explains why BFG's website wasn't showing you anything haha