Dec 3rd Vancouver Island Drive #2

Sounds like a lot of fun boys, we need something like this over on the mainland

 

LIFT THAT SEXY BITCH!

 

I'l try and make this one, but with my tires my truck is useless in snow so I might not. That said new tires are something I need soon so maybe i'l take care of it before then.

For all you islanders, what are you running for A/T's, never actually bought all terrain tires, I know the guys in the states love the Duratracs and theres an $80 rebate from Goodyear right now. 90% of my driving is pavement so I don't want to take a big hit in fuel economy and I know those duratracs aren't light.

Right now I have Long Trail T/A's, which honestly work fine until it gets wet out, they are terrible in snowy/cold conditions, the lightest mud on even a logging road they clog right up.

 

If you're looking for a light AT tire try the Firestone Destination AT 6 ply. You can, however, get the duratrack in a 6 ply too... Firestone will be way better on the road, Goodyear will be way better on snow, ice, and off road, but you can't go wrong either way. I have BFG AT KO 10 ply and they're heavier than I need now that I'm not pulling a heavy trailer anymore.

www.tirerack.com for at tire survey results.

 

Thanks for the help. I think the Duratrac is the way to go, $229ea at crappy tire, plus the $80 rebate, C load. Not sure though, I hear complaints about being hard to balance and how they handle on the highway, the sidewalls looked super thin up close.

 

When I bought my truck almost a year ago, it had pretty much brand new GoodYear Wrangler Territories on it. (Only available from Cantire I think..?)
They are a little pricy, but I would totally recommend them. I do 90% around town on pavement, and 10% off roads. A little loud on the highway, but I still get 17-20mpg on the average tank. They are quite sturdy on the highway too, no complaints at all.

I've got them aired pretty low right now because I've got mad axle wrap in the back end (from having a 2" block lift destroying my 14yr old factory leafs... ugggh (getting new Dakars soon!)) and I can spin a tire just starting on a slightly slippery hill when the light turns green. BUT, that isn't the tires, that is my truck.
The backs have only warn about 6/32" in the year, and the fronts still look almost new.

As far as the tires goes, I have yet to ever get stuck to even where I've needed to rock back and forth. They are the BEST in the snow, (rated as a mud/snow tire) and I've pulled many Jeeps out of the ditch, even a 3/4ton 4x4 dually once (that was the best). They have surprised me many times in the snow, to points where I was sure I would never make it up something, and yet not a single tire spun once and we made it first try.

I also found a 1" finishing nail in my tire one time, and it managed to just go deep into the stud, not puncturing anything. (Yessss... ) And I got a 1/2" slash in the side wall from shale (sp?) about 6months ago, just as deep as the first layer of sidewall, glued it back up with rubber cement, and bingo, good to go!


Anyhoo, I say they are awesome. They are my truck's partners in crime.

(I've got the 31x10.50 R15)



Once I get caught back up on work, I'll post some photos of camping last Thursday, and we adventured up into TimberWest's property, and managed to climb to 900m elev. where we found snow, yes, it was awesome.
The trail/road (well more of a 'path') was about 2feet too narrow for my truck, so many saplings got the wrath of 4low, my bushguard and my tires on the way up/down.

Wooooo, back to work now...

 

well know we have a guide for a trip up there

 

i went with the Micky T's Baja ATZ Radial i love them!

 

Cooper ST Maxx is supposed to be awesome, but it only comes in E load, wonder if the 3ply sidewall automatically makes these tires fall under that category>? I know they are nearly 50lbs each in 265/75/16.

 

i love my bfg all terrain's with a 235/85/16 i didn't notice any power loss from a 245/75/16 maxxis big horn mudder. and they are also snow rated

 

I have the Duratracs on my truck and they are a great tire! No balance issues here with the 285's. You hear them a bit on the highway, but I usually have the tunes going so I can't here them anyways. In the past I've had various kinds of GoodYear, Nitto and BFGoodrich tires over the years, and these are by far the best I've had. They look really aggressive and they also handle the wet conditions awesome.

 

niice dude. wish i could have been there. love snow wheeling and seeing historical sites!

 

well, i'm defiantly going to go back in the spring when there is no snow. i was disappointed we couldn't see everything due to the white stuff. so you may have a chance to join us then. i also find old historical stuff very interesting.

 

i also have the duratracs in 285/75/17. last weekend was the first time in the snow with them and they did great although there was only about an 1 1/2" of snow with gravel underneath. i was told before getting them they would me noisy, but i have to listen to hear them, my mpg's were hardly affected.

 

cool, ya my gf loves any sort of old building or building site or abandoned towns.. we have ended up in some pretty neat places.

 

I have bought BFG a/t's for most of the 4X4's I've owned over the years. I have never had problems with them, they perform well in most on and off road situations, really well in snow. I had them on my '83 short box back in the eighties, I used to jump the truck regularly, do brake stands, burnouts wherever I could (I was 20) and the tires still lasted 75,000 kms. Great overall tire.

 

I'm another BFG AT guy. I have never owned anything else and I swear by them.
Syncros - you've been added.

 

As soon as it snows, anyone down to go have some fun?

I hear it is snowing in Nanaimo right now, and there are snowflakes in Victoria's forecast for Fri/Sat/Sunday... GET STOKED!

I've got chains for all four wheels, so let's go on a mission

 

It's snowing at our site on Saltspring right now .

 

Damn...snow in November...what did I get myself in to. Lol.
I'm totally down if I can get out for the day...turn this Dec 3rd run in to a Novemeber 19th one instead