First time buying tires.. Need some suggestions/help for my needs.

I'm looking to buy some 260/70/17s soon but need help. I have the stock Bridgestone Duellers on right now and hate them. I lose traction fairly easily in rain and mud and with winter coming up I want to make sure I will be able to get where I need to be.

My problem is that I need suggestions since I don't know jack about tires. I am looking for tires that aren't super expensive (I don't really even know what the average for a good tire is), won't kill my mpg, don't produce very much road noise, and are decent on and off road. I don't wheel, the most off-roading I do is around construction sites at work, but there is still mud, dirt, water, etc.

Basically looking for a good grippy all terrain tire that won't break the bank and isn't super aggressive. I'm planning on keeping the TRD sport rims. Any suggestions? (Or if you're in the MD/DC/NoVa area trying to unload a set let me know.. Haha)

 

Wrangler silent armor a/t....... Firestone destination a/t........

2 issues my arise.

To keep tires from caking in mud, larger tread voids are key for self cleaning....... Large tread voids however lead to more road noise and more tread block squirm.

Gotta find a happy medium.


Another key...... Look for lots of siping for wet traction benefits and a water channeling groove that's unbroken on each side of the tread face with open routes the the outside of the tire to expel water and help avoid hydroplaning. A nice unbroken raised tread that runs down the middle of the tread face will aid in on road traction since its a a constant contact patch.

Do ur best to find a tire with the majority of these features and u can augment traction by using proper tire pressure.

For rain, more psi than usual... But not over inflating

For off road, less pressure.


Its not needing all the time...... But if u find urself spinning in dirt/mud.... Try dropping the psi for a larger footprint.

In the rain its very beneficial to run higher psi to keep a nice firm contact patch to disperse water, and create a more uniform footprint.... Too little air can cause the tire to create a void in the middle of the tire when going across water at highway speeds which can lead to hydroplaning. Remember, water is not compressible. Running higher psi will help tire uniformity and maximize the water channels, siping, and center contact patch that the tire manufacturer included in their technology.

They use a vehicle rolling over a roadway with a camera mounted below the surface and a thick piece of reinforced glass to take high speed video while the vehicle drives across this area and flood the surface with water.
They then replay the video at slow speed and watch the pressure points of the tires footprint and water expelling properties to fine tune their designs.

 

Just off the top of my head.... I'm sure there's many more great tires.

I just woke up...... Sorry bout any typos.... The phone autocorrect and fat thumbs don't get along well.... It doesn't like the word siping at all

 

Michelin lets ms2 Or Yokohama geolander ats 265/70/17. that's one series bigger than stock.
With 5000 mile rotations both tires will last you at least 80,000 miles and handle anything you throw at them.

Spend the same if not more on bfgs and get half the mileage.

 

Not to mention a very old design that is riding on its looks and history.

U don't see trophy trucks racing with wooden spoked rims, solid tires, and gas lamps for a reason. Technogy advances for a reason.

The bfg a/t is claimed as the most recognized tread pattern in the world....

I'm willing to bet the Volkswagen beetle is one of the most recognized vehicles in the world...... U don't see them racing in NASCAR, Indy, or 24 hours of Le Mans.

Bfg took forever to even keep up with compound technology when they finally introduced the KO series it was not revolutionary.

 

Yea my brother found a brand new set of trd wheels off a fancy fj cruiser with bfgs on them for a great price,they look great on his truck but when it rains he hydroplanes like crazy in almost no standing water because the tires load up with water.

 

Its like the designers took a racing slick, coated it with epoxy, and then ran over all of the "L" shaped pieces out of the game "tetris" and called it a tire.

Or is that just my observation?

 

Cool, thanks for the info so far guys! I'm pretty broke, so all tires are expensive to me haha but hopefully I can find something. I don't need them ASAP, but preferably sometime before mid-winter is here. I'll look into those suggestions.. also been looking at some Hankook DynaPro ATM's. Ideally i'd like to find a lightly used set local for cheap..

 

Look INSIDE used tires for plug patches, and any strange wear along the inside of the sidewall due to improper inflation. Many people only look at the outsides, when many important things can be seen inside the carcass...,.. When the tire is under inflated, the wear on the sidewall is visible inside.

Feel free to pm me...... I gotta get out ta bed and showered up and run some errands.

 

whats up with your tires you have on the truck now? Only asking cuz you have a 13 and i can imagine those tires are worn out yet. They do good in the snow, i had my oem tires in 12+ inches of snow and on ice roads countless times.


Hankooks are my 3ed choice of tires. michelin and yokohama are 1st.

 

I'm not really sure, maybe they're just still really new or something? Last two times it has rained they have been a little slippery and I felt like I was losing my back end. haha I'm not sure. If I try to accelerate while turning, like when i'm in an intersection, they spin and squeal even on dry pavement. I'm just not a huge fan of them.. but I may have to just get used to them seeing as how I'm broke as hell.

 

Nice reply. TW needs more of this.

 

I have been looking at this AT recently. It is the Toyo Open Country ATII. It has been reviewed favourably and has an excellent warranty

 

Thank you

 

I never said the dunlops were great but they do get me where I need to go untill they wear out.

 

I love my Hankook Dynapros. I got them in a P-rated 265/70/17 and didn't lose any mileage and my traction went way up. 20,000 miles on them so far and I see them going another 50,000. Very happy with them.

 

I have been running BFG AT's. They are terrible in the winter(poor siping and lacking silica) and terrible on concrete, especially when it is wet(poor siping). They have definitely been great for me off-road(large voids) and certainly look cool. Overall I would not recommend them based on my experience.

 

Yea I've been looking into those too. Seems like they have a pretty good consensus. Tires are just so damn expensive. lol

 

I got mine for $700 after tax, with lifetime rotations and balancing, which is pretty reasonable for truck tires. But I know what you mean, buying tires sucks.

 

I had Silent Armors on my 06. Put close to 50k & were good in winter time.