Best AT tire rough offroad reliability and snow - Duratrac vs KO2

I've found that KO2s are acceptable in all conditions but not particularly good at any one of them.

 

I mostly agree. But I do feel that I can infer performance to some extent from looking at a tire. You get a feel for compound softness/hardness, tread design, width, rolling resistance etc.

I guess my real dilemma is this:
I am real happy with the durability of load range E ko2. But the ice/snow and mud performance could be better. I also would like a tad better mpg's.

That is why I am now considering the Boss AT's. but don't think I can sacrifice even more mpg to the HEAVY load range E tire. But the 4 ply with 2ply sidewall SL tire is likely to wimpy for rough offroading, dunno.

 

Toyo Open Country AT III here, really like them.

Had KO2 on my last Jeep and they really wore on the outsides badly, changed to Coopers and didnt have have that problem.

 

Can't say that I can give a fair comparison between the two, but I'm going on my third year on a duratac. They have held up really well treadwear wise. and are great in the snow/ice and offroad. I use to drive Subaru's and always had two sets of tires, one dedicated snow. When I got my second gen I did the same thing, then one season I took off the snow tires early and we had a good snowfall, I couldn't tell a difference in traction between my Cooper Discoverer M&S and the duratrac in the snow. I sold the snow tires and run these year round now. I went with a load C to save some weight, we have mostly sand around here in Northen MI tho, so I can't comment on rocky terrain/puncture.

I was in the same boat as you and I'm happy I went with duatracs. They do howl tho.

 

if those are my two choices, i am choosing the BF Goodrich. Goodyear tires have always been the least durable of any tire i've run. i've stopped using them on any truck or car i own. rocks through the tread and sidewall are almost guaranteed.

cooper have been hit or miss, some OK others not so much. they've been fairly durable, but have worn terribly.

i've had the best luck with toyo and yokohama.

 

your requirements are impossible to match.

 

The duratrac is a better snow/ice tire. You see them on a ton of fleet vehicles at -40 in Northern Alberta, while KO2's are nowhere to be seen.

 

Even though I have not taken them in seriously rocky conditions (yet), I am more confident in my SL Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T than any load E Goodyear tire from a puncture resistance perspective.

 

K02 in 10 ply are bulletproof and great all round tires. Not deserving of the 3pMS as they are not great in winter. Duratracs are supposed to be a much superior winter tire, but not as robust on the rocks.

 

My buddy and tire guy recommends Toyo Open Country A/T III. Much better wet traction than the KO2 and comes with a treadwear warranty and also 3PMSF rated. Added bonus they're also manufactured in the USA. I'll be buying these when my current tires wear out. I've read that even though they have fewer sidewall layers but the layers themselves are thicker to make up for it? Probably to reduce manufacturing costs.

 

I haven't run all 3 on the same truck (had the KOs on a previous truck) but I have run the Falken At3/W and the Duratracs back to back and the Duratracs were unquestionably better in both snow and mud. I wouldn't even put them in the same category. The Falkens are smoother on road and quieter but that's about it, they were more like your standard street focused All Terrains.

For the OP, the Duratracs are better in snow for sure. The KOs have the edge in a number of dry off road conditions but they aren't the best in the snow.

 

No you don’t. You dont have a clue about performance related to compound softness, tread design, rolling resistance, etc from just looking at a tire.

Better snow and winter performance that you are looking for comes from Silica and tire Siping, both things that contribute to increased tire wear.

AT's are an all-season tire with some advantages in dirt/gravel. they will suck in mud and be mediocre in snow/ice. Cant have your cake and eat it too.

But absolutely do not judge a book by it’s cover.

 

Toyo has a C/T model comparable to Duratracs,
https://www.toyotires.com/product/open-country-ct/

 

A ton of public works departments down here in Wa/Idaho only run Duratracs because they get a hookup on them.

Personal experience I think there are much better options for snow/compact snow/ice

 

I've ran KO2s before and Have Duratracs on now. Both load C. Ran the KO2 off road and have had no issues. Haven't had a chance to run the Duratracs off road yet. Duratracs are a bit more MT than AT comapred to KO2, hence they are louder, and very sensitive to pressure (uneven wear if you set pressures wrong). When they wear unevenly they become loud due to block design.

All that being said I'm shopping for actual snow tires right now as neither of them are very good in winter conditions, for me anyways.

 

When the BFG's eventually go out of round like they eventually do, you'll appreciate the Duratracs a lot more.

 

Had KO2s on my Jeep when I lived in a mountain town for several winters with 300in of snow average. They did well, but could have possibly done better going skinner. I like making fun of my friend who is a die hard K2Bro.

Wildpeaks have a solid pattern too but heavier in the E rating I believe. Was in some sketchy ice in stop and go traffic in the mountains and no rear ends.

Currently on Toyo AT III E rated and quite happy with them. I went skinny and haven't had any issue with a couple of winters on them. They are 6 or 7lbs lighter than my Wildpeaks that were in SL and kept the same diameter at 31in.

I had Duratracs but returned them for the e rated Toyos. The traction was great but I had heard that goes away quickly as the tire wears and they get loud.

I recommend you look at different widths when going E rated to save weight and improve traction. Just drive smart.

 

Premature wear with Duratrac's are often a result of using them on big heavy trucks and not rotating them as often as you should (Like 5,000kms/3,000miles often). I know many people with Duratrac's that have gotten to 100,000kms/60,000miles still with usable tread left by adhering to that rotation schedule. I love Duratrac's and have great results from them but I do not think I will be buying a set for my Taco. I do not think it is unreasonable for someone to be fine rotating most tires every 10,000kms/6,200miles without worrying about wear (Assuming steering and suspension components are good). Just another step of maintenance I do not want to worry about.

 

My father in law is a KO2 loyalist despite having numerous sets with balancing and belt issues.

 

I agree about Ko2's and snow. I was not impressed and believe they are ok, but over rated generally.