Best A/T Tires for the Pacific Northwest

I'm in the market for some A/T tires for the Pacific Northwest for my 2011 Tacoma 4D Long-bed TRD Sport. I log most of my time during the week in the city and highways, but spend lots of weekend time on gravel forest service roads. I want to be sure that the tires I purchase hold up to the wet conditions of Oregon.

Currently, I've been researching BFG AT KO, BFG AT KO2, Goodyear Duratracs, and Cooper Discover AT3 but am open to others. I want them to look beefy enough to give my truck some character and be able to handle some gnarlier forest service roads, yet be a bit quieter and stronger on the road than mud terrains. I'm also concerned about the amount of gravel flinging the BFGs may cause as I don't run front mud flaps.

Tire size will be 275-70-17. I'm also considering dropping to 16" wheels instead and/or bumping to 285. While I'm at it, I'm going to put these new tires on a set of black Mickey Thompson Classic IIIs, Billy 5100 all around, and either Firestone Airbags on the rear -or- a 2" block.

Appreciate any guidance and thoughts.

 

Welcome to TW. I'm also in the great PNW. The KOs are terrible in even the slightest mud, I will never buy them again. The Duratracs are terrible in the rain. The KO2s seem to offer the best of all worlds without the drawbacks. They have the best siping out of any AT tire I have seen. They also have better sidewall protection than either above tire, which is important here if airing down in areas of volcanic rock. In my professional opinion they are the best all purpose tire. And they look killer.

Check out the improvements over the original KO:
http://youtu.be/K-mSQDOBmh8

 

I personally hate my KO's (First generation), my dad has KO 2's on his F250, and they don't clean out any better in mud, and they had odd handling characteristics, the steering is very light when towing (compared to the same setup with BFG rugged terrains).

Looking into cooper ST maxx's for my truck next.

 

Not Hankook ATm

 

I'm running the KO2 in 275/70r17. Love everything about them but the 10ply. (Don't need 10ply on my truck) I've got off road tires for trail runs and studded winters for middle of our winters. The KO2s are great for everything in between. Pretty good in the snow but when its -30 I like my studded Nokians.

 

Do they clear wet / slushy snow well ?

 

Cooper ST Maxx for me. They have been great for me. Pretty heavy though if you drive a lot of highway. I have run 265/75/16 and now 285/75/16 and lost a couple mpg with the 285's.

 

How do they do for wet / slushy snow ?

 

Look at the General Grabber AT2s. Haven had any problems with them at all on Forrest roads, rocks, as well as on the wet and icy roads

 

I haven't had them in deep slush but in a couple inches they have been great. The only thing I wish they were better in was ice, but I've never had a non studded or dedicated winter/snow tire do well on ice.

 

Thanks

 

I've heard the KO2s may throw gravel like crazy. What's your experience been there? How are they with hydroplaning on wet pavement?

 

How about Michelin AT2?

 

Why? These are what I ran on my 05 quad cab Cummings. Not mud tires but do just fine for the mud I get into. Did awesome in the snow,probably the best of any AT I ran on it and never a flat with many miles of gravel road use. So that is why I just put a set on the 14.

ETA:and they are quiet enough for me. No complaints with 7k on them now.

 

They are terrible in the wet snow / slush conditions I get here on the coast @ sea level

My Hankook MT's were better

 

Copy OZ-T. I'm at the base of the Cascades. So generally not slushy running.

 

Yeah , the few times we have been really cold and gotten dry snow they are fine , the wet stuff tends to pack the tread blocks and doesn't clear

 

I'm up in Fort St John BC. I run the Duratracs in size 265/70R17. Because of work I need to run "snowflake" tires. For an "all round" tire I really like the Duratracs on my Tacoma. In my opinion they work quite well on pavement, gravel, mud and snow. They're not great on ice. Although I've never seen anything except studded ice tires that was. When its icy I put my chains on. In my experience I've never found an all terain that was really great at anything but Im pretty happy with the duratracs.

 

Once you get to ice, a few winter studless and studded tires. Ice pretty much dictates a change over.

 

Toyo AT2 Open Country for all on road manners are excellent. Can not speak for off road.