Duratrac and KM2 comparison Any thoughts?

Has anyone had both the Duratracs and the KM2's to be able to know the comparison of road feel/noise? I'm debating on which to get and what size. I currently have the 33" Duratracs and I like the feel/noise level but they're a bit bulky where as the KM's come in 255/85r16's which are raved about on here.

 

Free bump. I have the km2 and they are excellent. I actually am thinking about the duratrac for a little more aggressive look. I am trying to compare the two. My km2 have been great in the snow. And offroad. And make very little to no noise on the street. Slightest of noise only compared to street tires. I may actually stick with them but I'm up sizing so I'm looking at options.

 

I've run both. KM2 over Duratrac any day. I did sipe my KM2s, but the KM2s did better in the slick wet, were surprisingly quieter, more aggressive and I felt the performance did not fall off as quickly with wear like the duratracs. Again, I had my KM2s duped at the tire shop where as Duratracs had "factory siping".

 

I've had both....(265/75/16's) .Duratracs are a MUCH better highway tire. (KM2 is extremely loud compared to a Duratrac as well as being kinda squirrely in hard rain driving conditions) Duratracs are FAR better in snow. . Duratracs are pressure sensitive....You have to get the pressure correct for your vehicle. I'm @ 25,000 miles on current Duratracs and have measured less than 3/64th inch wear. By that point in the life of the KM2, I was seeing significant (and uneven) wear. The wear characteristics on a Duratrac are AWESOME for an off road capable tire. No issues to report on either as far as carcass reliability for off roading. (We have lots of rock and sharp slate/shale here....No cuts or marks on either) KO2's are just shy of worthless in clay mud we have here. Like running drag slicks....KM2's aren't a direct comparison to Duratracs. You need to compare KM2 with Goodyear Kevlar MTR . After owning BOTH, I have Duratracs now and will consider them for my next set. KO2 are DEFINATELY off that list. MIGHT go KM2's, (due to a size they offer that isn't available in many other brands) but leaning towards another set of Duratracs when the time comes. I will be stepping up from 265/75/16 (lr C) to a 285/75/16 E rated tire in all likelihood. That is the only real question with which tire I choose. Tire weight will factor in with my final decision. The only reason KM2's are still in the picture would be if I try the 255/85/16 size instead of 285/75's. Same quandary as you on that issue....

 

Duratracs are closer to an MT tire. KO2s are a definite AT tire, as such they will perform poor in thick mud for sure. I like the KM2s but definitely suggest getting the center blocks siped for wet weather traction which reduces them being squirrelly.

 

Duratracs are direct competitor for KO2's as an AT tire, only light years BETTER for anything not paved and dry. ....Goodyear MTR is direct comparison for KM2. When I had the KM2's on my Dodge, I couldn't pull a loaded trailer on wet roads.....The rear would slide all over the place. With Duratracs, never an issue.

Goodyear AND Goodrich BOTH acknowledge the Duratrac and KO2 as A/T tires and competitors. The MTR is Goodyears M/T tire.

 

I have had both on the same truck that you have and would never buy the Duratracs again. I had load range C duratracs and have load range E KO2's, the duratracs are a louder, rougher ride, and worse wearing tire in my opinion.

 

I've had both, wont touch another set of KM2's. The Duratrac is a much better tire for all around use, the KM2 only excels at offroad dry/dirt/rock the Duratrac is lightyears better in wet conditions, snow, ice, etc. They wear similarly, which is rather impressive for the KM2 but when the roads get any moisture on them the KM2 is downright sketchy in my experiences. 2 sets of 35" KM2's (2 different Tacoma's, got rid of both sets at 1/2 tread because I couldnt stand them any longer) and 1 set of 35" Duratrac that has been on 2 different 4runners of ours (30K+ miles and still 1/2 tread and going strong!).

 

I've run both tires in the past on various vehicles (no siping on the BFGs). Of the two, the Duratracs have the best on road manners by a large margin, including noise, wet/snow traction, and cold traction. I my experience, the BFGs are not great in the rain and near worthless in light snow/slush. I had some pretty hairy moments in cold wet conditions with my BFGs.

I think the only real benefit to the KM2 vs Duratrac would be sidewall strength, but there are other makes of MT tires that offer great sidewall strength and much better on-road manners than a KM2.

 

Such as; Among others, the Goodyear MTR..... Which is what Goodyear lines up as their competitor to the KM2. They're tougher'n a $2 steak! Just pricey.

 

Just a bit of an update on this. I decided to go with the KM2's. Originally had Duratracs when I bought the truck. The day after getting the new tires/wheels I went on a road trip to Montana. I have about 3-5000 miles on them now. As far as road noise they are a mud terrain tire but that being said I didn't notice anymore noise than with the Duratracs. Road manners yes the KM2's are a little weird to get used but I think that it's easier to predict than with the Duratracs and I also think that improving suspension will alleviate some of this as it has stock suspension which brings me to my next point. The clearance of the KM2's are far superior to the Duratracs. No hard turns with them at all but with the KM2's it only rubs when flexed abruptly. Also manners on dirt roads (which I traveled on quite frequently in Montana sometimes in excess of 50 ) they did a great job lat handling it. No issues with them in light to heavy rain tjough as mentioned above. If you're going for purely aesthetics then Duratracs are your best bet. Just my 2 cents.

 

Old post, I know... but for anyone referencing this for tire research like me... I had 265/75R16 Duratracs on a '13 DCSB. It had the stock Baja T/X suspension. No rubbing when I adjusted the fronts to max lift position. I live in Northern VA and when we had heavy snows, I still didn't need to be in 4WD. Incredible in the snow. I would just get in and drive in front of the snow plows for fun on a USG Snow Day! I had about 60% wear at 40,000+ miles. Only light off-roading, mostly highway miles, and rotations every 5,000 miles. Reputation for a weak sidewall though. If you four wheel with buddies and/or are not completely in the hinterland, these should be good enough. They get loud at about 40,000 miles though.