Tire Question

Do a search on tire rack for those tires. You'll know everything about them.

 

Duratracs for the Win!

265/75/16 Duratracs come in a 6 ply C load tire.

 

Toyo Open Country AT3s are sweet. I have always run BFGs and they cannot hold air compared to the Toyos. Been on many sets and my son is on his 2nd set and went to the AT3s. Nice tire hands down, quiet, very well know to be light and easy to balance. My AT2s barely took any weight.

 

Tire threads are like oil threads. Different tires excel on different terrains, the only constant is that a heavier tire will be less puncture prone, but slow your acceleration, decrease your MPG, and increase wear on suspension components. For the majority of people, it will come down to what looks toughest, even if that means the the most terrain the vehicle sees is a speedbump.

 

A little spoonful of truth there.

 

Am I the only one who likes the OEM tires? They ride phenomenal on the road. I’m a bit hesitant to stray away from them when the time comes as I can’t imagine a smoother riding truck the way it sits right now.

 

Nope. They are fine for 95% of Taco owners, including me. Only hard core off roaders need more and they are few and far between. Most tire upgrades are for appearance and I can't fault that. I have made lots of appearance changes on my truck.

 

Here is a fantastic article that I found posted by another member ( @1fz-fe ) It can help you understand tire rating. It helped me make my decision for what tire I wanted. (Toyo Open Country AT III)

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdo...ything-you-need-know-about-all-terrain-tires/

Good luck

 

I agree. For most of the driving I do, they're completely adequate. I have the space, so I bought a second set of flaking alloy rims and mounted the lightest LT tires I could find that also excelled in the snow and were snowflake rated (Firestone X/T LT215/85R16's). I use these if I'm heading out on remote doubletrack and can't risk a puncture, or if there is snow in the forecast. I've got complete tire swaps down to 18 minutes.

 

I’m not sure I can see myself switching to a more aggressive tire when these OEM tires go bald. I’m happy with the way the truck rides, handles and it’s gas mileage. The moment I swap these tires out for something like a KO2 or Wildpeak, I know all of those are going to take a hit. Time will tell. If these OEM tires last 50k or so, I’ll probably put on another set. If they prematurely wear, then I will consider something else. I don’t get the hate for the stock Goodyear’s. Sure, they don’t look like the most aggressive AT out there, but they ride really good for a DD.

 

Goodyear Duratrac 265/75r16 are standard on some 21 models. I liked mine but switched to Ko’s when I went to 33’s. The E tire Ko’s are horrible in rain, just FYI. I have no problem with road noise. They are a heavy tire, but mine are 33’s.

 

I've actually wheeled my gooyear kevlars quite a bit and they kept up with buddies with mud terrains .

 

I 2nd that!

 

I also like the oem's, but I ran goodyear duratrac's 265/75/16 in the winter and they preformed great as well

 

I love my Cooper STT. A little noisy but good handling for a big tire

 

On the puncture question with SL's, saw this in the Toyo Open Country AT3 thread earlier that includes an interview with one the designers from Toyo (and Toyota previously): https://www.outsideonline.com/outdo...ything-you-need-know-about-all-terrain-tires/

"I asked Bergeson if the thinner, more flexible construction of a P/Euro-metric tire was less suitable for off-road use. “You’ll actually find that the more flexible tire deforms better over obstacles, which can help with grip and ride quality,” he says. It’s not true that plies used in those tires can lead to more punctures. While the strands used to construct the lighter tires aren’t quite as thick, they’re more densely woven, which works to prevent penetration equally well. The one area where an LT tire might be more resistant to punctures than the lighter option will come simply from increased thickness of the tread on the former."

Obviously that can only speak to Toyo's claim there and not other models/brands, as well as verification of the claim.

The paragraph prior to that one was interesting too and describes why I'll probably go with them once the OEMs are ready for a change since I fall into that category:

"Our data says P/Euro-metric users spend at least 80 percent of their time on paved roads,” he says. So Toyo optimizes those tires for that use. On its new Open Country AT/III, for instance, Toyo employs a rubber compound with a higher proportion of silica, which enhances grip on wet pavement. And the tread pattern features smaller voids and more siping. (Sipes are the squiggly little lines inside the tread blocks.) The noise you hear all-terrain tires make is created by air passing through those voids. So making sipes smaller on tires biased to on-road use helps make those tires more civilized. Sipes enhance mechanical keying on slippery surfaces like ice, so adding more of them helps the P/Euro-metric AT/IIIs perform better in winter conditions."

 

Cooper discoverer St Maxx

 

Good post.

On that is why I went with SL ATs as it was the same compound change on the Wildpeaks.


Also, I don't put much faith in UTQG treadwear numbers, but I do find the traction and temperature ratings somewhat helpful. That data and marking is not required for LT tires.

 

I like them so far, but mine haven't seen any winter use yet which is of moderate concern for me living in CO, I got the truck this summer. They are indeed quiet and smooth on the road. I've pretty much decided on stock size Michelin LTX AT2s when it's time to replace the stock tires. I couldn't care less about an aggressive sidewall, so I'm going the exact opposite direction! Those sidewalls are Michelin Man through and through!

I think Michelin Defenders would be an even smoother and quieter ride than the stock Goodyears, but perhaps negligible since it's a truck after all. Give up a little tread, gain a little comfort.

 

^ Am I just now learning about auto-generated links?