tires from another point of view

[Jeep or Tacoma]

I read all this stuff about tires size. but not that much about over all toughness and side wall toughness. so with that said what are your thoughts on these 2 issues, what has worked and what has failed I have seen several phots of goodyear dura tracs with side wall punctures. That is something I wish to avoid at all costs .

On a similar note how many of you are running all terrains in rock ? what works what doesn't
and finally what are the quietest mud terrains with the toughest side walls?

 

[daryn1979]

This is a tough question to answer because there are so many variables. When picking tires, you need to reflect on where YOU actually wheel vs. what everyone else runs- what's the terrain like, how much are you really offroad/on pavement, and what are you willing to sacrifice with your tire choice (MTs will be better offroad, ATs better for onroad). I live in MN, and I ran Duratracs on trails here and in mountain switchbacks (read: all sharp rock, not roads) in Moab without a problem- no torn sidewalls and they were extremely silent for an MT-style tire. Someone who lives in country with a lot of thorny brush or fresh-cut trails may say differently because their tires are exposed to more opportunities for sidewall damage, whereas I am not. Just a few weeks ago I traded out my BFG TA/KMs for Toyo Open Country AT2s in 285/75/17 because I've heard nothing but good about them and so far I've had no problem- they have a strong sidewall with great shoulder tread, a great open-tread design that rides silent on road and cleans out well offroad. I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform over the Duratracs I was running a couple years ago on my TJ.

 

[JeepinJon]

For a mud terrain I am running the Nitto Trail Grappler. It is a heavier tire based on size, but the weight is from added material in the sidewall. I have worn or damaged the sidewalls on every BFG and GY tire I have ever had, but I have yet to damage the sidewall on the Nitto Trail Grappler. I have found the tires to be one of the smoother M/T tires, and in turn this leads to better road manners at low speeds (no feeling of each lug hitting the road), and also quieter highway speeds.

 

[toxicity_27]

I'm running Nitto Terra Grapplers which are an A/T. Like daryn I'm in Minnesota, they've done well for me so far. I have around 26-27000 miles on them and they appear to have a lot of tread life left. Though when these wear out I will be getting the Nitto Trail Grapplers.

 

[Dzine07]

Cheers

I'm running Nitto Terra Grapplers which are an A/T. Like daryn I'm in Minnesota, they've done well for me so far. I have around 26-27000 miles on them and they appear to have a lot of tread life left. Though when these wear out I will be getting the Nitto Trail Grapplers.

Nice to see someone from MN on here. Where in MN are you located? Are you building an expo rig?

 

[Mr.T]

I read all this stuff about tires size. but not that much about over all toughness and side wall toughness. so with that said what are your thoughts on these 2 issues, what has worked and what has failed I have seen several phots of goodyear dura tracs with side wall punctures. That is something I wish to avoid at all costs.

To me, the problem is lack of any repeatable test or metric for toughness. Maybe Duratracs are less tough, or maybe they just have a disproportionally high share of the off-road market, etc.

On a similar note how many of you are running all terrains in rock ? what works what doesn't
and finally what are the quietest mud terrains with the toughest side walls?

To me, all terrain and mud terrain style tread are pretty much equal in moderate rocks -- And airing down sufficiently is the most reliable damage insurance.

For wet and icy pavement and slick rock, all terrain style with smaller lugs and lots of siping should work better than an equivalent mud style. I like tires with the mountain snowflake rating and use them year round from mountains to desert.

 

[kojackJKU]

As of right now the correct answer to every tire question besides full blown mud is cooper ST MAXX!

EDIT: and full dedicated snow tire. I would get a set of snow tires. but eveything in between MUD and SNOW is cooper ST MAXX>

 

[BigRedXJ]

Along the lines of the ST Maxx, I run the Cooper STT. Excellent off and on road. Good wear, and tough sidewalls. If you're considering any tire, do some research until you can find a website that lists tread and sidewall ply count. The Duratrac is a great tire for sure, my fiance has them on her Jeep. But they just aren't designed to take the beating that a true MT is. Although, if you're really worries about tire strength, buy a bias ply tire haha.

 

[crawler#976]

Two tires come to mind, one an MT the other an AT.

For the ultimate in traction and durability, the GoodYear MT/R Kevlar is pretty hard to beat. The sidewall is over 3/4" thick on most sizes. I've abused a set on an 8000 lb Power Wagon, and never had a problem with tire failure. Back in my hard core rock crawling days, the original MT/R was the toughest radial tire hands down, and the new Kevlar model is an improvement on that in all facets.

The Falken Wild Peak (AKA Falken Rocky Mountain from Discount/America's Tire) has a very good reputation for sidewall toughness. We've had no problems with a set on our JKUR for the last 2 years of trail use. They were chosen by Scott Brady for use on his personal Land Rover for the same reasons - extreme sidewall durability. Traction is actually very good for a mild AT. The only thing they have trouble in is deep snow or mud, and that's easily cured with a set of RUD Grip 4x4 chains.

 

[unkamonkey]

Let me throw another brand in here. Kelly Springfield Safari MSRs. Mine are the old design so there isn't all of the siping in the tread like the new ones have. Several trips to Moab with these on and absolutely no sidewall damage from Top Of The World, Elephant Hill/Confluance overlook trails.

 

[NFRs2000NYC]

Duratracs are generally regarded as one of if not THE best AT you can get, especially in E rated flavor. Comfortable ride, excellent wear, and fantastic traction in all conditions. If you want a tire (MT) with sidewalls made from lead, granite, and bacon, then look no further than the Nitto Trail Grappler (do not confuse with the terra grappler.) However, one drawback....they are heavy.