Tire Size Help.

[brasgaucho]

I need some help picking a tire size for my 2001 LC 100.
Since I live in central Oregon a good all season / snow tire performer is a must.
My current options are:
Wrangler Duratrac
Bf Goodrich t/a ko2
Cooper a/t3

As of now I don’t plan on a lift, maybe a 2” in the future…
I also don’t care for bigger tires since mileage and power I think will suffer.
Should I go with the original size 275/70/16 ? ( available only on t/a ko2 )
I’m leaning towards 265/75/16 a bit narrower, but better on snow and gas mileage… and it will be available on duratrac and cooper.
Or should I go with 285/75/75/16, which will be available on Wrangler Duratrac
Bf Goodrich t/a ko2 and Cooper a/t3 ?


Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Davev1954]

Which Land Rover do you have?

 

[brasgaucho]

oops wrong section, I have a land cruiser.

 

[99Discovery]

For what it's worth, I love my Cooper's enough to put them on my Disco and my suburban, and they'll go on my 2500HD as soon as the stock tires wear out.

My cousin has Duratrac's and loves them too. They are more aggressive looking, but the price difference made me go with Coopers.

From everything I've experienced and heard, they are both good tires. Can't help you with the size, as I don't own an LC-100.

 

[brasgaucho]

For what it's worth, I love my Cooper's enough to put them on my Disco and my suburban, and they'll go on my 2500HD as soon as the stock tires wear out.

My cousin has Duratrac's and loves them too. They are more aggressive looking, but the price difference made me go with Coopers.

From everything I've experienced and heard, they are both good tires. Can't help you with the size, as I don't own an LC-100.

Appreciate it , Thanks!

 

[fjtoyman]

Maybe wrong section but you've narrowed down the right tires. I made the same selection for my car and ended up with the BFGs. My son put on duratracs on his 4runner at about the same time. I've driven both and I'd prefer the BFGs every time. Road noise is almost zero and the are extremely tough, although that might not be one of your top criteria. Coopers I shied away from, but have heard good things, but long after you've forgotten the price difference, the BFGs will still be there for a long time. Very high expectations for these tires.

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[Jwestpro]

I need some help picking a tire size for my 2001 LC 100.
Since I live in central Oregon a good all season / snow tire performer is a must.
My current options are:
Wrangler Duratrac
Bf Goodrich t/a ko2
Cooper a/t3

As of now I don't plan on a lift, maybe a 2” in the future…
I also don't care for bigger tires since mileage and power I think will suffer.
Should I go with the original size 275/70/16 ? ( available only on t/a ko2 )
I'm leaning towards 265/75/16 a bit narrower, but better on snow and gas mileage… and it will be available on duratrac and cooper.
Or should I go with 285/75/75/16, which will be available on Wrangler Duratrac
Bf Goodrich t/a ko2 and Cooper a/t3 ?


Any help is greatly appreciated.

The KO2 is the best tire in your list.

You should NOT use a size smaller than the oem. A 32.5" size will fit fine without a lift. 33" narrow enough will fit too. 31.5-32" is kind of ideal for stock height though.

The 265/75x16 in BFG AT Ko2 is right about 31.5". Which really would be sort of perfect from what you talked about being important.

 

[fishEH]

Disagree. The KO2 is pretty much the the same as the original but with a more aggressive and better looking sidewall. The DuraTrac temains the most aggressive AT tire on the market and is the best in the snow.

The KO2 is the best tire in your list.

You should NOT use a size smaller than the oem. A 32.5" size will fit fine without a lift. 33" narrow enough will fit too. 31.5-32" is kind of ideal for stock height though.

The 265/75x16 in BFG AT Ko2 is right about 31.5". Which really would be sort of perfect from what you talked about being important.

 

[Expedition.Report]

Disagree. The KO2 is pretty much the the same as the original but with a more aggressive and better looking sidewall. The DuraTrac temains the most aggressive AT tire on the market and is the best in the snow.

There are more changes to the KO2's then just that, sure it may look similar but they have gone with an entirely new rubber compound, tread design... Etc. but I have yet to try a set out on more then a few miles on pavement, so I have no comment on if the are better than the original. That said I love both sets of KO's I had and will be going the KO2 route once my MTR's wear down enough

The Duratrac has a weak side wall and therefore will not go on any of my rigs for that single reason, I have used my tire repair kit too many times on only that tire.


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[brasgaucho]

You guys are great, THX.
I'm getting more bites here than on the land cruiser section.
Maybe I should trade the Land Cruiser for a Land Rover...

 

[Jwestpro]

You guys are great, THX.
I'm getting more bites here than on the land cruiser section.
Maybe I should trade the Land Cruiser for a Land Rover...

The difference is people with LC just go "do" rather than sit around pissed off at some aspect of what's wrong with the Rover this month. Mine was in the shop all week.

Also, on LC you can pretty much put on whatever size tire you like, which may require a lift, but the size limitations are much bigger and simpler than with an LR3/4. Thus LR3/4 people have to become experts on the few choices we have.

 

[Jwestpro]

Disagree. The KO2 is pretty much the the same as the original but with a more aggressive and better looking sidewall. The DuraTrac temains the most aggressive AT tire on the market and is the best in the snow.

I don't think this discussion is about "most aggressive" and I'm not sure that's even true anyway. The DT looks awesome but I don't think it's quite all that special.

The BFG AT KO2 is much more different than it appears to be from the KO"1".

As for "best in snow", what are you trying to say exactly? Best compared to what? There are more likely better "in snow" AT tires such as the Nokian Rotiva.

 

[fishEH]

I don't think this discussion is about "most aggressive" and I'm not sure that's even true anyway. The DT looks awesome but I don't think it's quite all that special.

The BFG AT KO2 is much more different than it appears to be from the KO"1".

As for "best in snow", what are you trying to say exactly? Best compared to what? There are more likely better "in snow" AT tires such as the Nokian Rotiva.

Every tire is a compromise. For me the DuraTrac was very aggressive offroad and performed better than the BFG KO. The DuraTrac had minmal road noise, handled and wore well. They also performed very well in the snow. They have the snowflake rating amd can be studded.
Obviously a dedicated winter tire will be better in the snow and a dedicated mud tire better in the mud and a dedicated street tire better on the road. If you want something good at everything the DuraTracs are a great option, and based upon my experience better than the BFG KO.

 

[Jwestpro]

They have the snowflake rating amd can be studded. .

Maybe so, but ...I think the BFG is a tougher tire though from my use of both. Also, longer wear from what other people are seeing but then the vehicle (weight and solid axle vs independent causing camber wear) and driving style matter too.

I forgot about the studding option on the DT, that would be awesome

 

[zelatore]

oooohhhhhh a tire discussion! Fun! I want to play too!


Duratrac vs BFG AT KO: (not KO2; not enough experience around that tire yet to have an opinion)

I really liked my Duratracs when I started out with them last year. In snow runs side-by-side with the same model trucks on BFG AT KOs on the same hills, I could walk around them EASILY. Compared to KM or KM2 equiped rigs (DI and DII, not the LR3 or LR4) it was even more pronounced. MTs just don't cut it in snow at all, while the Duratrac was GREAT.

But all is not sunshine and lollipops.

In rocks all those sipes that make the Duratrac such a good snow performer like to tear. Spin a Duratrac much at all in rocks and you'll start chunking the tread. Spin it a lot, (OK, I'm not talking top fuel burn out here either) and it'll flat disintegrate. It will also become very loud on the hiway, but you would hardly expect different given how much the tread has torn up.

As to the alleged weak sidewall of the Duratrac I have not had much trouble on this front. I have many gouges and tears but have only punctured one, though that was a slow leak and not on a particularly technical trail. I've seen more sidewall tears/punctures to AT KOs, but again that's not a fair comparison as those generally occurred during harder use. Example - we killed 2 AT KO sidewalls on one rig on Fordyce this year, but since I'd never have been able to even get my rig to the places where that occurred it's hard to call that a fair comparison. Over all I do think the BFG AT KO (and likely the KO2) are tough tires, though I won't be running them for my particular needs.

By the same token I most certainly will NOT be going back to the Duratrac. It's been a great street/snow/rain/moderate trail tire, but it's not up to abuse in the rocks on a 7000 lb plus rig. I'm going to step up to a full MT in the next few weeks, though I have not yet made a decision as to which.