A tale of two MT treads: your input, please

[mauricio_28]

I'd like to solicit your input on the strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages of the two MT treads below. Thanks.

Tire A

Tire B

 

[Hilldweller]

On tread alone, it looks like tire A will last longer and B will work better.
I like the attempt at a hybrid on A but the center lugs aren't siped and sipes help on wet asphalt.
B is more aggressive overall but might not have enough contact patch for wet pavement to be the best on roads.

I recognize B; what is A though?

 

[KevinNY]

A is a Kumho. Not a fan of directional tread. They have less tread depth than most MTs in comparable sizes and seem to be a bit more show than go.

 

[mauricio_28]

Thanks. I wanted to keep this focused more on the tread than the make of the tire. I saw both of them today and tread depth is comparable, if not the same. Not all of us are looking for Simex-like, Rain Forest Challenge mud treads. The place where I saw these two tires also carries Simex, but I passed on those. Horses for courses. Any more comments on the advantages/disadvantages of the tread pattern?

 

[KevinNY]

There is nothing someone thousands of miles away is going to be able to tell you as to which works better for your purposes in Indonesia. They are both MTs , just take your pick.

 

[mauricio_28]

I am not asking anyone to tell me which one is better or to tell me which one is better in Indonesia. I am asking people to tell me, based on their experience and judgement, the downside and upside of each tread pattern. Simple as that.

 

[dyogim]

You also need to mention that tire A, has tread on the sidewalls. Which also plays a role on decisioning.

I like tire B because, of the siping of each lug. The void between each lug is also wider that the lugs on Tire B. The wider voids will help with to clean the tires from mud. With the tread pattern on B being directional, you are limited when it comes to rotating tires.

 

[Pskhaat]

Directional tires have their place, but with limited rotations can wear funny.

 

[chasespeed]

Between A and B....

Depends on how/where you will use them personally.

For me, Tread A would have to suffice, as I dont off road hardly enough to justify Tread B. I have had tread B, and really liked it, when I lived right close to a beach, and a lot of off road driving. But, at least in my PSD, with my heavy right foot, they didnt last long....

Tread A, will still get bite(though not as much as B), and clean out, at least on the sides... while having better road manners.

Tread B is a pretty good MT, that wears fast, and suck in the rain.. at least in my pickup...

Really... I would get A, and keep a hot knife handy to add some extra siping, and maybe remove some tread in some areas if needed...

My 2 cents,
Chase

 

[Broncogearhead]

i have tire "a" on my superduty. size is 315/75/16
i have about 10,000 miles on them and they show little wear. so far i love them.
i have done some lite off roading with them(sand, dirt and lite mud), and they do fine. 99% of my miles are on the pavement. they are very quiet, and run very smooth. they are great when the road is wet. due to where i live, i'll probably not have a chance to run them in snow or ice, so i cant comment there.

i know a few folks who run the other tire shown on their superdutys. from what i understand they are happy too.

 

[mauricio_28]

Thanks for your input.

Moving the discussion further, Tire A is marginally less expensive and weighs two pounds less. In terms of rotational weight, is two pounds significant and noticeable?

 

[mk4]

Back to the original question...

I'm no tire expert, but in my opinion from the looks, I'd say A has a more open pattern (larger void) and may do better in snow and mud. Its tread blocks are also beveled or angled which help self-cleaning. It also has less siping so it may do worse than B.

B looks to have more of a closed pattern (less void) so it has more of a contact patch and may do better on rocks, it also has more siping. Overall, B may be a more all-around tire, but A may fare well in mud and snow. So I guess it depends on your usage.

 

[zjsheller]

tread a is a Kumho MT. tread b is a cooper stt. both are pretty good offroad tires. the cooper is a much quieter and better mannered on the highway. the kumho will last longer. both are good off-road tires. cooper better in mud, kumho better on the rocks. both ok in the sand. i guess you need to decide how you are going to use them, and purchase accordingly. I personally decided on the new mt w/ kevlar from goodyear and they are AWESOME in every way. good luck!!

 

[mauricio_28]

Tread B is not a Cooper. But, please, let's stay away from tire brands, tire makes and tire models. Let's instead talk about tire performance. Thanks.

Besides issues of rotation and reverse driving, what are other disadvantages of directional tires? Seems to me that if those two are the only issues, the benefits may actually outweigh the drawbacks...

 

[redthies]

Gotta drag this thread back out... A couple of people stated that directional tires can't be rotated as much as non-directional... If you are on radials, there is no difference! You should not be rotating in an x patern. Only back to front. Side to side or the x rotation is only for bias ply tires!
Rant over...