Best Aggressive All Terrain or Mild Mud Terrain Tire?

[erstwild]

I have an 2019 F-250 4x4 (no e-locker) with a pretty light SpaceKap camper build currently with the stock wheels and Michelin LTX AT-2s. There is a property with a pretty steep hill dirt track (20 degrees with one short section over 30 degrees) that I frequent and occasionally cannot seem to make my way up in very wet/muddy conditions. The stock tires cake with the heavy clay mud and cannot eject it. I am wondering if a more aggressive tire would allow this to be a non-issue and a good investment or not worth it?

I like the look of the Cooper STT Pros. Any other ideas? Any good stock replacement wheel recommendations too?

 

[sargeek]

Chains, quick fix for a small stretch of road and works on any tire. Really depends what you need the other 95% of the time.

 

[jadmt]

I like my Cooper st/maxx’s.

 

[rayra]

You'd want a good self-cleaning 'Mud Terrain' type of tire for those conditions, but if your driving is 99.9% pavement you're gonna pay for it in road noise and accelerated tire wear. is that worth it to you? Or can you skip the slick muddy days?

 

[erstwild]

You'd want a good self-cleaning 'Mud Terrain' type of tire for those conditions, but if your driving is 99.9% pavement you're gonna pay for it in road noise and accelerated tire wear. is that worth it to you? Or can you skip the slick muddy days?

Chains, quick fix for a small stretch of road and works on any tire. Really depends what you need the other 95% of the time.

I actually drive in and out of this property all the time (every other day), so I think it would be totally worthwhile, haha. 2-3 months of the year access totally depends on the weather. I think I could handle a little more road noise with the Cooper STT Pros. Any good wheel recommendations?

 

[Saint Nick]

I like my Cooper st/maxx’s.

After years of BFG A/T's, I changed to the Cooper ST Maxx and wish I had done earlier. IMHO it's a much better tyre, and certainly more aggressive than your average A/T with great road manners too

 

[badm0t0rfinger]

I like X3s but @rayra is right.

 

[gnel]

I put a set of these https://simpletire.com/mastercraft-...4sM6m_ZeemsJxdA3-6RMbgC4GT6TVVHgaAumCEALw_wcB on my truck in Nov. I´m very happy with them in everything (except snow) thus far.

 

[Saint Nick]

I put a set of these https://simpletire.com/mastercraft-...4sM6m_ZeemsJxdA3-6RMbgC4GT6TVVHgaAumCEALw_wcB on my truck in Nov. I´m very happy with them in everything (except snow) thus far.

Reasonably aggressive for an all terrain, seem decent.

 

[Robert Bills]

I recently replaced a set of Cooper Discoverer ST/Maxx tires after 40,000 trouble free miles of which approximately one half was "expo" or "overlanding." I replaced them with a set of less aggressive and less expensive Cooper Discoverer AT3's but only because I plan to retire that vehicle within the next two years and have acquired a Jeep for serious offroading in the meantime so I thought it was a good opportunity to try a different tire.

I will say that within a month of replacing my ST/Maxx tires I had a change of travel plans which including an unexpected 3 week overlanding trip to Baja California. There were more than a few occasions in Mexico that I wished I had replaced my ST/Maxx with another set of them rather than changing to a less heavy duty tire. I have nothing bad to say about AT3's, just that the ST/Maxx is a rugged 3-ply sidewall "commercial traction" tire with an aggressive AT tread that instills confidence in bad terrain.

I would pick the STT Pro for a jeep, the ST/Maxx for an overlanding/expo truck or SUV, and the AT3 for a multi-purpose highway/recreation tire on a vehicle used primarily on pavement.

YMMV

 

[1stDeuce]

I ran STMaxx's on my truck and my Jeep for several years and was very happy with them. When it was time to replace both last fall, I opted to give the Mastercraft CXT's a try. Honestly, I see almost no difference in preformance in most situations, including snow and ice. They make about the same noise, and seem to be wearing similarly, which is to say not bad. They are a 2 ply carcass instead of the 3ply that the Maxx's use, and I think I could feel a tiny bit of ride difference, but it's probably more related to wanting to feel a difference...
The CXT's do have slightly more void to the tread pattern, and the tread width is a tiny bit less then the Maxx's that I replaced. With a few thousand miles on them the noise has settled in at perhaps a little more than the Maxx's, but certainly not anything like a true mud tire.

I'm running 255/85R16's on the Jeep and 255/80R17's on the truck. I've had more aggressive tires on both, and it's generally a waste of money in my opinion. I had intended to go with AT3's like Robert Bill did on my truck, but couldn't pass up the price on the CXT's. (~$170/tire)

FWIW, if you're running your stock tires at their max pressures, with your light weight truck, I would consider greatly reducing at least the rear tire pressures. You'll be staring at the TPMS idiot light, but you'll find much better traction in all conditions, and a bit better ride too. You can at least lower them within the ~20% threshold for activation, keeping them just a few PSI above that threshold. If 80psi is on the door, try try 65-67psi for starting point... That should keep the light off, but offer better performance from your tires.

If the tire is rock hard, it won't do well offroad, and won't clean out well whether it's a mud tire or an all terrain. Getting the pressure down will flex the tread some, and it'll eject sticky mud better.

 

[erstwild]

I ran STMaxx's on my truck and my Jeep for several years and was very happy with them. When it was time to replace both last fall, I opted to give the Mastercraft CXT's a try. Honestly, I see almost no difference in preformance in most situations, including snow and ice. They make about the same noise, and seem to be wearing similarly, which is to say not bad. They are a 2 ply carcass instead of the 3ply that the Maxx's use, and I think I could feel a tiny bit of ride difference, but it's probably more related to wanting to feel a difference...
The CXT's do have slightly more void to the tread pattern, and the tread width is a tiny bit less then the Maxx's that I replaced. With a few thousand miles on them the noise has settled in at perhaps a little more than the Maxx's, but certainly not anything like a true mud tire.

I'm running 255/85R16's on the Jeep and 255/80R17's on the truck. I've had more aggressive tires on both, and it's generally a waste of money in my opinion. I had intended to go with AT3's like Robert Bill did on my truck, but couldn't pass up the price on the CXT's. (~$170/tire)

FWIW, if you're running your stock tires at their max pressures, with your light weight truck, I would consider greatly reducing at least the rear tire pressures. You'll be staring at the TPMS idiot light, but you'll find much better traction in all conditions, and a bit better ride too. You can at least lower them within the ~20% threshold for activation, keeping them just a few PSI above that threshold. If 80psi is on the door, try try 65-67psi for starting point... That should keep the light off, but offer better performance from your tires.

If the tire is rock hard, it won't do well offroad, and won't clean out well whether it's a mud tire or an all terrain. Getting the pressure down will flex the tread some, and it'll eject sticky mud better.

I was thinking about making some adjustments to tire pressure as well. On the current tires, I have just under the max pressure on the rears (~78 psi) and 5 less on the front (~73 psi). I am looking for an all around setup that I don't need to fidget with all the time ideally. I don't really drive major mileage or commute regularly luckily. Do you think 255/75/R17 STT Pros running at ~70 psi would be a fair all around compromise for example?

Part of my rationale for the STT Pro is that because of the more aggressive pattern I should be able to run them at a higher all around pressure than the ST Maxxs for my given traction requirements. Feel free to correct me if you think this is incorrect.

 

[Robert Bills]

Suggestion: Get your rig weighed at a public scale both fully loaded and again empty if you can. Front axle, rear axle, total. We all think we know what our rigs weigh but the actual numbers are often quite different and sometimes surprising. The cost is nominal and sometimes free if you don't need a certified weight.

Then look up your tire size/load rating and the size/load rating of any proposed new tires on the Rim and Tire Association Load and Inflation Table. This will tell you the air pressure necessary for your tires and your weight. Try that value and experiment from there.

Beats guessing.

TOYO TIRES - Europe

Toyo Tires Official Web site

www.toyotires.com

TOYO TIRES - Europe

Toyo Tires Official Web site

www.toyotires.com

Note: These tables are from the Toyo site but many tire manufacturers republish these tables. If it is the Rim and Tire Association table it will be the same. Don't be concerned that the links say "Europe" - they are the U.S. tables.

 

[SuperAlan]

A friend of mine runs his 2017 F-250 at 58/48 psi front/rear all year long, when he's not hauling or towing. He hasn't had any wear issues or overheating, as far as he knows anyway, and the ride is better.
I'm running Toyo M/T's, 35/12.5R20. They've got a 3-ply sidewall, and they're designed for heavier loads and durability. I've only had my superduty for a few months, and I haven't had an opportunity to play in the mud yet, but the tires are tough and handle the lava boulders sticking up in the back roads around Central Oregon without a hitch. My truck doesn't have lockers either, but it handled a 20% dry, rocky hill in low 4x4 with just a hint of slip, with pressure around 70psi (I was being lazy and didn't want to air down).

Obviously that isn't a 1/1 comparison with your muddy hill, and there's a lot to be said for technique, experience, etc...

 

[1stDeuce]

I was thinking about making some adjustments to tire pressure as well. On the current tires, I have just under the max pressure on the rears (~78 psi) and 5 less on the front (~73 psi). I am looking for an all around setup that I don't need to fidget with all the time ideally. I don't really drive major mileage or commute regularly luckily. Do you think 255/75/R17 STT Pros running at ~70 psi would be a fair all around compromise for example?

Part of my rationale for the STT Pro is that because of the more aggressive pattern I should be able to run them at a higher all around pressure than the ST Maxxs for my given traction requirements. Feel free to correct me if you think this is incorrect.

You asked, so here are my thoughts:

Tire size... The 255/75R17 size you're looking at exists because of the Wrangler Rubicon. I've not seen any yet that have a load range higher than C. I would not put a LR C tire on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck... I would recommend the size I'm running as being a good alternative: 255/80R17.

Tire pressures... First, check your door sticker. Run your front tires at that pressure. On my 2500 GMC, that pressure is 55psi. That was on tiny 245/75R16's, and generally speaking, bigger tires require less pressure to handle the same load as a smaller tire. There is no reason to run more pressure than the sticker recommends unless you have a heavy snow plow or big pipe bumper and winch adding considerable weight to the front axle.

Ideal rear pressures for an empty truck are usually the same or even slightly less than the door sticker suggests for the front tires. (Trucks are often front heavy when empty, and since you're always mostly empty from a weight perspective, this applies to you...) Running the rear tires at higher pressures when empty amplifies any axle hop tendency, reduces traction on any soft surface, creates washboard very quickly on dirt roads, wears the tire out much faster, and makes for a rough ride on back roads.

Your desire to run equal pressures all around is for cars, not trucks. Get over it. For trucks, you run appropriate pressures front and rear for the axle weights. "Compromising" pressures on a truck means running the rear tires at or near max pressure all the time becasue you actually use the truck to haul things regularly, and you're compromising things when empty. There is no need to "compromise" on your truck, as you're not hauling regularly, if ever. There is certainly no reason to run such high pressures on an empty truck, aside from keeping the TPMS light out for the rear axle.

The suggestion in the post above is a very good sanity check. BFG also publishes load/pressure charts IIRC. Ford may be erring to the high side, after their Firestone debacle from years gone by, so a sanity check may show that the door sticker is even higher than it needs to be...

You can get axle weights at any gravel pit, grain depot, or highway weigh station when it's not busy. Or you can probably look them up for your truck and just add several hundred pounds to the rear axle.

As usual, YMMV, but probably not by much...