DuraTracs or K02? 255/75-17 on 5th gen 4Runner.

[mparker]

Planning my next tire purchase. 2018 Trd Pro. Pretty stock. I do a lot of fire roads to and from hiking locations. About 2-3 off-road trips a year. 1 on the beach, requires airing down.

Considering a lift, leaning towards OME BP51s.

Main goal is gain ground clearance, maintain reliability, as far as tires/wheels go; lessen the impact on MPGs, unsprung weight.

I am really considering 255/75. They should easily fit on stock suspension (pro)

The 255/75 seems like the sweet spot? The BFG K02 is 32”dia 6ply 10”wide 46lbs! 6lbs more than stock 265s and 1/2” taller. Compared to the 285 faulken (prob the most popular upgraded tire) which is also 32” 11”w 6ply is 62lbs!!!

To be honest the 285 KO2 isn’t that bad either. BUT.. I feel like the narrower tire would tuck up in the factory spare location much better! (+2 for improved ground clearance AND reliability; very OEM appearance)

255/80 would be nice but it appears to be ONLY available in load range E, 10ply. That is far to heavy and unnecessarily stiff for me.

Seems like K02 and Duratracs are about the only Decent AT tire. There Rest seem like road only or mud terrains.

What are your thoughts? What about a installing on a wider wheel or something with more aggressive offset?

Thanks gang!

 

[jadmt]

Falken at3w is a great tire and in 255/80-17 would be perfect on a lifted 4runner. I ran them on my wrangler and smooth as silk so dont let the e rating scare you. might also look at the ko2 in 34/10.5-17 Exactly the the same height as the 255/80-17 i also ran those and were nice riding tire.

 

[phsycle]

Not sure about DT’s but KO2’s are rock chuckers. If you’re on gravel a lot, be ready for the constant ping-ping-ping.

Given what you’re looking to do, honestly, get something like Michelin LTX M/S or even AT2’s. They will wear better, quieter, and return better MPG. Don’t worry about the width as much. I’ve run 235’s and MPG was no different than 265 or 285’s, given the same overall diameter.

 

[vintageracer]

Got Dura-Tracs on an 2001 7.3 Diesel Excursion and a 2004 GMC 2500 Yukon XL. So far so good on both. 15000 miles on one set and 5000 miles on the second set. I buy tires direct from a big tire wholesaler therefore given the price difference between the Dura-Tracs and my preferred Nitto's I decided the try the Dura-Tracs.

The Dura-Tracs run good so far however I still prefer the Nitto Grappler's I have on my 1 ton 4WD van.

The Nitto's are quiet, drive great and last forever!

Over time we will see how the Dura-Tracs compare to my preferred Nitto's.

 

[tacollie]

255/75r17 is a great size for midsize trucks. I ran them on a Tacoma. Last time I looked the Duratracs were p rated and had a shallower tread depth in that size. The KO2s were C and full year depth. Unfortunately there aren't a lot of good options in that size. I want more tread and I am not a fan of KO2s so I ended up going to a 235/80r17. They look a little narrow but they performed great! For your uses I wouldn't move up to 255/80 or a 285. 235s or 265 come in any tire you want, ride better, and will yield better mpgs.

If you're doing mostly fire roads I would consider a mild AT over an aggressive AT. Something like Cooper AT3. They are cheaper, last longer, and quieter. They are also better in snow.

 

[skyfree]

I've had both DuraTracs and K02's and prefer the DuraTracs. The K02's weren't as good on snow and ice or wet pavement. They would release suddenly rather than gradually on wet pavement, leading to some "oh sh&*%t moments". Off road I don't see much of a difference, but I'm thinking the K02's might be more durable. I never had punctures on the K02's from anything, but have picked up a couple of nails in the DuraTracs.

Both tires last a long time. I have 45K miles on my current DuraTracs and they are still fine for this winter. I plan to replace them with the same tire in a 32" size.

 

[Pskhaat]

I spent many thousands on sets of Duratracs, and then bought them again. It was a low point in my life: http://dog.xepoch.com/duratracs That was after doing every in-between tread I could find out there.

Then I decided no one ever looked at any of my vehicles and wanted to be me, so I decided to stop the FOMO and keep some LTXen. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/perfect-off-highway-tire-ltx-what.206567/ Would still highly advise.

Love KM2s (over the KM3s) but only for truly, consistently days-long rough roads. Disclaimer = I keep a set of KM3s I keep for week+ off-highway tours.

Then again, who doesn't love to talk tires?