Easterner seeks tire advice for Southwestern US XJ expedition build

[katuah]

HI folks. I'm new on here but I've been active on NAXJA for a while. I'm slowly building my '98 XJ into an expedition rig, and I've reached a point where I need some advice from seasoned XJ exped folks. I need to get tires, and after reading 9,000,000 posts it's all running together, so I'm starting fresh here.

I've no real interest in rock crawling for the sake of it, but I am very interested in exploring the backcountry of the US desert Southwest. I'm hoping to do my first run next year, if I can get a group together. In the meantime, I need to finish the rig and get a lot more seat time offroad, so I'll be prepared, too.

So, I need a tire that can:
-- handle mild to moderate situations in the desert / Colorado Plateau, for an extended period;
-- Get me across the country (and back) in safety;
-- Function decently enough on southeastern US trails to allow me to get experience without having to fight my tires to do so.

My XJ has a 4.5" lift. I'm currently running 32x11.5 Cooper STTs . The STTs I bought used and have never been happy with - once the siping wore off they are heck on pavement, forget rain, plus they won't stay balanced.

I see a lot of recommendations for 33x10.5's, but I don't think I can fit those unless I cut my fenders, which I don't really want to do. I was considering staying with 32x11.5s but I am worried they are not as common, and if I needed replacements on a trip they might be harder to get. I've almost talked myself into 31x10.5s. But would they just look dumb? What about CoG on smaller tires? An additional consideration is that I'm short and small, and I can't yank around 200lbs of tire & wheel.

On top of that is the "what KIND of tire" question. I was almost 100% sold on the BFG T/A KOs when somebody mentioned General AT2's. Discount tire has them for a lot cheaper than the BFGs, but would they be as good? And those of you with a lot of high desert experience, am I going to be sorry I didn't get MTR kevlars, for the sidewalls? Pretty sure I want an AT not an MT...

I know the XJ is a lot smaller than many of the vehicles discussed over in the general tire section, which is why I'm posting this here and not there. I would imagine we XJers have some unique issues, possibly including tire selection.

Thanks for looking at yet another tire thread.

 

[njjeepthing]

Ran 31x10.5'x15 on my XJ with 4" of lift with no issues. I'd recommend the Goodyear Duratrac's. Awesome tire, handled everything I threw at them.!

 

[katuah]

Ran 31x10.5'x15 on my XJ with 4" of lift with no issues. I'd recommend the Goodyear Duratrac's. Awesome tire, handled everything I threw at them.!

If you don't mind my asking, where was most of your driving? Also, I've read the Duratracs have thin sidewalls. I need something that will stand up to rocky trail aired-down abuse, so for that reason I'd taken them off my short list. I'd reconsider with good evidence, though.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I have gone through 5 sets of BFG A/T's ranging in size from 30x9.50 to 33x10.50 since buying my Jeep 12 years ago and have never had a problem on or off the pavement. 31x10.50's are stocked just about anywhere and BFG stands behind their warranty, get them and don't look back.

 

[RadoExpo]

God, I love tire threads! I'll second the Goodyear Duratracs. This is my first summer on them, and my previous experience was with the BFG AT/KOs on my XJ. I've done some pretty aggressive wheeling with them now (black diamond trails here in CO) and have been very pleased with the overall on/off-road mix of performance. Since I went to a 17" wheel, my only option in the size I wanted was load range E, which I believe has a three-ply sidewall. I have never been able to a straight answer on the load range C's for sidewall plys. I can tell you that mine had no problem with punctures even though I ended up wedging them into places that gouged the powder coat off my wheels. I would do a little more research on the exact # of sidewall plys for your particular application, but very few other tires for the XJ will have beefier sidewalls than the duratracs. My impression vs the AT/KOs:

* Basically in between an AT and an MT in terms of tread pattern
* Only slightly noisier
* MUCH better off-road in every condition I encountered from mud to rocks to sand.
* On par on-road performance in snow, ice, and rain. BFGs perhaps have a slight edge on dry-pavement cornering, but it's minor
* Less (as in none) chunking of treads on rocks vs. the BFGs, on which the tread shoulders took a beating on rocks

That being said, the AT/KOs are still one of best-rated and popular tires for a reason, but they are not the best value in my opinion, any more. It seems like popularity went to BFG's head and they have kept upping the price. They do everything pretty well, but don't excel at any one thing. You certainly wouldn't go wrong there. There are quite a few more off-road tire options out there for the XJ now than when I was buying for it, so be sure to weigh all the options. My last set of tires on my XJ were load range E BFG AT/KOs and E range was a mistake. It beat the ******** out of me and the suspension because they were simply too stiff. I would reccommend sticking with C's for the XJ no matter what tire you end up with. The General Grabbers are popular out here, as are the Duratracs, BFG ATs, and even the Firestone Destinations. Any of them will get the job done, with the duratracs having the most aggressive tread and firestone the least.

As far as tire size goes, unless you are regearing, I wouldn't want to go any bigger than you already are at 32"s. You are going to encounter hills (mountains!) and altitude that you probably haven't had to deal with at home and your truck will be sucking wind big-time with 33's. Same for the width. I would even think about going to the 31x10.5s, as you mentioned. I ran only 30s or 31s on my XJ, and I wheeled it hard on many black diamond trails out here without issue. Besides, you really want to utilize the inherent articulation in the XJ design, which means you want to be able to fully stuff those tires up into the fenders without cutting them on a pinch seam or blowing your fenders off.

Assuming you have the 4.0 (!!!! if you have the poor 4cyl in there), I would say you are at the max size that is going to maintain the performance and reiliability you want for a trip like this. Without knowing about the mods you've done other than the tiny avatar pic, 33's would really stress the stock axles in rocky situations. In addition, your RPMs are that much lower at any given speed which really starts to play into the infamous XJ overheating problems. Smaller tires will only help the CG situation, along with power and gas mileage.

All that being said, I would make sure your cooling system is in top working order before the trip. Change your thermostat with a new MOPAR piece, make sure you don't have any leaks, make sure the clutch on the main fan is working properly and the electric fan is coming on at 220 degrees, as well. Also, get a spare that is at least the same size and similar tread pattern, if not the exact same and have a real metal skid on that big plastic tank of gas hanging off the back end

Man, that got long! I hope it helps, and let me know if you have any more questions about wheeling out here or ideas for your XJ. Have a blast!

 

[Topgun514]

I've had BFG's AT's my whole life on Jeeps (6 years) and never had problems.

Now I have Duratracs and still have no problems and have beaten them more than my AT's have been with excellent results. I also enjoy the much nicer ride quality. Both are fair and equal tires though.

 

[cocco78]

I've had a few sets of BFG A/T's, never bought new just happened to be on the vehicle I purchased at the time. At first they are great, but after they wear a little bit they get loud and even with constant rotation I couldn't get them to wear decently or keep balance. Plus as they wear they seem to get harder and you loose all your snow and wet traction. Living in MI with the snow we get every winter I would not consider these on a DD. But they do seem to last for ever. IMHO there are way better tires for way less money than the over priced bfg a/ts...

With that said, I currently have a set, lol, that I just drove 4000 miles on from MI to CO and over every mtn pass I could do in the week I was out there. The set I have are pretty new, maybe 75% tread, and they worked just fine, but sure are loud for an A/T. I basically bought them for the rims and figured I could get some use out of them. My last set of tires were Nitto terra grapplers, and I loved those things. They worked great in everything except deep mud, they wore nicely, had excellent snow traction on the road, and lasted forever.

Just a thought, it seems like 15" tires are getting harder to find on hand anywhere. Maybe a jump to a 16" rim would open up new possibilities, maybe like a 265/75r16 is probably one of the most common tires out there which roughly 31.6x10.4/16. Find a used take off set of tires and wheels from a TJ Rubicon maybe, those are roughly 31" and you can get good deals on those from craigslist and ebay.

 

[njjeepthing]

If you don't mind my asking, where was most of your driving? Also, I've read the Duratracs have thin sidewalls. I need something that will stand up to rocky trail aired-down abuse, so for that reason I'd taken them off my short list. I'd reconsider with good evidence, though.

I'm almost 100% rocks, I am not a mud guy! I like snow wheeling and just the average trail driving. They survived Rausch Creek rocks and a couple trips to VT, so they get my vote, probably be putting a set on my new JK very soon.

 

[grntrdtaco]

you would do great with All-Terrain T/A KO, they are awesome tires as long as you stay away from taylor/pearl passes in colorado if you get a tire with a thinner sidewall

I have been running the KM2 tires for the past year and i dont know what it is about these 2 passes but i have been shredding the sidewalls of my tires up there this summer. have 4 giant cuts in the rear tires right now and have blown the sidewalls out of 2 (big flap type rips). I got the guarantee from discount tires so i am not out a bunch of money. before this i had never gotten a flat or cut in a sidewall in about 12 years of offroading. and i have only damaged tires on these two passes. might be the km2 tire has an inferior sidewall.. dont really know.

i started out with MTR tires then 2 sets of All-Terrain T/A KO and now the KM2. the t/a ko at were pretty dam good in just about every situation i tossed myself into and pretty quiet throughout the life of them on highway driving

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Just a thought, it seems like 15" tires are getting harder to find on hand anywhere. Maybe a jump to a 16" rim would open up new possibilities, maybe like a 265/75r16 is probably one of the most common tires out there which roughly 31.6x10.4/16. Find a used take off set of tires and wheels from a TJ Rubicon maybe, those are roughly 31" and you can get good deals on those from craigslist and ebay.

Please show us where any retailer is running out of tires for a 15in WHEEL.

 

[BEVAN]

Ditto I'm ditching my 16's because size is limited, not to mention the price is muuuch higher.

 

[katuah]

I appreciate all the thoughtful responses. To help clarify what I'm going into this with, right now my XJ is still running the factory 3.07 gearing, but my intention is to put in 4.10s before the trip, to get a little more response without killing my MPGs. I have a set of used 4.10s in my closet, waiting for me to find someone to help me do it who knows how and has the tools. It's a '98 4.0 with the Non-ABS ChryCo 8.25 rear axle and the HP D30 in front. The engine is mostly stock, although I plan to put on a new header. It has some steering upgrades, that sort of thing, nothing too major, but a good basic capable rig to build on.

I'm doing most of the work myself, and trying to save $$$ whenever reasonably possible. I don't want to skimp on the tires and be sorry, but I also don't want to pay $1000 for tires that are only marginally better than $750 tires. $250 is a really good SYE, you know? The Duratracs are just as expensive as the KOs here, but the General At2s are way less which is why I may go with them unless I see something seriously negative. Their tread pattern looks similar enough to the KOs that I could pick up a used KO as a spare for dirt cheap, where I'd probably have to buy 5 Duratracs.

I've been leaning away from anything "mud" - MTRs, KM2s, - as I haven't seen one yet with reasonable siping for highway rain traction, but I would consider MTR kevlars as a tradeoff between rain traction & sidewall strength. I really wish the siping on the Coopers I have wasn't so shallow - I love them otherwise. Well, except for that balancing issue.

 

[JPK]

I have had BFG T/A KO's on my JKU since it was brand new and thought I would hate them. (I did hate a set about ten years ago, on a Suburban.) I got the A/T's as compromise since I knew I'd be driving on pavement a lot and I didn't want the noise of an M/T type. I have to say that I love 'em now. They have been quiet, have worn evenly are providing excellent life, provide a great ride and excellent handling.

I have about 33k miles on them and they have a long way to go yet, if I pushed it maybe another 33k miles. I rotate frequently and balance once in a while when I feel any wiggling in the steering wheel. As they have worn they have required more frequent balancing and they have gotten slightly louder, but they're still quiet. No chunking, great on rock, gravel, sand. Fair in mud.

Before driving on them I was almost sure I'd be selling mine after a few months on the Jeep, going for M/T's and living with the noise, but I'll probably put a second set on when these wear out, long down the road.

I have read good reports on the General AT2 on one of the Jeep forums. I thought about them for my LJ, but went with BFG M/T's the original version. Loud!

 

[katuah]

Well, after reading another 9 million posts, reviews, etc, and staring at price comparisons for days, I think I'm going with the General Grabber AT2 in 31x10.5.

I have given some consideration to the Goodyear Wrangler Authority from WalMart too, but the extreme lowness of price has me wary - how can it be any good if it is that cheap? ( quote was $638 plus tax, although the weird guy at the counter tried to claim NC has 9.75% "tax" on tires. I think he must have been including the enviro & disposal fees as "taxes." ) The sheer ubiquity of WalMart across the US would mean easy access to replacements, but I am also wary (and weary) of fighting BigBox store customer service people to get them to honor warranties, etc. I can only imagine the agony of trying to get a whole tire replaced under warranty, far from home, on a lifted Jeep, at a WalMart. :-( There are better ways to spend my time.

The General Grabber AT2's are $775 w/ mount, lifetime balance, AND road hazard ($710 w/out), at a reputable local tire shop. That even beats Discount Tire, where they are $758 w/out hazard. The cheapest I can find the T/A KO's is $850 w/out hazard, $935 with. Given how similar the tread design is, and that General has a good reputation overall, I can't really justify $150 difference. That's a whole 'nother tire!!!

Speaking of fifth tires - last advice to ask for this thread: Should I buy 5 of the Generals? Or just get 4 and a used KO for a spare? I can get used KOs for $20-$30 at the local used tire shop, mounted & (roughly) balanced.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I really hope you don't regret it....