Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac

[LaOutbackTrail]

I have these on my new Suburban beach fishing rig. 285/75/16. Put 120 miles of steady sand driving under them over the past couple of days, they don't do all that well. Had to air down to 18F/20R to keep from digging down in the thick sloppy stuff. They just kind of churn through, like mixing cookie dough. They eat up a lot of HP compared to smoother treads.

Well, considering that true sand travelers (Ie. desert explorers) tend to use all terrain tires or specifically engineered tires for desert travel. Also, obviously, driving on sand requires lower tire pressure. 15PSI is close to the standard for sand travel, depending on your speed of travel, condition of sand, and your tire choice. That being said, the Duratrac should really be considered an aggressive all terrain tire. It can handle just about everything predictably well. It's not a mud, sand, winter, or performance street tire, but it'll do well enough in nearly every one of those conditions with the knowledge of the tires limitations. Every tire, as well as every vehicle, has limitations after all.

I like to defend these tires because in my opinion I haven't found or driven a better all terrain tire.

 

[Kuma632]

It can handle just about everything predictably well. It's not a mud, sand, winter, or performance street tire, but it'll do well enough in nearly every one of those conditions

in my opinion I haven't found or driven a better all terrain tire.

+1

 

[Erik N]

Well, considering that true sand travelers (Ie. desert explorers) tend to use all terrain tires or specifically engineered tires for desert travel. Also, obviously, driving on sand requires lower tire pressure. 15PSI is close to the standard for sand travel, depending on your speed of travel, condition of sand, and your tire choice. That being said, the Duratrac should really be considered an aggressive all terrain tire. It can handle just about everything predictably well. It's not a mud, sand, winter, or performance street tire, but it'll do well enough in nearly every one of those conditions with the knowledge of the tires limitations. Every tire, as well as every vehicle, has limitations after all.

I like to defend these tires because in my opinion I haven't found or driven a better all terrain tire.

OK fine.

They still suck in sand IMHO. Not sure what you mean by "true sand travelers", but I have over a thousand miles, maybe 1500, of sand driving under my belt during the past year (see this http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/77303-Budget-Explorer-PINS?p=1113476#post1113476 and this http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...an-vs-Suburban-which-rig-to-choose-PICS-ADDED).

Dry sand, wet sand, hard sand, soft sand.
Deep sand, thin sand, coarse sand, fine sand.
Sand with shells, and sand with weed.
All sorts of sand, indeed!

In my experience, a non-aggressive ribbed tread works best in the soft sandy stuff. Here's some pics of my POS Beach Xploder pulling out a $50K truck with fancy macho big lug tires, that dug it's own grave up to the frame rails. attach

I don't rock crawl, I don't go mudding, I don't need a tire with crazy tread patterns and big sidewall lugs. All I need is a tire that will carry me down the 120 mile roundtrip beach/dunes trek to Mansfield channel to catch fish, and not get stuck. And I think 15PSI is too low, you can get sand up in the bead that way. I run 18-20.

PS the Duratracs suck in wet pavement traction, also, and they don't seem to balance worth crap. I guess I don't really want an "all around" tire... they just came with the truck. If anyone has a set of "highway" 285's they want to trade, then let's talk.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

Sounds like you have everything figured out.

 

[soonenough]

....PS the Duratracs suck in wet pavement traction....

Really? I had the exact opposite experience with my Duratrac tires; I thought they had excellent wet pavement traction, easily as good if not better than the less-aggressive BFG ATs I have now in the same size.

 

[LaOutbackTrail]

The problems are probably driver error. I have an extremely hard time breaking traction with mine and use the truck for snow recovery days when DFW gets its mini blizzards and ice events. The people freak out and can't drive. I'm confident in their abilities and limitations.

 

[Erik N]

Sounds like you have everything figured out.

Thank you for the compliment. In terms of sand traveling, yeah I think I'm pretty close. Remember the old school fiberglass tub VW "beach buggies" with the wide, slick tires? They were on to something.

Really? I had the exact opposite experience with my Duratrac tires; I thought they had excellent wet pavement traction, easily as good if not better than the less-aggressive BFG ATs I have now in the same size.

Well, I have to admit that my new Suburban has the ABS light lit. Something about the sensor being inside the hub, as opposed to in the disc/drum itself. The tires need to be "pumped" with the brake pedal to stop evenly on wet pavement. You can say that that is the lack of ABS fault, maybe. But I still know what grip feels like.


Guys, I am not saying that the tires are bad. I am just saying that they are not so great in the sand.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

I drive in rain almost 9 months of the rear and my Duratracs have preformed flawlessly.

I think its kind of hard to compare the sand performance of tires when comparing a 4000lb truck to a 6000lbs truck (do not quote me on the weights its an example).

 

[Inyo_man]

I too have only good thing to say about the Duratrac tread pattern and durability.
Although I don't run long trips on just sand, I've had them in many conditions where they performed very well.

 

[Buliwyf]

Alot of railroad and fracking companies are running Duratracs up here. Some have switched to the Kelly TSR's because they have a harder compound rubber. Cooper is selling a bunch of tires now as well.

In all the sand driving I've done, Ohio, Florida, Michigan, any sensible setup and driving made it cake to cross. Never use the brakes, ever. Keep the wheel speed down, don't spin the tires, stay in 4wd.

I mean if the sand is fuffed up and really loose......you might need to find a way around with a heavy truck on skinnys.

Steer axle balloon tires from a 2wd farm tractor worked best on sand. Basicly just ribbed balloons. Last forever, float over everthing. So yeah, slick tires would be best for pure sand. Worn out paddle tires etc. etc.

But for a street legal setup. The wide Pitbull Rocker bias tires would be my choice.

 

[Erik N]

Duratracs are sold. Truck is now wearing a set of new, milder tires. Falken ATS w/ 3 ply sidewall. Saw a set of well-worn ones the other day, nice ribbed tread pattern left as they wore down.

They should work fine in sand.

 

[greengreer]

Just got back from the tire place after noticing a punctured sidewall yesterday. When the guy called yesterday and told me it was a thorn, I was disappointed. Now that I've seen the thorn i am really disappointed in my duratracs. It seems like a perfect storm scenario., the thorn entered right next to one of the big sidewall lugs.

I have not been gentle on these tires, having run over sapling stumps that are more like punji (sp) sticks when clearing logging roads on my property with no failure of any sort. I must say I love almost everything about the tire, with the exception to limited sizes and now weak sidewalls. Where is the Kevlar for the duratrac? IIRC the silent armor and duratrac are priced similarly. Dear Goodyear, make me a duratrac in 255/85/16 with Kevlar or 3 ply sidewalls and I will never buy a different tire for my truck. Right now I doubt I will buy another Goodyear product period. Yea, there's a thorn in my side(wall)!

 

[SSF556]

Whats to say that the thorn would have not done the same damage on another tire?

 

[greengreer]

I don't think any other two ply sidewall would have fared any different. In fact these sidewalls seem better than most two ply I had used. I am honestly surprised that thorn went through. I am more annoyed that the duratrac isn't offered with either Kevlar or three ply sidewalls, being as expensive as it is. Seems most of the competition has 3ply .
I have been speculating that it has something to do with the snowflake rating, as the Kevlar at's don't carry it but the P rated do. Just a thought.

 

[Frostymug]

Many of the "E" load range DuraTracs do in fact have 3-ply sidewalls.