Jeep or Tacoma
Explorer
ome
ome stocks the best i have ever owned.
ome stocks the best i have ever owned.
I can't deicide which tire!!
- Thread starter madmaths
- Start date
gekicker08
New member
I have the MTR's and love them. They are a bit loud and pretty heavy but they are good for the type of powerline/mountain trail terrain I frequent. I will be looking for a quieter tire here in a few months though. I'd opt for a less aggressive AT tire. The new bfg AT ko2's are a great tire. They look good, ride well and are going to last a good long while. The duratrac is also one to think about as well. They are a bit on the chunkier side so they'd fit into the category you are looking at.
And guess who makes them. Monroe. FYI.
FYI: I now have enough time on the E rated KO2's on my jku.
With the "tow" tune on the trail dash, with 3.73 gears and 275-70R17 Ko2's I am still hitting the rated MPG and the ride is perfectly fine.
If you ignore the fact that the jeep is full of fluff from the husky who is blowing her coat in the back seat you can see the actual numbers right here.
I am averaging ~18mpg with day to day driving which is very urban biased and still I am meeting the EPA numbers with an E rated tire which does weigh more than the M/T it replaced.
Remember that the ply rating does not actually tell you how many plies there are in a modern tire. It only tells you the "Maximum Load Pressure" as adjusting for this rating really only requires altering the strength of the material in those plies or the number of cables per inch.
I do not have enough experience with the other offerings on the market and I chose the ko2 for it's wet and ice performance more than anything else. That said I just logged a ton of miles in the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests of Oregon. Neither of which have clay heavy soil which will pack an A/T tire but there was lots of mud from rain this weekend and lots of 30-40mph timed washboard roads. The tires worked as good as or better than I would have expected from the M/T's I replaced them with. If it wasn't for the impending death of my folding saw caused by the amount of clearing required to make forward movement I would probably still be out there.
This is not impressive image, just a snapshot I took as I aired back up but if you look at the spatters on the door you will note the chunks are all tread sized, so at least in this mud it is clearing well.
I know you can't go wrong with the KO2s and I doubt you would go wrong with the DuraTrac, but don't automatically disqualify a tire due to an E load rating in modern, metric LT tire.
With the "tow" tune on the trail dash, with 3.73 gears and 275-70R17 Ko2's I am still hitting the rated MPG and the ride is perfectly fine.
If you ignore the fact that the jeep is full of fluff from the husky who is blowing her coat in the back seat you can see the actual numbers right here.
I am averaging ~18mpg with day to day driving which is very urban biased and still I am meeting the EPA numbers with an E rated tire which does weigh more than the M/T it replaced.
Remember that the ply rating does not actually tell you how many plies there are in a modern tire. It only tells you the "Maximum Load Pressure" as adjusting for this rating really only requires altering the strength of the material in those plies or the number of cables per inch.
I do not have enough experience with the other offerings on the market and I chose the ko2 for it's wet and ice performance more than anything else. That said I just logged a ton of miles in the Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests of Oregon. Neither of which have clay heavy soil which will pack an A/T tire but there was lots of mud from rain this weekend and lots of 30-40mph timed washboard roads. The tires worked as good as or better than I would have expected from the M/T's I replaced them with. If it wasn't for the impending death of my folding saw caused by the amount of clearing required to make forward movement I would probably still be out there.
This is not impressive image, just a snapshot I took as I aired back up but if you look at the spatters on the door you will note the chunks are all tread sized, so at least in this mud it is clearing well.
I know you can't go wrong with the KO2s and I doubt you would go wrong with the DuraTrac, but don't automatically disqualify a tire due to an E load rating in modern, metric LT tire.
JeepSafariDigest
Seeker of Lost Trails
I think at this point ELoads are out of our range, Unless one ELoad can be softer than another..
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Functionally the letter load rating tells you nothing but the max pressure a radial tire can handle, it has little value when comparing tires as far as ride goes. It will be relative between particular models of tire but does not relate across models let alone brands for ride quality.
The letter based load range indicates an equivalent strength based on early cotton based bias ply tires. A quality rubber/kevlar sidewall will take much more pressure than a cotton ply lower quality rubber tire and it will be much more supple.
That said road feel is fully subjective, and good luck with your purchase.
The letter based load range indicates an equivalent strength based on early cotton based bias ply tires. A quality rubber/kevlar sidewall will take much more pressure than a cotton ply lower quality rubber tire and it will be much more supple.
That said road feel is fully subjective, and good luck with your purchase.
JeepSafariDigest
Seeker of Lost Trails
Understood.. but based on your driving habits.. have you had a chance to compare tires both Load rated E and what if any findings or discoveries did you make?. I like the Dloads.. Just not the size these tires are made. and although Hill has shown me his insight on the Cooper tires.. (a little wider and taller) I can't bring myself to justify the Eload.. but again unless the tires are slightly more flexible then other E's even Kojack has admitted that the coopers are "stiff as hell" and after our bout with the stiff shocks.. Eload are out of the question.
Update:
I've been saved!.. Searching Discount tire's site I was able to find a happy medium in a load range we've been searching for. (I really need to stop going to TireRack) According Discount tire's site.. a Load rating of C1 has 6 plys and is right in the middle of a load C - D (more towards the C side than the D side) and what Tire makes this grade?.. Cooper Maxx.. 255/75/17 C1 Hoot.
Update:
I've been saved!.. Searching Discount tire's site I was able to find a happy medium in a load range we've been searching for. (I really need to stop going to TireRack) According Discount tire's site.. a Load rating of C1 has 6 plys and is right in the middle of a load C - D (more towards the C side than the D side) and what Tire makes this grade?.. Cooper Maxx.. 255/75/17 C1 Hoot.
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SSF556
SE Expedition Society
255/75 is what I just bought for my WK,...also ignore Kojak he is on some holy rolling tire mission to try and put Cooper tires out of business....
WK....
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JeepSafariDigest
Seeker of Lost Trails
Looking good Boss.. and look forward to the wheel placement.
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I've employed the "ignore user" button and don't even see what he's posted anymore. It's so refreshing.
Try it.
How immature, I am NOT out to put cooper out of business, I tell it like it is. ************************ get off your high horses. I have coopers on most everything I own. They are going on my mazda this spring, they are on my suburban, well their low teir brand, Hercules, they are going on my Avalanche for the summer and I have them on the av for winter now. How is that trying to put them out of business. I tell it like it is, The ST MAXX is a good tire, but not without its Faults. IT rides really really rough, and has an inherent pull in its tread design. I can't help that. I wont go around saying its the be all end all in tires, because they are not. They do wear like iron, have amazing grip and look great. Do they tick all the boxes nope. I love the attitudes here. Bill....Grow up buddy. Im sorry that I don't agree with you, But your views from the garage, are sometimes clouded compared to ours on the open road and back country. You need to get out from behind the test equipement more!
Ok, As a side note. I have owned and either use or have worn out 7 sets of LT tires in the past 5 years. The list is as follows
1. BFG AT KOs
2. Cooper ST MAXX
3. Cooper AT3
4. Hercules (cooper) Terra Trac AT
5. Hankook Dynapro ATM
6. Hankook Dynapro MT
7. Goodyear ATS
The BFG and Hercs are in service now. The rest I have worn to the bars. I KNOW WHAT WORKS and WHY on what rigs, again considering I own a wide variety of them. Please don't confuse me with someone who is only sitting behind a computer all day, because I am not. I USE my rigs. ALL of them. ALOT. That's why I am vocal about my opinions. Because my opinions can help others make the RIGHT decision for their rigs. I 100 percent recommend the ST MAXX for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck, NOT a light weight mid size Jeep/taco type rig. Their carcass is just too stiff. This is what they are made for anyways, FULL SIZE RIGS. they did not make the 255/80/17 size with jeep in mind, NOPE.....They make that size with Dually trucks in mind. YEP!.
Sorry if I hurt the feelings of people who use the ST MAXX. maybe grow some skin and read what I am actually saying instead of coming on a posting crap about me trying to single handed'ly put cooper out of business......REALLY? What are you 3 years old? As said, I have cooper zeons going on our mazda 5, I have cooper/Hercules terra tracs on my suburban, the cooper AT3 will be going on my avalanche, and I have Hercules winter tires on my Avalanche. How that is trying to put them out of business is beyond me. I am single handled'ly trying to shoot myself in the foot in that case!
1. BFG AT KOs
2. Cooper ST MAXX
3. Cooper AT3
4. Hercules (cooper) Terra Trac AT
5. Hankook Dynapro ATM
6. Hankook Dynapro MT
7. Goodyear ATS
The BFG and Hercs are in service now. The rest I have worn to the bars. I KNOW WHAT WORKS and WHY on what rigs, again considering I own a wide variety of them. Please don't confuse me with someone who is only sitting behind a computer all day, because I am not. I USE my rigs. ALL of them. ALOT. That's why I am vocal about my opinions. Because my opinions can help others make the RIGHT decision for their rigs. I 100 percent recommend the ST MAXX for a 1/2 or 3/4 ton truck, NOT a light weight mid size Jeep/taco type rig. Their carcass is just too stiff. This is what they are made for anyways, FULL SIZE RIGS. they did not make the 255/80/17 size with jeep in mind, NOPE.....They make that size with Dually trucks in mind. YEP!.
Sorry if I hurt the feelings of people who use the ST MAXX. maybe grow some skin and read what I am actually saying instead of coming on a posting crap about me trying to single handed'ly put cooper out of business......REALLY? What are you 3 years old? As said, I have cooper zeons going on our mazda 5, I have cooper/Hercules terra tracs on my suburban, the cooper AT3 will be going on my avalanche, and I have Hercules winter tires on my Avalanche. How that is trying to put them out of business is beyond me. I am single handled'ly trying to shoot myself in the foot in that case!
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JeepSafariDigest
Seeker of Lost Trails
Let's remain calm and focused.. we all have differences of opinions.. I just happen to like either the duratracs or the coopers.. and because I've just learn the the cooper tire as a C1 load rating.. more plys etc.. this is more within my goal of acquiring tires more in the D load range then a E range. Besides.. I've never had a set of coopers before and the only reason I said duratrac is because it was the only available option and I dont even like Goodyears.. Along with this.. and firestone has offered a buy 4 get one free Jeep package on their "off road tires" but I wasn't impressed.