Falken 31-10.50R15 High Country Tires All Terrain Tires Installed on ADV80
When you get new tires on, just driving around on pavement is just NO FUN, and all you need is an ever-so-small excuse to go out test out your new tires! So, I asked my daughters if they where game to go camping for a night and do some wheelin' in Big Bear. So we packed the ADV80 and the kids and where off to the mountains!!!
The Falken High Country's are already at home in the dirt!!! As soon as we hit dirt on Middle Control Road off the HWY38, even my girls noticed the difference in the ride on the new tires and they commented on how "NICE" these felt on the dirt road. They do ride very "nice" in the dirt and gravel!
I went with the Falken size [31-10.50R15] High Country Tires All Terrain Tires as at this time as I just need good new stock size tires. I still have some service PM's to perform before spending more money on suspension modifications and gearing mod's to be suitable for pulling a larger 33" tire. Hey, it's an FJ80, I'm already riding the slow/shoulder with 4-way flashers on up the steep grades, so I'm not looking to loose any more power! Who said I had power in the first place! hehe...
I went with the Falken brand as they are new to truck tires, but they have history in Rally, I have history in Rally and so I like the brand and it's something different that what is currently out there. Everyone knows what to expect from the current brands and I sometimes like to experiment and try different things.
The Falken High Country's ride "normal" as in quite on the tarmac road up here, but in the dirt is where they have a more noticeable difference in ride. Soft but firm is the best thing that comes to mind... The Falken High Country is a more aggressive tread design with wider siping and larger tread blocks than most original equipment tires. These puppies walked up the 1N54 easy as well. Not that this is a "crawling" road, but I do deem this a very suitable ADVENTURE TIRE and perfect for my adventures!
The Falken High Country's while at first have a "mild all terrain" look, upon closer inspection, do have larger blocks on the outter-edge's and large negative spacing thus making room for rugged terrain traction suitable for mountain conditions. It's not a mud-terrain and they are not rock crawling tires, but again - very suited for my overland vehicle-dependent expeditions and mini-adventure travels.
Image from my
Trip Report - Arrastre Creek on the 2N02.
The FALKEN HIGH COUNTRY's score HIGH MARKS there first weekend out!!!
253-MILES ROUND TRIP! Not so bad for a quick 1-day/night get-a-way with the kids.
So, it's 78.3 miles from our house to Middle Control Road off HWY38.
There and back is 156.6 tarmac-transit-miles.
And there was a little transit on HWY38 around the very dried up Baldwin Lake through Woodland [from 2N02 to 2N93] and that may have been about 6-miles?
SO, at best we logged
150-miles of DIRT ROADS!!! and I'm stoked with these tires for what they are!
I did a full Trip Report & Tire Evaluation here on
ExPo:
Expedition Portal Forum