Tires for F350 - BFG AT's?

[Mike S]

I am considering what tires to put on my F350 7.3L SD when the Michelin M&S tires are done. Looking at a bunch, but curious about BFG ATs - 33" LR-E. Lots of people run them, but I never have - would like to know about on-off road performance, durability and road noise. I will be towing my 24' Airstream with this truck.
I am also considering Bridgestone Revos - I have been running them on my 80 Series for some time and like them, but they are not very good in mud.

Thanks for your comments.

 

[jcbrandon]

I'm on my third set of BFG ATs on two trucks and have been very happy with them. Current truck is a Dodge Power Wagon (Ram 2500). It came with 33" BFG ATs as original equipment and I replaced them at about 38,000 miles with the same tires.

Road noise is a non-issue. Off-road traction is fine in almost any conditions. In wet, sloppy mud, a more aggressive tire would be a better choice as the tread on the ATs can clog up. For me, the deciding factor between the BFG AT and MT tire was performance in snow. The AT is better in winter conditions.

 

[Mike S]

Thanks. I am seriously considering these tires. You got 38K miles? Not terrific, but I am not familiar with the weight and driving characteristics of the Dodge PW. They look cool, tho'.

 

[Funrover]

Don't know about on pick ups but I am on my 2nd set of BFG AT's on my Range Rover and love them. The load range E is nice for off road durability.

 

[ntsqd]

I've had one set of 285/75R16 BFG A/T's on two different Suburbans. They've been to Baja chasing the 1000, they've been to the Oregon Coast and out onto the sand three times, they've rescued a truck stuck on one of the Big Bear trails, they've been to an unknown number of local desert races chasing & pitting, they've been unintentionally airborne several times, they've chased Vegas to Reno once, etc., etc. etc. I've no idea how many miles they have on them, but relatively few have been easy miles. I would guess in the range of 30k.They are chunked and torn but they still have tread above the wear bars (barely) and they owe me nothing!
They have been the best set of tires that I have ever owned.

 

[jcbrandon]

Thanks. I am seriously considering these tires. You got 38K miles? Not terrific, but I am not familiar with the weight and driving characteristics of the Dodge PW. They look cool, tho'.

They still had a fair amount of tread left at that point. Unfortunately, I had an incident with a rock in the Inyo Mountains.




I don't blame the tires for that failure.

I replaced four tires and saved the three undamaged ones for a future trailer project. I just measured the tread a minute ago, they've got about 7/32" of tread left on them with 38K miles of use.

The Power Wagon weighs about 6,200 pounds at the curb with fuel and driver, about 8,000 loaded for a trip. The tires are 285/70/17, load range D.

 

[Mike S]

NTSQD - Thanks for the data. They seem to be a worthwhile tire, compromise between traction and roadability. Can you tell me how they are in snow?

JCB, I have had more than my share of sidewall cuts like the one in your photo. The only tires i have used that seem immune to this trouble is the GY MT/R.

 

[Lumberjack]

I had 2 sets of bfg's on my f250, got 68,000 miles per set, then got talked into the Revo's. The Revo's had a little nicer ride but also required more air, when aired down to normal bfg pressure, the sidewalls bulged considerable. Made me wonder about the strength of the sidewall... only put about 10,000 miles on the Revo's before I sold the truck so no long term comparison.

Dennis

 

[ntsqd]

Mike,
I've not had those particular tires in snow. A set of 33-9.50's that were on Patch (locked '84 Mini) did see some Panamint Mtns. snow. That particular day, that particular snow condition just at the gate above the charcoal kilns those particular tires were not too impressive compared to a locked Sami on 31 BFG M/T's and an open TJ on 235 Yoko ~A/T's. Memory fades, I do not recall if I was aired down or not.
Only data point that I can offer, and not a very good one I'm afraid.

 

[Fish]

I've had two sets of BFG AT's on my F250. I've also run BFG's on pretty much all of my trucks including a Toyota with 31's and my Bronco with 32's or 33's.

The first set on my 250 gave me nothing but headaches. Took tons of weight, balanced funny, rode rough, etc. I told the folks at Discount that they were separated, but the didn't want to listen, until.... one day I went in for a flat repair and the manager came out and told me that they couldn't repair the tire because it was separated. Rarely do I go off on a service employee such as that, but well, let's just say that I drove away with four new BFG's for around $200. That set has been just fine.

I've gotten great endurance from them, though I can't remember how many miles off the top of my head... Let's see, I put them on at around 30,000 miles, put the new ones on around 100,000 miles... those now have 45,000 and have half the tread left. Pretty good, I'd say.

 

[dust devil]

I have been having issues with BFG AT's running round. One set in LT265/75/16 D range have been on the road for around 12,000 miles, and while they are wearing correctly, that is, not rapidly, they do not run true and never have. The tires have been on two trucks so far, both in the 5,000 pound range. The degree of out of true is just below the level of annoying, so I have continued to use them.

A recent set installed on a Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins were simply junk. They were 245/75/16's in an E range, and from day one, they hopped around like they were on dope. At 75 on the interstate, I felt uncomfortable about the stability of the truck, so I slowed to 65 for the balance of a 2,000 mile trip. After the highway trip, I put the vehicle up on a rack and engaged all four tires in drive. The wheels ran perfectly true by visual inspection but the tires were out of round at the tread by a quarter inch. After 3,000 miles I took the vehicle back to Discount Tire for a balance check and a radial force check. Even though, according to Discount, the tires ran within spec, they offered to replace them with a different brand of tire, no extra charge. I got Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo's in the same size and range, and they run true.

Another observation about the BFG AT's on a heavy truck was that the tread was erasing itself so fast I could not believe it. With only 3,000 miles on the tires, I had lost almost an 1/8th inch of tread. This is just not acceptable.

I have used BFG's for years and still have two sets in use, but not on the heavy Dodge. Whether it is the vehicle weight (just short of 7,000 pounds) or not, I can't say, but I don't recommend the BFG AT on a 3/4 ton or larger truck, and I find them marginal in the popular 265/75/16 range. My other set of BFG AT's are 235/85/16's, and they run fine at all reasonable speeds, but are mounted on a light vehicle.

 

[Mike S]

Many many thanks to all who responded. You saved me a lot of grief. I am looking for a high quality 33" tire that will perform onaand off road and provide decent mileage. After experiencing the Bridgestone Revos on my Landcruiser (OUTSTANDING), and talking to Mudrak, I am now considering only Bridgestone Revos or Toyo Open Country ATs.

Thanks again.