Toughest 15" Tire

[XL Bar]

Henry,

Toyota T-100 pickup. 3 passengers (~600 lbs total) and another 500 lbs of gear/cargo. Running gravel roads and unimproved BLM two tracks in northeastern Montana.

Brian

What kind of work is your company doing?

 

[HenryJ]

What kind of work is your company doing?

We control The Owyhee dam and distribution system. 260 lineal miles of feeder canals. three dozen vehicles that travel semi improved roads 7 days a week. Averaging 2k miles per month. Everything from broken basalt and shale to sand and clay.

Sounds like you will just fine on a C rated tire. I like the 33x9.50 BFG TAKO and my truck grosses 5995# loaded for a 5 day dry camp. Three passengers.

For your northern latitude , I think the BFG TAKO wins the contest. They are snow rated and carry the DOT snoflake. These tires really shine in the snow.

On a T100 the 33x9.50-15 may look a little too narrow. They are perfect for a 7" wheel, but I would go no wider. If you have an 8" wide rim the 33x10.5-15 may be a better choice. It will hold some more weight IIRC.

Oh, watch the weight too. My 33x9.50-15 BFG TAKO are lighter than the last set of 31x10.5-15 tires. Fuel mileage has been better with these too.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Sounds like you will just fine on a C rated tire. I like the 33x9.50 BFG TAKO and my truck grosses 5995# loaded for a 5 day dry camp. Three passengers.

That's sort of the problem with 15" tires, all C load range it seems. I run BF Goodrich and they've worked out reasonably, been through the 33x9.50 A/T KO, 33x10.50 M/T KM (old tread), 30x9.50 A/T KO and M/T KM. Not indestructible, though they (particularly the M/T) take a decent amount of abuse for a road tire. Just watching them wrap around exposed roots and granite it amazes me tires last as well as they do.

 

[Sgt Grunt]

One of the toughest I've used is a Q 78 Super Swamper. It's Bias Ply.

 

[pangaea]

I've got to agree with most of the calls for bias-ply Super Swamper TSLs. Tough as nails, and if you can get one in the right size, the TSL-SXs are one of the meanest looking tires ever made.

 

[madizell]

Are there such things as 10 ply tires anymore?

Here's what Tire Rack's tech section has to say (highlight added):


Today's load range/ply ratings do not count the actual number of body ply layers found inside the tire, but indicate an equivalent strength based on early bias ply tires. Most radial passenger tires have one or two body plies, and light truck tires, even those with heavy duty ratings (10-, 12- or 14-ply rated), actually have only two or three fabric body plies, or one steel ply.

 

[efuentes]

If you want tough and a radial, and you are not very price sensitive, I recommend BF Baja TA, I believe they still come on 33x10.50R15 and are one tough tire.

I have never seen a tire take as much abuse as those things.

Saludos

 

[BIGdaddy]

here's my take. the earth is made out of mud, roots, sand, clay and rock.

tires are made out of rubber.

the earth will always win.

My solution is to buy a tire in a size that i can afford to replace WHEN (I REPEAT, WHEN..NOT IF) a tire fails.

I have used hi-tech retreads (now treadwright) for many years on many rigs, and i have to say for the the money ($50-60 bucks for a 31-10.5) i can afford to not worry about tires.

it just so happens that the carcass that they use a lot is the bfg AT/MT and that i have seen people get about 25-30k out of them.

$50 bucks for a tire that gets 25k of offroad/onroad/no road use...

yeah booyyy!!!

to reiterate, any tire can get a flat. sidewall cuts can put the toughest tire completely out of business.

 

[Gurkha]

here's my take. the earth is made out of mud, roots, sand, clay and rock.

tires are made out of rubber.

the earth will always win.

My solution is to buy a tire in a size that i can afford to replace WHEN (I REPEAT, WHEN..NOT IF) a tire fails.

I have used hi-tech retreads (now treadwright) for many years on many rigs, and i have to say for the the money ($50-60 bucks for a 31-10.5) i can afford to not worry about tires.

it just so happens that the carcass that they use a lot is the bfg AT/MT and that i have seen people get about 25-30k out of them.

$50 bucks for a tire that gets 25k of offroad/onroad/no road use...

yeah booyyy!!!

to reiterate, any tire can get a flat. sidewall cuts can put the toughest tire completely out of business.

Very true, there is no tire or suspension tough for the vagaries of nature. Its just delusional at best to expect that one is safe from the elements. My years of doing off road and loosing tires on regular basis has be convinced. Ironically most of my tires got damaged from the sidewall which I consider to be the weakest aspect of any tires when doing off road. I have used all brands before settling to Yokohama for their overall superiority but none is invincible and that goes for Yokos as well.

 

[HenryJ]

... I have used all brands before settling to Yokohama for their overall superiority but none is invincible and that goes for Yokos as well.

I loved the Geolandar AT+II. Too bad they discontinued them They have the 3 ply sidewall too. The new AT they offer is just not aggressive enough for my needs. The Geolandar M/T had great traction, but was just too soft and did not last long enough to justify the price.
I am a fan of the Yoko on the bigger trucks and will watch for their next great AT.

 

[CA-RJ]

How about a BFG Baja T/A? I've heard they ride pretty crappy on the street, but they seem to work well in extreme conditions without too many failures. They sell them in a 31x10.50, 33x10.50 and 33x12.50 in the 15" size.

 

[Gurkha]

I loved the Geolandar AT+II. Too bad they discontinued them They have the 3 ply sidewall too. The new AT they offer is just not aggressive enough for my needs. The Geolandar M/T had great traction, but was just too soft and did not last long enough to justify the price.
I am a fan of the Yoko on the bigger trucks and will watch for their next great AT.

I use the AT-S on my Gurkha as well as the Patrol and am quite happy with them. In the past I have used Super Diggers for extreme use and they are just amazing.

 

[madizell]

My years of doing off road and loosing tires on regular basis has be convinced. Ironically most of my tires got damaged from the sidewall which I consider to be the weakest aspect of any tires when doing off road.

Well, experiences vary. I have been driving off road for 37 years and have not, so far, had a tire failure off road (knock on wood), including eastern forests, western deserts, Alaska bush, and Australian Outback racing, whether using Goodyears, BFG's, or Interco's. Maybe I don't drive as hard as I think I do.

 

[Gurkha]

Well, experiences vary. I have been driving off road for 37 years and have not, so far, had a tire failure off road (knock on wood), including eastern forests, western deserts, Alaska bush, and Australian Outback racing, whether using Goodyears, BFG's, or Interco's. Maybe I don't drive as hard as I think I do.

You are far more skilled I guess, I have gone through tires regularly and it has been an expense that I anticipate when doing off road.

 

[bat]

Being from San Diego and Baja right down the street all you have to do is look at all the rigs around town. I would say 90% run some type of BFG tire and having friends going south for 35 years, Bfg tire is the only tire they will run.