Help Needed Tire Decisions

[dpantazis]

I think I have to change the tires on Big Red. I hate tire shopping. Lots of hand wringing and wrinkled eyebrows. I was hoping that someone who has run these tires can post their comments and would offer their experiences. Hoping that my northern brethren might chime in.

Trying to keep stock size, load range E tires. LT 265/75-R16's.

Truck spends most of its life in the city and on the highway getting to places to play and have fun: dirt tracks, gravel roads, field roads, farm roads. No serious mud or muck. Snow isn't an issue as I have snow tires for her.

I think the biggest concerns are general handling, wet traction and wet stopping, durability and tread life.

Here are my considerations. they are all around the same price out the door, ~$800 for 4, or $200/tire.

Hankook Dynapro ATm R10's

Transforce AT with Uni-T

Dueler A/T with Uni-T

Cooper Discoverer ATR


I have bugged JLD about this and his advice is, as always good.

The cat's jammies would be Goodyear Silent Armor ProGrades, which would run me $1000 out the door.

TG, RoyBoy, what might you be running and how do you like your tires? would you buy them again?

thanks

dennis

 

[JRJ04]

i have heard nothing but outstanding reviews on the michelen ltx m/s. I'm on my 2nd set on my brothers truck and abosolutely love the wet traction, handling and overall quiet ride.

you are def correct in staying with load range E. I currently have the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors in a load range D and while I am happy with the tire, I dont think i'll get much north of 40k out of them. Regardless of what brand I buy next, they will be load range E.

I still loved the BFG A/T, but wet traction is nowhere near what I have now with the goodyears.

 

[acjjkamp]

My choice is the Cooper ATR
Have had them on my last 2 trucks. Great traction in the sand, dirt, rain, mud, grass etc. and very road friendly.
My 18" E's were $680 otd 3 months ago

 

[trackspeeder]

I just changed out a set of Firestone Transforce AT. 66k miles, still had plenty of tread left.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

I'm running some 285/75r16. I didn't like the 265's, they looked too small for the truck & wheel wells. There might have been a small penalty fuel mileage wise with going a bit bigger. But the speedo nows reads dead-on, where it read 1-2 mph more than actual speed before. This was determined by several roadside radar display signs as well as GPS. The odometer however reads about 3 miles less than every actual 100 miles traveled, again as measured by GPS.

The brand of tires I have are a house brand tire for American Car Care centers. I was told they are made by Michelins and have no reason to doubt the guy. They seem ok in deep or loose snow, but on ice or just plain slick roads, they are mediocre. But they have I'd guess 35,000 miles on them. It seems to me that as tires wear, the wet/ice traction goes down. I think it may have to do with changes in the rubber compound as the tread wears down.

 

[WD40]

Ok, I have 6 of the Hankook Dynapro ATM R10's on my truck and like them real well, but you say you have ,a lot of gravel roads. The only down side I see to these tires are they will pickup and sling rocks. They ride great and I love the way they ride with the fifth wheel behind it.
Good Luck.
Doug

 

[RoyBoy]

I've had Toyo M55's on mine for 15-20,000 miles. They have lugs and keep me out of trouble around the farms But they howl like crazy... I have to admit I kind of like it
Tredwear is pretty good considering how much I run gravel roads and tow

 

[dpantazis]

thanks boys. so far you have pretty much confirmed that i can not go wrong. i will take a ride to the tire shop tommorow and see how much we can haggle.

as far as noise- anything is going to be better than the waa-waa-waa-waa-waa-waa i am getting with the scalloped tires. i mean it sounds like i have rocks stuck in there, and this is on newly paved straight road.

dp

 

[WD40]

I don't hear any howl from the Hankook Dynapro ATM R10's .

 

[dpantazis]

WD- mu current tires are scalloped and cupped, that is why they howl.