What do you think are really good tires for most off road ventures

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I agree 100%. OB is loaded with a variety of people with different levels of experience. That’s why I joined also, great opportunity to learn. As for myself I’d never claim to be an expert in anything, but being old enough to carry an AARP card I’ve been around the block a couple of times and may have something to offer.

Hang in there, you still have a lot more trips around the block and a lot more to give than you think.

 

[fireyota30]

Excluding extreme rock crawling or mud bogging, what tires do you thing perform the best for most on-off road conditions in all weather situations and for technical trails as well. I am about to buy 5 new tires for my LRD2 in preparation for my fall, winter, spring adventures. My trips will be in NM, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Washington, and Organ. I will be on paved roads as little as possible but unfortunately I cant just go anywhere I want so whatever road is available for travel will be what I use in my wonderings.
Lanlubber Jim

I hear ko2s are really good for both mid and dirt

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

The Duratracs are snow rated, and for good reason. The only all weather tire that would beat them in snow and ice would be the Nokian WR, but they don't make those in large sizes I run on my JK.

I wish I could get the Patagonia M/T but they are on back order and wont be stocked for another month. I don't get that much snow or ice but I'd like to know that I could drive in it, if I encounter it somewhere..

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I hear ko2s are really good for both mid and dirt

A little price for me at this time but I know they are a good choice.

 

[lemaycanique]

I use Firestone Destination M/T 2 great tires , not winter rated for Quebec Canada becose they don't have the snow flake on the side wall .
I use them all year except for the winter months. I spend my time on dirt road and paved roads, trails and mountains, I have no problem with them.

 

[MidOH]

Try Cooper STT's if you liked the Firestones. FS is priced similar to Cooper around here. The Cooper has stickier rubber in the winter and good siping. Thicker, heavier sidewall as well.

 

[PCO6]

I just looked at Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner and was quoted a great price on 265/75R/16 for 5 tires. It is about the only tire I have found that has a 5* rating, 55,000 mile warranty and can deliver now. It's not a M/T, it is an A/T. Do you think that tire meets the criteria I listed on my thread ?

I'm not familiar with Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunners. I have the same size you're looking at on my Jeep LJ but they are Goodyear Duratracs. I have 245/75R/16 Duratracs on my TJ and XJ. My driving is similar to yours and I have been happy with them on each vehicle. I also have a Jeep MJ (Comanche). I have Firestone Destination AT's on it. They are light duty AT's in my opinion. It's strictly an on-road vehicle and I've really enjoyed those tires.

I also have Duratracs on my off road trailer (see link below). The only reason I got them was to match them to my tow vehicle. They seem good but, to be honest, any good tire would probably be fine. I just bought a pair of Canadian Tire Motomaster Total Terrain AT3's for my tear drop trailer. They're CT's house brand of Cooper Tire's Discoverer ATP's for less $. They "look good" … and I guess I'll find out!

 

[jeep670]

I wish I could get the Patagonia M/T but they are on back order and wont be stocked for another month. I don't get that much snow or ice but I'd like to know that I could drive in it, if I encounter it somewhere..

Check Northridge4x4

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Check Northridge4x4

I have to buy with my discount tire credit card.

 

[Steve in Roanoke VA]

Great reading! I had a set of BFG AT's on a 1st gen Trooper, best tire I have used for off road. They were very good on the pavement until they wore down. Think I remember getting another set of the same at around 40K miles. So I am looking to get a new set of shoes on my 99 Tacoma this fall. I presently have a set of Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires on it, that's what was there when I bought it. Suprisingly still holding up well. I don't get new tires until mine are worn out. Not a ton of traction offroad with the Goodyears, but they are getting worn & beginning to loose some wet traction (ie: go slower around slick corners!) but this is the only set of Goodyears that I have ever had on anything that were decent. So my fallback is going to be BFG AT's, but I also see good reviews on the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, and they have a mileage warranty. Any experience with the Falkens?

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I have ran Yokohama Geolandar AT/S on a few different rigs. Great if you stick to gravel and paved roads, but lack real traction in really and mud or off-road. I currently run Falken Wildpeak AT3W's and love them! I have found some of their limits with mud, but then again MT's would have also struggled in that mud. Great all around tire that looks aggressive and checks all the boxes.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I see a lot of people running the K02's. When I got my tires (from TireRack), I did a lot of comparisons and research on them. The tires I went with I didn't see anywhere on this thread but I have been very impressed with them - Kuhmo AT51's. Check them out. They are pretty beefy and I haven't had any problems or complaints with them and I've taken them from everything to soft beach sand, to thick clay mud, to mossy boulders. Check them out. From TireRack they were very closely rated to the K02's, but they were better priced and they came with free road hazard protection for 2 years and the K02's did not.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

Great reading! I had a set of BFG AT's on a 1st gen Trooper, best tire I have used for off road. They were very good on the pavement until they wore down. Think I remember getting another set of the same at around 40K miles. So I am looking to get a new set of shoes on my 99 Tacoma this fall. I presently have a set of Goodyear Wrangler SR-A tires on it, that's what was there when I bought it. Suprisingly still holding up well. I don't get new tires until mine are worn out. Not a ton of traction offroad with the Goodyears, but they are getting worn & beginning to loose some wet traction (ie: go slower around slick corners!) but this is the only set of Goodyears that I have ever had on anything that were decent. So my fallback is going to be BFG AT's, but I also see good reviews on the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, and they have a mileage warranty. Any experience with the Falkens?

No experience with them since their introduction in 1968. I bought a set for my undersized tire Ford pickup. I sold the truck in 1974 with the tires still on it and roughly 35,000 miles and still in good shape. The modern Falken tire is much better I am told.
Like me maybe this thread will help you make a better choice. I have already eliminated several tires I was considering for one reason or another. I'm happy with the Goodyear Wrangler AT SI that I have now, but I raised the rig 2" and it looks like the car sets on roller skates so I'm buying something that will fill up the oversized wheel well.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

I ran the Cooper Discoverer AT3 on my Grand Cherokee. They are great from highway to dirt roads, maybe dry forest roads, but not beyond that. They are not an offroad tire.
I don't care what the Editor of EP says, I speak from my experience running that tire.

Interesting you had that experience! We had the opposite when we had them on our JK, but I'm not surprised that there are differences like this. In our case, we found they performed better than the stock BFG MTs (We ran through two sets of those before the Coopers) in all terrain except for very watery mud, and in those conditions the M/Ts only had a slight advantage. We also found them much better in below zero temps. Lots of factors at play though -- gearing, power delivery, etc. that may make a big difference between a GC and a JK.

The main reason I linked the Expo article is specifically because it informed our choice, and because it wasn't an editorial -- it was an article that recorded a standardized testing process on common off-road tires so that there could be as close to a 'head to head' comparison as possible. For those seeking an objective answer comparing tires, a standardized, repeatable testing process is necessary; anecdotal experience like we both have with the Coopers makes things incredibly hard to delineate. There are a ton of factors at play, so many that even the individual vehicle is only part of it -- perhaps someone else with a JK will have the same experience as you did, whereas someone else with a GC might be closer to my experience -- but other factors mean that performance will depend on how heavy/light the rigs are, the terrain they are in, the composition of the dirt/mud/track, and even to some degree their preferred off-road driving style (some people are more aggressive/passive than others).

For any given application, I think there are generalities where if you pick a certain tire you can't go too far wrong, but that's only only half the battle. I think in order to find the 'best' tire, the tire also has to be matched to the rig, the driver, the weights, the terrain, etc. and the best way to do that is to toss the shoes on, and put on some miles!

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I have ran Yokohama Geolandar AT/S on a few different rigs. Great if you stick to gravel and paved roads, but lack real traction in really and mud or off-road. I currently run Falken Wildpeak AT3W's and love them! I have found some of their limits with mud, but then again MT's would have also struggled in that mud. Great all around tire that looks aggressive and checks all the boxes.

Thanks for the info. I do want something with good off road (trails) ability. Because it takes a lot of miles on paved highway to get there, that is a big concern. Hopefully I will find something that will work for both conditions..
The Falken is one of the tires I am considering.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I see a lot of people running the K02's. When I got my tires (from TireRack), I did a lot of comparisons and research on them. The tires I went with I didn't see anywhere on this thread but I have been very impressed with them - Kuhmo AT51's. Check them out. They are pretty beefy and I haven't had any problems or complaints with them and I've taken them from everything to soft beach sand, to thick clay mud, to mossy boulders. Check them out. From TireRack they were very closely rated to the K02's, but they were better priced and they came with free road hazard protection for 2 years and the K02's did not.

I will check that tire out todsy, thanks for info.

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I see a lot of people running the K02's. When I got my tires (from TireRack), I did a lot of comparisons and research on them. The tires I went with I didn't see anywhere on this thread but I have been very impressed with them - Kuhmo AT51's. Check them out. They are pretty beefy and I haven't had any problems or complaints with them and I've taken them from everything to soft beach sand, to thick clay mud, to mossy boulders. Check them out. From TireRack they were very closely rated to the K02's, but they were better priced and they came with free road hazard protection for 2 years and the K02's did not.

I checked the Kumo A/T 51 and the Kumo adventure m/t. Both are acceptable to me although the m/t is a very aggressive tread and may not be as suitable for hwy. use. I sure would like to know. the a/t 51's look like they can handle both on and off road situations and comparable to everything I see except the bfg ko tires. Thanks for the help here, so far I think the GY Wrangler Trailrunner AT is the best tread and price that I have found that may meet my needs. I just wish the tread was a little bit more aggressive but there seems to be no in between on any brand tire.

 

[Sasquatch SC]

I checked the Kumo A/T 51 and the Kumo adventure m/t. Both are acceptable to me although the m/t is a very aggressive tread and may not be as suitable for hwy. use. I sure would like to know. the a/t 51's look like they can handle both on and off road situations and comparable to everything I see except the bfg ko tires. Thanks for the help here, so far I think the GY Wrangler Trailrunner AT is the best tread and price that I have found that may meet my needs. I just wish the tread was a little bit more aggressive but there seems to be no in between on any brand tire.

I went with the AT51's because they are pretty well suited for highway travel. They aren't as loud as some others I have had in the past. I do drop between 10-25 psi when I am going down a trail based on how much more rubber I need. My rig is at least a full ton lighter than most of the other rigs (around 4k lbs). It's on my daily driver so I took that into consideration as well. They are aggressive enough to get me through everything I've thrown at it and still perform well when I'm on the highway or towing my fishing boat. I usually run them at 38 psi for normal driving, but in sandy, muddy, or climbing conditions I have dropped them as low as 13 psi. I probably wouldn't run these if I was running trails with sharper rocks. But they are great for what I put them in.

 

[fireyota30]

Very true

 

[Lanlubber In Remembrance]

I went with the AT51's because they are pretty well suited for highway travel. They aren't as loud as some others I have had in the past. I do drop between 10-25 psi when I am going down a trail based on how much more rubber I need. My rig is at least a full ton lighter than most of the other rigs (around 4k lbs). It's on my daily driver so I took that into consideration as well. They are aggressive enough to get me through everything I've thrown at it and still perform well when I'm on the highway or towing my fishing boat. I usually run them at 38 psi for normal driving, but in sandy, muddy, or climbing conditions I have dropped them as low as 13 psi. I probably wouldn't run these if I was running trails with sharper rocks. But they are great for what I put them in.

My curb weight is 4500 #, not the lightest but a lot of rigs are a lot heavier I think. I will know by Tuesday what I will buy for sure. When checking the specs on your tire verses the Goodyear Wrangler Trailrunner A/T, I find that the Wrangler Trailrunner has a better profile. Both are reasonably close to the same cost when discounts are considered. The Cooper ST Maxx is probably the best for off road but are quite a bit more expensive as are the Goodrich A/T tires.