I'm so torn on tires... Most likely A/T's.
02-28-2013, 03:08 PM
#21
Bug Slinger
OK here we go, attempt two.
These are my thoughts my opinion , I am not here to start a tire argument with anyone, I was asked to provide my thoughts.
I should have taken photos when I had both sets of tires sitting side by side at the shop..
Ill post up the links to the tire manufactures sites instead and we'll use these for this little comparison. Open them up in other tabs so you can look at each back and forth..
http://www.cooperdiscoverer.com/details.aspx
http://www.cooperdiscoverer.com/
http://toyotires.com/tire/pattern/open-country-at-ii-on-off-road-all-terrain-tires
Both of these tires are of a 5 rib tire design http://www.yokohamatire.com/smart_solution/tireology/tread_designs/ and that is good for most highway type driving, they are good and efficient and keep the rolling resistance low, look at all factory type tires on any vehicle that are trying to achieve good MPG figures.. 5 ribs help with lateral stability and steering as well.
Observation 1.
The Center rib, I call this the highway rib. When you're up at higher speeds on the highway this is the part of the tire that helps keep the tire resistance low. I know that it is miniscule esp. on a radial but the centrifugal force placed on the tire at speed makes the center of the tire expand slightly
(extreme example of this) So... the TOYO, this center rib looks good has some good features about it, certainly looks efficient, the pattern or cut voids are rather tight though, which I feel is good for the highway but not for traction off road and aiding in water evacuation on the road. The Cooper's center rib has larger lateral cut voids in its center rib and I feel that helps evacuate water out from the contact patch on the road and certainly helps in the sloppy stuff and the snow and mud with that extra biting edge.. Based just off of the center rib I already feel the Cooper is the better off road tire and the Toyo is more road oriented.
Observation 2.
The 2 ribs next to the center rib, I call these the traction hunting ribs and to be honest both look rather comparable so we won't talk too much about this area..
Observation 3.
The outer most ribs or the shoulder rib.. and this area of the tire is a serious area to consider. I prefer a lug pattern that has decent to large voids in aiding traction and helping evacuate and displace water and slop from the center of the contact patch (think cooper STT).. Look at the TOYO on the web site, they have little targets to hover over on the tire, look for the one that says "tie bars".... This little addition down half way into the tread void is what turned me away from trying this tire... Think when the tire is half worn thru its service life, what happens to the tread voids in the shoulder area on the Toyo? It becomes a solid bar just like the center rib, no longer aiding in evacuation and displacement of water and mud.. The COOPER s shoulder area cut voids are free and clear to the base, allowing this area of the tire to aid in traction and displacement of water the whole service life of the tire... The other portion of this area is the side wall and the Toyo extremes have a little extra rubber on the side wall which looks cool and they could slightly aid in extra traction in the deep slop and on rocks but I feel they weren't substantial enough to really make a difference like the ones on the STT's did.
So there I my thoughts on a quick comparison of the Cooper AT3 and the Toyo AT2.. Summing it up... The Toyo Looks the part of an Extreme AT yet when it reaches half of its service life it seems it will morph into a less desirable tire... The Cooper will not change throughout its service life other than tread depth..
I also considered these tires that are of a 5 rib A/T type tire
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-selector/name/rugged-terrain-t-a-tires Looks good but way more road oriented in my opinion. The Shoulder rib on this tire seems just a little too tight for my liking... Should get good mileage out of them though.
http://www.hankooktireusa.com/Product/product.aspx?pageNum=1&subNum=1&ChildNum=4&FnCode= 04 . The shoulder on this one Seems like it would evacuate and displace water and slop well. But then the Center rib is damn near solid...
there you have it...
The most recent photos of my truck with the Cooper AT3's are here.
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/pics-your-truck-snow-185295/index33/
Hope some of my thoughts help you with your decision....
These are my thoughts my opinion , I am not here to start a tire argument with anyone, I was asked to provide my thoughts.
I should have taken photos when I had both sets of tires sitting side by side at the shop..
Ill post up the links to the tire manufactures sites instead and we'll use these for this little comparison. Open them up in other tabs so you can look at each back and forth..
http://www.cooperdiscoverer.com/details.aspx
http://www.cooperdiscoverer.com/
http://toyotires.com/tire/pattern/open-country-at-ii-on-off-road-all-terrain-tires
Both of these tires are of a 5 rib tire design http://www.yokohamatire.com/smart_solution/tireology/tread_designs/ and that is good for most highway type driving, they are good and efficient and keep the rolling resistance low, look at all factory type tires on any vehicle that are trying to achieve good MPG figures.. 5 ribs help with lateral stability and steering as well.
Observation 1.
The Center rib, I call this the highway rib. When you're up at higher speeds on the highway this is the part of the tire that helps keep the tire resistance low. I know that it is miniscule esp. on a radial but the centrifugal force placed on the tire at speed makes the center of the tire expand slightly
Observation 2.
The 2 ribs next to the center rib, I call these the traction hunting ribs and to be honest both look rather comparable so we won't talk too much about this area..
Observation 3.
The outer most ribs or the shoulder rib.. and this area of the tire is a serious area to consider. I prefer a lug pattern that has decent to large voids in aiding traction and helping evacuate and displace water and slop from the center of the contact patch (think cooper STT).. Look at the TOYO on the web site, they have little targets to hover over on the tire, look for the one that says "tie bars".... This little addition down half way into the tread void is what turned me away from trying this tire... Think when the tire is half worn thru its service life, what happens to the tread voids in the shoulder area on the Toyo? It becomes a solid bar just like the center rib, no longer aiding in evacuation and displacement of water and mud.. The COOPER s shoulder area cut voids are free and clear to the base, allowing this area of the tire to aid in traction and displacement of water the whole service life of the tire... The other portion of this area is the side wall and the Toyo extremes have a little extra rubber on the side wall which looks cool and they could slightly aid in extra traction in the deep slop and on rocks but I feel they weren't substantial enough to really make a difference like the ones on the STT's did.
So there I my thoughts on a quick comparison of the Cooper AT3 and the Toyo AT2.. Summing it up... The Toyo Looks the part of an Extreme AT yet when it reaches half of its service life it seems it will morph into a less desirable tire... The Cooper will not change throughout its service life other than tread depth..
I also considered these tires that are of a 5 rib A/T type tire
http://www.bfgoodrichtires.com/tire-selector/name/rugged-terrain-t-a-tires Looks good but way more road oriented in my opinion. The Shoulder rib on this tire seems just a little too tight for my liking... Should get good mileage out of them though.
http://www.hankooktireusa.com/Product/product.aspx?pageNum=1&subNum=1&ChildNum=4&FnCode= 04 . The shoulder on this one Seems like it would evacuate and displace water and slop well. But then the Center rib is damn near solid...
there you have it...
The most recent photos of my truck with the Cooper AT3's are here.
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/pics-your-truck-snow-185295/index33/
Hope some of my thoughts help you with your decision....
The following users liked this post:
McCarthy (02-28-2013)
02-28-2013, 03:15 PM
#22
So i'm shopping for new tires, But i am so torn on what to buy. I don't know how big i want them, Do i want them on 20" rims, do i want 18" rims? do i want stock 275 aspect ratio, do i want a 305/315? Is an A/T tire right for me? It's going to be a tire that's daily driven on, But used in some pretty deep snow minimum twice a week, and some good mud probably once every 2 weeks. I was originally looking at a mud tire, but they generally aren't very good in anything less than ~12" of snow. I have been thinking about the following:
BFG AT T/A KO (these would be my #1 choice but the price is retarded for an A/T tire up here in the great white north)
Nitto Terra Grappler
Toyo ATII
Cooper Discovery AT3/
Possibly Cooper Discovery ST MAXX
Any thoughts on size/ tire? Going to be on a 2012 5.0 4x4 3.55's screw... Not lifted or leveled, And nothing crazy size wise. I think a 33" is the max i want to go.
BFG AT T/A KO (these would be my #1 choice but the price is retarded for an A/T tire up here in the great white north)
Nitto Terra Grappler
Toyo ATII
Cooper Discovery AT3/
Possibly Cooper Discovery ST MAXX
Any thoughts on size/ tire? Going to be on a 2012 5.0 4x4 3.55's screw... Not lifted or leveled, And nothing crazy size wise. I think a 33" is the max i want to go.
02-28-2013, 06:34 PM
#23
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I would suggest looking into BFG Rugged Terrain TA's, they are not as aggressive as as the BFG AT's, but they sure ride smooth on the road. They are lighter than the AT's, so they should be a little better on mpg's and acceleration. I am running 275/70 r18 ($935 installed) and really like them, they are LT load E and I honestly can't tell much difference in ride comfort compared to the stock P rated tires. I haven't had them off road much yet, but they get great reviews off road, in the rain, and snow.
02-28-2013, 06:49 PM
#24
Hi, new to the forum. First post. Anyways.
Duratrac are great. I bought the first set from fountain tire in Winnipeg, i was their ginny pig as it was their first set sold also. I can not compare them to stt or anything else because i never have owned anything else. Although i put firestone on my daily driver, i put duratracs on my wife expedition because she loved them on her previous set on her 03 tahoe. They are great in the snow, perfect in the mud and like an ice tire on ice. Perfect all around tire. Keep the pressure 50-60 psi if you get the e rated one. Yeah they are more money but you have a demanding requirement.
Duratrac are great. I bought the first set from fountain tire in Winnipeg, i was their ginny pig as it was their first set sold also. I can not compare them to stt or anything else because i never have owned anything else. Although i put firestone on my daily driver, i put duratracs on my wife expedition because she loved them on her previous set on her 03 tahoe. They are great in the snow, perfect in the mud and like an ice tire on ice. Perfect all around tire. Keep the pressure 50-60 psi if you get the e rated one. Yeah they are more money but you have a demanding requirement.
02-28-2013, 07:06 PM
#25
I just put a set of 275/55/20 Hankook Dynapro ATM on my truck. Great price and they are quiet and smooth. I was also surprised when I saw them the first time as they are more aggressive than pictures do them justice. Traded in the stock pirellis with 30, 000 miles on them at discount tire and got the hankooks installed for $746. I drive around in the slop and mud at the coal mines for work often and they hook up great so far.
02-28-2013, 07:10 PM
#26
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I think my biggest decision right now is whether to go with an All terrain like the BFG A/T KO's, or the Nitto terra's etc. Or go with more of a hybrid AT/MT, Like the ST MAXX or the Toyo MT.
02-28-2013, 07:14 PM
#27
Cooper also makes a lighter duty 275/55/20 & 275/60/20 in the AT3. But for some reason they only list them under the SUV section of their website. Although probably not what the OP is looking for.
Last edited by Rockhopper; 02-28-2013 at 07:19 PM.
02-28-2013, 09:41 PM
#28
Junior Member
Toyo open country at ii xtreme
Toyo open country at ii xtreme is one of the baddest tires on the market right now. I was going to buy another set of bfg at ko for my stock platinum rims and my tire guy suggested I look at these Toyos. Looked them up and fell in love. Just got them put on today. 285/55/r20. Perfect size for a 4x4 truck. Putting my leveling kit on tomorrow. Awesome tire all around, better looking tire than the bfg at and you definitely won't see a ton of trucks with these tires on them because they are fairly new.
02-28-2013, 10:31 PM
#30
Toyo is nice but really heavy... Nitto Terra I read everywhere that they wear like crap... Pro comp xtreme at is pricy and mixed reviews..Goodyear duratracs have to many mixed reviews on durability.....bfgs are old school and are outdated IMO.... I'm running cooper at3's on my winter rims and so far 10k miles and they look like new ..really light....ride nice ..no noise.....only flaw not available in larger sizes ..such as my 6" lift I'm afraid 305x55x20s are to small but a plus on weighing 60 lbs unlike my 72+ trail graps that have 5k miles and show wear already... Over all if I could find a AT tire that had decent tread depth and good wear "I'd be happy with 40k miles".. On 20" rim that is bigger than 33" but smaller than 35".. And at least 12" wide and no wider than 12.5 ..weighing under 70 lbs a tire...it seems almost a impossible find