Tires for your hunting truck
General Topic
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I know this has been posted before, but it looks like the search function isn't functioning. Anyways, I'm going to need new tires. Right now I have some Michelin H/T tires on it which are great for a quiet and fuel efficient ride, but they sucked offroad if I'm honest. I was thinking about going to Michelins AT tire but was also considering Falken Wildpeak AT3s. They seem to get good ratings for an AT tire but still decent on the road which is where most of their miles will accrue. I don't need anything really aggressive and I don't like that loud lumberwagon type ride on the road. What brands and models are you all running on your trucks?
I have Cooper AT3’s - and like but don’t love them, but my local tire guy really talked up the Falken Wildpeak’s last time I was in there.
That is exactly the tire i will be getting on my F250 in a few weeks. I have Cooper's on it now. They didnt last worth crap. Everyone seems to love the Falken AT3's.
Cooper Discoverer AT3's. On my third set on my Tacoma. Average over 65K miles. On my sons Nissan and 2004 Jeep Wrangler.
My work truck is a GMC 2500 diesel. I go some pretty sketchy places with it and it has Kenda Klever R/T's on it. They are great off road but are horrible on the highway as far as noise goes, they ride ok. I don't pay for them so I just turn up the radio.
I always run an AT tire on my personal truck but I don't take it into the kind of places I take my work truck. I think the last set I put on were BFG's about 2 years ago. They are holding up well.
BFG All Terrain TA/KO2.....
Brotsky x2. Plenty of decent choices but still my favorite for an all-around tire daily/hunting rig tire. Not cheap. I have some inexpensive Pathfinders on my F150 at the moment. Great so far but I don't expect them to wear as good and they will likely get noisy. They are Discount Tires house brand made by Hankook.
I was like you. The truck came with Transforce H2. Good highway tire, and that is where I do most of my driving. Offroad, I'd get stuck on wet grass. When I wore them out, I went with Firestone Destination XTs. They have an aggressive tread design but not so much that they are noisy on the highway and provide enough traction where I really notice the difference in the mud and wet. They ride marginally stiffer than the Transforce, but barely noticeable. Good warranty too, and Firestone actually honors it without question.
I just put Firestone Destination AT2's on my Silverado. I don't have a separate hunting rig, so my truck is my daily driver, tows the boat, and hopefully goes to NM for an elk hunt this fall (I'm trying to speak that into existence LOL). I really like these tires - a great balance of off-road and snow capabilities but not crazy noisy for my daily work commute. Much better than the Goodyears I previously had on my truck. Pete
I really like my Falken Wildpeak AT3Ws....now I have the AT4Ws and like them too!
Have run Cooper AT3 for the last 17+yrs on my Ram 2500's, great tire and long lasting life for the value.
I just put the Falken Wildpeak AT4's on my truck-I already love them. Great in the snow and SOOOOOO much quieter than the Goodyear Duratracs that came with the vehicle.
I've been running Falken tires for 10yrs or so, always had BFG's before. I have H/T02's on one truck for trailering, M/T's on another and A/T3's on main hunting truck. The A/T3's aren't as quiet as the H/T02's, but much quieter than the M/T's. I'd compare the road noise to KO's but I get better tread life.
Dang. Wish I had read this earlier. I mean I can't complain with the 110,000km's I got on my Duratracs and I do like them in use, but they're not cheap.
“110,000km's“
English please. No one understands this jibber jabber! Dam knucks! ;^)
I’ve been very happy with my Firestone at2s, got them for a good deal. Love the look of BFGs though.
That’s like……35 miles.
I used to be a die-hard BFG AT guy and won’t buy they again. The newer designs from other manufacturers seem to outperform them in most every way, especially in terms of wet weather performance and with how loud the BFG AT’s got once they were 3/4 worn.
BFG KO2’s for me. On my second set - I get 75,000 miles out of them on my Sequoia.
My 2018 tacoma has BF Goodrich all terrain ko2's. I got 73000 on the last set. I have never gotten stuck on any snowy muddy roads or field that I have driven on. Does fantastic on paved snow covered roads. On a flat highway I get 24 mpg. Driving mountain highways drops me down to 21. City driving about 18. Not too noisy either.
I have the same tires on my truck as No Mercy.
Nitto Ridge Grappler - 10 Ply
All the testing I've seen, the Toyo A/T does well if not the best
Another vote for Les Schwab and Toyo's. That's a hard combination to beat.
mike b, les schwab is regional. most east of colorado have no idea who or what les schwab is. also, they do not carry many toyo tires anymore. they replaced them with their own brand, mazama.
Another vote for BFG AT TAs. I live in the mountains and hunt/scout a LOT, and need a great mud-snow tread. But we also pull a big camper all over the place, so need a tire that wears well and is relatively quiet on the highway. Of all the tires I've had, this is the best all around compromise.
There is no "perfect tire". Just what works best for you, for the kind of driving you do.
I'm amazed you guys like the BFGs. We got sets on our work trucks and I'm not sure if we got 20,000 miles out of them. Kind of soured me on them despite loving the look. Thanks for all the input so far. Sounds like there are a lot of options to consider.
10 ply, really doesn’t matter which brand you go with. Lost count of my trips on what most consider the roughest road in NA (well over 100)… never a flat.
12 yards - one of the reasons I like the BFG KO2’s is how many miles I get out of them 75-80k is not uncommon amongst the people I know.
All-around Goodyear Wranglers are hard to beat for wear, noise, traction, price and durability
Cant even remember the model number Michelin tires I just got on my truck. Maybe LTs? Replacement for the Bridgestone tires I had, which cut my mpg by about 3 from what came on it new. The Bridgestones were noisy and turned brown when I didn’t wash and spray them consistently. I need tires for mostly road driving,some dirt roads. This is on a 2014 Z71, and cost me $1200 plus.
Toyo Open Country are my preference. I drive 30k+ annually and use my truck on highway, forest, BLM, and in the pit at a coal mine. This is the best all around tire I’ve found, followed closely by the General Grabber.
I really liked the Wildpeaks on my Silverado. They make a nice suv tire ,the AT Trails are also very good. We run the Wildpeaks on some work trucks also with great results. The ones on my Silverado were union made in Buffalo
Michelin Defenders Or Long Trail TA’s
Best all around for Minnesota weather
I don't understand how someone isn't getting good to great tread life out of the KO2's. The set I have on my F150 now has 80k on them and easily have another 15k before they need to be replaced. I do rotate every oil change though.
Cooper at3. 10 ply. 10 ply is important for off roading in a half ton.
I'm another fan of the Wildpeaks, however I would suggest you get the 10ply. Tread depth is a little deeper.
BFG KO2’s are great. I also get 75,000 miles out of them, fairly quiet and the tires have great on and off road traction. And they look awesome too.
Toyo AT III'S for me on my truck and I’ll be going with the new Toyo Open Country RT Trail in load range D for my 2021 2-door Bronco when the OEM Goodyear MT Territory wear out later this year.
BFG KO would be way down the list for me based on past performance on my vehicles in rocky terrain with sharp rocks.
Goodyear Wranglers for me. Great tires for all purpose driving and does great job in mountains. Hard to beat for an affordable all season tire.
Yokohama Geolander A/T XD is very similar to the Duratracs, spouse just put some on his F250. Likes them so far and much better price. I just put the Falken Wildpeak AT4Ws and like them, was surprised how quiet they are. They also have a 60,000 mile tread warranty and road hazard from Falken.
the best all-around tire for a pickup particularly a 3/4 or 1 ton is the toyo CT. it is similar to the M-55, but a bit less aggressive, just as tough, not noisy, and is better in snow.
I’ve had 2 sets of BFG K20s on my F150 and got about 80K out of each of them. I’m on the 3rd set now and it seems like they slip a lot more on wet roads than my last 2 sets. I have a buddy who geeks out on tires that told me that they changed the rubber compound, but not sure if that’s true. I just put a set of Wildpeak AT3 on my 4 runner so time will tell…
Grunt n Gobble, they don't offer the Wildpeak in a 10 ply for my tire size.
10 ply Wildpeak AT3s on my Super Duty. Great tire.
I'm getting Nitto Ridge Grapplers on my F350 as I type this response. Truck came with Goodyear Wranglers from the factory. Decent tire but I couldn't stand the road noise that began at 25K miles. 30K on them now and I'm getting new tires. I've had the Ridge Grapplers on a few trucks and had great luck. Miles are mostly highway but always get me in and out of job sites or hunting areas, hold up well pulling a skidloader and stay quiet.
The last thing I want are loud tires. I hate feeling like I'm in a lumber wagon. I've got some Hankook AT tires on a Silverado my son drives. I can't stand it. Also will be replacing that old Silverado with a 2013 F150 for my son that has Toyo AT tires on it. That truck doesn't sound much better. Not a fan of aggressive AT tires for the majority of my driving. Looking for that AT tire that is also road friendly.
Wildpeak AT4W is quiet. The AT3 is going to be discontinued according to Falken. 12yds make sure you look for the LT version, they offer the LT and regular version of the AT4W.
Right now Michelin, came with truck. Good tire. Best tires, BF KO 2s
Right now Michelin, came with truck. Good tire. Best tires, BF KO 2s
I mount old iron wagon wheels for hunting season. More clearance, a little noisy on the highway, but never worry about flats.
wytex, my Canyon takes a 265/65r17. They don't make it in an LT version or a 10 ply.
I've run BFG KO's on several different trucks for at least 20 years and have been very happy with them. I currently have them on 2 of my 3 trucks. I also get at least 60k miles on them but I rotate them regularly.
I currently have a '21 Silverado 3500 that came with Michelin LTX A/T2 and they have 38k miles on them. I also had them on a previous truck that I bought new. They're surprisingly good for how non aggressive they are but I'm looking for something more aggressive and will replace them before elk season. I also need 10 ply and BFG has always been my first choice but I'll look at some of the other options mentioned in this thread. I'm kind of shopping now so this thread is timely.
"Looking for that AT tire that is also road friendly."
12yards, you want the yokohama geolander AT/G015.
Man I hate buying tires! I had an 08 Ram 2500 for about 15 years. When I needed new ones, I’d go to craigslist or marketplace. There’s always a hand full of folks that buy a new truck and immediately change the factory wheels and tires. I probably bought 4 sets for that truck, and all of them included the nice rims. Never paid more than $500 cash for them. As long as I’m not in sand or bad mud, they handle mountain roads just fine.
70lb I've been watching Marketplace and Craigslist too and haven't found anything in my size or 10 ply that cheap. Most of the new "take offs" with wheels I've seen have been in the $1200-2500 range.
So I have a Ram 2500 with the diesel, and it's hard on tires, I've had the duracraps, hated those tires. Super soft and I do quite a bit of gravel road driving here and those tires had five different rock punctures, and when I took them off, two of them had cut side walls on them. I was able to squeak 30k miles out of them, and that's with a 5k mile rotation, and when they were worn half way, they sounded like a TSL bogger, the high light of them were the snow and ice traction, I did like that. Next set were the Nitto Ridge grapplers, good tire, no flats, but was only able to get 35k miles out of them. Now I have the Toyo RT trails on it, So far, I'm really liking this tire, good traction in mud, snow and ice, no flats yet, and I so far only have about 4k miles on them, so we'll see how long they last.
Whatever brand you choose make sure it’s at least an E rated sidewall. Sticks can puncture lessor rated sidewalls. I’ve had it happen.
DL, load rating on the Falken Wildpeaks says XL. What does that mean?
I see it means "Extra Load". It's a heavier duty sidewall, but still a 4 ply.
That's a fact DL. You have to clarify you want the 10ply. I had some Cooper AT3 put on my truck, 10 ply and they were great tires so I put them on my wife's suburban. Didn't request the 10 ply, just assumed they would put the same ones on. 3 flats within a year and I went back and was like these tires are trash what is going on? Found out I bought 6ply tires. Won't make that mistake again.
12yards, the yokohama geolander AT/G015 that i recommended above come in a standard load and E load in your size, 265/65R17.
So my next question is do any of you guys consider tire weight and mpg when you choose your tires? These 10 ply or E rated tires weigh up to 10 pounds more per tire than SL tires. Does this kill your mpg? Or doesn't it make that much difference. My current Michelins weigh about 37 pounds each and I'm averaging over 22 mpg all around driving with these things. The E rated tires and 10 plys are upper 40 to near 50 #s. I've read tire weight is a big factor in mpg.
"So my next question is do any of you guys consider tire weight and mpg when you choose your tires? These 10 ply or E rated tires weigh up to 10 pounds more per tire than SL tires. Does this kill your mpg?"
Yes, I do. Unless I am driving a 3/4 or 1 ton, I do not feel E rated tires are necessary. For a truck like a Tacoma, Ranger, or Colorado, a good quality P-series/standard load are fine imo unless you are doing some serous off-roading. No question a heavier tire will affect MPG's on a smaller truck. It doesn't kill it, but it does lower it.
sitO's Link
Here's a link for the Falken A/T3 ratings, there's one of these for each of their types of tires.
Thanks RonP. I would think it would take a little more oomph to get those tires rolling. My Canyon might feel more doggy with them on.
Tire will have the rating on the sidewall and usually the max air pressure is 80psi. You are correct about how many plus on sidewall ratings. So if you get a tire with less than an E rating you might have only a 2 ply sidewall. Costs more but where we hunters go you better have tough tires.
My mileage with my BFG KO2’s did go down compared to the cheap road tires that it came with used. I figure it is a very small cost when I’m on backroads elk hunting. I want a heavy 10 ply tire.
Thought I'd bring this back up and post what I ended up buying. I ended up buying some Yokohama Geolander AT G015 SL tires. So far I am very happy with the purchase. They drive very smooth on the highway, are quiet, look good, and my MPG has not changed. I have not driven them offroad yet so can't comment. And obviously I can't comment on how they will wear. I don't go into rough places so believe they will do just fine. In MN I primarily deal with slippery wet, greasy two track trails in the woods. Not deep mud, but roads that are rutted and greasy when wet. My old tires slid around a lot, allowed me to be pulled into some deeper ruts. Hoping these will do better. If you don't think you'll need an LT tire but want a less aggressive AT tire that performs well on the highway, I highly recommend the Yokohamas.
Cheesehead Mike's Link
I just came across this independent video on the release of the new BFG KO3's. Some pretty interesting tire info on the BFG's as well as some mention and comparisons to other brands.
Just put some Mickey Thompson Baja AT on my 150. Very impressed with the ride so far.
Kenda Klever RT (or AT). Best tire I've had on my tacoma. My friend with a shop has since put a ton of them on other pickups and everyone loves them.
Been running Nitto Trail Grapplers for years and love them for off road applications. Not the greatest highway tire but awesome in the dirt and rocks.
BF KO 3s, saw my first set today, 18 inch on Tundra, I was impressed. I currently run KO2s, love em
I have been running the Cooper AT 3's. I like them pretty well, I tow trailers three or 4 times per week and the tread life has been good.
I have used BG KO's and went to Copper AT3's and have regretted it after the first time pulling off the pavement. Going back to the KO's ASAP.
Thanks for posting that link Mike. My current BFG KO2’s have about 78,000 miles on them so I’m due for some new tires in probably 10,000 miles. I’ve yet to see a tire outperform the KO2’s as far as on how long they last.
KO2 are great. I wish yall liked them less as it has gotten hard to get.
As mentioned above (as well), I really like the Destination AT. Underrated tire, IMO.
A cheap decent tire is the Discount Tire Big Country… made by Falken…
I’ve had good luck with the BFG KO 2’s as well. Currently running Toyo Open Country II, which is also a damn good tire. The Wrangler Dura Tracs that came on my Silverado were the worst tire I’ve had. They wore out quickly and were so loud the truck was undriveable at 50 000km!
I’ve had great luck with the KO2’s. Will likely jump up to KO2’s when I change out tires on both my trucks.
After a lot of research for tires and reading just about everything I can get a hold of, I went with the Michelin LTX AT2 for my 2019 Ram 2500. I didn't want anything too aggressive, but I wanted something that would perform well on and off road. I really don't take my truck in too many rough places as I save that for my utv. I found out discount tire will price match with costco tire center, but you have to specifically tell them to compare prices with costco.
I'll be buying some soon. My tire guy is recommending the Toyo Open Country LT's with 65K mile warranty. Anyone have experience with them?
I've bought LTX MS for the last few trucks I have owned. I am running on a set right now that I'll switch out before I head west. Considering the fact I spend almost all of my time driving on paved or gravel roads I usually ran a tire more fit for pavement. This time I am considering going with something a little more aggressive since there is no way I am paying what it costs to put Michelin tires on my 6 year old truck. I am looking at the Falken Widpeaks but would consider anything. Anyone have an opinion on a tire that still rides great, doesn't have a ton of road noise and is not outrageously priced like the Michelins?
I've always run Michelins, great tire. Tire guy is telling me the Toyo's are just as good.
I had a set of open country A/Ts and really wasn't super impressed with them in the snow here in WI. I bought a set of falken wildpeak AT3s last year and so far really like them
It depends on where you live and how much off roading you do.
I've tried 10 different truck tires, IMO;
The best all-around tire when you do a lot of off-roading is the Toyo Open Country. They have so much tread compared to other tires it's a joke. One set I had got 77,000.
A good tire for minor off road and a lot of highway is the Falken wild peaks. They will get flats. I had sharp rock on a gravel road in Wyoming give me a flat with these.
I've got right at 45,000 miles on a set of Falken Wildpeaks AT3's on my Silverado. I've never had a flat tire and they ride good for a little more aggressive tire but they are developing more road noise the more miles on them. Hope to get thru the summer with them and put on some new skins before winter. We have some slimy roads when they are wet out in Colorado around our place so have to be careful in that scenario. Unfortunately the worst parts are on uphill sections so have to be observant of road conditions. Never had traction issues with snow but slimy mud is their downfall. I'm sure the Wildpeak MT's would be better though.
I just bought a 2013 F150 for my son that had Toyo Open Country AT2s on. It sounded like a lumber wagon on the road. These were probably fairly old and somewhat cupped. A stiff 10 ply tire. I put a Uniroyal highway tire on it (actually made by Michelin) and it made an unbelievable difference in quietness on the road. But my son will primarily be driving on the road as he will be going off to school.
Bowfreak, I was in the same boat as you when I started this thread. I wanted a quiet tire with some offroad capability on my Canyon. I bought the Yokohama Geolander AT G015 and they are great for highway driving and low noise. My mpg hasn't changed from the Michelins I had on previously. Haven't really had them in an offroad situation. They performed fine on gravel roads. Of course I have no idea how long they will last. But so far I am impressed with them and they look pretty good too.