Tire Upgrade ?

[solagbmw]

I think I settled on getting 275s for my 20 inch oem rims. My truck will be doing 90% highway that will also see a lot of off-road in Mesquite thorn laden trails, Job sites, And planned to take over a few passes each summer in Colorado And maybe some four-wheel-drive trails here in Texas.

I’ve always bought the BFGoodrich KO2 And very happy with them as far as durability and punctual resistance, although they don’t seem to last anywhere near the published mileage rating.

I’ve been looking at the Toyo opencountry AT The reviews seem to say it’s much longer lasting and just as tough because it’s a more modern compound. It’s more expensive than that BFGoodrich, but also is about eight or 9 pounds lighter which I think will help with the MPG. I read that that said it’s a much louder tire and others that say it’s much quieter than the BFGoodrich.

Would anyone have experience with both tires to compare?

Is there another lightweight true all-terrain tire that I should be able to take a look at?

I had the Toyo's on my previous Jeep Cherokee and was very happy with them. They should be quieter than the KO2's since a lot of them aren't E-load and have a less agressive pattern.

Other lighter than KO2 AT options you should consider in addition to the Toyo AT3's: Falken Wildpeak AT3's (AT4's seem to be heavy), Falken Rubitrek (I have these on my 20" LC rims and am very happy with them so far).

 

[TrailWhale]

Tires look great but I'm wondering about your experience with the bike rack mounted and the LC's safety features

You need to turn off the parking brake assist - both the button to the left of steering wheel that disables the physical automatic braking, and a setting in the dash that disables it from yelling at you.

If you only have the rack on occasionally and can live with being yelled a (there is a temporary mute button on the screen) then just hitting the button is enough.

 

[LcAz]

Well, its all a tradeoff. The avoidable tradeoff that's been calcified by the interwebs is that medium size trucks running E rated tires is a good idea for most buyers. Putting the E rated AT4 on the LC makes no sense when the Falkan engineers deliberately design their SL version for our weight vehicle. All the E rated tire does is not flex as intended in either tread or sidewall because it's designed for a 3/4 ton and up work truck.

The Ascent in a sense tells us that the 50lb ish AT4 SL has either has a lot of reinforcement or Falken engineers have added lead weights to make the tire heavier.

If you can find a Falken AT 4 275/70/R18 in SL let me know. I would buy it right now. It may not make sense to put an E rated tier on a mid sized truck. But the simple fact is there is no really good quality option in a larger SL tire to improve clearance for offroading.

 

[Don]

Jeff backs me up on tire stiffness in the first minute. Plus recognizing Underground as the best color . So soon I will switch to ranting about fairly narrow 33s are the right size for almost all overlanding. Wide and tall for looks, of course.

 

[DalKruiser]

With a debt of gratitude to the insights from this forum - and @Markarian421 in particular for putting together his spreadsheet - I finally settled on 275/70/18 KO2s mounted on Method 316s with +18mm offset in Titanium Grey. I did the spare too, and as you can see from the rear photo, it fits, but droops about 1-2” below stock. Can’t wait to get them off-road and get them dirty.

So far, after about 500 miles, I’m averaging about 18.7 mpg (about 20.7 on a recent road trip). Ride with the E-rated tires is only noticeably stiffer over potholes at speed. Road noise was noticeable if you were listening for it above 70mph, but not intrusive.

 

[Don]

If you can find a Falken AT 4 275/70/R18 in SL let me know. I would buy it right now. It may not make sense to put an E rated tier on a mid sized truck. But the simple fact is there is no really good quality option in a larger SL tire to improve clearance for offroading.

Its fine to put E on are trucks. My point is that the tire engineers designed AT tires for our trucks and they aint the E tires.

Did you check if the AT3 come in your size? I would bet that most of the people complaining about KO3 being stiff are running E. Maybe KO3 come in SL

 

[LcAz]

Jeff backs me up on tire stiffness in the first minute. Plus recognizing Underground as the best color . So soon I will switch to ranting about fairly narrow 33s are the right size for almost all overlanding. Wide and tall for looks, of course.

Overlanding in the Southwest needs more clearance than a 265 tire. Been doing it for years. Super rocky terrain clearance is king.

Its fine to put E on are trucks. My point is that the tire engineers designed AT tires for our trucks and they aint the E tires.

Did you check if the AT3 come in your size? I would bet that most of the people complaining about KO3 being stiff are running E. Maybe KO3 come in SL

Yeah, the only SL rated AT offroad tire in a 275 is a General Tire Grabber.....not gonna happen. Nothing in Falken, Ko3, etc etc.

 

[Don]

Overlanding in the Southwest needs more clearance than a 265 tire. Been doing it for years. Super rocky terrain clearance is king.

Yeah, the only SL rated AT offroad tire in a 275 is a General Tire Grabber.....not gonna happen. Nothing in Falken, Ko3, etc etc.

A half inch makes a difference? Is fitting the new tire in the spare space under the vehicle one of you criteria?

If I lived within 500 miles of Moab I would probably own a Bronco and run 35s. Especially now that high end Bronco prices have collapsed.

 

[alcruiser222]

Great choice. I've been liking mine. Just finished a 600 mile round trip and averaged 21.9 to 23.1 MPG at 70-80 MPH. I think the weight difference matters.

That's really great to hear! For sure selected them for their light weight.

Tires look great but I'm wondering about your experience with the bike rack mounted and the LC's safety features

Yep, pretty annoying beeping while reversing so far. Copy/pasted from a facebook thread:

1. Turn off the parking assist button that’s down near the Auto headlight button to the left of the steering wheel.
2. Turn off intuitive parking assist in the DID
3. Turn off RCT (Rear Cross Traffic) in the DID.
- Depending on your type of bike rack and how big your bikes are, you may not need to turn off RCTA

I think I have only done #1 so far.

 

[jimmyj]

I think I settled on getting 275s for my 20 inch oem rims. My truck will be doing 90% highway that will also see a lot of off-road in Mesquite thorn laden trails, Job sites, And planned to take over a few passes each summer in Colorado And maybe some four-wheel-drive trails here in Texas.

I’ve always bought the BFGoodrich KO2 And very happy with them as far as durability and punctual resistance, although they don’t seem to last anywhere near the published mileage rating.

I’ve been looking at the Toyo opencountry AT The reviews seem to say it’s much longer lasting and just as tough because it’s a more modern compound. It’s more expensive than that BFGoodrich, but also is about eight or 9 pounds lighter which I think will help with the MPG. I read that that said it’s a much louder tire and others that say it’s much quieter than the BFGoodrich.

Would anyone have experience with both tires to compare?

Is there another lightweight true all-terrain tire that I should be able to take a look at?

I had both, currently run 275/70/R18 Toyo Open Country AT3. Longtime BFG customer, the Toyo tires, hands down better tire. Barely hear it, not noticeable unless you are listening, rides great. MPG is negligible IMO, we are driving a brick. MPG is a bonus, but may have lost 1 to 2 mpg, but jury is still out. What I came from, anything over 12-17mpg is a win in my book!

 

[lunkerbuster808]

With a debt of gratitude to the insights from this forum - and @Markarian421 in particular for putting together his spreadsheet - I finally settled on 275/70/18 KO2s mounted on Method 316s with +18mm offset in Titanium Grey. I did the spare too, and as you can see from the rear photo, it fits, but droops about 1-2” below stock. Can’t wait to get them off-road and get them dirty.

So far, after about 500 miles, I’m averaging about 18.7 mpg (about 20.7 on a recent road trip). Ride with the E-rated tires is only noticeably stiffer over potholes at speed. Road noise was noticeable if you were listening for it above 70mph, but not intrusive.

so nice ...like the titanium.... do you need a level kit ? looks like the tire is still in the wheel well so that's a plus do you feel it sticks out ? we have strict safety inspection laws where im from...

 

[Roonie]

I had both, currently run 275/70/R18 Toyo Open Country AT3. Longtime BFG customer, the Toyo tires, hands down better tire. Barely hear it, not noticeable unless you are listening, rides great. MPG is negligible IMO, we are driving a brick. MPG is a bonus, but may have lost 1 to 2 mpg, but jury is still out. What I came from, anything over 12-17mpg is a win in my book!

Yeah I have them on my older landcruiser and love them. They are E rated. I think the E rating vs SL or whatever is overhyped and you don't notice the difference. If anything my landcruiser actually feels better with the E rated tires more planted and doesn't wander as much but that may just be me and confirmation bias.

 

[DalKruiser]

so nice ...like the titanium.... do you need a level kit ? looks like the tire is still in the wheel well so that's a plus do you feel it sticks out ? we have strict safety inspection laws where im from...

Thanks! - wanted some contrast for the black car, black tires, etc., but bronze seemed a bit showy.

No level. The change in offset may have helped a bit with fit. No issues with rub at all, but I like that poke is still minimal. I came form a squatched Bronco, and that was too much. Think the outer wall is outside the fender by around a half inch. Not sure if that flies for you, but not an issue for us.

 

[lunkerbuster808]

Thanks! - wanted some contrast for the black car, black tires, etc., but bronze seemed a bit showy.

No level. The change in offset may have helped a bit with fit. No issues with rub at all, but I like that poke is still minimal. I came form a squatched Bronco, and that was too much. Think the outer wall is outside the fender by around a half inch. Not sure if that flies for you, but not an issue for us.

thank you for the info ...looks great I have a black 58 on order....same thinking as you bronze a bit too much so i was going with black rims but i like yours it gives it some style but still looks tough ...congrats again ....cant wait might have to copy you !!!!!

 

[Deadpool]

As many of us are struggling with how to replace the OEM tires with something more appropriate, I came across the following. The information below from a Falken product manager is a few years old and from a Tacoma forum but should be relevant as we look for tires that can handle off-road and winter use cases while giving us a comfortable and fuel-efficient ride while we get to our off-road destinations.

FWIW, I do run Wildpeak LTs on a heavily loaded Gladiator that perform like a champ off-road but I'm coming to the conclusion that they would not be ideal for the new LC.

 

[Don]

As many of us are struggling with how to replace the OEM tires with something more appropriate, I came across the following. The information below from a Falken product manager is a few years old and from a Tacoma forum but should be relevant as we look for tires that can handle off-road and winter use cases while giving us a comfortable and fuel-efficient ride while we get to our off-road destinations.

FWIW, I do run Wildpeak LTs on a heavily loaded Gladiator that perform like a champ off-road but I'm coming to the conclusion that they would not be ideal for the new LC.

View attachment 8855

Also, I believed that the AT4 has a strengthened sidewall compared to the AT3. I would not buy AT3 today unless Falken exprility states that they intend to continue production, as future tire replacement could become an issue.

I may very well buy the AT4, but I feel the 4x4 forums biased towards Falken as they used to be for KO2. All $300+ AT tires have very good durability. The most important quality indicator of a tire is that it is expensive.

The reality is that Falken design choices are focused on work trucks. Tire capable of very high mileage are not a primary characteristic most LC owners actually want because it's a tradeoff to other desirable characteristics.

The 10lb lighter expensive Goodrich Ascent is targeted at recreational 4x4. In a rational world that is the type of tire Toyota should have put on the vehicle instead of their choice ending up being sent to the dump. We won't see that waste in any environmental impact report for Toyota.

 

[TrailWhale]

In a rational world that is the type of tire Toyota should have put on the vehicle instead of their choice ending up being sent to the dump. We won't see that waste in any environmental impact report for Toyota.

There are plenty of pickup truck owners out there who are happy to buy your brand new tires for dirt cheap and put them to use. Please don't just discard them.

I sold all 5 for $300. Could have gotten more if i was patient, but they were taking up a lot of space.

 

[Don]

There are plenty of pickup truck owners out there who are happy to buy your brand new tires for dirt cheap and put them to use. Please don't just discard them.

I sold all 5 for $300. Could have gotten more if i was patient, but they were taking up a lot of space.

Nice. 20" ?

 

[TrailWhale]

Nice. 20" ?

18's. I suppose selling the 20s might be pretty hard, but I'm sure your odds go up the closer you get to $0! Never underestimate what people will take off your hands if you post it for free

 

[ultane]

I’ve seen enough crap from captain trips. I don’t mind a troll but using Jerry Garcia’s likeness and being a jerk is just not cool. Thanks for all the helpful info on the forum from the rest of you, good to see lots of good people out there supporting each other!

Quoted for a record of what a real internet troll looks like.. an immature little boy with only three posts, makes his entrance with a hateful fourth post..

‘Jeep Boy’, are your tender feelings hurt because he used a picture of Garcia for his avatar? (I had no idea that his avatar was a likeness of Garcia, I just thought he was having a bad hair day) Or are you taking aim at him because he actually contributes information to the forum, and its members?

People like you are why forums have ignore buttons.