On/Off-Road Tires

[MarineHawk]

I’m probably going to put some 37s on fairly soon, but I have a few questions. I’m leaning toward the BFG MTs based, in part, on the sound advice from a certain very knowledgeable Britexan, but I’m feeling a slight bit equivocal, and had some follow-up questions for those, including the aforementioned pond-hopper, in the know.
I’m basically looking for the best off-road tire that is not horrid on the street and that will not create excessive rubbing.
Here’s my uneducated thoughts on a few options:

BFG ATs:
Advantages: I know they do not look as aggressive or as capable as the MTs, but I’ve had great performance out of them on my H2 and old Trooper in a variety of terrain. They SEEM to have performed better in the snow and wet pavement than the GY MTRs I had on my Sierra (see below question about wet pavement/rocks). The 37s are also a wee bit smaller than other 37s (36.3” diameter), which would, I assume, minimize rubbing.
By BFG’s own ratings, this has a wet traction rating of 9 compared to the BFG MT’s rating of 7.
Q: Won’t better traction on wet pavement translate to better traction on wet rocks?
Disadvantages: Doesn’t look as tough; dismissed by most as not as good as any MT off-road.

BFG MTs/GY MTRs:
Look great; by reputation, better than the BFG ATs; at 36.8” diameter and 12.5” wide, probably won’t rub excessively.

TOYO Open Country MTs:
My favorite tire, but, according to TOYO’s specs, it’s 37.1” tall and 14.6” wide (even though it has “13.50” in the name). I fear too much rubbing without a lift, which is not an option for me because I need to fit this beast in my parking garage.

Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.

[PARAGON]

Skip the MT/Rs. I can't put my finger on it and I am not the only one here, but for some reason they don't offer the traction that they should on a H2.

They are great tires, I just don't think they marry well to a H2. In Moab, I was chirping, turning over, my MT/Rs a lot more that BFG ATs and BFG MTs. They also don't clean as well in the mud as I would like.

I think in the 37", with their load rating, there is less flex in the tire and that might be diminishing it's off-road performance some when it's on the H2.

Just my opinion.

[MarineHawk]

Interesting. I had the same experience with the MTRs on my Sierra.
So, you think I should stick with 35s? You might be right, but I wasn't expecting that response. Seems like most people think bigger is always better (with respect to tires anyway).
If I stay with 35s, I could get the Toyos I suppose.

Originally posted by PARAGON:
Skip the MT/Rs. I can't put my finger on it and I am not the only one here, but for some reason they don't offer the traction that they should on a H2.

They are great tires, I just don't think they marry well to a H2. In Moab, I was chirping, turning over, my MT/Rs a lot more that BFG ATs and BFG MTs. They also don't clean as well in the mud as I would like.

I think in the 37", with their load rating, there is less flex in the tire and that might be diminishing it's off-road performance some when it's on the H2.

Just my opinion.

[PARAGON]

No, no, no, no. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif IMO, go with the 37" BFG MTs. Definitely go 37" if you are going to wheel it at all, every little bit helps.

[Arizona Hummerboy]

I am runing the BFG A/T on my H2, and I have not had any problems with them in the snow or mud. I do a lot of off roading and I think they are a great tire.

[CslRkH2]

Originally posted by PARAGON:
Skip the MT/Rs. I can't put my finger on it and I am not the only one here, but for some reason they don't offer the traction that they should on a H2.

They are great tires, I just don't think they marry well to a H2. In Moab, I was chirping, turning over, my MT/Rs a lot more that BFG ATs and BFG MTs. They also don't clean as well in the mud as I would like.

I think in the 37", with their load rating, there is less flex in the tire and that might be diminishing it's off-road performance some when it's on the H2.

Just my opinion.

What did you air down to in Moab? Didn't you make it up Hells Gate with the MT/Rs on?

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by CslRkH2:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PARAGON:
Skip the MT/Rs. I can't put my finger on it and I am not the only one here, but for some reason they don't offer the traction that they should on a H2.

They are great tires, I just don't think they marry well to a H2. In Moab, I was chirping, turning over, my MT/Rs a lot more that BFG ATs and BFG MTs. They also don't clean as well in the mud as I would like.

I think in the 37", with their load rating, there is less flex in the tire and that might be diminishing it's off-road performance some when it's on the H2.

Just my opinion.

What did you air down to in Moab? Didn't you make it up Hells Gate with the MT/Rs on? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I was down to 18PSI and did the obstacles but on certain things that others were doing, I would take the exact line they did and they would have no tire spin and I would.

[CslRkH2]

Damn, I just bought the 37" MTRs on Friday. The Toyos were on national 60 day backorder and the guy at the store said the MTRs would preform the same as the BFG MT off road but would be better on the road. I like the look of the 37" tires too.

Looking at the tread pattern of the Toyos and the MTRs they seem very similar. Is it the side lugs that help the Toyo in the Mud better than the MTR?

[MarineHawk]

Originally posted by PhilD:
[MTR's]are certainly not a bad tire, and are very tough.

That's certainly true. From the reviews I read in 2003, before I put them on my Sierra, they have a sidewall that it virtually impossible to destroy and very difficult to pop off the rim when even when aired down to a very low PSI. They're very tuff tires.

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by PhilD:
I think it is the bigger voids between the lugs that makes the difference, the MT/R's just don't seem to clean out very well. If you compare the Toyo's side by side to the MT/R's, you'll see the difference straight away.

They are certainly not a bad tire, and are very tough. No, not a bad tire at all. It's just when you have a choice what is the best option. I now have done the MT/Rs and don't think they are the best choice.

Honestly, I think they have gotten me stuck a couple of times. Because they are great at traction but when you start breaking packed mud up and it packs into the lugs of the tire, the MT/Rs don't clean as well as they should in my opinion.

Knowing this going into muddy areas will cause you to drive differently, more momentum etc. to compensate. But I know the MT/Rs do extremely well on in the 15" version on a other trucks, on Jeeps, etc. I'm not so sure about how well they clean on those but the load rating is lower, so I am guessing that it might have somethng to do with the performance on the H2.

[Racer-X]

Anybody else have a bad experience with the BFG MT's in snow? I got caught in an unexpected snow storm with my MT's and was shocked when I pulled out of a parking lot and slid sideways about 4 feet and only going about 5 mph. My AT's never did that.

They were awesome on the rough rock though. But from what I saw, the Toyo's were even better. May have been the driver though. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[MarineHawk]

Damn!!! I'm torn. ATs? MTs? On top of that, I stopped at the lowest clearance in my parking garage when clearing the highest part of my roof, and I have about 1.5" to spare. I assume I will be okay with the 37s. According to BFG's propaganda specs, the 37" ATs are 1.8" taller than the the 35" ATs, and the 37" MTs are 2.3" taller than the the 35" ATs. Thus, I would raise my vehicle by about 0.9" with the 37" ATs and about 1.2" with the 37" MTs. The latter would make it pretty close. Worst case, I guess I could spend the rest of my life running out and paying the meter every two hours.

[Mr. I - Man]

Air down before you go into the parking garage!

[MarineHawk]

That's funny. I was actually thinking about it. Maybe they make magnetic shields for the roof.

Originally posted by Mr. I - Man:
Air down before you go into the parking garage!

[ShaggyX]

BFG MT's suck ass on pavement. They are horrible on wet roads, it even worse in the snow. They are pretty good off-road, but really only excel in the mud from what I have experienced. I would never buy another set of BFD MT's unless it was strictly a trail rig. Just my .02

[MarineHawk]

Okay. Please tell what you do recommend then? For H2s -- not the Rice Burner.

Originally posted by ShaggyX:
BFG MT's suck ass on pavement. They are horrible on wet roads, it even worse in the snow. They are pretty good off-road, but really only excel in the mud from what I have experienced. I would never buy another set of BFD MT's unless it was strictly a trail rig. Just my .02

[ShaggyX]

Originally posted by MarineHawk:
Okay. Please tell what you do recommend then? For H2s -- not the Rice Burner.
There seems to be a limited selection once you get into the 37" tires with 17 rims. I would say probably either the Toyo MT's, or BFG AT's.

I have heard great things about Bridgestone Dueller Revos (something like that)...but they don't make them big enough for the H2. I am testing out a set of Yokohama Geolandar AT +II's on the Xterra right now, but again...none big enough for the H2.

[MarineHawk]

Yeah, I'd probably get the Toyo's if they weren't 2" wider (according to the Toyo specs) than the BFGs. I think I'm down to 3 options: stay with stock or either 37" BFG ATs or MTs. I noticed that the Bridgestone Dueller's on the H3s (not the Revos) have 3-ply sidewalls and look like a good tire, but, as Shaggy indicated, they don't come in 37s.

[PARAGON]

Originally posted by ShaggyX:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MarineHawk:
Okay. Please tell what you do recommend then? For H2s -- not the Rice Burner.
There seems to be a limited selection once you get into the 37" tires with 17 rims. I would say probably either the Toyo MT's, or BFG AT's.

I have heard great things about Bridgestone Dueller Revos (something like that)...but they don't make them big enough for the H2. I am testing out a set of Yokohama Geolandar AT +II's on the Xterra right now, but again...none big enough for the H2. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Yeah, Revos are great tires, for my Denali but I wouldn't want them for an off-road tire. What's up with the car tire junk. How about piping up with something that actually would fit a real truck.

Hawk, you can get the MTs siped on the big lugs for better ice and even watery/pavement traction.... hell all around traction for that matter. Most tires don't have enough siping in the big lugs anyway when they come from the factory.

[ShaggyX]

Originally posted by PARAGON:
Yeah, Revos are great tires, for my Denali but I wouldn't want them for an off-road tire. What's up with the car tire junk. How about piping up with something that actually would fit a real truck.

Hawk, you can get the MTs siped on the big lugs for better ice and even watery/pavement traction.... hell all around traction for that matter. Most tires don't have enough siping in the big lugs anyway when they come from the factory. And here I made the mistake of suggesting tires that would be good for a daily driver/weekend wheeler. I didn't know we were talking about a trailer queen rock buggy. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

The Dueler A/T REVO would make a great all around on/off road tire (it just isn't big enough). The BFG MT might be better off-road, but it sacrifices a lot when it comes to on-road.

Hawk...IMO if this is going to be a trail rig/trailer queen, or if you rarely have to drive on wet/snowy road...go with the BFG MT's, if it is your daily driver, or if you are in the rain/snow often then go with the BFG AT. As before...just my 2 cents.

[ShaggyX]

Originally posted by PhilD:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PARAGON:
What's up with the car tire junk. Because that's what he drives, not as soccer mom as an H2 granted, more soccer kid http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Oh come on now. That was just a recent thing. My pickup wasn't soccer mom, or soccer kid...and that is what I am basing my opinions on. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

[TXSUT]

Originally posted by MarineHawk:
...I stopped at the lowest clearance in my parking garage when clearing the highest part of my roof, and I have about 1.5" to spare. I assume I will be okay with the 37s. ... Worst case, I guess I could spend the rest of my life running out and paying the meter every two hours.

LOL! Sounds like what I was dealing with. I had about 1.5-2" of clearance in my building's parking garage when I was on OEM tires. After installing 37" Mud Grapplers, and cranking the torsion bars to prevent rubbing, it will no longer clear the ceiling. As a result, I'm now forced to take the bus to work http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif and drive my wife's car when I do need to drive in.

[PARAGON]

Come on guys, let's get industrial here. If you have the bars on, take them off, otherwise take a ball peen hammer and make some slight height adjustments to your roof http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[MarineHawk]

Paragon:
I agree about the Revos. The non-Revo Duellers seemed okay though - about as aggressive as a BFG AT (maybe not as good).
The cross bars are off. Still have only 1.5" to spare. Hopefully, I don't accidentally hit my air suspension button before I go in someday.

TXSUT: From experience, I've become confident that I fit in the spaces in my parking garage that I enter regularly even though it's close - so I don't slow down anymore. Yesterday, one of the hotel valet guys let out a freaked-out howl-like warning as I cruised through. He must have thought it was going to hit. It was pretty funny. I do have to exit through the entrance or I scrape the middle-back top.

Anyone: Anybody have knowledge or experience on those Cooper STTs sfox mentioned? They look good. One of the local dealers said he can get them installed on my truck for $260/tire ($238 + $12 balancing per tire). Another local dealer listed on the Cooper wiebsite, says that, for the time being, he no longer sells them because his supplier went out of business. When I asked this guy what other tires he sells, he said pretty much anything, but he runs the Cooper STTs on his rig and recommends them over anything else he sells. Surprised me because he was recommending the Coopers to the point of talking me out of buying tires from him. Any opinions?

[TXSUT]

Originally posted by MarineHawk:
one of the hotel valet guys let out a freaked-out howl-like warning as I cruised through.

LMAO!

[Mr. I - Man]

I had Nitto terra grapplers on my Vehicross and those things rocked on snow,wet pavement and not too bad in mud. I don't know how they would be on a H2 load rating and wear wise. I just know I drove around like a complete jack ass on those tires and they never lost grip and they did great at The Badlands in Attica.


My 2 cents

[MarineHawk]

Upon further, sophisticated regression analysis, it's more like $250/tire.

Originally posted by MarineHawk:
One of the local dealers said he can get them installed on my truck for $260/tire ($238 + $12 balancing per tire).

[Mr. I - Man]

I know very sad http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif The worst part is that I wheeled that thing more than my SUT. Just haven't had the time to get it out on the trails and nobody to wheel with anymore http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

[Mr. I - Man]

Kewl my post count says 666!! http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

[ShaggyX]

Originally posted by Mr. I - Man:
Kewl my post count says 666!! http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Not anymore. http://www.elcova.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif

[MarineHawk]

Probably thinking like the owners of Javier's in Dallas, where they always ensure that the guys driving the Lamborghinis and Ferraris park by the front door and park the 1994 Caprices out back so that all the gold miners go there. I always wanted to rent a Maserati or a Maibach to get an easy lay. Sadly, I just preyed on defensless Hooters waitresses instead.

Your second valet crew probably appreciated the aphrodisiatical properties of the 6" Fabtech lift and the Toyo MTs.

By the way Phil, is The Palace still going strong there in Corpus?

Originally posted by PhilD:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by MarineHawk:
Yesterday, one of the hotel valet guys let out a freaked-out howl-like warning as I cruised through. He must have thought it was going to hit. On Friday night the Westin in downtown San Antonio wouldn't let me part outside the hotel (forget the 7' parking garage), so I had to park on a seedy looking open parking lot on a back street. Fortunately, the vehicle wasn't trashed or broken into, and on Saturday night the (different) valets were real happy to let me park outside the front of the hotel. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[MarineHawk]

When I lived in Corpus and was driving into downtown one day (I think going East on the SPID "feeder road" almost to the Crosstown Expressway), a couple of really, really hot, chicks started flagging me down. For a millisecond, I was thinking that I was getting ready to have a great day. Then I noticed they were in front of one of "those" places looking for customers. I never spent any of my money at The Palace, but we actually "had" to take some clients there twice back when I was single.