Another Tire Thread - Help a guy decide on his next set of road/trail tires

dgriz

dgriz

Member
Currently, I'm running 33" Falken Wildpeaks and have no complaints other than the fact they look more like street tires than off-road tires. They've not let me down on rocks, rain, ice or snow. But soon I'll be re-gearing and ready to move up to 35's so I can start running more challenging trails. I'd like some input from others so I can decide which route I'm going and then watch for sales.

I use this Jeep every day for work, and even though I am trying to get on the trails a little more these days, it's still a small percentage of the overall use of this rig. I'll also be towing my travel trailer with it a little more than I'm on the trails for another year or so. My dilemma is this: Do I stick with the A/T style or should I jump to a M/T (like Nitto or Toyo). I'm in California, so the type of trails I'm preparing to run are mostly rocks and gravel, the most notable being Rubicon and Dusy-Ershim. I see a lot more hard, wet, or icy surfaces than mud.

Please pitch in your : 2cents :
 
VWright14

VWright14

New member
Consider the toyo at2 I'm a extreme version. .. more tread depth than the P ratings and seems to be a great tire

Sent while watching chicks get naked.
 
R

rtguy1

New member
i've always been a fan of AT tires because of their road manners and ability to venture off the beaten path. I am running 37" nitto trail grapplers on my rig now i have to say they are excellent all around. I drive my rig daily and run close to 60 miles round trip to work. They have great road manners, well controlled, wear nice and even, and are fairly quiet. I recently did a 5 tire rotation and used the unused spare as a baseline with a depth gauge. I've got over 6k miles on em and only lost 1/32". Offroad they are great. Tons of traction. Dn't let the "M/T" scare you away. They will work perfect for your needs.

View attachment 43638
 
Last edited:
Berzerker

Berzerker

Supporting Advertiser TrailJeeps
rtguy1 said:
i've always been a fan of AT tires because of their road manners and ability to venture off the beaten path. I am running 37" nitto trail grapplers on my rig now i have to say they are excellent all around. I drive my rig daily and run close to 60 miles round trip to work. They have great road manners, well controlled, wear nice and even, and are fairly quiet. I recently did a 5 tire rotation and used the unused spare as a baseline with a depth gauge. I've got over 6k miles on em and only lost 1/32". Offroad they are great. Tons of traction. Dn't let the "M/T" scare you away. They will work perfect for your needs.
Click to expand...

^^^^ this.
 
jnabird333

jnabird333

-
Like the OP I am in a long-term shopping mode for tires. I am still running the stock BFG KMs. I know I want 35s, no more for my 80% road. Unlike the OP I am a fan of MT tires. I deal with far more mud and loose conditions than I would like. AT tires just don't cut it when it gets soupy. I will live with the noise.

My question is about the Nitto praise. I had a set of the Terra-Grapplers on my tow rig. Possibly the best tire I have ever had for traction and wear, but also the worst I've ever had for MPG. When comparing all the tires on the market the Nittos are HEAVY. It's tough to argue with so much praise of these tires, but I am having a hard time justifying the added weight of the Nitto as compared to the competition.
My F250 lost 2 MPH with the terras.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't buy a Jeep for the fuel economy, but knowingly throwing away 2MPG along with the added weight wearing on parts has me concerned.

Any thoughts about this? I have also been considering the Procomp MT2s Thoughts on those?
 
Spartan

Spartan

New member
jnabird333 said:
Like the OP I am in a long-term shopping mode for tires. I am still running the stock BFG KMs. I know I want 35s, no more for my 80% road. Unlike the OP I am a fan of MT tires. I deal with far more mud and loose conditions than I would like. AT tires just don't cut it when it gets soupy. I will live with the noise.

My question is about the Nitto praise. I had a set of the Terra-Grapplers on my tow rig. Possibly the best tire I have ever had for traction and wear, but also the worst I've ever had for MPG. When comparing all the tires on the market the Nittos are HEAVY. It's tough to argue with so much praise of these tires, but I am having a hard time justifying the added weight of the Nitto as compared to the competition.
My F250 lost 2 MPH with the terras.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't buy a Jeep for the fuel economy, but knowingly throwing away 2MPG along with the added weight wearing on parts has me concerned.

Any thoughts about this? I have also been considering the Procomp MT2s Thoughts on those?
Click to expand...

I agree with you most everything I have read says that the Nittos are grear tires, but HEAVY. I ran 35' KM2 on my 2010 JKUR and loved them. I would get them again in a sec, but thinking about giving the Nitto Trail Grapplers a try since everyone loves them so much, but like you I am having a hard time justifying the added weight of the Nitto as compared to the KM2's. Like everyone else I didn't buy a Jeep for the fuel economy, but when it's also your DD it's hard to justify going to a tire that will give you worse MPG. When you had no complants about a tire would give you better MPG.

Some people fix this problem by have 2 sets of tires, but that isn't a good fix if like me you drive 5-8hrs or more to get to trails sometimes.
 
cozdude

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
Spartan said:
I agree with you most everything I have read says that the Nittos are grear tires, but HEAVY. I ran 35' KM2 on my 2010 JKUR and loved them. I would get them again in a sec, but thinking about giving the Nitto Trail Grapplers a try since everyone loves them so much, but like you I am having a hard time justifying the added weight of the Nitto as compared to the KM2's. Like everyone else I didn't buy a Jeep for the fuel economy, but when it's also your DD it's hard to justify going to a tire that will give you worse MPG. When you had no complants about a tire would give you better MPG.

Some people fix this problem by have 2 sets of tires, but that isn't a good fix if like me you drive 5-8hrs or more to get to trails sometimes.
Click to expand...


i have 35" Nitto Mud Grapplers which weigh in at 77 lbs each, 22 lbs heavier than my 32" Goodyear kevlars that i just took off. honestly i havent noticed a huge drop in my fuel economy (1-2mpg maybe). the reprogram of the computer helped (and i have tracked it manually as well). the thing that will make the big difference is when i finally regear. also i think eddie said it before that it doesnt make that huge of a difference between tires (35 compared to another 35), they will be a few lbs off but not enought to notice a major difference
 
jnabird333

jnabird333

-
cozdude said:
i have 35" Nitto Mud Grapplers which weigh in at 77 lbs each, 22 lbs heavier than my 32" Goodyear kevlars that i just took off. honestly i havent noticed a huge drop in my fuel economy (1-2mpg maybe). the reprogram of the computer helped (and i have tracked it manually as well). the thing that will make the big difference is when i finally regear. also i think eddie said it before that it doesnt make that huge of a difference between tires (35 compared to another 35), they will be a few lbs off but not enought to notice a major difference
Click to expand...

I am comparing 35s to 35s... I have found several 35s in the mid 60lb range. this puts the Nittos at 10lbs or more heavier. For that weight one could run 37s :thinking: not that that's what I want to do... but some might.

To be honest I am considering these: http://www.ntwonline.com/Wild-Country-Radial-MTX-MT-Tire-Specs.html Several of the guys in my club run them and have had really good comments. One guy is on his second set. They are cheaper too. (sorry if this link is a no, no)

You will notice that the 35x12.5x17 weights in at 63lbs. That's only 5lbs more than the stocker. This would not only save MPG but wear on the drive-line as well.
 
cozdude

cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
jnabird333 said:
I am comparing 35s to 35s... I have found several 35s in the mid 60lb range. this puts the Nittos at 10lbs or more heavier. For that weight one could run 37s :thinking: not that that's what I want to do... but some might.

You will notice that the 35x12.5x17 weights in at 63lbs. That's only 5lbs more than the stocker. This would not only save MPG but wear on the drive-line as well.
Click to expand...


here is a comparison thread where eddie weighs in a little on the tire size. it talks about weight on the carrier it looks like mainly but it seems like some good points are brought up.

http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...be-treated-like-37-quot&highlight=tire+weight
 
jnabird333

jnabird333

-
cozdude said:
here is a comparison thread where eddie weighs in a little on the tire size. it talks about weight on the carrier it looks like mainly but it seems like some good points are brought up.

http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?...be-treated-like-37-quot&highlight=tire+weight
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link... interesting read. I wonder if Eddie's opinions on weight would be different when considering the 14lbs there are between the tire I link to and the Nitto Trail Grappler. In that post he felt it was irrelevant because it was usually around 5lbs. My findings are that it is actually far more.
 
dgriz

dgriz

Member
Tire weight has been something I've been concerned about as well. I ended up biting the bullet and ignored the weight when I chose my Falkens. For an A/T, those suckers are heavy. I noticed a significant performance drop immediately, even after adjusting my Superchips tuner, but I have to assume the larger diameter was the main cause. I will be re-gearing prior to buying the 35's, but I've gotta wonder how much that extra 10lbs+ of rubber that separates the heaviest to the lightest 35's is going to make and is it enough difference to worry about.

There are obviously a lot of good choices out there when it comes to M/Ts. Nitto seems to be one of, if not the, most popular on these forums. I'm sure it helps that they seem to be targeting the Jeep owners with sponsorships and presence at Jeep events. Toyo used to be one of the favorites, but I hardly hear them mentioned any more. Then, of course, there's the fans of Cooper, ProComp, Kelley, Goodyear, BFG, and few others. Since this next tire purchase is going to be one I hope to live with for 3-4 years, I don't want to have buyer’s remorse after I decide on a set. I need something that is going to last 50k miles, have siping to handle wet/icy roads when I drive in the mountains, and not get cut up when I drive in the sharp rocks found in the California mountains. Oh, and not cost a fortune. Up to $300 per tire is about my budget.

Keep those comments coming. We have some good input being posted and I'm eating it all up. Thanks!
 
10frank9

10frank9

Web Wheeler
dgriz said:
Tire weight has been something I've been concerned about as well. I ended up biting the bullet and ignored the weight when I chose my Falkens. For an A/T, those suckers are heavy. I noticed a significant performance drop immediately, even after adjusting my Superchips tuner, but I have to assume the larger diameter was the main cause. I will be re-gearing prior to buying the 35's, but I've gotta wonder how much that extra 10lbs+ of rubber that separates the heaviest to the lightest 35's is going to make and is it enough difference to worry about.

There are obviously a lot of good choices out there when it comes to M/Ts. Nitto seems to be one of, if not the, most popular on these forums. I'm sure it helps that they seem to be targeting the Jeep owners with sponsorships and presence at Jeep events. Toyo used to be one of the favorites, but I hardly hear them mentioned any more. Then, of course, there's the fans of Cooper, ProComp, Kelley, Goodyear, BFG, and few others. Since this next tire purchase is going to be one I hope to live with for 3-4 years, I don't want to have buyer’s remorse after I decide on a set. I need something that is going to last 50k miles, have siping to handle wet/icy roads when I drive in the mountains, and not get cut up when I drive in the sharp rocks found in the California mountains. Oh, and not cost a fortune. Up to $300 per tire is about my budget.

Keep those comments coming. We have some good input being posted and I'm eating it all up. Thanks!
Click to expand...

That is a tough set of criteria you listed. I'd say pick two and you're more likely to find one that may match.

There's a tradeoff, weight for mpg, m/t for treadlife, price is going to be hard to get under $300 unless you buy used. Most "good" m/t's are $325+
 
dgriz

dgriz

Member
10frank9 said:
That is a tough set of criteria you listed. I'd say pick two and you're more likely to find one that may match.

There's a tradeoff, weight for mpg, m/t for treadlife, price is going to be hard to get under $300 unless you buy used. Most "good" m/t's are $325+
Click to expand...

I guess I should have said "as close to about $300 as possible". :broke:

But yeah, a capable trail tire that is also good on the pavement. That means long tread life without slipping on in the rain/snow covered road. It also means mpg are a factor. Are we in agreement that weight does effect gas mileage? And if so, what kind of trade-off are we talking about? One MPG per 15lbs? Less? More? Any guesses?
 
R

rtguy1

New member
Here yah go. $289.74 each no tax plus shipping for 35x12.5R17 Nitto trail grappler m/t

Around $1580 for all 5 delivered:thumb:

http://www.onlinetires.com/products...50-17+nitto+trail+grappler+m%2Ft+121q+bw.html

You have tough criteria. You basically want all the best possible traits rolled into one tire and its not gonna happen. There will be tradeoffs no matter what. Tradeoffs are part of building a great all around rig. If you want a tire that's not gonna get sliced up in sharp rocks than you are gonna have to deal with the weight. Toyos are great tires as well. I just think the NITTO'S look so much better.

Good luck in choosing. Weigh the options and you will be fine
 
dgriz

dgriz

Member
I had no idea I could get some of these tires so cheap (under $300). This makes my decision a little easier...

I'm definitely going with a M/T tire at this point. These tires, in addition to being used for my DD, will also eventually see trails like Rubicon, Dusi-Ershan, and Moab, not to mention the other trails near me in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The finalists at this point are:

Nitto Trail Grappler - If I ignore the weight differences, I'd say Nitto is probably my first choice. It sounds like they have good tread life and I haven't heard a single negative regarding its trail abilities. They're even quieter on the pavement than most M/Ts. But that heavy tire is going to kill my MPGs as a DD, right?

Goodyear Wrangler MT/Rs - These are a lot lighter, but I'm reading some people are having balancing issues as well as some soft spots on the sidewalls. Again, no knocks on trail abilities, but I don't hear many people talk about how they are as a DD. I can tolerate the balancing issues, but bad sidewalls is not something I want to deal with. I need some more input from those that run these or have close friends that do.

As a DD, I have to consider the ride quality on the road. Goodyear's Load Rating of C or D, depending on the size, should ride better than Nitto's E rated Trail Grappler. Probably one of the reasons Nitto is so much heavier. But how do they handle highways and corners?

So my questions:
- Is tread life on these two similar?
- Does one have better ride on the pavement?
- Are the sidewalls on the Goodyear anything I should worry about?
- Is 10 lbs. per tire enough to make a difference?
 
Jeepin_Jeepata13

Jeepin_Jeepata13

New member
Berzerker said:
I'm getting 15.4 mpg on 35 TGs
Click to expand...

Ouch really? I'm sitting at around 22 mpg right now, but I don't know if there were any changes in '13 and it being a six speed. I knew there would be a drop, but not that much. What gears are you running because I was told my 3.73s should work with 35s.
 
Berzerker

Berzerker

Supporting Advertiser TrailJeeps
Jeepin_Jeepata13 said:
Ouch really? I'm sitting at around 22 mpg right now, but I don't know if there were any changes in '13 and it being a six speed. I knew there would be a drop, but not that much. What gears are you running because I was told my 3.73s should work with 35s.
Click to expand...

I have 4:10 gears, but in not very shy with the skinny petal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom