A/T or M/T with tough sidewalls

[bigmark303]

Im looking at new tires in the 31"-33" range for two Rangers im setting up. I need very tough sidewalls because of the type of terrain I travel. Skidder/Logging trails and no trails just finding a way through the terrain to my destination. leaves dry or wet, rocks of every sort, downed trees, limbs, stumps, and marsh for the most part.

Ive always run the BFG A/T and old Yokohama Geolandar A/T II tires and they have been great to me with not a single flat yet. Yokohama changed the tread design of the Geolandar and the new design sucks. Although the BFG are great they dont hold up in any kind of real mud more than 6 inches deep. I travel very little mud as possible but after I pass through a swamp the tire is clogged and climbing downed trees and other slick objects becomes annoying. Im just looking for an A/T with better cleaning or even on the extreme side an M/T that can handle slopes and slick hardpack like an A/T.

Id like to move from the BFG A/T if possible to something like the Goodyear Duratrac design (which is like the old Yokohama Geolandar design that worked beyond well) but need a very good sidewall. All the reviews of other tires I read are how well they do on the road and weekend trails of sand, gravel, mud, and some rocks.

Please if you abuse your tires id love to hear how well they hold up. Thanks

 

[ridgerunner]

If U like the Yoko Geolander then try www.greendiamondtire.com they have the exact same tread pattern and come with carbide pieces in the tread for a whole lot less than an new tire (retreads). I've found out the hard way that an aggressive AT is no match for mud...period! If any wet ground is in your future go for a MT, don't think about it just do it! I've run Cooper AT3's (aggressive AT) for 2 yrs now on my Ram 2500 and they are absolutely great everywhere except mud (where they suck). I see mud almost everyday and I kick myself for not getting MT's.

 

[bigmark303]

If U like the Yoko Geolander then try www.greendiamondtire.com they have the exact same tread pattern and come with carbide pieces in the tread for a whole lot less than an new tire (retreads). I've found out the hard way that an aggressive AT is no match for mud...period! If any wet ground is in your future go for a MT, don't think about it just do it! I've run Cooper AT3's (aggressive AT) for 2 yrs now on my Ram 2500 and they are absolutely great everywhere except mud (where they suck). I see mud almost everyday and I kick myself for not getting MT's.

Ive seen those green diamond tires. I dont know of anyone who has run them though and seems most cheap tires have less than desirable sidewalls for what I need. Have you used them?

I also have a set of KM2 mud terrains. They are great in mud and dry rock, thats it. Mud terrains for the most part dont work well where I go. The trails if any at all are not the normal hard pack dirt/sand with a few mud pits in them or rocks to climb over. A/T tires have been the best to me but the sidewalls are the week points. I run over a lot of stumps and fall into a lot of ruts with sharp rocks and roots to climb over. My sidewalls take a lot of abuse.

 

[ridgerunner]

Most MT's can be had with 3ply sidewalls, about the best U can get in a radial. Bias tires are even tougher and can be had in much thicker plies. Some retread companies will let U choose what tire case (used tire blank) U want and order them in whatever ply U choose. Greendiamond doesn't have a large selection of sizes and some U have to wait for. www.treadwright.com has many sizes and more tread choices to choose from and are worth checking out. I'll be getting tires from both these companies with in the next yr for my Ram and "future new to me Ranger", but as of yet have never tried them myself. Both have good reviews from many offroad companies, magazines and forums. BTW where to U wheel?

 

[4x4junkie]

Yea your strongest sidewalls are going to be on tires like the Super Swamper TSL-SX (bias-ply).

If you need a radial, then like said, look for tires with a 3-ply sidewall, such as the BFG AT or MT, and the Goodyear MT/R. Some Cooper tires I know have 3 plies also.

 

[brokemechanic3000]

How about a Dunlop rover mt maxx traction

 

[bigmark303]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like im stuck with the BFG A/T KO tires for the most part. Good M/Ts are just to much of a safety and traction issue on the slick terrain I travel. The lack of solid edge side lugs allows them to slide around way more than the A/Ts, plus the lack of siping is a big issue on anything solid but wet which is mostly everything where I travel.

The Duratrac design being sort of a cross between A/T and M/T is the design I need but cant really find a decent tire like that in a radial with 3ply sidewalls.

The Old Geolandar A/T design and the 3ply sidewalls made for the best tire id ever owned. I should have bought more. Cant understand why they ever changed it but its gone

 

[PlumCrazy]

Goodyear MT/R....Kevlars.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[ridgerunner]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like im stuck with the BFG A/T KO tires for the most part. Good M/Ts are just to much of a safety and traction issue on the slick terrain I travel. The lack of solid edge side lugs allows them to slide around way more than the A/Ts, plus the lack of siping is a big issue on anything solid but wet which is mostly everything where I travel.

The Duratrac design being sort of a cross between A/T and M/T is the design I need but cant really find a decent tire like that in a radial with 3ply sidewalls.

The Old Geolandar A/T design and the 3ply sidewalls made for the best tire id ever owned. I should have bought more. Cant understand why they ever changed it but its gone

Try General Grabbers, they are a durable MT without siping. I bought a tire siper for less than $80.00. They also have a AT tread available just like the KO's. Durable tire made for the desert (MT). If U are scared of sidewall flats then go with a bias tire period. They are the same ply from the rim edge to the tread and can be had in 10+ plys. If U are in sharp rocks worse than that may I suggest matttracks lol!

 

[brokemechanic3000]

Not the first time tire companies got rid of perfectly good tires.
We used to sell a lot of 425-65-r22.5 Goodyear steer tires but they stopped making them (I was told by a Goodyear rep) because they lasted too long. Now the new tread is over priced and wears out a lot faster.

 

[bigmark303]

I cant say how many times I looked at Pro Comp tires and I just missed the Extreme All Terrain design of thiers. Im going to try those out for sure. Have to bump up to 16" wheels to get the size but they look like hey will be worth it. And it will put some of my 16" Lincoln Wheels to good use.

 

[Str8sixfan]

I was just going to suggest those xtreme A/Ts. Big enough lugs, with siping too. I've been looking a lot at them lately. Though I won't be buying tires anytime soon, I think they might be a worthy candidate. I have 16x8s coming their way to me next week!

i'll be interested to get your take on them. I hear they are closer to a M/T as far as pavement noise goes.

 

[bigmark303]

I was just going to suggest those xtreme A/Ts. Big enough lugs, with siping too. I've been looking a lot at them lately. Though I won't be buying tires anytime soon, I think they might be a worthy candidate. I have 16x8s coming their way to me next week!

i'll be interested to get your take on them. I hear they are closer to a M/T as far as pavement noise goes.

Well I didnt waste any time, I already have them and all I have to say is they are no different than my current BFG A/T KOs. They load with mud fast and dont clean out any better than the KO does.

Hey whatever at least its not a step back. I started clearing the fallen trees off some of our 2-3 year old skidder trails and they did alright climbing over dead limbs, trunks, rocks, and stumps. No chunks missing or sidewall tears and I did have to sqeeze through a few very narrow spots where a tree is on one side and a sharp stump that had to be taken to sidewall on the other.

Not bad but not great. Myself though am very hard on tires so for the average person looking for an on road weekend offroad tire they are decent.