truck tires...

I'm needing some tires for my truck. Looking for ideas. I have Kuhmo mud tires on there now and I've always been a fan of Kuhmo and spread the word about them to people looking for tires normally. Their truck tires suck balls though. They started out great. Great in the mud, quiet on the highway, and looked like they were going to wear nice. I got 31k on them and they are shot though.....I gotta get more mileage than that out of tires. The last 10k miles has been miserable with them so they're really like a 20k mile tire. They're loud as hell, riding like shit, and damn near bald right now. Thus is my last Kuhmo truck tire.
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/j...012resized.jpg

Anyone have any good experience with mud tires? I'd love to have some King MT's but they're no longer made and I'm not sure of the ply. Since I haul a 5th wheel I need 10 ply tires. I had heard some good things about BFG KM2's which is where I'm leaning right now unless I can read some reviews on other tires that are good. I pretty much have to have mud tires too......I do a lot off road during the fall and winter getting back to my tree stands.

A guy I work with had the BFG MT KM2's... they were great, but didn't last long at all, and they were loud and were awful in the snow/ice. Now he has the Goodyear Duratrac. They're better in the snow, they're quiet... not too sure on longevity yet.

I have the Bridgestone Dueler AT's and they are great. Not an aggressive mud tire, but they handle snow and ice very well.

I have the goodyear wrangler duratrack on my duramax and love them. As long as you rotate them every 6,000 miles or so they do not cup. I have not had one issue with traction either.

I run Toyo 33's on the Hummer.. Could'nt be happier especially in the woods.

There's some highway rummble but with the windows closed you can't really hear it, with open windows you can still think over the mild growl they have.

It came factory with Crapyears and they were garbage..

Never had them off the pavement and 3 out of 4 had developed noisey bubbles in the shoulders even though they had lots of tread left, never had any luck with their car tires either.

Had a crapyear explode once and take out part of my rocker panel and front quarter on my GP.

Not a fan BF Junkrich, and shitstones either, had those on the AWD Equasux and it could'nt get out of it's own way in snow.

I only like Kumho auto-x non-street legal tires for sport cars , their all seasons are a desent tire but not so hot in bad wheather.

When I have to buy tires again for the H3 I'll be buying another set of Toyo's..

Equisux, Crapyear, BF Junkrich, Shitstones.... I need to start researching these brands!!! :lol:

I had goodyear MT's on my old truck....loved those tires. Awesome in mud and I got 70k miles out of the first set. Problem is they added the kevlar bullshit and jacked the price way up on them and my truck now weighs twice as much as my old one so I'm not sure what kinda mileage I'd get out of a set. Having a hard time figuring out what tire to go with. I gotta have a mud tire so the AT's are out of the question. Nitto started making a cross between the trail grappler and mud grappler but I'm pretty sure Nitto is gonna be a softer compound so the mileage will be terrible.

check out this dick :lol: It's from a truck board I go too and this is one of the sponsors. Stupid moron. I posted basically the same thing as I did here except I listed the 3 brands I've narrowed it down to. Just shows you the difference between this site and other sites.

my first post:

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Originally Posted by 0rion

Been working and reading on this for a while. Not sure I know much more now than I did 6 months ago when I started. Think I have my list down to 3 different tires. Toyo MT's, firestone destination MT's, and BFG KM2's. Probably in that order. I gotta have a mud tire, it has to be E rated, and I'd like to get as many miles as possible out of them. I current have Kuhmo MT's and I have 31k on them and they're done. I've always liked Kuhmo but there's just not enough mileage there to convince me to buy them again.

The 3 I'm down too seem like they have a pretty strong following. I know 3 people running the firestones on 3/4 ton trucks and they all love them. The Toyo and BFG look like a better tire in the mud. I talked to a guy local earlier this year in a dodge 2500 and he got 60k out of a set of KM2's but I'm not sure how much of that was on the highway. I do a lot of highway driving which kills those tires faster than they normally would go. Probably gonna get tires in the next 2 weeks so I'll update with what I end up buying. There are a couple other brands I want to look into also but for now the Toyo's probably have the edge.

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his reply:

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If all you do is highway driving, your silly to get an MT. It's 110% pointless on the highway. The only conditions you'll ever encounter on the highway is wet, dry, snow and ice. For all of those an MT is absolutley WORTHLESS!! Put your ego to the side for a little while and buy a set of AT's and come over from the dark side. They'll be quiet, get better traction in everything except deep mud, and will last nearly twice as long.

I just don't understand the need for people to have MT's on a truck that rarely ever goes off pavement. My truck spends a fair amount of time off road and I've never been anywhere that AT's and some selective 4x4 can't take me. MT's SUCK in snow, and basically anything except wet soppy mud.

Buy some BFG AT's and thank me later :D

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my reply to him :lol:

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Originally Posted by 0rion

since it's pretty obvious you put your reading skills aside for this thread I highlighted the important part. What part of "a lot" did you get "all" out of? I spend every weekend (4 day weekends) plus a 9 day stretch every fall bow hunting. To get to my stands I'm on roads that ain't roads anymore. I spend every spring on those roads going turkey hunting. Unfortunately though I don't live there and live where there's pavement so I tend to do a lot of driving on said pavement. I don't want 2 sets of tires so I need 1 good set of MT's that I'd love to get 50k out of. The roads I'm on laugh at AT tires. Not an option. I'm doing good to get up them with MT's if it's been raining much and had to start parking further down and walking in further this fall since my current MT's are about done. I also owned some bfg AT's a bunch of years ago....worst tire I've ever owned.

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Damnit Orion... put your ego aside and carress this guys balls... :lmao:

What a douchebag!!! Especially from a sponsor. You'd expect a quality, intelligent post from a so called expert.

I know right? I thought it was pretty classless myself. I don't know the guy but just going by how most boards are I probably have underwear older than him and he's gonna explain to me how bad mud tires are on the highway. I've ran MT's on all my trucks since about 92. The last set I had that weren't MT's were BFG AT's that were on the truck when I bought it.....junk tire. I was coming home from the woods in the rain one time and went around a turn and the backend broke loose and the truck jumped sideways on me. Those tires only had like 12k on them when that happened so it wasn't like they were even bald......just not a good tire. The best set I had were Goodyear MT's but that was on a light truck and they don't make the regular MT's anymore....they make a kevlar version that's over $300 a tire and I wouldn't mind paying it if I knew for sure I would get 50k out of them. Those tires could tear through some mud. They were nasty on the street which doesn't really bother me too much....it's a trade off. Those were also on a truck that weighed half of what this truck does so that tire would act completely different on this truck. I think the Toyo's might be the way I go this time....unless I read/hear something that changes my mind in the next week or so. There's a tire place about an hour from here I'm going to get them at....guy is dirt cheap and pretty much installs them for free without all the BS extra fees they stick on at discount. I want to talk to him about it before I buy anything....he's a good dude and knows his shit.

IMHO, what you need to do is get into researching tread patterns and compounds.

I know you said AT's are'nt where you want to go but there are AT tread patterns and compounds that can get you there imho.

The tread pattern on the Goodyears from the factory I had were more of a highway pattern with a semi rugged shoulder design.

They just plain sucked if it was'nt dry, and spin happy in mud.

The Toyo tires I run are a much better AT tread pattern but you do hear some growl.

Toyo open country tread design is IMHO the near perfect combo for everything you like in a tire.

50K wear rating, with a block style (nobby) tread pattern.

I have ~ 9-10 inches of under pumkin clearance on my rear axle, but ~ 19-20 inches everwhere elses from factory, as I up graded slightly to a 33 from the old 32's.

A couple of weeks ago durring a rescue of some buddies I had her burried nearly to the rockers in mud and snow.

I hit the lockers, and walked right out no problem, even though the "trail" was nothing more than a muddy mess of a quad path.

Both guys looked at eachother and wondered how I came in the way I did as they stayed on the pipeline road and got stuck after they got on the quad trail.

I never left the cab except to talk to them when I got there. We exited the woods from about 1.5 miles or so of goat path in the same way I got in there.

I believe Toyo also offers a 500 mile try and return policy on their AT's, I'd try them and if they don't work for what you need, return them.

Pure mudders tend to be a softer compound and the tread patterns tend to get very hot on paved roads, imho, that's what kills them quick.

Some patterns though they look mean and look like they maybe good for mud are'nt, and they just dig in till you're burried up to your axles and frame rails.

As you know, once the axles and frame are burried, you're done off roading without a pull. If you're alone, you have to wait for a pull of walk out for help.

Both options there suck, as your help may get stuck too. Again IMHO, I'd be more interested in tread patterns as well as compounds.

I think if you can merg the two as closely as possible for your needs, you'll get what you need from a set of truck tires and be happiest.

Though I'm not as heavy as you, I am still very heavy, don't have your power, and would not even think twice about entering the woods on the Toyo's.

On the factory Goodyear AT's, I felt it was'nt even an option, and almost all the youtubes of H3's stuck are sitting on Goodyears as I recognize the crap tread pattern right a way.

Just my $5.00 worth..

the goodyear mud wranglers I had were great in the mud. They cleaned out well and they have pretty decent side biters on them. My wife had the duratraks on her durango and there's no way I could run that tire for what I do. When I first got my duramax I pulled it off next to the house in the edge of the woods so some guys could cut a tree that was in front of the house. Buried it up on the stock tires in my own yard. haha Put my wife in my old truck that had the goodyears on it and pulled my new truck out with it through the same mud.
I have read a ton of good reviews on the Toyo open country MT's so for now that's probably what I'm getting. I tell you what I really want.....Mud king MT's but they no longer make that tire. That's a bad ass mud tire. My buddy has a set on his duramax right now that has over 60k miles on them and still going. I'll get it figured out and get some tires on it. Worst case scenario is I just don't get the better mileage but these Kuhmos went away so fast it shouldn't be hard to beat them.

haha.....got a reply....now I'm an asshole :lol:

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No need to be an asshole, nobody likes to help assholes out. If you would have said you need tires that are good in deep mud I wouldn't have said anything at all about ATs. So its not that I didn't read, you just didn't specify WHY you NEED a MT. 99% of people who buy MTs don't need them and just do it for looks, they NEED to look badass lol. Then they get pissed when they pay out the ass for them over an AT and only get 20-30k miles out of them. Wtf do you expect from a mud tire that spends 99.9% of its time on pavement?

Just trying to save you from making the mistake we all constantly see people bitching about on here. But in your case you'll just have to live with expensive tires that don't last, as all MTs are both of those.

Sent from my old skool Droid

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Originally Posted by 0rion

the goodyear mud wranglers I had were great in the mud. They cleaned out well and they have pretty decent side biters on them. My wife had the duratraks on her durango and there's no way I could run that tire for what I do. When I first got my duramax I pulled it off next to the house in the edge of the woods so some guys could cut a tree that was in front of the house. Buried it up on the stock tires in my own yard. haha Put my wife in my old truck that had the goodyears on it and pulled my new truck out with it through the same mud.
I have read a ton of good reviews on the Toyo open country MT's so for now that's probably what I'm getting. I tell you what I really want.....Mud king MT's but they no longer make that tire. That's a bad ass mud tire. My buddy has a set on his duramax right now that has over 60k miles on them and still going. I'll get it figured out and get some tires on it. Worst case scenario is I just don't get the better mileage but these Kuhmos went away so fast it shouldn't be hard to beat them.

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I think you'll like pretty much anything Toyo offers for your needs, they really seem to stand by their product.

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Originally Posted by 0rion

haha.....got a reply....now I'm an asshole :lol:

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That guy is one seriously oppinionated sponser..Wow! He still missed the part about not driving it all the time..

Terrible tude! 99% for looks he says? Still could'nt really answer your question. Not every MT is created equal, I guantee there's an MT out there for your needs that will last.

He's just pushing what needs sold, which is the first red flag.

To me, if you're not selling a particular brand it's likely because it's not very good. imho

Check out the COOPER STT Mud Terrain. I have really been liking the coopers lately.

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Originally Posted by cpop98ws6

Check out the COOPER STT Mud Terrain. I have really been liking the coopers lately.

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I actually looked at those the last time I bought tires. Pep boys always has good deals on those tires. Problem is I tow a 5er and need E rated tires....the 285/75/16 in that tire is a D rated tire.

Nitto terra grappler ben running a 285 75 17 for a few years now great tire all around they also have a mud tire

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

Don't buy mud tires for longevity. You'll never find one. Been wheelin for 22 years, ain't seen one yet. You can get decent mileage out of one, if you keep them rotated and air checked. Always look for a M/T with close tread blocks. Though they are less aggressive off road, they have better highway manners. I'm running a 35" Dunlop Maxx Traction M/T's (discontinued) on my truck, and will get about 40k. That's about all you can ask out of a M/T. Toyo Open Country M/T's would be a good option. Goodyear has a decent tire, but IMOP you pay for the name. BFG KM2 are not good for highway.

Not sure I agree with the low mileage figures. I ran a set of goodyear MT/R's on my wifes rubicon (factory issue tires) We bought that jeep new, I put 40,000 miles on that jeep and they still had 50% tread left when I sold it with original tires intact.
I'm certain I could have went another 20,000 easily before I would have been thinking of another set.

Loved the MT/R's, quiet operation with good street mannors and were incredible in the snow and off road. If I were to do another set of semi aggressive tread that would be my first choice. The kevlar design was awsome. 3 nails in those tires and never a leak, great for sharp rocks in the creek beds around here too. I like the looks of the Duratracks for something cheaper, but I've never tried them. My father is thinking of trying a set, I'll have to see how he likes them at the next snow fall.

I currently just run BFG all terrains. Not an aggressive tire (definately not sloppy mud) but they have the look and road mannors that I wanted for my 72 blazer. Just didn't want a nobby tire on it. They aren't bad off roading in loose sand and dirt, and even mild rocks, they've done okay. I have no interest in going out in the mud with this truck and snow isn't a big concern here in AZ unless I choose to drive up to it,,, so the tires seem to suit me for my needs at the moment. About 30,000 miles on them now and they still look like I just put them on. Seem to be wearing like rocks :D

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Originally Posted by 0rion

I actually looked at those the last time I bought tires. Pep boys always has good deals on those tires. Problem is I tow a 5er and need E rated tires....the 285/75/16 in that tire is a D rated tire.

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Wow, that's making the choices slim. I run E rated tires on my 1 ton, but it's just a tow rig (not a 4x4 either) no off roading with that so street looking tires work fine for that truck :D

Sounds like you need a tire that does it all. That sounds expensive.

they're all expensive. I liked my goodyear mtr's on my old truck but it weighed about half as much as this one. Not sure I'm willing to take a $1200-1300 gamble on that tire. The Toyo's have tons of good feedback so I'll most likely give those a shot unless the guy at the tire store has a better suggestion. I have a couple buddies that go to this guy and he's supposedly top notch and on the straight and narrow....never recommends his most expensive tires unless that's what you want kinda deal. He's also much cheaper than the box tire places. He did the last set for my buddy which is the same tire I'm running for $175 a tire installed. Can't beat that price.

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Originally Posted by 0rion

they're all expensive. I liked my goodyear mtr's on my old truck but it weighed about half as much as this one. Not sure I'm willing to take a $1200-1300 gamble on that tire. The Toyo's have tons of good feedback so I'll most likely give those a shot unless the guy at the tire store has a better suggestion. I have a couple buddies that go to this guy and he's supposedly top notch and on the straight and narrow....never recommends his most expensive tires unless that's what you want kinda deal. He's also much cheaper than the box tire places. He did the last set for my buddy which is the same tire I'm running for $175 a tire installed. Can't beat that price.

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Wouldn't be the fella out in Morristown would it? I used to go to a tire shop out there years ago, guy had the best prices around. Morristown is out on 32 West of you, probably too much of a drive for you though.

na....this guy is out in cambridge which is an hour east of me where 70 meets 77. Mast tires.

Oh Okay you're going further East then. Wow that's deep in Amish country :D

called them today....going out Wed. to have Toyo MT's put on.

I'll post the pic again on this page since we went to page 2. Gonna need to do something with these rims when the weather warms up. I'd like to powdercoat them but I don't see that happening. I'd have to take them somewhere and have the tires taken off then send them somewhere and wait and all that. Just too much of a pain to do all that. I'm thinking about just taping them up, using a rattle can, and going flat black and then some clear. The centers are pretty much done too so they'll need painted also along with the lugs. I'll probably just replace all the perimeter bolts if I can't clean them up. This is why I bought cheap rims.....sure....they're cheaper but I don't feel bad attacking them with some spray paint and the shit this truck goes through is gonna mar up some rims no matter how much they cost.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/j...012resized.jpg

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Originally Posted by 0rion

called them today....going out Wed. to have Toyo MT's put on.

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:D...

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Originally Posted by 0rion

I'll post the pic again on this page since we went to page 2. Gonna need to do something with these rims when the weather warms up. I'd like to powdercoat them but I don't see that happening. I'd have to take them somewhere and have the tires taken off then send them somewhere and wait and all that. Just too much of a pain to do all that. I'm thinking about just taping them up, using a rattle can, and going flat black and then some clear. The centers are pretty much done too so they'll need painted also along with the lugs. I'll probably just replace all the perimeter bolts if I can't clean them up. This is why I bought cheap rims.....sure....they're cheaper but I don't feel bad attacking them with some spray paint and the shit this truck goes through is gonna mar up some rims no matter how much they cost.

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I'd like to see some pics of the new tires installed Tim. I'm not even sure I know what Toyo's look like. Don't think I've seen those tires before.

yeah....I'll try to remember to get a pic of them. Might have to wait until spring though when I can get my rims done.....they look pretty shitty right now.


Here's the tire.
OPEN COUNTRY M/T| Mud-Terrain Tire for Pickups and SUVs | Toyo Tires



I called Discount tire here today. I have a history with them but the short version is that I don't trust them on their price quotes. I got a quote here on my last rim/tire set then was at a discount in columbus and got quoted $400 cheaper for the exact same rim/tire set. Same with my wifes tires last time except there was only a $200 difference. I talked to them this morning and got quoted on the Toyo's....they were about $50 more than Mast but I still had a few places to check so I told them I would call them back. I decided to just pay the $50 more and stay local and save myself the hour drive each way. I called them back this afternoon and talked to a different guy (original guy had already went home) got a quote for $50 more than the first quote so now $100 more than Mast. Told them I was gonna pass because they were giving me different quotes and just make the hour drive. He said "We will price match him." I told the guy at this point money didn't have anything to do with it.....I'd pay Mast more because at least with him I didn't feel like I was getting jacked around. It's now a matter of principle.

Wow, with money tight and businesses struggling to stay open you wouldn't think that type of behavior would be tolerated.

I sent discount an email the first time when there was the $400 difference and asked them how there could be such a difference in price within the same company and stores that were 10-15 miles apart. They called me back and apologized which actually wasn't what I was looking for.....I was looking for an answer as to how there can be that difference. They did it again the last time I bought tires and now there are different quotes within the same damn store. I think I'm probably done shopping at discount from here on out. Sucks to be them......we have 3 damn vehicles, a boat trailer, and a dual axle camper. That's a lot of tire business they just lost out on. :lol:

Yeah that's alot of rubber :D

I ended up investing in a tire changer and balancer for myself. Got tired of dealing with it at various outside sources, trying to sell warranties, road side, valve stems, disposal of old tires, yada yada. It always seemed like a deal until they tacked on all the fees. Now I just find the cheapest price online and have the tires shipped right to the house.

So I take it you are going back out to Mast? :D

yeah.....going to mast tomorrow. I should just buy those myself. The tire changer is no big deal. I've done those without the stand before......pain in the ass but doable. The balancer is what I would question how well they work....well....at least the cheap portable ones like I would have to have. No way I could justify the high dollar stuff. I see the portable jobs with the bubble level for $50-$60 but not sure how accurate those would be. Spin balancing would have to be much more accurate I would think. The stands are $70-$80 so you'd be out less than $200 for the set. The money you'd save on all the extra bullshit would make that up in 1 or 2 tire purchases.

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Originally Posted by 0rion

yeah.....going to mast tomorrow. I should just buy those myself. The tire changer is no big deal. I've done those without the stand before......pain in the ass but doable. The balancer is what I would question how well they work....well....at least the cheap portable ones like I would have to have. No way I could justify the high dollar stuff. I see the portable jobs with the bubble level for $50-$60 but not sure how accurate those would be. Spin balancing would have to be much more accurate I would think. The stands are $70-$80 so you'd be out less than $200 for the set. The money you'd save on all the extra bullshit would make that up in 1 or 2 tire purchases.

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I bought a neumatic (sp??) okay,,,,air powered :D tire changer and an electronic spin balancer from a shop going out of business. $300 for the setup and they threw in an AC charging machine station. I've used it for about 15 years now without a complaint. Works great. I just order new wheel weights online when I run out.
Bubble balancers are what old shops used for years, they work okay, but like you said, spin balancer is the way to go.

This day and age is the time to find local mom and pop shops going out of business and selling off equipment. I've seen nice car lifts, air compressors, tire machines, AC charging stations etc. go pretty cheap....

got the tires on today....I'll get a picture in the next day or so. My initial impression on the hour drive back is that the Kuhmo's were quieter new vs new and rode better new vs new. The difference will be lifespan hopefully. These weren't super loud by any means but just not as quiet as the Kuhmo's were. If I can get another 20k out of them though the noise and ride will be worth it. If the mileage is pretty much the same the Kuhmos would be my preferred tire. I think the biggest advantage to these is that I'll be able to do proper rotations. The Kuhmos were directional so they only went front to back.....I'm sure if I were to unmount the Kuhmos and remount them with a proper rotation I could've gotten more miles out of them. These definitely look like they're gonna be better in the mud. The side biters on these are much bigger than the Kuhmo's had and the tread blocks are a lot more narrow which is why they make a little more racket on the highway.

Can't wait to see it on the truck. That link you sent shows a pretty darn aggressive looking tire.

new tires
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/j...lbum/toyo1.jpg

side biters
http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/j...lbum/toyo2.jpg



these things should chew up some turf when I get them in the mud

Damn... very nice!!!

They kinda remind me of Military spec M/Ts

the real test will be this spring when I head back to the woods......the truck is so heavy it's not much of a mudder anyhow. Pretty easy to get this truck stuck compared to what I've had in the past. These tires should at least help though.

Wow, those look more aggressive than the Goodyear MT/R's that I've run before. Those should get you through the slop :D

on my 03 silverado i run a 285/70/17 copper stt mud tire. theyre prob the best tires ive ever put on the truck. ive had everything from a mud grappler to a bfg and these amaze me. theyre super good in the mud and last a long time on the road. i believe theyre a 45,000 mile tire.

I looked at the cooper's......in a 285 tire they're a load range D and I need an E.

dang i just found this any way i was looking for tires for my dmax this winter and didnt have a lot to spend so i ended up with multy-mile mud snow tires and they work killer in the snow but dont know how they do in mud im sure it would not be as good as what you have. im in the same bout as you needing the E load range so picing is slim but i need 6 not just 4. let me know how this set work out for you and how many miles you get i would still love to get a set too. the dmax bord is a pain in the ass to get ansers some times all the guys i ask about this tire ether never reply or havint had them long.

The toyos look bad ass. Definately my next choice on my 1500 and dmax when I use up what I got.

so far so good with them but they don't really have enough miles on them to judge what kinda tire they're going to be. I've only put 8k miles on them so far. I've rotated them every 3k when I change my oil. I went 2500 on one rotation because I repainted my center caps on the wheels and the bolts used for the fake bead lock. They make a fair amount of noise but not a ton. I've had them in the mud a couple times and they did excellent.