M/T vs A/T and General Tire Discussion

[Ole Blue]

New treadwright wardens put on


Failure is an option

[Trail X]

Why did you decide to go down to ATs? Your profile pic shows MTs, right?

[v7guy]

Yeah, those are the guard dogs in the profile pic, I've noticed on the envoy that the wardens are significantly quieter on road.

[ErikSS]

Why did you decide to go down to ATs? Your profile pic shows MTs, right?

Why do people consider ATs below MTs? I find them to perform better in more applications.
Question aside, I am curious about his reasoning also. Lol

[Trail X]

I guess it depends on what scale you're using. If it's a scale of agressiveness then MTS are higher on the scale.

[TBYODA]

Why did you decide to go down to ATs? Your profile pic shows MTs, right?

Why do people consider ATs below MTs? I find them to perform better in more applications.
Question aside, I am curious about his reasoning also. Lol

I guess on noise or price maybe currently the wardens are $20 cheaper than GD in his size. Seen a few days ago 265/75r16 E wardens were $99 currently there $110 which is still not bad.

[ErikSS]

My biggest better reason for ATs is the noise. I have chronic migraines so I keep drone noise to a minimum. I also feel the wear better and drive better in almost all road conditions. I figure when I get stuck in a mud pits, I can use the winch.

[Trail X]

Good points. I've been contemplating ATs vs MTs and have yet to come to a decision.

[ErikSS]

I don't know how long I will be daily driving mine. I'm guessing if I will try a MT after this set, pending I'm not daily driving it. Side note, I'm starting plans to rebuild my engine. If my budget allows, I may do a little extra while it's apart.

[Trail X]

I don't know how long I will be daily driving mine. I'm guessing if I will try a MT after this set, pending I'm not daily driving it. Side note, I'm starting plans to rebuild my engine. If my budget allows, I may do a little extra while it's apart.

The new BFG TA KO2 A/T tires look pretty sweet. I'm thinking about waiting for them, but they don't come available until November sadly.

[mikekey]

Took a mini-road trip with her. She hasn't been out of the drive way in awhile.

TrailX, I would go with AT's after owning MT's

I suspect, that like me, you drive your TB more on pavement than all the trips you'd like to be doing offroad. I've found MT's to be generally terrible on the road, especially in the rain. Although it could be the Terra Grapplers.

I'm debating between buying Cooper Zeon LTZ's and General Grabber AT2's again for the new rig.

If I had to do it over again, I would not recommend the Nitto's to anyone. No comment for the BFG. Proven tire, but I've read a lot of negative about their life span.

[Moots1288]

I've heard good about BFG A/T's but owning the M/T's and multiple owners of the BFG M/T's, I would not get them. I do like the MT/R's which is an aggressive A/T but I'd probably try a true A/T after these. I do recommend these tires to someone that is willing to spend the cash.

[Trail X]

I split this tire discussion off from the "what did you do" thread.

See, I've actually really liked my old BFG T/A KM. I've heard great things about the KM2s too.

I'm aiming for the 33.5"-34.5" range with a narrow profile (285 or narrower) and the following list is just about all I've been able to find that meets my needs:

BFG TA KM2 285/75r17
BFG TA KO2 34/10.5r17 (november release )
Nitto Terra Grappler 285/75r17
Nitto Trail Grappler 285/75r17
Toyo Open Country M/T 285/75r17
Interco Super Swamper 34/10.5r17

Seems most all M/Ts are more expensive than the A/Ts (with the exception of the interco), and the Toyos are by far the most expensive, being about $50 more than the runner up.

If anyone has any other suggestions, please throw them in the ring. Otherwise, I'm open to opinions and thoughts.

[TBYODA]

That seems like odd size requirement, have not ran across it much when looking but then again real was not looking for it. Why narrower, better in mud? I know it is in snow. Just asking as learning exercise.

Would also be good to have some real world user experience with difference tire/tread in different categories such as loose mud, sticky mud, sand, light snow, heavy snow, light rain, heavy rain, gravel. Been thinking about making a thread on this but was not sure how to gather data with out the thread becoming 10 pages and the relevant data scattered through out.

[DirtyBacon04]

I remember when the KM2s came out. I watched a 10 minute video about them. They seem like really impressive tires, just a bit out of my price range.

[Trail X]

Yeah Michael, all I've heard are good things from people that run them.

That seems like odd size requirement, have not ran across it much when looking but then again real was not looking for it. Why narrower, better in mud? I know it is in snow. Just asking as learning exercise.

Due to keeping the stock wheels, narrower is needed for two reasons. First, the wider the tire gets, the wider a rim is required. Being a 7" rim, I'm pushing it even for a 285. Second, since my wheel backspacing is so deep (compared to the majority of the afermarket wider rims), as I grow the tire to a larger diameter, I need to be aware of running the tire into the frame at full lock. I think if I can stay at a 285 or narrower, I will be able to minimize the frame interference. Plus I love our turning radius, so I don't really want to pull a Donny and have to limit the full lock position any more than I need to.

Plus, its been perpetuated for a while that a narrower tire is better for expedition type travel. See link below for a detailed position paper by Scott Brady (if that name doesn't ring a bell, look him up):
http://www.expeditionswest.com/research ... _rev1.html

[navigator]

I have a friend running the km2s on his Silverado. They don't seem too loud. He did say he has to air them down a good bit in beach sand or they want to dig too much. I like my Tokyo AT 2s a lot. They worked really well at the beach and in the little bit of mud I have had them in. In the 32s they were a good bit cheaper than the General Grabber. In the 33s(285) they jump in price.

[TBYODA]

James that was a excellent read, gives me some great information to help with my mission, and clears up some misconceptions I had and everything he talked about makes prefect technical sense thanks!

[bartonmd]

Having had both M/T and a couple different A/T, my vote is the tires I have on my K2500HD, that I like so much on there that I'm selling off my half used set of BFG AT on the TB and putting a set of them on the TB early next week. The Wrangler Duratrac! Absolutely unreal snow traction (snowflake/mountain symbol rated, and are as good in the packed snow as any snow tires I've had, and are better in deep snow than anything I've ever driven), not very much louder than the BFG AT (and not anywhere NEAR as loud as an MT), perform great in wet grass (where ATs rock and MTs suck), perform very well in the mud, seem to perform well on rocks (what little I've been on rocks with the 3/4 ton. Given the flex and biting edges, I'd expect them to perform like an AT on rocks, which is better than an MT), and have good road manners.

The only potentially bad thing I can say about them is that they are only a 2-ply sidewall, but I haven't seen any more "blew up on the trail" than anything else, so whatever... They also squirm a little bit for the first 1000 miles or so, but that goes away. I absolutely can't say enough good about them.

Mike

[ErikSS]

Mike, is that considered an AT?