new to me Firestone destination mt's.
 

hey folks, i have a line on some destiantion mt's that a chap is looking to sell. anything in particular i should be looking out for, as in tread life, road/offroad characteristics? these tires are 31x10.5x15's approximately 4mths old with 5,000 kms on them. the chap paid 1100$ cdn for a set of 5, the spare has not seen the road/trail yet.

any information, suggestions or personal experiences is apprecated.

thanks,

lee

I've been very happy with mine. What specifically do you want to know about them?

hey jackson!

ive read a few of the posts i found by searching on the name, i have to finish reading them sometime tomorrow. i spoke with a friend earlier today and he explained to me about some problems firestone had with shifting belts. i havent seen any posts regarding those problems showing up on the offroad tires. maybe it is more a passenger tire related issue.

anyway, im looking for some feedback on everyday use, offroad, inclement weather and general observations from owners of the firestone destination mt's. good, bad or indifferent, it will all help me make my decision. that and hopefully the seller will agree with my offer!

lee

Let me preface everything by saying these are the first MT tire I've owned, so I don't have much to compare them to in that regard.

Wear:
I've had mine for about 10k miles. They showed some signs of wear early, which had me concerned at the time, but since then everything seems peachy. If they continue to wear they way they have been I fully expect 40k miles or more out of these tires.

Driving Characterstics:
They are moderately loud... definitely louder than my old ATs, but not too bad - I can still have a normal conversation without the noise being an issue. They ride well... at about 15mph or slower, you can sometimes feel the lugs on the road, but at normal driving speeds they are nice and smooth. My dealer has never had any problem balancing them. When balanced, the ride is nice and smooth. I tend to throw the weights though, so my tires are rarely balanced. Even so, the ride is good, and there is only vibration at 45-50mph. Again, that's from teh tires not being balanced. They seem to handle reasonably well. I've got about 5" of lift on my truck and no front sway bar, so I tend to drive pretty conservatively... but I've never had any problems with handling with these tires.

On-Road Traction
Traction is anywhere from good to outstanding with these tires. On dry pavement, they do fine. In heavy rain and/or slush, they are amazing. The water/slush is easily displaced putting lots of tread on the road. On hardpacked/icy snow (the stuff you get after cars drive on snow all day) they are good - I rarely need 4wd. In deep/unpacked snow they are great. They clean well so there is always open tread looking for grip. This is the biggest advantage over my old ATs.

Off-Road Traction
These tires kick ass. Plain and simple. They clean well and dig though the mud without problem. They are sticky and hold well to rocks - wet or dry. The lugs/treadwalls seem very strong, but only time will tell here. To this point, I've had no problems with the strength of the tire.

Overall, I love these tires, and would recommend them in a heartbeat to someone who needs a good year round tire that will see fresh snowfall, daily driving, and trail use.

hey jackson!

thanks for the great information! that is the kind of real life situations i will be encountering so its good to know i can expect them to perform brilliantly.

now, i just have to get them from the guy who is selling them. we are in the negotiation process, wish me luck!

lee

Well, being this is the first M/T I've ever had...first truck I've ever owned as well. My impressions on the tire may be skewed.

I've driven a few hummers and such when I was in the Corps, but that's totally different.

Anyhow, I really like the Destination M/Ts. We've had some rain here and they served really well. I went to an offroad park and she handled really well. I found a couple of mud spots and they handled it just fine. I went through some rocks and stuff and they seem pretty resistant to scuffing and cutting.

On road isn't bad. Noise level really isn't bad at all. Handling seems good, but I take corners and drive like gramps when I'm in the Runner.

nothing beats positive feedback! thanks for you update on the tires. they seem to be all that and a bag of chips too!!

glad to hear you are home safe from your hitch. im with you on the driving, ill push when i have to but i would like to limit my opportunities for damage.

lee