AntiVenom7

I know this has been beaten into the ground. I searched and read, even read a 6-7 page thread about the ATs, but nothing specifically addressed my questions.

I have pretty much narrowed my tire choice down to the BFG AT, and the MTs.

The truck is going to be used about 60%trail / 40% hwy, in other words leaning more towards trail, but is still gonna see some action around time.

I guess the main question is, will i regret terribly going with the MTs, due to their onroad characteristics?

Here in the east we get enough rain(though not lately) that mud is a concern, and from my reading ATs don't clear mud well at all. I haven't heard anything terrible about the MT road manners, but then again I haven't heard/read much at all about them onroad.

I know its all a matter of compromise, but I am willing to sacrifice some onroad comfort, if there is a considerable increase to be gained offroad with the MTs.

Thanks for the opinions.

Side Note(instead of starting another thread): Does anyone have the weights on your average steel wheel, for instance, the Rock Krawler 51? I have read everything from the low 20s to the mid 30s on different steel wheels. thanks again!

Greg_Canada

M/T's are no good on icey roads or light (read not deep) snow... something to think about...
i have no problem driving mine as a DD, i still get decent MPG (not much worse than stock tires)
BUT i do put my A/T's on when the snow comes in. A/t's will be much better in the winter.

(ive got bfg m/t KM's)

AntiVenom7

thanks for the reply. we might get one snow fall a year in NC, but ice can be more of a concern. how are your ATs on ice?

Djlarroc

You can also sipe the tead in the middle part of the tire. That's what I'm gona do with my muds. Still won't be as good as an AT, but it will help.

Hayes

I beg to differ. I siped my BFG muds and noticed a night and day difference. The sipes make a huge difference on the trail too.

ozziesironmanoffroad

doesnt siping void the warranty of the tires? i mean i work in a tire store, and i asked my supervisor about siping MT's, he said it can be done, and is reccomended for road driving, but VOIDS warranties of any kind on the tire.

AntiVenom7

now i know MTs last forever, and a day, but what effect does siping have on tire life?

Hayes

Does not void the warranty. Period. What tire shop do you work for? (Not intended to be offensive) When you sipe there is no material removed from the tire, so there is no reason for the warranty to be voided.


Helps the tires last longer. One of the biggies that makes tires wear out is heat. Siping opens up the tread blocks and helps them stay cooler, hence, longer lasting tires.




For more information, go to www.sipers.com

toy89yota

if you want mud tires that are decent on ice try these,TreadWright, Inc., formerly High-Tec Retreading
http://treadwright.com/
they are great on and offroad. fourwheeler had them in last months tire test and scored them fairly well all around. they have a synthetic sand granule immersed through out the thickness of the tread that acts like a tire stud with out the noise and damage to the road and are legal to run the duration of the year. i love mine and would buy them again especially since they were only $85 a piece and $29 shipped for all four.
just my $.02

Djlarroc

While I agree with you there, and like I said, I'm gona sipe my tires on my own. There is absolutely no way, home made or after market siping will be better than factory siping.

ozziesironmanoffroad

i work for Big O Tires. `i know, not the best, but hey its money. and thats all i care about at this point. oh, and doing the best job i can so my customers dont get hurt or killed due to my screwup on their vehicle.

Hayes

Not true, the sipes they make from the factory are not in the same league to the ones I can add after. The only reason they don't do it from the factory the same way we do is because it would add way too much time and cost to the tires.

Djlarroc

Mmm... sorry dude, but I agree to disagree. The angles and shapes of factory sipes are much better than the straight, uneven sipes done by Discount, Peerless, or by hand w/a utility knife. Just look at a factory sipe. It's much better. I don't think it would add that much to the cost, it's just not as common on a MT. But every AT, or street tire is factory siped. Heck, just look at a set of snow tires. Excellent siping.

Jay351

Don't bother getting the mall terrains.

Go with the mud terrain, they are one of the better tires out there. We get ALOT of rain here, altho its defently no rain tire its not bad. You just need to be on your gaurd, and don't drive like an idiot.

The off road plus's far outweigh the on-road disabilitys.

AxleIke

Not to dissuade you from the BFG's, but for a truck that is going to see that much trail time, these aren't really the best tires. For the mud, I'd be looking at Interco REALLY hard. Some swampers would be great. I wouldn't worry about road manners in the slightest. My truck is a DD, so while i get out and wheel just about every weekend, it sees about 95% pavement, 5% trail. Your estimate tells me that this truck is a drive it to the trail truck, and drive it home, and no other driving. Since that is the case, almost every tire out there is a good one for you.

In addition, wear isn't going to be a concern. You'll tear the tires up offroad no matter what, but with that little of onroad driving, they'll last forever.

Basically, I'd stay FAR away from the AT's. I run them, but live in the west, and so its dry. I've had them in mud on a rain day, and I literally got stuck. I wasn't hung up on anything, but I had both lockers on, 100:1 up to 20:1 and my truck was standing still, since the tires completely slicked, and would not clear. Freaking Lame.

AntiVenom7

thanks for all the input guys. i think i am settled on the MTs, and am going to look into some siping.

AxleIke, it is probably going to see a more road action, than just to the trails, but your point is well taken. perhaps my 60/40 figure isn't accurate, I just meant that it would see more trail duty than DD duty. hopefully considerably more.

AppleJack

I know you've decided to go with the M/T's and that's great but I'd like to add my .02 anyway. I have the M/T's on my Wrangler they were siped from the dealer which did indeed void the factory warranty due to the fact that now the tire is more inclined to "chunk"(pieces of the siped lugs coming off in chunks). However some tire stores have extended warranties that will cover you if anything major happens to the tire if it obviously had nothing to do with the siping.
I had the A/T's on my 4runner, hands down a better winter tire and handles deep wet Pacific Northwest snow well if aired down to 10-15 psi. of course size matters too!

Greg_Canada

Oh yea... with the M/t's... no more 90 degree left turns at 40km/h.... 4 wheel drift FTW (in the rain)....

BigO

I have BFG M/T and love them! All the different A/T tires I have tried seem to cake up too easily and turn into racing slicks at the first sight of mud. I have not ran the M/Ts on snow or ice, but in my opinion they are one of the better tires for 50% street and 50% trails and mud.

tc

Tires, and mud tires in particular, are a very local thing. Some tires work great in the mud in some parts of the country and suck in other places mud.

I would recommend going on the forum of your local TTORA chapter and see what is working in your area.

My next tires are likely going to be Trxus MT's FWIW.