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1.) Swamp Fox - 02/07/2014
Looking for a good truck tire for the road (noise, wear, mileage), mostly highway, that is above average in mud. 32 inches is what I run now, but I now that they're worn a bit I don't think they'd be my choice for mud on a second go-round.

What say you?

(Also, if anyone wants to get rid of a non-working bow-mount trolling motor with all plates and coming in somewhere in the neighborhood of 35-45 pounds altogether, let me know...I'll pay the freight and something for your trouble and then you can use the space for something else, like a flower pot smoker.)


:pop:
2.) Ar-mink - 02/07/2014
I'm a fan of cooper AT3 or if you have a discount tire near you the cooper ATP. My last set of ATPs lasted just over 60k miles and I could have ran another 10k on them. And I would have if I didn't retunly carry a ton plus of weight in the back of my truck. The AT3s on my truck now only have about 4k on them but I've been pleased on how they have handled on the snow/Ice that currently covers our roads. Also have the AT3s on my wifes truck (that she stole from me) and I've put it through some pretty decent mud and they have done well. If you keep them rotated the road noise stays down.
3.) Ar-mink - 02/07/2014
I should also mention that i drive 4k plus miles a month on mostly highways but I do deliver to oilfield locations which requires that I drive through some pretty bad terrain sometimes. Also been known to drive around through the fields and check trail cams. I drive a 2010 ford f-150 4x4 crew cab
4.) Deerminator - 02/07/2014
Interco Super Swampers. Not as noisy as you might think.

Mickythompson has some great tires. The Bajas, ( mostly a sand tire ), were not very good in rain. The Swampers were much better in the rain.

Bushwacker makes great tires.

Get a 4x4 magazine.
5.) Wild Bob - 02/07/2014
I'm a Cooper fan - have been for years. Right now I'm running 6 ply (gravel roads here eat anything less) Discoverer STs. They are great tires for what I use them for; we run these on my pickup and the family 'Burb. Obviously the Burb spends more time on the pavement than my pickup, but both rigs do a lot time off road in the gravel, gumbo, and snow. May be not the quietest ride, but not the loudest I've had either (quiter than BF Goodrich Mud TAs). I usually get 45 + k out of these tires.

I've bulled through gumbo in Wyoming and MT with my STs that other trucks couldn't get through with less agressive tires. I'm a big beliver in having enough tire on a truck...not much sense in owning a 4 wheel drive rig if a little wet terrains shuts you down...I could care less about how quiet of a ride I have - its more important to get to where I want or need to.

The next set I get I'm going to try the Discoverer STTs - a friend runs them and loves the traction he gets with them.

In the past I've run BF Goodrich Mud TAs and ATs, Firestone (sucked - wore out after only 30k, and that was bald as could be!) and Wranglers. I prefer the BFs if I weren't using Coopers.
6.) NEBigAl - 02/07/2014
bow mounted trolling motor? I thought I'd heard it all, but now people are hooking fishing equipment to the stabilizer hole of their bows.
7.) luv2bowhunt - 02/07/2014
Right now I'm running 31" BF Goodrich KM2's. They have been very good off road, made mostly for rocky ground, which is what most of our mountain trails are.

I don't run alot of mud, but they've done the job when I've been there. Drawback has been the inability to keep them balanced, and when they are unbalanced on the front of a Wrangler, you get the death wobble. If you've never experienced death wobble in a Wrangler at 48 mph, you don't know what you're missing.

It's been so bad I won't run them again. So, I would steer clear of the KM2's.
8.) Deerminator - 02/07/2014
Why do Jeeps usually end up on there back.
9.) bluecat - 02/07/2014
I give up. Why?
10.) luv2bowhunt - 02/07/2014
[QUOTE=Deerminator;16261]Why do Jeeps usually end up on there back.[/QUOTE]

I've owned 5, never had one yet do that. Only rock crawling guys do that . Did see a PT Cruiser on it's roof 2 days ago in the ice storm.
11.) Swamp Fox - 02/07/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;16258]Right now I'm running 31" BF Goodrich KM2's. They have been very good off road, made mostly for rocky ground, which is what most of our mountain trails are.

I don't run alot of mud, but they've done the job when I've been there...[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I bought the tires I have on now for rock because that is what most of my off-road stuff was at the time, up in the mountains with packhorses and such, and they did okay in mud until they got to the point where they are now, wear-wise. I'm saying they didn't help me avoid a 4-hour wait for a tractor in the most hellacious steady thunderstorm I've ever been in, and that ended up costing me a $500 bumper last summer. Could have been much worse...Imagine if it had been an offroad bumper...They're proud of those things...:tap:



Thanks for the feedback fellas, and keep it coming....
12.) Ar-mink - 02/07/2014
[QUOTE=Wild Bob;16252]
The next set I get I'm going to try the Discoverer STTs - a friend runs them and loves the traction he gets with them. [/QUOTE]

I had a set of the ST maxes on when I got into my current truck. They grip really well but the road noise was more than I could handle. Not sure how close they are to the STT though
13.) Triton Rich - 02/08/2014
[B]Your criteria of noise, wear and milage don't jive with a tire good in the mud. I ran BFG ATs on my jeep cherokee and my first Durango. They worked well for me and were acceptable in the mud (very good in snow btw). Right now I have Firestone destination ATs on my durango. Had them in the mud once and they ran like an AT meaning they did ok. They are very quiet though which is why I bought them. If you want really good performance in mud, you'll need a mud tire or at least an MT (mud/terrain) but then you'll definitely give up the noise, wear and milage aspects.[/B]
14.) OKY - 02/08/2014
I had good luck with Interco Trxus MT.
15.) Deerminator - 02/08/2014
How a bout some Interco Boggers.
16.) Floyd - 02/08/2014
I'm finding it hard to believe a Carolina Swamp Fox like Sampy needs this type of advice.

I'm mean, C'mon.... I can see a goofyeyed roofer in Nebraska. But, a good ol'southern boy....?
17.) crookedeye - 02/09/2014
don't think I didn't hear that..
18.) Floyd - 02/09/2014
CE, are you sure you are paying attention? I didn't say Crookedeye'd.
19.) Swamp Fox - 02/09/2014
Floyd, that's a fair point, LOL, but you'd be disappointed how few people I know who actually take their trucks off the road, and I'm no mudbogger myself. The knowledge of mud tires has been largely lost by our tribe.

How I've survived offroad so far is largely a combination of dumb luck and the fact that God looks out for children and imbeciles, though I could tell you some stories...(Dog drive past the graveyard with the S10 Blazer: "What do you mean that thing isn't 4WD? You're one lucky SOB!" or fishing trip with the Delta 88 "What the hell are you doing down there? I meant turn down the farm road...Does this look like a farm road? Just stay there...I'll see if I can find a tractor...")

So, with me, it's certainly not a matter or driving skill accumulated over many years powering sideways through the swamp, nor of my state-of-the-art equipment, LOL.

I've done alright so far taking my tire guy's advice but he's no offroad expert, either. As Triton Rich points out, it's all compromises that I set up in my original post anyway, so I figured the more input the better.

I was aware of the true mud tires that Deerminator originally posted about, so I had that going for me, at least. :wink But I should have been more clear that a true mud tire is not really what's gonna make me happiest. I haven't ruled it out, but I'm more likely to go for a really aggressive AT. Whether it has mud in its name is an open question. Some of the Coopers look good, as does the tire OKY posted. The Cooper WB likes won't fit the Bronco, though.


Haven't looked at the Boggers yet, D...That's next on the list.


Thanks for any and all ideas, boys! :tu:
20.) Floyd - 02/09/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16317]Floyd, that's a fair point, LOL, but you'd be disappointed how few people I know who actually take their trucks off the road, and I'm no mudbogger myself. The knowledge of mud tires has been largely lost by our tribe.[/QUOTE]

Meet new people then. Go to the mud tribe. I understand that the tribal girls tend to gravitate to the new guys. Win win, you get tire information from the mud dudes and get muddy with the mud girls.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16317]So, with me, it's certainly not a matter or driving skill accumulated over many years powering sideways through the swamp, nor of my state-of-the-art equipment, LOL. [/QUOTE]

That's nice. Wait, is that sarcasm? C'mon Swampy, don't put yourself down, nor your Bronco. Get him new shoes and get'er done. Remember, it's the archer, not the bow. You need a crookedeye pep talk.

[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16317]Thanks for any and all ideas, boys! :tu:[/QUOTE]

Is this the brush off? You going lone wolf on us? er, um, I guess that would be lone fox. Or, you going to track down a dirty muddy girl and get some....information on mud tires. Yeah, mud tires.


I jest.
21.) luv2bowhunt - 02/10/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16317]But I should have been more clear that a true mud tire is not really what's gonna make me happiest. I haven't ruled it out, but I'm more likely to go for a really aggressive AT.[/QUOTE]

If you already knew what you wanted, you should've just said so. Go get the dern things and leave us out of it. But I'll bet you no AT is going to go through mud like an MT. You ever see a mud bogger running with AT's on?

You need to decide if you're really serious about the mud or if you're more concerned with comfort and road noise and capris pants.

And I did have a response about 'good ole southern boy' but will keep that to myself. I think you swore me to secrecy on that. :wave:
22.) Swamp Fox - 02/10/2014
Alright, alright.

Mud terrain, all terrain...Thank you, Captain Obvious. :tap:

Sorry I asked, LOL.


:bad:
23.) bluecat - 02/10/2014
Give him some slack Luv2. Things are still pretty tense down south. I hear that Atlanta has a frost warning. Time to get in the underground bunkers.
24.) Floyd - 02/10/2014
:omg:

:dig:
25.) luv2bowhunt - 02/10/2014
I have a daughter in Mississippi and she told me they got like an inch of snow the other day. They shut the town down, closed schools, no one went to work, she said it was hilarious.
26.) Deerminator - 02/10/2014
Another ice storm is going to hit the south and run up the coast.
Wonder how many people will be stuck on the highway this time?
27.) bluecat - 02/10/2014
Actually Deerminator, they [I]thought[/I] it was an ice storm but in reality someone spilled a tray of ice cubes by mistake. :co:
28.) Floyd - 02/11/2014
[COLOR="#0000FF"][SIZE=7]Swampy!!! Are you tired of looking for tires yet? [/SIZE][/COLOR]

29.) Floyd - 02/11/2014
$17.77 per tire.

[url]http://www.amazon.com/Traxxas-Tires-Goodrich-Mud-Terrain-Slash/dp/B002U5BPNY[/url]
30.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
LOL...I saw a video the other day of an RC Hummer with Boggers on it over someplace in the former Soviet bloc...In and out of a mud puddle, in and out, with narration in gibberish...Fascinating. I'm glad they're keeping themselves busy over there.

I'm still looking but the feedback on this thread has been helpful. I might have to take back what I said about one of the Coopers not working. Some algorithm said they wouldn't but I might have been looking somewhere I wasn't supposed to. So I think they're back in the running.

BF Goodrich doesn't make the tire I've been using any more (a slightly less hefty and less expensive version of their Mud Terrain T/A KM) but I liked it well enough, and I'm almost tempted to spend the money on the MT T/A KMs because the tread is so close, and if I ever had to slap my spare on, it wouldn't be a total mismatch. The fact that Luv2 didn't luv his BFGs gives me pause, though. I'm more likely to move the old tires over to the other Bronco and start fresh with this one.

So anyway, the short answer to your question is "No"...LOL...Haven't ruled anything in or out yet, beyond what I've said previously.
31.) luv2bowhunt - 02/11/2014
The only thing I didn't like about the KM2's was that I had difficulty keeping them balanced. That's a big deal with a vehicle with coil springs like the Wrangler.

If I could get on YouTube I'd find a video of Jeep Wrangler death wobble, and you'd get a glimpse of what that is like.

On most vehicles balance wouldn't be so hyper critical, it is on a Wrangler with a lift kit. In every other way it's been a good tire.

Will get to try them again on a foot of snow on Thur. Yahoo, more snow.:td::td::td:
32.) Floyd - 02/11/2014
Swampy, you must suffer from Analysis Paralysis. A lot.
33.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
No, LOL, I'm just not in a hurry to spend money on tires. :wink

Unless some devastating new information comes in, I have a sense of where I'm going.

I swear.

:grin:
34.) Floyd - 02/11/2014
In a results driven, instant gratification society, how do you ever manage?

Cats and the what nots keep you in the poor house?
35.) luv2bowhunt - 02/11/2014
[QUOTE=Swamp Fox;16435]I have a sense of where I'm going.:grin:[/QUOTE]

So did Amelia Earhart.
36.) Floyd - 02/11/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;16438]So did Amelia Earhart.[/QUOTE] :grin::grin:
37.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
:shh:


:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:
38.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
[QUOTE=luv2bowhunt;16433]The only thing I didn't like about the KM2's was that I had difficulty keeping them balanced. That's a big deal with a vehicle with coil springs like the Wrangler...


On most vehicles balance wouldn't be so hyper critical, it is on a Wrangler with a lift kit. In every other way it's been a good tire...

[/QUOTE]

The Broncos are coil-springed but neither is lifted. The one that needs tires first carries a lot of weight 7/365. The other one hardly any or not so much.

Thoughts (esp. re. the BFGs)?
39.) Jon - 02/11/2014
I have had 6 sets of BFG Mud Terrains (prior to the KM style) and/or All Terrains on pickup trucks and 2 different Jeep Wranglers. I loved how well they did in loose gravel and sticky mud that isn't god awful deep. I'm currently running BFG AT's on my Dodge 2500 and BFG MT's on the old Jeep. I've also had Pro Comp Mud Terrains that I wasn't overly thrilled with, Mickey Thompsons that wore out too quickly driving 80% on pavement and an older set of Cooper MT's that had very weak sidewalls.
Unfortunately for a guy who doesn't have a big budget and is potentially spending more on 4 tires than he has spent on his vehicle, the options for good tires are very limited.
Basically what I'm saying is this, if you don't have $1000 to spend on decent tires, don't ask for advice on what is a decent tire!
40.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
Helpful report on those tires. Thx.

$1000 would definitely be my outside limit. It's not like I need something to get me through the Amazonian jungle. Was really hoping I could find something I like and that wouldn't be too much of an offroad compromise for $800 or under.
41.) Jon - 02/11/2014
Probably doable if you stay with sizes below 32"
42.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
Well, that's a bit of good news. I am running 31s, not 32s as I brain-farted in my first post.

I think I paid something like $175 ea. for the tires I have now.
43.) Jon - 02/11/2014
Pay attn to the amount of sidewall plies, the cheaper tires skimp on sidewall plies and that gives you a feeling like you are swaying at highway speed. Also increases the risk of cutting a sidewall on a sharp rock while being off road. Something to look out for
44.) Triton Rich - 02/11/2014
[B] Job makes an excellent point about the sidewall flex. I had a set of mud tired that was downright dangerous on the highway because of that![/B]
45.) Swamp Fox - 02/11/2014
Would you all consider 2-ply insufficiently tough/a handling concern?

Present tires are not as tough as the BFG Mud Terrains in this regard (for reference), but ride fine.

I am not driving on a lot of rock these days. Tree laps and ruts are the main thing lately.
46.) Deerminator - 02/12/2014
Check this out Swampy

[url]http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Interco+tires&qpvt=Interco+tires&FORM=IQFRML[/url]
47.) Jon - 02/12/2014
It's certainly your own call but 2 plies is the fewest that are safe to run and therefore the cheapest. The first set of mud tires I ran on my old Toyota were 2 plies and they were near dangerous. In contrast, the BFG MT and AT tires have 6 plies and are very nice. I wouldn't buy any tire for my truck or Jeep that had less than 6 plies.
48.) Swamp Fox - 02/12/2014
Okay, thanks for that. I mentioned 2-ply because at least one of the "good" tires that has come up on this thread is listed as a two-ply. Others I have not been able to find that spec for, and then there are those that were 5 (?) and certainly 6.
49.) DParker - 02/12/2014
[QUOTE=Jon;16504]It's certainly your own call but 2 plies is the fewest that are safe to run and therefore the cheapest. The first set of mud tires I ran on my old Toyota were 2 plies and they were near dangerous. In contrast, the BFG MT and AT tires have 6 plies and are very nice. I wouldn't buy any tire for my truck or Jeep that had less than 6 plies.[/QUOTE]

Interestingly, if you substitute "toilet paper" for "mud tires" above the basic idea still holds true.
50.) bluecat - 02/12/2014
What's the difference between a tire and 365 condoms?






One is a GoodYear the other is a great year.
51.) Deerminator - 02/12/2014
[QUOTE=DParker;16512]Interestingly, if you substitute "toilet paper" for "mud tires" above the basic idea still holds true.[/QUOTE]

:laugh:
52.) DParker - 02/12/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;16513]What's the difference between a tire and 365 condoms?

One is a GoodYear the other is a great year.[/QUOTE]

Just reading that made me tired.
53.) bluecat - 02/12/2014
Yeah, but you're just biased.
54.) DParker - 02/12/2014
[QUOTE=bluecat;16520]Yeah, but you're just biased.[/QUOTE]

No, I'm just old.
55.) bluecat - 02/12/2014
[QUOTE=DParker;16521]No, I'm just old.[/QUOTE]

I'll tread lightly then.
56.) Floyd - 02/12/2014
Don't get run down.
57.) Floyd - 02/12/2014
.... that went flat. I should spare myself anymore deflation.
58.) Deerminator - 02/12/2014
Lug Nuts
59.) Floyd - 02/12/2014
...and rim shots.
60.) Jon - 02/12/2014
365 condoms would be a great decade
61.) luv2bowhunt - 02/12/2014
..........or life.