Tires decision time (1 Viewer)

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The Canadian website I am on shows these ST Maxx to be 30% or so more expensive than the Toyo or BFG, perhaps it is cheaper for u in the US, I dont know,,,,,

I’m in Canada. In the most expensive part... Vancouver. You just have to shop around.
 
I’m in Canada. In the most expensive part... Vancouver. You just have to shop around.

Nah, I will stick to Toyo AT2, if I change I will go to Toyo MT since they are better suited for Canadian terrain.
btw, I am ending my trip in Vancouver rather than going back to Toronto, so I might see u on the trails there ;)
 
Toyo MT:$405, Toyo AT:$321, ST Maxx:$338. All for 285/75-16. Pick your poison;)

I love the Toyo MT, and the local rep owes me a favor. I called him before buying the Coopers but he was away. Next time I may go back to the MTs if I’m doing less highway miles.

PM when you hit Van. We can debate tires much better with a beverage in hand!
 
Vote here for the KO2's. I got mine at Discount(America's) Tire here in Atlanta. They price matched Costco on a set of 4 who had them for $196 a tire. Had them on my '16 4runner for 22k before and like them even more on the cruiser. I think the extra weight of the 100 on an E tire makes them ride a little better than they did on the 4R.

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I am currently running 285/70/17 KO2s, They are awesome on the street and DRY off-roading, but when things get wet, they get slippery. I just ordered a set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers a tad taller, 285/75/17.
 
Just ordered the Faulkens, should be installed tomorrow! Pics will follow.... $742..installed OTD!
 
I will never buy BFGs again. Coopers Discovery ST Maxx are my favorite, just my opinion.

A.J

Dilly dilly! Coops for me forever more. Will never go back.
 
ST Maxxs are a much better choice than the BFG ATs if you drive in the wet like we do in the PNW. They clear water like nothing else short of a MT, but are as quiet as the BFG ATs on road. If you like the KO2 thread style, I would also suggest the General AT2 as they are very similar, but much cheaper. My bro in law had the on his Land Rover (silly rabbit) and they were amazing in snow, great on road, decent in dirt and lasted a very long time.

There is no way you should go through KO2s in 18,000 miles on a 100. I put 30,000 on KOs and sold them for $500 with 60-70% left when I went to the ST Maxxs. I can’t imagine they’ve screwed with the tread compound that much for the KO2?

Same here.
 
Same here.

If money wasn't a factor, I would definitely get the ST Maxx, as I had them on a 07 4runner, they rode better and performed better in snow and dry conditions than the KO2, IMO. But, for the price point and with good reviews, I will give the Faulkens a try!!
 
The thing with tires is everyone loves whatever they just spent $1000 on. I own an off-road shop and deal in tires constantly. I have my personal opinions too! Duratracks are the loudest crossover tire out there. KO2s are I little inconsistent but usually a great option. Cooper seems to be the most consistent of the big names. Cooper is made by Mastercraft. You can usually buy Mastercraft cheaper. The CXT is the same tire as the ST MAXX. I am running the CXT on all my personal trucks right now. They are formed with a chip resistant rubber compound. We do thousands of miles annually on gravel and rock roads. The compound is holding up better than anything else I’ve tried to date. I’m no expert but between myself and my customers I’ve been around most tires that are available in the market. My list goes like this:
1 - Mastercraft
2 - Cooper
3 - BFG

JUST MY $.02
 
Cooper is made by Mastercraft. You can usually buy Mastercraft cheaper. The CXT is the same tire as the ST MAXX. I am running the CXT on all my personal trucks right now. They are formed with a chip resistant rubber compound. We do thousands of miles annually on gravel and rock roads. The compound is holding up better than anything else I’ve tried to date.

The construction and specs would appear to be the same, but there are minor differences in the tread pattern (based on pics I see online)?

Good information...nonetheless. Thanks.

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Cooper_Mastercraft CXT.png
 
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That’s awesome! I love options! I couldn’t justify $900 plus on name brand tires so I went with Kenda Klever. Kenda is known in speed sports mainly.

But there $600 MT has been so great. I rotate every 4K miles and are wearing perfect. Unfortunately Kenda does not make an AT in the size I’ll go next so I’ll be looking for another option.

I like the tread pattern of that Mastercraft.
 
So I am buying tires soon. I have a set of 18x9 wheels I am going to use. Most of my use will be overlanding and specifically will be in the search of ghost towns so much will be dirt two track. I don’t have a desire for rock crawling or highly technical trails. Since this is not a daily driver I am leaning towards the General X3 in 275/70-18 size, but they also have a true 33x12.5 available. Any thoughts on pros or cons between the two? Slee suggested a size of 285/65-18 iirc but the General is not available in that size.

My backup choices would be the Cooper STT Pro, then followed by their ST MAXX if I decided to go AT. I really am leaning strong towards the X3 though.

Is it just a personal preference between the taller, skinnier 275/70 and the slightly shorter but wider 33x12.5? Where does that 285/65-18 fit in for performance between the other two?
 
For what it’s worth, I just had to purchase new shoes for my 100. I run BFG KO2s in 33x12.5R15s on my FJ62, and I have been nothing but happy with them. Low road noise, great traction, great wear - total package.

However, as I was researching tires for the 100, this thread and others caused me to give a good, long look at the Cooper STT MAXX. No question that they are high quality, and easy to see that there’s a lot of love for them on this forum - says a lot, and I trust the collective wisdom. No one here makes arbitrary decisions on important kit for their Cruisers.

When the rubber hit the road, I went with what I know. KO2s in 275/70R18s on Method 305 NVs with a +25 offset. Proven setup run by other Mudders and I look forward to getting them on this week.

That said, excellent options abound for every budget and practical need, from the Falkens to the Mastercrafts to the STTs and KO2s. You can easily over-research this and second-guess yourself to death. Set the budget, consult the forum (check), read a few reviews, pull the trigger, and don’t look back. Tires are not a permanent addition, though can be a costly misstep. If you’ve taken the time to read all of this post and the three-plus pages before it, you’ve done your due diligence to mitigate the risk. Enjoy whatever moves you!
 
I have a set of Falken Wildpeak AT3W (275/65r18) with about 4k miles on them and I'm very pleased. They are very quiet cruising at 75 mph. Did really well in about 6 inches of heavy, wet (unplowed) snow and resultant slush--was hard to get them to lose grip. Haven't tested them on anything offroad other than fairly tame gravel/dirt roads. I got a set of 4 for under $600 from simpletire.com and had local install and road force balancing all for about an extra $100. I previously had General Grabber HTS (came on the car when purchased) which were not aggressive off road tires but actually did surprisingly well on a cross-country road trip (DC to Cali and back) and experienced snow, rain, mud, dirt, and 80+ mph freeways. I kept them on for the road trip because they tended to be rated for higher mpg than all terrains. Tires are very subjective and with the technology and competition for business in the field, it's tough to go wrong with any of the major brands and models. But if you go with the Falkens, you'll probably be pleased.
 
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Is it just a personal preference between the taller, skinnier 275/70 and the slightly shorter but wider 33x12.5? Where does that 285/65-18 fit in for performance between the other two?

I'll steer a little clear of the actual question being posed and say...yes...for the most part it's personal preference...as is tire selection(shown by the many varied and all viable choices). You can find endless debate via a google search on the subject non specific to the 100. But what I will state is to research fitment of 12.5" wide tires(or 315mm) on here before making a decision. Especially in regards to your aftermarket 18x9 wheel. It's tire specific(and even truck/alignment specific) if that wide of tire will clear the upper control arm and that's just with the stock wheel...throw in an aftermarket wheel and...well definitely research it out. Stock wheel offset is +60mm...aftermarket wheel is likely to be less...possibly much less. Even with the 275 tire you only have maybe 30mm clearance between tire and UCA...so with aftermarket wheels being anywhere from 0 to +40 offset..you can set how you can get into trouble quick. So search, read and be prepared to buy spacers...you can make it work, but it's not necessarily going to out of the box...
 

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