Best “AT” tires for my bone-stock 2023 GX? (2 Viewers)

[Cold Iron]

haha great post, and I totally understand. Glad you have found your place in the great white north. And thank you for your service.

I know you haven't had the Falkens on too long yet. Thoughts on road noise? Road handling vs LTX?

No more road noise than the Michelin had, even with my hearing aids in

Your correct haven't had them long enough to make a good call on handling but so far I am impressed with gravel and pavement. Real test will be snow and off road. But I am cautiously optimistic at this point. I'm starting to think all the good things people have said about them is true. But I have to see for myself.

There's this thing I heard about called, "snow bird".
My Mom and her sig-other would head on down to Arizona from Tahoe in the winter.
In your little shots of problems in different states, you forgot to add California with our earthquakes (and political climate....)

Oh those aren't my memes they have been floating around since that Ben Franklin fellow invented the internet! Never seen one with California and earthquakes but surprised haven't. In San Diego I was rocked to sleep on the ships many nights by light ones.

I could go to Scottsdale, Az. in the winter lots of people I work with, and retires as well, do and we have a hospital there. And Jax, Florida. Not sure they would let me into California though at least with the bumper sticker on the Taco.

I'd have to take the GX to get across the California border.

 

[WBrown999]

I'm starting to think all the good things people have said about them is true. But I have to see for myself.

Checking in a few days later. You have given me the "itch" to do the same thing with my GX. How are things going?

 

[Cold Iron]

Checking in a few days later. You have given me the "itch" to do the same thing with my GX. How are things going?

The shop that installed them told me they pushed the fender well liners out of the way so there was no rubbing. But turns out the infamous inner bolt head on the sidesteps did rub at full lock (or right before it) if there was any articulation thrown in as well. Was able to reproduce it in my driveway which is where I first noticed it. Was a bit of a let down but did the zip tie trick and all is right in the world again. Those side steps are coming off in a month or so when the sliders come in anyhow.

This morning went into work for our once a year holiday get together. Friend of mine happened to pull in same time as I did and he hadn't seen the GX yet. He got out and didn't say hi or greet me all he said was DAMN those wheels and tires look fantastic! Started off the work day with a bit of a lift.

Still want to get it out on some really rough terrain and verify that there is no rubbing with a lot of articulation. Unfortunately because the weather is pretty decent so late this year the County has graded most of the roads. Never thought I'd say unfortunately to that LOL. But so far very pleased with them.

 

[Arailt]

Apologies for not reading all of the replies. If you want to keep stock MPGs, stick with stock size tires. If you go bigger, you'll see diminishing MPG the bigger you go (assuming the drive line is staying stock).

As for stock noise levels, again, stick with stock "all season" tires if you're concerned about noise. I've been 4-wheeling for 25 years and every set of AT or MT tires I've owned sound fine when they're new, but after some miles, you can hear them coming for a country mile. The more aggressive the tread, the louder they get after they wear down.

Don't buy the claims that XYZ AT/MT tire is "just as quiet as stock." Inevitably you'll be driving one day and think "what the hell is that hum? wheel bearings?!" and you'll realize you've got about 20k on your tires and that's the lovely sound you have to live with for the next 20-30k.

 

[r2m]

Apologies for not reading all of the replies. If you want to keep stock MPGs, stick with stock size tires. If you go bigger, you'll see diminishing MPG the bigger you go (assuming the drive line is staying stock).

As for stock noise levels, again, stick with stock "all season" tires if you're concerned about noise. I've been 4-wheeling for 25 years and every set of AT or MT tires I've owned sound fine when they're new, but after some miles, you can hear them coming for a country mile. The more aggressive the tread, the louder they get after they wear down.

Don't buy the claims that XYZ AT/MT tire is "just as quiet as stock." Inevitably you'll be driving one day and think "what the hell is that hum? wheel bearings?!" and you'll realize you've got about 20k on your tires and that's the lovely sound you have to live with for the next 20-30k.

Agree, but one thing that some folks may not take into account, is it's not just tire diameter that kills MPG, but also width.
A taller pizza cutter tire will not change MPG as much as the same diameter but wider. I kind of laugh when I see these full size U.S. made trucks with 13" wide off road tires ruurrring down the highway. MPG? Probably gallons to the mile...
Another reason I prefer a narrower tire.

 

[WBrown999]

Well, I did it. I ordered a very similar setup to that of @Cold Iron

Falken Wildpeak AT4W (just released!) in 265/70/17 SL

TRD Pro wheels in matte black

Should hopefully be in later this week.

 

[Cold Iron]

Well, I did it. I ordered a very similar setup to that of @Cold Iron

Falken Wildpeak AT4W (just released!) in 265/70/17 SL

TRD Pro wheels in matte black

Should hopefully be in later this week.

You are getting in on the bleeding edge with those AT4W's I think they are likely a very good choice.

A few on TW have got them as well, the 4's are heavier than the 3's but beefier, going with the SL was the right move IMO. The sidewall tread on the 4's are sharper and that is big help in lateral slides with snow, I like that. Although the 3's were a huge improvement over the Michelin Defenders that mine came with and why the Defender LTX slid and the AT3W's do not. 4's should be even better.

Still really happy with my Wildpeaks no increase in noise and really like the handling especially on snow and ice. I shoot 5 stand on Saturday's it is a 3 hour round trip on 2 lane roads I set the cruise at 62. So far been averaging a solid 19.1 mpg for those trips with the Wildpeaks, same as I got with the stock sized LTX tires. Despite being 10 pounds heavier but the TRD pro wheels offset half of that weight differential and i ended up with no loss of mpg.

Tomorrow getting headlights replaced with Attica rectangular and grille swapped out with blackline edition knockoff. Also the front bumper cut and interested in seeing if that affects gas mileage exposing more of the tire to air resistance. Now that I have a solid mpg baseline will know for sure, many have asked if it does and I have also wondered.

Interested in your long term review of them, at some point I will need to replace mine. But hoping it is a few years out yet LOL.

 

[WBrown999]

You are getting in on the bleeding edge with those AT4W's I think they are likely a very good choice.

A few on TW have got them as well, the 4's are heavier than the 3's but beefier, going with the SL was the right move IMO. The sidewall tread on the 4's are sharper and that is big help in lateral slides with snow, I like that. Although the 3's were a huge improvement over the Michelin Defenders that mine came with and why the Defender LTX slid and the AT3W's do not. 4's should be even better.

Still really happy with my Wildpeaks no increase in noise and really like the handling especially on snow and ice. I shoot 5 stand on Saturday's it is a 3 hour round trip on 2 lane roads I set the cruise at 62. So far been averaging a solid 19.1 mpg for those trips with the Wildpeaks, same as I got with the stock sized LTX tires. Despite being 10 pounds heavier but the TRD pro wheels offset half of that weight differential and i ended up with no loss of mpg.

Tomorrow getting headlights replaced with Attica rectangular and grille swapped out with blackline edition knockoff. Also the front bumper cut and interested in seeing if that affects gas mileage exposing more of the tire to air resistance. Now that I have a solid mpg baseline will know for sure, many have asked if it does and I have also wondered.

Interested in your long term review of them, at some point I will need to replace mine. But hoping it is a few years out yet LOL.

Really glad to hear that you are having a positive experience after a few weeks of testing. Yes, I agree that the SL was the right choice given the stiffer sidewall construction of the new AT4 tires. I suspect a lot of the guys who run E rated will be in for a rough ride.

Taking the front bumper higher was the biggest hindrance on fuel economy I’ve experienced in any of my modifications. But then again, the vast majority of my driving is at 70 mph. I suspect the difference wouldn’t be as noticeable at lower speeds.

 

[Cold Iron]

Really glad to hear that you are having a positive experience after a few weeks of testing. Yes, I agree that the SL was the right choice given the stiffer sidewall construction of the new AT4 tires. I suspect a lot of the guys who run E rated will be in for a rough ride.

Taking the front bumper higher was the biggest hindrance on fuel economy I’ve experienced in any of my modifications. But then again, the vast majority of my driving is at 70 mph. I suspect the difference wouldn’t be as noticeable at lower speeds.

Thanks for that, you just convinced me to leave an inch or so below where most take it up to. Still will help a lot with the approach angle.

Yeah out on 4 lanes my speed goes way up but I don't have to do much of tha,t and when I do it is for much longer distances. And am often pulling the Polaris Ranger can't wait to see what my mpg is then I'm sure it will not be pretty. On the other hand my 2nd gen Taco was usually in the single digits pulling so doubt any surprises.

 

[Banandalorian]

The only area I feel they really lose out to a dedicated winter tire is on sheet-ice where a snow tire will have better braking and turning performance. This has included driving through everything from slush to foot+ deep snow drifts.

*Update as of a recent winter off road trip with ~37,000 miles on the Pirellis* At some point over 30k miles they appear to lose their edge to provide good forward traction on ice or compacted snow. The past 2 winters my experience was that I had plenty of traction to drive over/through snow and ice and just needed to keep in mind that the GX is a heavy truck when using the brakes on icy downhills. This year was just spin city all the time unless I was leading the pack through fresh snow. I did not have any issues on paved roads with mixed wintry conditions but it was annoying on the trails.
There is plenty of tread depth left and I'm sure they could go another 10-20k miles before needing replacement for that. However it looks like the edges of the tread blocks and sipes are rounding off so that may contribute to the lack of "bite" compared to the first 2 winters. Overall I am still pleased with the Pirellis and can see why Rivian and Porsche use them for the combination of on/off road performance. But I am going to finally get 33s and likely choosing between the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss or Toyo ATIII.

 

[r2m]

*Update as of a recent winter off road trip with ~37,000 miles on the Pirellis* At some point over 30k miles they appear to lose their edge to provide good forward traction on ice or compacted snow. The past 2 winters my experience was that I had plenty of traction to drive over/through snow and ice and just needed to keep in mind that the GX is a heavy truck when using the brakes on icy downhills. This year was just spin city all the time unless I was leading the pack through fresh snow. I did not have any issues on paved roads with mixed wintry conditions but it was annoying on the trails.
There is plenty of tread depth left and I'm sure they could go another 10-20k miles before needing replacement for that. However it looks like the edges of the tread blocks and sipes are rounding off so that may contribute to the lack of "bite" compared to the first 2 winters. Overall I am still pleased with the Pirellis and can see why Rivian and Porsche use them for the combination of on/off road performance. But I am going to finally get 33s and likely choosing between the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss or Toyo ATIII.

Wonder if your lack of traction is a cause of wearing down to a harder rubber compound on the tire?

 

[r2m]

You are getting in on the bleeding edge with those AT4W's I think they are likely a very good choice.

A few on TW have got them as well, the 4's are heavier than the 3's but beefier, going with the SL was the right move IMO. The sidewall tread on the 4's are sharper and that is big help in lateral slides with snow, I like that. Although the 3's were a huge improvement over the Michelin Defenders that mine came with and why the Defender LTX slid and the AT3W's do not. 4's should be even better.

Still really happy with my Wildpeaks no increase in noise and really like the handling especially on snow and ice. I shoot 5 stand on Saturday's it is a 3 hour round trip on 2 lane roads I set the cruise at 62. So far been averaging a solid 19.1 mpg for those trips with the Wildpeaks, same as I got with the stock sized LTX tires. Despite being 10 pounds heavier but the TRD pro wheels offset half of that weight differential and i ended up with no loss of mpg.

Tomorrow getting headlights replaced with Attica rectangular and grille swapped out with blackline edition knockoff. Also the front bumper cut and interested in seeing if that affects gas mileage exposing more of the tire to air resistance. Now that I have a solid mpg baseline will know for sure, many have asked if it does and I have also wondered.

Interested in your long term review of them, at some point I will need to replace mine. But hoping it is a few years out yet LOL.

What software app and type of phone are you using for your OBDII Bluettooth?

 

[Banandalorian]

Wonder if your lack of traction is a cause of wearing down to a harder rubber compound on the tire?

Also a possibility. In any case I think I do enough off roading to justify replacement (and 33s). I am happy with 3 years and close to 40,000 miles from them considering tires on my Fiesta ST were basically a yearly wear item.

 

[Cold Iron]

*Update as of a recent winter off road trip with ~37,000 miles on the Pirellis* At some point over 30k miles they appear to lose their edge to provide good forward traction on ice or compacted snow. The past 2 winters my experience was that I had plenty of traction to drive over/through snow and ice and just needed to keep in mind that the GX is a heavy truck when using the brakes on icy downhills. This year was just spin city all the time unless I was leading the pack through fresh snow. I did not have any issues on paved roads with mixed wintry conditions but it was annoying on the trails.
There is plenty of tread depth left and I'm sure they could go another 10-20k miles before needing replacement for that. However it looks like the edges of the tread blocks and sipes are rounding off so that may contribute to the lack of "bite" compared to the first 2 winters. Overall I am still pleased with the Pirellis and can see why Rivian and Porsche use them for the combination of on/off road performance. But I am going to finally get 33s and likely choosing between the Mickey Thompson Baja Boss or Toyo ATIII.

You mean these?

Mine started doing that in the winter after ~20K on pavement in the winter with ice and snow. They replaced Firestone Destination tires that did the same after one year. The tires they replaced were OEM BFG KO (not KO2's pre those). The original BFG KO were a decent enough tire but they stopped making them in the original Baja T|X 16" size when the KO2's first came out.

Wonder if your lack of traction is a cause of wearing down to a harder rubber compound on the tire?

Good chance, common to have softer compound on the outside and harder inside. Even more likely a slightly different compound underneath that doesn't perform as well in the cold, like teens below zero and colder.

 

[Cold Iron]

What software app and type of phone are you using for your OBDII Bluettooth?

Obdlink MX+ with Fusion. Still playing with dashboards in fact the phone is sitting next to me, still working on what I really want with it.

 

[HVLA]

Have almost 4k miles on MT Baja Boss now. They are still incredible. The traction on dry, wet, and ice are the best of any tire I have ever had. And I have had a LOT of different sets over the years. This will be my tire of choice from now on.

 

[Rednexus]

I'm 99.5% going with the AT4W, since they revised it. Can't wait to see how it does, if it improves on the AT3W in any way it's a winner. The only hiccup might be if the KO3 gets actually released and is comparable from a performance/price perspective, but it will still likely be an uphill battle.

 

[dl819]

Have almost 4k miles on MT Baja Boss now. They are still incredible. The traction on dry, wet, and ice are the best of any tire I have ever had. And I have had a LOT of different sets over the years. This will be my tire of choice from now on.

The first 7K on my Baja Boss AT (265/65/18 XL) have also been great. Very comfortable on the interstate during a cross country trip. Great through standing water and very heavy rain while traveling though Georgia. I haven't driven them in a heavy snowstorm yet, but they were very good on recent snow packed/icy streets.
For reference, I've used 4 sets of Cooper AT3 (265/70/17 C) on my 4Runner and GX over the last 10 years. The Baja Boss AT is a little louder, but performance is as good/better in every way so far.
My GX is slightly lifted, but the Baja Boss in this size would be great for an unlifted 460.

 

[WBrown999]

New TRD Pro wheels and new Falken Wildpeak AT4W in 265/70/17 SL. Got a little bit of rubbing in the typical posterior aspect of the front wheel wells, so I will need to do zip tie trick.

I only have 10 miles on them so far. Will keep everyone up to date.

 

[WBrown999]

Bit more of a closeup. Liking them so far @Cold Iron