Don't shoot me for this overdone topic: mud tires on the highway

[NY2LA]

Hi, all. I've got a trip to another muddy East Coast area coming up soon, but with a couple days of highway driving to get there. This is a common scenario for me. I'm thinking about getting mud tires after recently getting stuck in the mud, but I'd love to hear about any experiences people have had going from all terrains to muds. Just how much worse did your truck become on pavement?

I know this is a common topic with a million links on Google, but I've found that some of the generic answers don't always apply to my overbuilt 200. For example, when I went from D tires to E tires, I felt no discernible decline in handling, based on my overall truck and suspension setup, despite all the warnings about the potential for this. I'm wondering if going to muds might just be less of a compromise than might first appear.


Any thoughts from people with experience here?

 

[tbisaacs]

Hi, all. I've got a trip to another muddy East Coast area coming up soon, but with a couple days of highway driving to get there. This is a common scenario for me. I'm thinking about getting mud tires after recently getting stuck in the mud, but I'd love to hear about any experiences people have had going from all terrains to muds. Just how much worse did your truck become on pavement?

I know this is a common topic with a million links on Google, but I've found that some of the generic answers don't always apply to my overbuilt 200. For example, when I went from D tires to E tires, I felt no discernible decline in handling, based on my overall truck and suspension setup, despite all the warnings about the potential for this. I'm wondering if going to muds might just be less of a compromise than might first appear.


Any thoughts from people with experience here?

I went from falken wildpeaks to cooper STT pros and then back to wildpeaks. I lasted about 15k miles before the tradeoffs of running an MT outweighed the benefits.

They were awesome off-road except in hard snow where they were frankly scary.

Never tracked straight. Got louder as they wore. Had a pronounced thump of the lugs at low speed.

 

[TLC2013]

I have two sets of tires I run, ATs and then switch to MTs for the trails and muddy season. I have around 3000 miles on my Yokohama G003s and they are impressive for a MT during city /hwy driving and pretty much unstoppable offroad. Only times I have been struck is in deep snow and mud when the land cruiser dug in and sunk to the frame. They clean out amazing well. On the highway they sound like an AT that is at its half-life. Totally bearable at this stage for 4-5 hour hwy runs. I am sure they will get a bit louder as the miles rack up. The yokos are light for a MT but still weigh between 10-15 lbs more then E rated ATs so acceleration and MPGs are negatively impacted. My 33” ATs and wheels weigh 80lbs while my 34” MTs and wheels weigh 95lbs.
I wouldn’t run MTs for daily driving if the Land Cruiser was my primary vehicle.

 

[TeCKis300]

I don't have any insight to the specific question. There are R/T tires that seem to play in the space of more aggressive than AT, but less than MT.

 

[nwfl4runner]

Hi, all. I've got a trip to another muddy East Coast area coming up soon, but with a couple days of highway driving to get there. This is a common scenario for me. I'm thinking about getting mud tires after recently getting stuck in the mud, but I'd love to hear about any experiences people have had going from all terrains to muds. Just how much worse did your truck become on pavement?

I know this is a common topic with a million links on Google, but I've found that some of the generic answers don't always apply to my overbuilt 200. For example, when I went from D tires to E tires, I felt no discernible decline in handling, based on my overall truck and suspension setup, despite all the warnings about the potential for this. I'm wondering if going to muds might just be less of a compromise than might first appear.


Any thoughts from people with experience here?

I run KM3 muddies on mine. No meaningful difference around town, but you will absolutely hear it on the highway. Personally I take that deal because I live in mud country and send it. I’m not kidding though, you‘ll have to learn to live with a nice hum at 55+

 

[PhuckItImDone]

I'm running the Yokohama geolander MT, so far I've about 2000 miles on them, and while louder than the ATs I came from, they aren't the worst thing. I also went into them knowing they'd be louder, heavier, XYZ, so I don't really care. I also don't daily drive it, so im probably biased in not being as bothered.

 

[Idaho Savage]

I have two sets of tires I run, ATs and then switch to MTs for the trails and muddy season. I have around 3000 miles on my Yokohama G003s and they are impressive for a MT during city /hwy driving and pretty much unstoppable offroad. Only times I have been struck is in deep snow and mud when the land cruiser dug in and sunk to the frame. They clean out amazing well. On the highway they sound like an AT that is at its half-life. Totally bearable at this stage for 4-5 hour hwy runs. I am sure they will get a bit louder as the miles rack up. The yokos are light for a MT but still weigh between 10-15 lbs more then E rated ATs so acceleration and MPGs are negatively impacted. My 33” ATs and wheels weigh 80lbs while my 34” MTs and wheels weigh 95lbs.
I wouldn’t run MTs for daily driving if the Land Cruiser was my primary vehicle.

This.

Klevers for summer fall and mid winter, then Toyo MTs for desert muddy clay season. I don't like having two sets but if you drive around the high desert in the winter or spring, there's no way around MTs. And MTs aren't awesome highway tires and are downright dangerous on ice.

 

[NY2LA]

, so far I've about 2000 miles on them, and while louder than the ATs I came from, they aren't the worst thing. I also went into them knowing they'd be louder, heavier, XYZ, so I don't really care. I also don't daily drive it, s

I run KM3 muddies on mine. No meaningful difference around town, but you will absolutely hear it on the highway. Personally I take that deal because I live in mud country and send it. I’m not kidding though, you‘ll have to learn to live with a nice hum at 55+

I was looking at the KM3s. How's your handling at highway speeds. Do you find yourself losing any traction in the rain or having to work the brakes more before going around sharp bends?

 

[nwfl4runner]

I was looking at the KM3s. How's your handling at highway speeds. Do you find yourself losing any traction in the rain or having to work the brakes more before going around sharp bends?

No issues at all

 

[TomEf]

The newest MTs are damn impressive when it comes to noise. I got a set of Yoko G003’s this spring and noticed only a litte noise increase from AT’s with about 1/3 of their tread left to the new G003’s.

 

[bj70bc]

yup, same here g003 yoko's ,best of both worlds

 

[Tex68w]

I was looking at the KM3s. How's your handling at highway speeds. Do you find yourself losing any traction in the rain or having to work the brakes more before going around sharp bends?

I ran KM3's on my RAM 3500, they are awesome MT's that are fairly quiet for the segment. The Yokohama Geolander's were my second pick and from what I am reading here they do quite well.

 

[grinchy]

I have RTs. More traction than an AT at roughly the same noise profile, but definitely not as much traction as an MT (though I personally haven't run MT on a 200). Trouble is some places MTs will just get you 15 more feet, and others all the way thru.

Are you locked front and back? You need that for spinning those muddies looking for traction, otherwise you're probably stuffed in open diff land (or CRAWL will pull you out, but probably not).

 

[stonepa]

I’ve run Dunlop MTs and BFG MTs on Land Cruisers over the years and have not had any issues with noise. But apparently too many years around loud equipment and radial aircraft engines has detuned my ears to those frequencies. Key is to keep them rotated and never ever drive them in icy conditions. Wear seemed about average to me but they definitely aren’t high mileage street tires.

 

[NY2LA]

I have RTs. More traction than an AT at roughly the same noise profile, but definitely not as much traction as an MT (though I personally haven't run MT on a 200). Trouble is some places MTs will just get you 15 more feet, and others all the way thru.

Are you locked front and back? You need that for spinning those muddies looking for traction, otherwise you're probably stuffed in open diff land (or CRAWL will pull you out, but probably not).

No lockers for me. Respect to all who have them, but I made an executive decision not to modify my drivetrain (got a pretty new 2020 that's been trouble free). When I've gone through mud, I can always see my all-terrains turn into lugless race-track tires as they pack up. This basically renders crawl control useless. So my thinking is to get mud tires for better traction and to also allow crawl control to do its thing. For the very rare cases when that fails in my usage, I'll have various winching tools.

 

[Umbrarian]

Hi, all. I've got a trip to another muddy East Coast area coming up soon, but with a couple days of highway driving to get there. This is a common scenario for me. I'm thinking about getting mud tires after recently getting stuck in the mud, but I'd love to hear about any experiences people have had going from all terrains to muds. Just how much worse did your truck become on pavement?

I know this is a common topic with a million links on Google, but I've found that some of the generic answers don't always apply to my overbuilt 200. For example, when I went from D tires to E tires, I felt no discernible decline in handling, based on my overall truck and suspension setup, despite all the warnings about the potential for this. I'm wondering if going to muds might just be less of a compromise than might first appear.


Any thoughts from people with experience here?

I run KM3 on LC200 and no issues. Windows down at highway speeds, yes it is loud. But I am in Texas and it is hot, so windows are up an A/C is on.

 

[Killacaviar]

It’s all relative, some people are super sensitive to sound when it comes to tires.

They hum, make it harder to low speed turn, suck on packed snow/ice.

I have about 13k on YOKo MTs and wouldn’t have it any other way. Constant noise doesn’t bother me, it’s the Intermittent creak or raddle that does. I suspect these will be toast in another 10-15k miles. I’ll probably move to a Toyo Mt or another G003.

The difference in performance offroad is astounding compared to any AT and that’s what matters to me. Just to further validate what’s been said above. The G003 at 80 mph hum but handle great at at 12-15psi offroad they are magical and just eat anything you put in front of them. Especially deep snow and mud.

 

[PhuckItImDone]

I've no complaints on them, only drove in good rain once on them, so thats not the most helpful review. I know being on the east coast, and most of my wheeling being done here, they were the most realistic option. Ill have more feedback after the summer I guess.

 

[Killacaviar]

I've no complaints on them, only drove in good rain once on them, so thats not the most helpful review. I know being on the east coast, and most of my wheeling being done here, they were the most realistic option. Ill have more feedback after the summer I guess.

No issues in hard rain on my end

 

[Heritage 2020]

I had KM 2s on my AEV Jeep Rubicon and wouldn’t have wished them on my worst enemy. They were scary in rain as I spun the Jeep once in a traffic circle and roared above 45mph.

Surprisingly when we switched to KM 3s, can say they are significantly better in terms of noise, but still make a good deal of noise over 60mph. I can’t say much about rain, but they are excellent on mud and snow.

Some people like the tire roar—not me.

NOTE: Our Jeep is a toy and I wouldn’t go with MTs if it were my daily driver. Extra set of wheels and tires would be the ticket if as others have mentioned.