Thinking about new tires

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izzyandsue

izzyandsue

Izzy
SILVER Star
10 Year
Joined
Oct 31, 2014
Threads
119
Messages
6,871
Location
Charlotte, NC
Website
www.tactegra.com
Lookimg for collective knowledge here, thinking about ditching my 265 Cooper AT tires for something grippier. Will do wheeling in this area, Southeast, have the Ironman 2 inch lift. Would you recommend 33 or 35 inch tires? This weekend at Gulches gave me the opportunity to notice the big difference in tire grip with M/T tires, and mine is not a daily driver. Thanks for your opinions.
 
Wow! Then you'll need to pick a brand and model... :worms: I think most people will agree that 33's on an 80 will get you through anything you'll find in NC.

I can't remember, do you have the OEM lockers front and rear (rotary dial to the left of the steering wheel)?
 
You can't go wrong with the BFG KM2's. That said, if your budget allows, check out the Maxxis Trepadors - have heard a lot of the hardcore guys say they are absolute best of east coast wheelin'

Either of those would be fine for some highway driving, as long as you don't expect the ride of a Michelin.
 
mtweller said:
You can't go wrong with the BFG KM2's. That said, if your budget allows, check out the Maxxis Trepadors - have heard a lot of the hardcore guys say they are absolute best of east coast wheelin'

Either of those would be fine for some highway driving, as long as you don't expect the ride of a Michelin.
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What size would you recommend, 33 or 35?
 
To me an 80 with 2.5" lift and 33s looks like how it should have come from the factory. Aggressive stock look. The 35s def give it more of a beefier and modified look and are a perfect Match to the wheel wells.

So I vote 35/315 and in this order
Km2
Trxxus
Cooper stt

Either size will work well and each have their pros and cons but I feel I see folks regretting not going straight to 35s with a lift instead opting for the 285/33". On that Note if that's what you decide maybe you could pick up a cheap lightly used set
 
If your truck sees more highway than trail, then the new BFG AT KO2 tires that @DeeRex has are worth a look. They're an updated version of the legendary BFG AT KOs.
 
I am also a fan of KM2s, great all around tire and not nearly as loud on road as many other mud tires. We are planning a set of 35 pizza cutters on Heather's 80 with a 2.5" lift. Started collecting parts for her 80 yesterday, the RHD steering arm for the Y-link steering arrived.
 
KM2's are great. I would also consider the Mickey Thompson MTZ. I've had them on my 80 since the first logans run and still have a lot of tread. Great road manners for an aggressive tire. I have a link in my sig on them. I love love love them. Mine are 35's but like others have said, 33's will get that 80 almost everywhere you want to go.
 
Let's assume the price is all the same, 33 or 35, and I can be brand blind. Given free choice between 33 and 35 which ones would you pick? Like any of our trucks, you still need to drive 50-90 miles to get to a trail, then do 3 miles on a trail, so the highway/trail mix is pretty much a wash unless you keep it as a farm tractor, right? I may do a trip out west one of this days, but mostly Carolinas - moutains and beach.
 
jfz80 said:
To me an 80 with 2.5" lift and 33s looks like how it should have come from the factory. Aggressive stock look. The 35s def give it more of a beefier and modified look and are a perfect Match to the wheel wells.

So I vote 35/315 and in this order
Km2
Trxxus
Cooper stt

Either size will work well and each have their pros and cons but I feel I see folks regretting not going straight to 35s with a lift instead opting for the 285/33". On that Note if that's what you decide maybe you could pick up a cheap lightly used set
Click to expand...

This ... but I would put the KM2 and Trxxus on the same level. The Coopers are OK. I ran them on a Jeep JK-Unlimited I had and like I said, they were OK. A distant third to the other two IMHO.
 
I like the Toyo Open Country MT's. They are a bit more pricey than the KM2 but they wear like iron, ride nice and quiet and take little to no weight to balance. The sidewalls are tougher than the BFG's as well. The only downside is that they are heavier tires due the added material. I have a set of these on one of my vehicles and I have over 40K on them. In a few months I will get another set. The cooper STT is a knock-off of the Toyo MT and a pretty dang good one too if your budget doesn't allow for the real thing.

Here's a review that puts the Toyo and the BFG at a draw as far as I can tell. I've seen other similar reviews with the two tires being judges pretty equal all things considered. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/55219-BFG-MT-KM2-vs-Toyo-Open-Country-MT
 
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I've been running Firestone Destination MT's on my 80 for about 50K now. I'm in the same boat as you, need a new set and was wanting a discussion like this to start. Love the Destination MT's as they have huge lugs, and are fairly quiet on the road. I too have decided to go up a larger tire as I have a set of 285 70's (~33.5"). However I agree with Jason, I've never felt held back on the size, there's just a lot of real estate in the wheel well when they wear down a little... Oh and my 80 is a daily driver with about a 20 mile commute each way.

I've been debating on the Firestone and the KM2's, as I love the KM1's on my 40.
 
I run km2's in the 40 and the 80. 80 are 315. I really like them.
 
80 with 33" KM2 M/T and no lift:
FZJ80-1.webp



80 with 33" KM2 M/T and ~3" lift:
FZJ80-2.webp



80 with 35" KM2 M/T and ~3" lift:
Fj80-3.webp
 
OOOHHHH, mesa likey all of the above...... That makes the decision harder. Maybe I go with 33's first since I have only a 2" lift, will that provide more articulation?? Again, appreciate all the wisdom in the club. But nothing is permanent.

I did take a photo of Rafael's 80 with the 35's, that looks great too. I need a magic 8 ball to decide...

I didnt want to get into brands, as those can be heated discussions based on experiences. I am totally agnostic, can get pretty much anything and will keep my preferences to myself for now. Have had great and horrible experiences with most brands, from excellent grip to "OH MY GOD here comes the tire wall!".
 
Do you ever tow or haul large loads with your 80? If you do, then you'll want to stray away from the 35s unless you are willing to have to go slow and / or regear.
 
I never drive slow. So thats' that. Unless I am on the trail and then is "as slow as possible, as fast as necessary". May go with 305/70/16 to get me a 33" diameter. If I want bigger, will be for sale shortly after. Much bigger than my current 265's.

Will the 33" articulate more than the 35"?
 
For articulation, look into a set of @LandCruiserPhil front sway bar disconnects :grinpimp:
 
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