Time For New Tires (1 Viewer)

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Feb 16, 2011
Threads
67
Messages
809
Location
Eastern, OR
I know, another tire thread. Its time for new tires though. Going to go with 33x10.50R15. Current set on the 40 are Toyo Open Country MT. I've liked them quite a bit but they are spendy especially because I'd like to get matching tires for my trailer. Considering the BFG KM3 as well. Anything else I should consider? What about sidewall, should I go E or C? Also I'm pretty set on a mud terrain but I'd like one that does as well as possible on snowy roads. Any experiences or insights would be welcome.
 
Interco LTB 34x10.5/15
hggfb.jpg
 
Those are really knoby. They look pretty good though. I'll check them out.
 
Since you asked about snow specifically, it depends on your real world conditions and how much time you spend in it. ( I’m not talking about the occasional romp in deep mountain snow for a photo op) If you’re doing a lot of true snow, compact snow and ice driving, especially if you’re in any traffic, you might want to consider a separate set of studded tires like the Snow Claw at Les Schwab. If that’s all too much to consider then I would recommend a top tier AT tire for year-round rather than an MT since, in general, they tend to do better in real world snow and ice than MT’s
 
I strongly recommend load range C. I run BFG KM3 33x10.5x15 load range C. I have to air down to at least ~12 psi to start getting some tire bulge for offroad use on my FJ40. I have some load range C 31x10.5x15's on a 1986 Toyota 4x4 mini truck and they can be run down to single digits and hardly show any bulge. Load range D and E are way to stiff for lighter vehicles and should be reserved for use on heavier 3/4 ton+ trucks or trucks that have heavy cargo/towing needs.
 
I know, another tire thread. Its time for new tires though. Going to go with 33x10.50R15. Current set on the 40 are Toyo Open Country MT. I've liked them quite a bit but they are spendy especially because I'd like to get matching tires for my trailer. Considering the BFG KM3 as well. Anything else I should consider? What about sidewall, should I go E or C? Also I'm pretty set on a mud terrain but I'd like one that does as well as possible on snowy roads. Any experiences or insights would be welcome.
Mud terrains and snowy roads don't go hand in hand. They suck.

I run Maxxis Razrs on my rig and truthfully I can't wait for the day that I go back to something better in the snow. I run the KO2's on my Ram and Tahoe and have no complaints driving those rigs. Especially my truck.
 
If the true size matters, look at the tire specs carefully. I went with General Grabber X3 on my 40 on stock size wheels. They only measure about 32.2” tall. Read a lot that the BFG’s were closer to 31” actual size.
 
I'll add to that, I did put my 40 in a ditch in Dec driving on snow covered roads in 2wd. Not driving crazy or stupid, just driving along at about 40 mph.
 
Creeping along forest service roads in deep snow, I’ve had no issues with mud terrains, but usually chain up regardless if it’s too bad. Driving normal roads at normal speeds I like the Duratrac’s on my 4Runner and they do equally well on snowy forest roads.
 
Duratracs, Ko2's, for snow. The grabber X3s do pretty dang well in deep snow on the plow truck, for a more "agressive" look.
 
The ‘76 is going to need new meats. Leaning towards c load KM3’s but in 31X10.5X15. In Phoenix, so no snow concerns here in the Sonoran Desert👍
 
I strongly recommend load range C. I run BFG KM3 33x10.5x15 load range C. I have to air down to at least ~12 psi to start getting some tire bulge for offroad use on my FJ40. I have some load range C 31x10.5x15's on a 1986 Toyota 4x4 mini truck and they can be run down to single digits and hardly show any bulge. Load range D and E are way to stiff for lighter vehicles and should be reserved for use on heavier 3/4 ton+ trucks or trucks that have heavy cargo/towing needs.

This.

I ran load range E (Toyo) mud terrains on my other 4WD truck, a very heavy FJC; they lasted forever and never had a flat, but damn the sidewalls were hard as rock. I had to air down to single digit PSI to get the sidewalls to flex a little bit.

If you're going to be driving your 40 over mesquite trees or beds of nails, load range E tires might be the thing you'd want - but for any other kind of 4WD use, they're way too hard and stiff for a 40.
 
I have those exact tires that you are running… the Toyo Open country mt’s in the 33 10.5 15 load C and I absolutely love them. I air them down to 10 psi offroad and they have been unbelievably reliable and performed awesome! I’ve given up on bfg, as I’ve personally had some quality issues the last two years. I would absolutely stay away from the km3’s if your 40 sees any snow (or rain), as there is virtually no siping on them. I also think the ko3’s aren’t great in wet, but many will disagree, so maybe I just had a bad set. I run my 40 year round in the NE in the cold and snow and the Toyo’s do surprisingly well, for a MT. I also like the Duratracs for snow and off-road (they also have tremendous siping) but I’m not sure about sizing on your 40 (I’m running the 35” on my 80 and love the Duratracs).

I’m also in the same boat and I’m going to order another set of the Toyo Open Country MT’s for my 40… they are the best/most aggressive compromise all year round tire I’ve personally ever run.

Please let us know what you end up with and also give us some feedback in a year. It’s awesome when folks take the time to follow up their original post, as it may help the MUD community. Many will read about your experience over the coming years.
 
Thanks for all the input guys. I know MTs are not the best on packed snow. I rarely drive it in those conditions as a short wheel base 40 isn't great on packed snow regardless of tires. I have a 4wd Tundra and a 100 series that are quite good on the packed stuff but I was wondering if there was one MT out there that might better than the rest for those times I'm on packed snow headed for hunting or whatever. Most driving will definitely be on pavement but I like the looks of an MT on a 40 and do use it for camping, hunting, and wheeling. The Toyo MTs have got me out of and over things I never thought they would. That's why I was leaning towards going back to them. I run BFG KO2s on my other rigs and I love them. Just kinda seems like I should do an MT on the 40 you know.
 
If you’re running the same size, would it make sense to move your two best tires from the 40 to the trailer?


I know, another tire thread. Its time for new tires though. Going to go with 33x10.50R15. Current set on the 40 are Toyo Open Country MT. I've liked them quite a bit but they are spendy especially because I'd like to get matching tires for my trailer. Considering the BFG KM3 as well. Anything else I should consider? What about sidewall, should I go E or C? Also I'm pretty set on a mud terrain but I'd like one that does as well as possible on snowy roads. Any experiences or insights would be welcome.
 
I appreciate all the input on this thread. This is just my humble opinion here. Perhaps you’re going for a particular look here but I can not find any real reason to run an MT tire on a trailer unless you are towing through some truly horrific conditions and need the downhill braking traction in loose rocks or to prevent side slip on an off camber loose road. Neither of which would I want to tow much on. Most hard shell camping trailers can’t withstand that type of vibration and bouncing anyway. My current 17 ft camping trailer came OEM with mud terrain tires and I can’t wait to replace them. They’re heavy, loud and increase rolling resistance.
 
I'll stick to my opinion on the MT's.

In this part of the world I'm going to go with an AT again, whether it's BFG, or Toyos, even running around in the summer I think the MT's just aren't made for this part of the world.
 
I'll stick to my opinion on the MT's.

In this part of the world I'm going to go with an AT again, whether it's BFG, or Toyos, even running around in the summer I think the MT's just aren't made for this part of the world.
Agreed. A Swiss friend of mine did a continuous 9 Year trip around the world in his 70 series troopy. Literally drove the backroads through almost every country in the world. He used a tall skinny E rated mud terrain (actually went through 4 sets of them) for one reason only. “You don’t want to be stranded in the middle of Inner Mongolia or Kazakhstan 300 miles from the next village.” Upon returning to North America after that epic adventure he was shocked at how many mud terrains were driving down the paved streets in the most developed country in the world. He couldn’t wait to trade back to an A/T!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom