Tire issues Good Year Duratrac

[LS1FJ40]

There are multiple threads and posts on Mud about the weak sidewalks on Duratracs. People have raved about their snow/ice performance though.

I have nearly 500,000 miles on BFG All Terrains over the years. The only failure I had was self inflicted in Baja (too fast, too reckless pretending to be Ivan Stewart).

I'm even more impressed with the KO2s. That do incredibly well in snow/ice.

They wear very well. I'm replacing my set on my 92 because they have aged out. Not due to wear. They have 50+k miles on them. Still good tread but drying out. They are 8 years old.

 

[RayRay27]

I have a set of 315's on my 94 and no issues. I have wheeled all over here in Colorado and just ran the Kokopelli trail during CM a few weeks ago and no issues. On the Kokopelli trail I was running around 16 psi most of the trip. Seems like these tires are really hit or miss which is really too bad. I have around 28000 miles on my set now after 4 years. I rotate them about every 3000 miles or so. I like them alot and was hoping that sometime soon GY would start putting in Kevlar like some of the other tires in there line up to beef up the side wall. Maybe that would help combat some sidewall issues.

 

[baldilocks]

I'm half way into the second set of Duratracs on my Dodge/Cummings. They have performed well for me. I got 55k out of the first set compared to 35k on KO2 and Toyo AT. The duratracs feel very stable and as for noise, yes, any tire with larger horizontal tread blocks will get noisier but if they are that noisy, they were not rotated often enough or the vehicle is out of alignment or have been run with insufficient air pressure.

I would like to add that I run the 285/70R17 on my heavy diesel pickup and that particular size has a "D" load range.

I run 60 psi and rotate every 5k miles.

@LS1FJ40, Duratracs have a three ply sidewall. I have never heard of a passenger car tire with a 2 ply sidewalk. Duratracs are renowned in the snow and ice for you midwesterners. Heck, they even come ready for studs.

 

[Payara Offroad]

I'm half way into the second set of Duratracs on my Dodge/Cummings. They have performed well for me. I got 55k out of the first set compared to 35k on KO2 and Toyo AT. The duratracs feel very stable and as for noise, yes, any tire with larger horizontal tread blocks will get noisier but if they are that noisy, they were not rotated often enough or the vehicle is out of alignment or have been run with insufficient air pressure.

I would like to add that I run the 285/70R17 on my heavy diesel pickup and that particular size has a "D" load range.

I run 60 psi and rotate every 5k miles.

@LS1FJ40, Duratracs have a three ply sidewall. I have never heard of a passenger car tire with a 2 ply sidewalk. Duratracs are renowned in the snow and ice for you midwesterners. Heck, they even come ready for studs.

You run 60 psi!!!! I run 38 to 40 psi. Would be good to know what other MUDDERS run. Maybe I am wrong and running too low for daily drive?

 

[Lumpskie]

I've also run Duratracs for years now, without issue. On my Tacoma, I ran the hard trails in Colorado (like Spring Creek and Chinaman Gulch) and many in Moab on them without issue. My tires seem to wear really well, handle awesome in snow, mud and rocks and drive well on the road. I've got a set on my Land Cruiser as well and have been happy.

What I wonder though... could the extra weight of the 6bt be a contributing factor to the separation the OP is seeing?

@shocktower When your tires separated, were they on the front or the rear?

 

[White Stripe]

I'm half way into the second set of Duratracs on my Dodge/Cummings. They have performed well for me. I got 55k out of the first set compared to 35k on KO2 and Toyo AT. The duratracs feel very stable and as for noise, yes, any tire with larger horizontal tread blocks will get noisier but if they are that noisy, they were not rotated often enough or the vehicle is out of alignment or have been run with insufficient air pressure.

I would like to add that I run the 285/70R17 on my heavy diesel pickup and that particular size has a "D" load range.

I run 60 psi and rotate every 5k miles.

@LS1FJ40, Duratracs have a three ply sidewall. I have never heard of a passenger car tire with a 2 ply sidewalk. Duratracs are renowned in the snow and ice for you midwesterners. Heck, they even come ready for studs.

A lot of light truck tires have 2 ply sidewalls.

 

[Lumpskie]

A lot of light truck tires have 2 ply sidewalls.

True. Also, sidewall ply count isn't a totally accurate way to determine a tires durability because the thickness and strength of one ply may be different than another.

 

[LS1FJ40]

I'm half way into the second set of Duratracs on my Dodge/Cummings. They have performed well for me. I got 55k out of the first set compared to 35k on KO2 and Toyo AT. The duratracs feel very stable and as for noise, yes, any tire with larger horizontal tread blocks will get noisier but if they are that noisy, they were not rotated often enough or the vehicle is out of alignment or have been run with insufficient air pressure.

I would like to add that I run the 285/70R17 on my heavy diesel pickup and that particular size has a "D" load range.

I run 60 psi and rotate every 5k miles.

@LS1FJ40, Duratracs have a three ply sidewall. I have never heard of a passenger car tire with a 2 ply sidewalk. Duratracs are renowned in the snow and ice for you midwesterners. Heck, they even come ready for studs.

You positive about the sidewall on Duratracs? Could swear they are two ply. Will have to go to the google.

 

[LandCruisinMy93]

This might be true for a short distance (to the tire shop or home from the trail) but over time it would cause issues.

Uhhmmm I have a VC, and it does mess them up, so it is a dynamic ADW

I have a VC too, and not to be a dick, but you obviously don't know what a dynamic vs non-dynamic AWD is. Non-Dynamic isn't going to have excessive internal wear because of 3/32-7/32 of wear front to back, I don't rotate my tires and they are all always way out because they wear at different rate...differential... I've never had an issue...and I was a mechanic/ owner operator of a small repair shop for several years and know what the difference is and have witnessed firsthand the consequences of dynamic AWD using off sized replacements...Dynamic AWD is computer controlled power distribution to all 4 wheels through an AWD transmission which is why tires with a variance in size are an issue, the transmission will constantly fight to distribute power properly and it causes them to burn up fairly rapidly, it's akin to having an issues with your traction control in any other vehicle, if it's constantly working, your abs pump seals will quickly fail and the pump craps out...same principal, dynamic AWD is computer controlled and a discrepancy in sizes causes it to constantly work overtime to correct wheel speeds and it eventually burns it's it, that's not a reality for a land cruiser AWD transfer case viscous coupled or not.

 

[LS1FJ40]

Looks like the E rated have 3 plies. C rated are two ply.

Countless documentation of people getting punctures from twigs and rocks too.

 

[shocktower]

I've also run Duratracs for years now, without issue. On my Tacoma, I ran the hard trails in Colorado (like Spring Creek and Chinaman Gulch) and many in Moab on them without issue. My tires seem to wear really well, handle awesome in snow, mud and rocks and drive well on the road. I've got a set on my Land Cruiser as well and have been happy.

What I wonder though... could the extra weight of the 6bt be a contributing factor to the separation the OP is seeing?

@shocktower When your tires separated, were they on the front or the rear?

An "E" rated tire, should handle it, and this issue happened before I did the swap, and it's always been, when they are on the rear, and it is a manufacturing defect for a tire to separate internally, and people load their FJ80's with more gear than just a 6BT and have no problems, I have ran different tires on my FJ80, and the limited mileage I am getting is pathetic, yes I rotate check tire pressures, I just got a bad batch

 

[LS1FJ40]

There are people that love their Duratracs and have never had problems with them. Just like their are people that love their Heeps and have never had problems with them.

 

[baldilocks]

You run 60 psi!!!! I run 38 to 40 psi. Would be good to know what other MUDDERS run. Maybe I am wrong and running too low for daily drive?

Maybe I was unclear. I run these tires on my 7500# (unloaded) dodge 3/4 pickup. That's the reason for 60 psi.

 

[sbman]

The best advice would be if you buy the duratracs to get the best road hazard warranty you can get. I contacted Goodyear via email to see if they would work with me on the little weed that puntured the sidewall of mine. Goodyear responded with a form letter about talking with my tire dealer. So if anyone has any luck getting Goodyear to work with them on replacing a tire, post it up please. As good as the tire is off road the weak sidewall and noise issues make it the last set I'll buy. KO2's for me on the next tire purchase.

 

[shocktower]

I have a VC too, and not to be a dick, but you obviously don't know what a dynamic vs non-dynamic AWD is. Non-Dynamic isn't going to have excessive internal wear because of 3/32-7/32 of wear front to back, I don't rotate my tires and they are all always way out because they wear at different rate...differential... I've never had an issue...and I was a mechanic/ owner operator of a small repair shop for several years and know what the difference is and have witnessed firsthand the consequences of dynamic AWD using off sized replacements...Dynamic AWD is computer controlled power distribution to all 4 wheels through an AWD transmission which is why tires with a variance in size are an issue, the transmission will constantly fight to distribute power properly and it causes them to burn up fairly rapidly, it's akin to having an issues with your traction control in any other vehicle, if it's constantly working, your abs pump seals will quickly fail and the pump craps out...same principal, dynamic AWD is computer controlled and a discrepancy in sizes causes it to constantly work overtime to correct wheel speeds and it eventually burns it's it, that's not a reality for a land cruiser AWD transfer case viscous coupled or not.

Well you, have been lucky, when you run different sized tires with the VC, it fools the VC that your tires are slipping, which raises the temperature, of the fluids inside which leads to failure, and you are right the LC is not an electronic dynamic system, but I do know, running 3 different sized tires for a long period will kill my VC, and tires only a year and half old with only 10-12K miles failing, is not acceptable

 

[shocktower]

The best advice would be if you buy the duratracs to get the best road hazard warranty you can get. I contacted Goodyear via email to see if they would work with me on the little weed that puntured the sidewall of mine. Goodyear responded with a form letter about talking with my tire dealer. So if anyone has any luck getting Goodyear to work with them on replacing a tire, post it up please. As good as the tire is off road the weak sidewall and noise issues make it the last set I'll buy. KO2's for me on the next tire purchase.

Yep the tire tech tried to tell me that mine was a side wall puncture ( I think they use this with everyone, to avoid warranty with their poor product), but could not explain the bubbled bulging side walls

 

[JohnnyOshow22]

I am in Colorado and have 285/75r16 duratracs on my 80. It is heavy and gets wheeled pretty decently. On road they are great, snow and ice awesome and in the rocks they have great traction at 15 psi. My wheeling includes lots here in Colorado, a lot in Utah/moab area, and the Rubicon in California with these tires and I have only had one sidewall tear since I put them on 2 years ago and it was my own damn fault because I was looking at the view not the road and hit a decent sized rock on some 2 track doing about 30... And I was still able to patch it enough to last the next 2 days in moab, this included the end of Lockhart basin and all of elephant hill.

Are the sidewalls weak, yes. Are they a good do everything type tire, yes. Buy the road warranty from discount tires and they will replace the tire when you do have a problem. It cost me $2.38 to have that tire replaced because they put a new valve stem in. Adjust your driving a bit, watch out for sharp stuff, carry as tire repair kit and you wont have an issue.

 

[maxamillion2345]

To me it sounds like an issue of buying tires from a s***ty dealer.

I ran duratracs on my 2nd gen Tacoma and wheeled that thing harder than most here wheel their 80s. I've cut a lot of sidewalls on a lot of different brand tires but had good luck with the duratracs. I think a lot of it comes down to luck with tires and after that is just getting a good shop that will stand behind their tires and work and maybe buying the road hazard warranty.

Discounts replaced several high dollar tires for me with sidewall cuts, nearly no questions asked. FYI, two of them were 35" bfg kos one I sliced a sidewall, the other I peeled a 2"x3" chunk of tread up right down to the belts. I was not that impressed... although I do have a set of 31" brand new kos from discount on my beater 3rd gen runner.

Just fyi, the worst tires I ever had were firestone destination MTs. I had literally a thorn go through the sidewall, put a plug in it and then continued to rip whole lugs off the tires, ripping down to the carcass. The remaining lugs chunked away to nothing. Another I cut a sidewall and junked. I ran mismatched from there. The whole set were junk within like 6 months. I've never seen anything like that.

 

[RayRay27]

The best advice would be if you buy the duratracs to get the best road hazard warranty you can get. I contacted Goodyear via email to see if they would work with me on the little weed that puntured the sidewall of mine. Goodyear responded with a form letter about talking with my tire dealer. So if anyone has any luck getting Goodyear to work with them on replacing a tire, post it up please. As good as the tire is off road the weak sidewall and noise issues make it the last set I'll buy. KO2's for me on the next tire purchase.

I buy my tires from discount tire just for the fact that they sell the warranties with each tire. At first it is a little cost prohibited but I would rather pay 60 bucks for a new tire than 275 to 300.

 

[mod5csi]

315s, E range, 6000# 80 series, 36 psi on the street, around 18 psi wheeling in Colorado, bought used from a MUD member. As far as I can tell he didn't have problems, and I haven't had problems in 2 years.

That said, I wouldn't buy them again. I like the E range tho.