Wildcat Radial A/T's - opinions?

[rstl99]

Someone locally is selling a set of Wildcat Radial A/T's with little wear on them (from a truck that blew a head gasket and is being parted out).
I was planning on getting BFG AT's next year, but if the Wildcats are any good and if the price is right, could possibly be a solution for me.
Anyone with experience with these tires, positive or negative?
(My main use will be on-road, pavement and gravel. No winter driving.)
Thanks.

 

[Gappy]

Never heard of them. If they are dirt cheap and you have no off road use or winter use, buy them.

 

[rstl99]

The seller informed me they are made by Dean Tires, which is owned by Cooper. Wildcat is the name given to that model of tire I suppose.

http://www.tirechian.com/wildcatltat_t.htm

He's asking too much ($500 for 4 with the rims).

 

[Gappy]

I have been told that Cooper makes good tires but I had a set of Cooper LT's on an old Grand Wagoneer and they were the worse LT tire on snow I have ever had. Felt like driving on a thin layer of grease with barely any snow cover, to the point of being dangerous. They went bye bye even with good tread left.

 

[macneill]

Never heard of them either. Not a giant Cooper fan either, but that's just me.

 

[rstl99]

Thanks I'll pass on them. Maybe a good tire but for the price he's asking ($500 with the wheels) I'd rather go with new BFG AT's!!

 

[macneill]

You really can't go wrong BFG ATs, but this coming from a guy who just put Toyos on my 100...

 

[chukardog]

I cant speak for Wildcats, but Cooper makes a great tire. I had them on my F150 and they were great in the snow. Drove them from Seattle to Mitchell South Dakota in a blizzard the whole way and never had even a slip. They wore like Iron too. I put over 60K on them and they still had plenty of tread left. Cooper gets a big thumbs up from me.

 

[fowldarr]

I think that these same tires are sold by Les Schwab (badge engineering type of thing) I ran them on a 77 blazer. The first ones were skinny and worked great in all conditions. The second set were wider 33x12.5? I think and they tended to get loose in the corners on gravel, of course I was 19 years old, and slowing down would have prevented it just as well

 

[CruisinFJ60]

You really can't go wrong BFG ATs, but this coming from a guy who just put Toyos on my 100...

i personally feel that the BFG at will out perform the Toyo at in most coditions simply because of the tread pattern. hard to say by how much really. but i have work for a couple of major companys and i sold both of the tires everyday to a large variety of people.
Now that being said i think the Toyo will outlast the BFG as far as miles to be had out of the tire.

Now the Toyo MT I am a large fan of i really like how it is similar to the Goodyear MTR but has larger sidewall lugs and also has tread sipes in the main tread blocks where as the MTR's do not. Both are radial ect. i would really love to experiment with both tires on the same vehicle in the same conditions and see how they fair. I have a feeling the MTR is softer than the Toyo but think the Toyo (at the right air pressure which may be the key) would grad better on slickrock and ice really just in general.

Also BFG is releasing a new MT tire also looks very similar to theyre bias ply krawler. They call it the KM2 radial construction, apears to have tread sipes, large open lugs and should be reasonably priced. cant wait to see em in person.

however i think ill stick with bias ply tires for my type of driving and purchase some Iroks next.

ok thats my generalized tire opinion.
(tires are fun alot of neat technolodgy and design)