Yep, another "which tire?" request (1 Viewer)

[kidglove13]

I would go and meet up with Tools and other guys and see what ohters are running and get some ideas.
That will give you the most info on what you might want to do.
I think that this will be your best bet.

 

[retrofive]

I wouldn't run Revos here, they are in the "glass sidewalls" category, way too many of them cut locally. Everyone that I know who has switched from BFG to Nitto, wont be going back.

IMHO, bigger tires are a huge advantage on the trails here. If you are wanting to run stock size, keep what you have, changing to another stock size is not going to give much of an advantage. The minimum tire that I would put on an '80 for local trails is 315. My advice, before you do mods, plan the rig, come to a CSC meet and talk to other owners, learn from their mistakes.

I would go and meet up with Tools and other guys and see what ohters are running and get some ideas.
That will give you the most info on what you might want to do.
I think that this will be your best bet.

^This

 

[LCHardriver_02]

If I were you and I had a new set of tires on the truck... I would run the life out of them before considering buying another new set, unless you have a separate set of 5 rims to have both a street tire and off-roading tire. Last time I spent ~$1300 on a set of five. I currently have the Nitto TGs on my 80 and I will be replacing them as soon as I can because of bad wear and a 5th tire that is smaller than the rest. If the previous owner just put new tires on the rig... buy a set of sliders and wait a year or two and then put new tires on.

 

[lrowe_csp]

I've been very happy with the Goodyear Duratrac in a 285 size, and now I am getting ready to sell those and get the same tire in the 315 size. I've tried the Revo's and returned them to tirerack.com, have worn down 2 or 3 sets of BF Goodrich AT's, and currently have the Goodyear MT Kevlar on my FJ40. For your described use, the Nitto Terra or the Duratrac seem to rise to the top of the list. Duratrac is not as quiet as stock Michelin AT though, and showing up at a chapter meet to ride in other vehicles with an assortment of tires would be the cats meow for your selection process.

 

[cahill]

If I were you and I had a new set of tires on the truck... I would run the life out of them before considering buying another new set, unless you have a separate set of 5 rims to have both a street tire and off-roading tire. Last time I spent ~$1300 on a set of five. I currently have the Nitto TGs on my 80 and I will be replacing them as soon as I can because of bad wear and a 5th tire that is smaller than the rest. If the previous owner just put new tires on the rig... buy a set of sliders and wait a year or two and then put new tires on.

Solid advice. For the type of driving you expect to be doing, there's not much need to switch out the tires. If you happen to ruin the tires with the little offroading you do, then would be the time to go ahead and invest in new tires. Run the ones you have and you might be surprised how well they suit your needs.

 

[sourceofuncertainty]

If the previous owner just put new tires on the rig... buy a set of sliders and wait a year or two and then put new tires on.

That was my first instinct, I just wasn't sure how much to expect off-roading on street tires. Being new to 4-wheeling I was worried that the Michelins might go pop on me at the first sign of tough use.

If the Michelins are basically ok for mild to medium trail use then I'll keep them on there and talk to the local Mudders as time allows about planning the next set.

 

[maybe_a_80...]

that's where I am right now - not thrilled about the rubber on my truck, but it's better than spending money now to replace perfectly usable rubber.

I DO look forward to replacing the tires when they're worn out and/or the budget allows...just does not make sense to spend the money now. And that's more of a "business-type" decision than the way I usually consider expenditures on the 80...

Other than putting off the spending of some hefty dollars by not replacing now, you'll develop, over time, an exact understanding of the tire tread pattern you really want.

On the upside, the stock Michelin tire in the stock size gets great gas mileage (considering the truck to which they are attached has the aerodynamics and weight of a shipping crate).

Tires are kind of like ski helmets - you have to like the model you select (independent of fit, of course) or you won't use it/trust it everyday, and what's the point in buying something if you don't like what you're buying?

 

[Tools R Us]

That was my first instinct, I just wasn't sure how much to expect off-roading on street tires. Being new to 4-wheeling I was worried that the Michelins might go pop on me at the first sign of tough use.

If the Michelins are basically ok for mild to medium trail use then I'll keep them on there and talk to the local Mudders as time allows about planning the next set.

In AZ you are dealing with rock, small (sand) to boulders. We don't really have much dirt, so rarely any real mud, wet silt can be snot slippery, but is rare, not worth mud tires. When dealing with sand and a heavy rig you want to float, aggressive tread digs, so not the best.

When wheeling in rock, you are going to cut tires, part of the game. Tougher tires are more resistant, but have cut all of them, it is only a matter of time. The biggest advantage comes with size, taller tires more easily deal with wash edges, ledges, etc.

For stock size, I would run the tread off of the stock tires. If you cut one, there are pretty much free at this point and by that time, will have more seat time in the rig, so have a better idea of what you want/need.