Yet another help me with tire selection analysis paralysis thread

[Madtiger]

I just looked and defender comes in a few options for 33” 34”

285/70-17 and even a 295/70 -18

I was going to go with wild peaks or Toyo AT3 this summer when I replace my KO2s but now that I think about or defender LTX may be my next summer tire.

Read: Review: New Michelin Defender LTX M/S Tires - https://tractionlife.com/michelin-defender-ltx-ms-review/

Hmmmmm……looks boring but no doubt impressive tire! It is an “old” tire (intro in 2015; same as KO2) as a few members on here would harp and that newer tires are simply better…cough BS cough….

 

[coleAK]

Read: Review: New Michelin Defender LTX M/S Tires - https://tractionlife.com/michelin-defender-ltx-ms-review/

View attachment 2653034

Hmmmmm……looks boring but no doubt impressive tire! It is an “old” tire (intro in 2015; same as KO2) as a few members on here would harp and that newer tires are simply better…cough BS cough….

Thanks good info. I’ve been thinking about this for a while given how I drive my LX. 75% of my yearly driving the LX is pulling my 6800 lb camper all over AK and northern Canada. I’m doing at least 10k miles a summer pulling the camper at 8-9 mpg. My off-roading is fairly technical, deep soft sand in July to get to where we set net for Salmon very few trucks make it to where we go, most people use ATVs and side by sides. The KO2s are not great sand tires. Then in the fall for hunting and foraging fairly technical above tree line, some tundra mud, and some rock climbing.

All that said, with the amount of time I’m on pavement (if you can call it that in AK) and gravel with my camper the advantages on road, in the rain, early season unexpected snow, and in sand. The Defender (above Nokian, or similar) advantages greatly outweighs a slight disadvantage in lose rock and mud. However I think I can offset that disadvantage by going to a 17” with a larger advantage when I air down. Basically I could go to a tire with 2” more of sidewall.