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Not your average "Who makes the best AT?" thread. This is an above average one!

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#1 ·
Not your average "Who makes the best AT?" thread. This is an above average one!

1) Consumer Reports ranks Cooper AT3 as number 1. Several 4x4 magazines tested the top ATs and ranked Cooper AT3 best. Price is medium. Good value, IMO. The AT3 has a 55,000 mile tread warranty.

I have Cooper AT3 and love them. I like them much better than the BFG AT and General Grabber AT2 I previously owned. Cooper AT3 is much better on road than BFG AT and Grabber AT2; and Cooper AT3 is better off road too. The Cooper AT3 even has decent mud ability off road!

I'm especially impressed with Cooper AT3's soft ride, excellent steering feel, and silence on road. It's like a car tire on road, but still has excellent traction and is reasonably tough. It's really an amazing tire.

Edited in 3 Years Later: I'm still very impressed with on road (especially wet highways where it never hydroplanes), gravel roads, trails and mud. Sand performance is mediocre. Snow performance is mediocre. Ice performance is poor. I reported my lack of Winter traction to Cooper and was told that others had complained of the same. Cooper has a solution: The new Cooper ATW.​

Edited in 3 Years Later:Cooper released a new tire called the AT/W. The ATW is AT3 redesigned with softer rubber and way more sipes for more Winter traction. The ATW has a 50,000 mile tread warranty. Size availability is limited at this time, but Cooper is taking size requests for making more sizes of ATW. You can go to Cooper's website to see what sizes of ATW are currently offered by looking in their Sport Utility and Light Truck sections. If the size you want isn't offered in a load rating you want, email Cooper and ask them to start making the size ATW you want.

Edited in 3 Years Later: The rankings below were current when I posted them 3 years ago, but have changed since then. Cooper AT3 and Hankook ATM have dropped from top two rankings, but are still among the top 4. Lack of Winter traction dropped the AT3 ranking. However, Cooper now offers the ATW which is among the top ranked ATs currently, and BFG now offers BFG AT KO2 which is another top ranked tire.

Edited in 4 Years Later: IMO the 3 best AT tires (currently) are (in no particular order): Cooper ATW, BFG AT KO2, and Cooper AT3. Others may have other opinions.

My personal favorites for a Northern climate to use year round including cold, wet, snowy, icy Winters are the ATW and KO2. Both are great for snow. The KO2 is better on ice, but the ATW is better on wet pavement because it doesn't hydroplane. The KO2 has a tendency to hydroplane at high speed on wet highways, as does the KO. I base that on a combination of reviews I've read and my personal experiences.

ATW is my most favorite because it is highly resistant to hydroplaning, which is important to me in my super wet climate. AT3 is also highly resistant to hydroplaning. ATW has more wet traction than AT3 because ATW has more sipes.​

1, 10, or in between?) Tire Rack ranks Firestone Destination AT as number 1, but Consumer Reports ranks it as number 10. There are numerous 4x4 magazines who tested it and liked it, one loved it. So I'm sure it's reasonably good. I think its ranking belongs somewhere around # 5. Price is good.

2) Tire Rack and Consumer Reports both rank Michelin LTX AT2 as number 2. Price is expensive. It is great on dry and wet roads, and Winter roads. Those are high priorities with Tire Rack and especially Consumer Reports. However, I doubt it has any self cleaning ability for mud.

3) Consumer Reports ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM as number 3. Petersons Offroad ranks Hankook Dynapro ATM number 3. Price is expensive, but worth it, IMO.

3 or 5?) Tire Rack ranks Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61 as number 3. Consumer Reports ranked it as number 5. ConsumerSearch.com ranked it the best value priced AT. Price is very very good. Excellent value.

4) Consumer Reports ranks Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 as number 4. Tire Rack ranks it as number 13. I personally like this tire for its exceptional Winter snow AND ICE traction. The only question is how many miles would it last? Price is very good. Good value.

4) Tire Rack rates Goodyear Silent Armor as number 4. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. Price is expensive. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f15/...es-best-thread-above-average-one-1527835/user reviewers love this tire.

5) or last place?) Tire Rack ranks General Grabber AT2 as number 5, but Consumer Reports ranks it poorly (far below top 10).
I previously owned this tire. IME, it's a great performing aggressive AT, except that it rides ROUGH. Every bump hits hard. Otherwise a great tire. Is is an exceptionally tough tire with strong, thick sidewalls. Price is good. Good value. It's a great tire if you don't mind a rough ride.​

6) Consumer Reports ranks Bridgestone Duelor AT Revo-2 as number 6. I don't know much about this tire, but many professional reviewers and user reviewers love this tire.

7) Tire Rack rates BFG AT as number 7. Consumer Reports didn't test it or include it in its rankings this time. It's no longer the best, but is still good. There are better tires (IMO) that cost less, but don't count out BFG AT. It's still good and very popular. The fact that there are other tires ranked above it is because those other tires are excellent. Rankings reflect tire performance, not popularity. BFG is still the most popular. i.e. - more people buy it than any other.

The on road performance differences are very slight between the top 4. All the top 4 ranked tires are the best, IMO. All the top 7 are excellent, IMO. You can't go wrong with any of the top 7 choices, IMO.

I personally think Cooper ATW, Nokian Rotiva AT, and Toyo Open Country AT2 are also among the best ATs., but they didn't get tested, reviewed, or ranked by any major professional reviewers because these tires are new. I think it's likely they will be highly ranked after next year's testing. I suspect the new Cooper ATW might be number one ranked tire after next year's testing.

Toyo Open Country AT2 is so new that there is only one professional review of it by a truck magazine that tested the P version on road and loved it. There are 3 tread versions of this tire: P, LT, and X-Treme, and user reviews often don't specify which tread version they own and are reviewing. I have only read one professional review done by a pick-up truck magazine that reviewed the P version on road and loved it. I think the LT version is probably among the best ATs. I think the Xtreme version is a hybrid tire, not an AT. A hybrid is more aggressive than AT, but less aggressive than MT. A hybrid is between AT & MT.

I cannot include Nokian Rotiva AT in the rankings because (at this time) it's not been reviewed by any professional sources that I've seen, and not been compared to other tires. However, I think it is probably among the best ATs. I hope new tests and reviews are done soon, and next time include this tire. I expect this would be an excellent AT on snow and ice, and good at everything else.​

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Is Winter traction important to you? Some top rated ATs are RMA snow flake rated Winter traction devices. I believe the best for Winter road traction are Kumho Road Venture AT KL78, Nokian Rotiva AT, Michelin LTX AT2, Hankook ATM, Hercules AT2, and Cooper ATW. The Kumho is a good, low cost, value option; the Nokian Rotiva, Michelin LTX AT2, and Hankook ATM are expensive, highend options. The Hercules AT2 is a mid-price option. I prefer Nokian over Michelin because I think the Nokian would be better off road and equally excellent on road. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are comparable to Nokian and Michelin for Winter traction, but the Hankook and Hercules have more off road ability in regard to traction and toughness. However, the Hankook ATM makes more noise on road. The others mentioned in this paragraph are exceptionally quiet on road. The Hercules AT2 shares same carcass and tread compound as Cooper AT3, and same soft ride as Cooper AT3, but different tread and more sipes than Cooper AT3. The Cooper ATW is to new to have been tested or ranked by reviewers yet, but I think over the next year's time it will prove to be one of the best AT's for Winter traction.

My personal favorite ATs for combination on and off road, and Winter roads, are Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2.

Those are your best AT choices for traction on snow AND ICE. Several other top ranked ATs are rated excellent on snow, but only fair on ice (Cooper AT3, BFG AT, and Firestone AT for examples).

---

Is mud traction important to you? My Cooper AT3 have taken me uphill in 4" deep mud in 2wd (open diffs) without spinning. I never intend to go mudding. I like trail riding, but in a rain forest trail riding usually involves some mudding. I usually do it in 2wd. Occasionally I need 4wd, but not often. I haven't even needed to air down the tires because they ride soft enough and have good traction at street pressure.

It's not yet known how the Cooper ATW will do in mud. I suspect it might do well since it's essentially a Cooper AT3 modified with a slightly softer tread compound, more sipes, and slightly smaller voids. The smaller voids won't be helpful in mud, but even though the ATW voids are smaller than AT3 voids, the ATW still has larger voids than most other ATs. So I'm hopeful the ATW will be reasonably decent in mud. It will certainly be an improvement for Winter conditions.

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Observations... I notice most highly rated ATs have 5 rows of tread blocks. Silent Armor is an exception with 6 rows of tread blocks. Kumho Road Venture AT KL78 is an exception with 4 rows of tread blocks. I suspect more rows of tread blocks might be more stable at high speeds, and might hydroplane less (more rows = more circumferential grooves.)

===

Edited in Later: Later in this thread, respect for Hankook ATM rises, and Hercules AT2 and Mastercraft AXT (cousins of Cooper AT3) are introduced. The Hankook ATM and Hercules AT2 are reputed to be exceptionally good on Winter roads. Also introduced later is Hercules Avalanche Xtreme LT, which is an excellent Winter tire that's rated for year round use. The Avalanche might also serve as an AT year round, which will be discussed.

Edited in Later: I just saw an XJ with new Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT that looked like really good AT to my eye. A great mix of large and small treadblocks and large and small voids, and lots of sipes for wet pavement and ice traction. Looks like a great AT to me, but I haven't seen any reviews of it. For what it's worth, I'd buy it.

Edited in Later: Later in thread we look at specific sizes. Sometimes the best tire in a given size is NOT the best in another size. Choose your favorite tires and sizes, then compare their weights, heights, load rating, tread depth, and other attributes in each size you are interested in. You may find you prefer a certain tire best in one size, but prefer another tire best in another size.

Edited in Later: Don't get a load E tire for a Jeep. The thing I don't like about Hankook is not enough load C choices. Personally, if I couldn't get a Hankook ATM in a size I want and load C, then I'll look for another brand that offers that size in C. Load E and D are to much for a Jeep - ruins gas mileage and ride quality. P are fine for on road and gravel roads, but aren't tough enough when you start doing trails or tougher. C are the right amount of toughness for a daily driver that does off road. C are intended for a 1/2 ton truck. Your Jeep is a 1/4 ton truck. So C is the right amount of overkill to give you some insurance against flats when you go off road. Also, LT tires in C (or D or E) have deeper tread than P tires. The deeper tread helps traction off road, especially in mud and snow, and it helps prevent hydroplaning on wet highway. If you're forced to choose between P or E, get the P, but C would be a better all purpose choice if you go off road.

Edited in Later: I noticed at Cooper's website in the Sport Utility section in ATW section that there are new load ratings called STD and XL. I'm not sure what those mean. I think they're something in between the old P and C ratings. If so, that provides some additional good options for a daily driver that goes off road. My impression is the STD and XL offer toughness in between P and C. The STD and XJ have the same tread depth as P rated tires, from what I've read in the specs. At this point, it seems to me that STD and XL may offer more tire options for daily drivers that sometimes go off road.

However, those two new load ratings (STD and XL) are new to me. So if anyone has more info on them, please post it.

===

Edited in a year later:

Consumer Reports has substantially changed it's AT rankings a year later. See post 967 for new rankings.

Both years Consumer Reports didn't test or rank BFG AT KO or KO2, which I think is an egregious omission on their part since that's the tire experienced people are used to comparing other tires too. Consumer Reports also has not tested or reviewed the Toyo AT2, which is another serious omission.

Both years Tire Rack has not tested or ranked any Cooper tires because tire rack doesn't sell Cooper tires.

So I have to question the impartiality and/or competence of the Consumer Reports and Tire Rack reviews and rankings, and 4x4 magazines are an unreliable source of information because the same concerns often apply to them. So take any reviews from any of those sources with a grain of salt. User reviews aren't always reliable either because once people buy something they are often biased and determined to prove they made the right choice. So any reviews must be taken with a grain of salt no matter the source. Also, remember that all user reviews and some professional reviews are based on performance in a specific climate, which might not apply to your climate.​
 
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#572 ·
UPDATE and another question



OK,
so after reading all this, and other info, I ordered the hankook ATM,
couldn't find availability on the nokian, and never heard of hercules, but read good stuff about Hankook.

and,
they came in today, and looked small. I had the installed, and in the 265/70 17, they looked smaller hten the Falken wild peak HT tire the deal had put on. tread looked good, but my JKU looked even less jeepy and ready then with the H/T, so before we finished, they pulled 'em. I had 2 choices in stock, Duratrac, same size, and my spare from the previous owner was duratrac 265/70x17 as well. or the 285 70/17. We put one of each on, and I decided to go w/ the bigger one based on all the tire guys feedback and thoughts,
BUT<
within 2 miles, I knew i screwed up. It was less stable side to side (soft sidewalls I guess), and felt much slower. like the jeep was all of a sudden underpowered. I went to a buddy who is an off road guy, and he had me pull up on a rock, and he said it would be an issue with the suspension fully flexed as well without a lift. I don't want a lift! 30K a year, 28 of those K on the road in lake tahoe.

so, the manager said we could go to the smaller 26570/17 duratracs or ...

we came up w 2 other options.

odd size, just a little bigger:

275/70 17 bf goodrich all terrain T/A
or
back to hankook ATM, but in the mid size, 275/70x17.

i have the 285 duratrac on, and noise is fine, grip feel good, freezing rain tonight, but sidewalls seem unstable, reminds me of running too little pressure on my mountain bike. and already, after 50 miles, 2mgg less, and,
big one, Jeep Seems Slower, noticeably.

Any thoughts, feedback.

not an AT guy historically. Been in sports wagons for years, last was bmw 325exi wagon w/ 17s, so used to handing.

Thanks for help!

Wade
 
#499 ·
I'm pretty sure his Liberty has 16 x 7 wheels, which fits 235 and 245 tires just dandy.

===

Your Moabs are 16 x 8, which fit 245 (but not dandy), or fits 255 dandy and 265 dandy.

I suggest you get 265/75R16 load C for your Moabs. Mastercraft Courser CT, Cooper AT3, and Hercules AT2 all come in that size in load C. I think maybe also Duratrac might too.

That's if you care about ride quality. Load C will ride good, especially in those tires.

===

If you don't mind a stiffer/harsher ride, there are a few brands making 255/85R16 load D tires (Cooper ST, Trxus MT, and maybe a few others).

If you get a load E tire, it's going to ride very rough. Up to you, but I woudn't recommend it.
 
#507 ·
I just saw a local XJ with new Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX AT on it.

They are really good looking ATs with a good mix of small and larger tread blocks, smaller and larger voids, and lots of sipes.

Looks like a really good AT tread design to me. Looks to me like it has the best features of my favorite ATs (Cooper AT3, Hercules AT2, Hankook ATM) all in one tire.

Here is Multi-Mile's webpage about it http://www.multimiletires.com/tires/Detail.aspx?lineid=238&application=SUV-LT

.
 

Attachments

#519 ·
For anyone who is interested in getting to know a little more about this company:

Multi-Mile Tires is a part of TBC private brands owned by TBC Corporation which is controlled along with corporations like Midas, National Tire & Battery, and many others by Sumitomo Corporation, a Japanese sogo shosha.

http://www.multimiletires.com/
http://www.tbcprivatebrands.com/
http://www.tbccorp.com/
http://www.sumitomocorp.com/
http://www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/

That tire is intriguing, but the look of the tread design is only part of the story, and I've learned not to draw too many assumptions just based on how a tire looks. They also have some pretty uninspired looking tires (but looks aren't everything), and more importantly have a rather skimpy website that uses a lot of important-sounding language with little to no substance (this is unfortunately true of most companies). It's definitely on my radar, but after skimming through some reviews of their products, I'm not holding my breath.
 
#509 ·
I'm also fairly certain that the 7" wide KJ wheels are 5.5" backspacing except for the Icon (originally an XJ wheel) which is 5.25". They have a 17x7.5" wheel, and I'm unsure what its backspacing is. Frankly, I don't really care very much since the differences are minimal at most. They fit, and that's good enough for me to want them (the 17x7.5 wheels).
 
#510 ·
Silverstar are 16 x 7 with 5.25" BS. Though I'm not sure what Jeep they are from. I know they did come stock on a V8 Grand Cherokee. I don't know if they also came stock on other Jeeps.

The difference between 5.5 and 5.25" BS may seem small and insignifigant, but to me it is important because it might be the differece between having enough turning radius with a 245/75R16C tire, or not.

So IMO, to fit a 245 tire on an XJ or ZJ on a 16 x 7 wheel, the BS needs to be 5.25" or less. 5" would be ideal. 5.25" is OK. I don't think 5.5" would work very well (loss of turning radius).

That's just my opinion, but it's based on fitting multiple sets of tires of various sizes on 7" wide wheels on two XJ's now.

===

P.S. - the BS is a non issue if you are fitting a tire smaller than 245, but if I was going to use a tire smaller than 245, I'd just stick with 15 x 7 stock wheels and use 30 x 9.5 R15 tires.
 
#516 ·
As of now, my favorite ATs are (in no particular order): Hercules AT2, Hankook ATM, and Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT.

Since I have a bad back, and Hankook rides a bit less soft than the Cooper AT3, Hercules AT3, and probably Wild Country XTX, the Hankook ATM is out for me.

So next time I buy tires it'll either be Hercules AT2 or Mult-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT. I like their lots of slpes for traction on wet pavement, ice, and packed snow. I like the WC XTX large voids for mud traction.

I'm thinking the WC XTX will probably give excellent ice traction like the Hercules AT2 and give excellent mud traction like the Cooper AT3.

IMO, the WC XTX is like a softer riding Hankook ATM with larger voids, or a cross breed of Hankook ATM wtih Cooper AT3 with maybe a little Hercules AT2. That is my initial opinion of the Wild Country XTX Sport LT, but I'll want to do further research of course.

It's worth noting that the Wild Country XTX Sport LT is available in two of my favorite sizes and load ratings: 30 x 9.5 R15 load C, and 245/75R16 load C, and it's prices are good too.

See post 507 for more info and photos about the Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT.
 
#520 ·
I have been reading reviews on the Wild Country XTX Sport LT. Most reviews say it's good to excellent for traction, noise, wet handling, and ride quality. It's Winter traction is praised often. Also it has a 50K treadlife warranty.

The thing I've come to realize is the Wild Country XTX Sport does NOT have silica in the tread compound. Cooper AT3, Hercules AT2, and Mastercraft AXT do have silica in their tread compound. Why does that matter?

This matters to rolling resistance and gas mileage. Tires with silica have enough lower rolling resistance for the car to be 5% more fuel efficient.

Tires with silica also have better wet and ice traction and better traction on hard packed snow.

So having said all that, I still like the Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT, but I like Hercules AT2 better since it has silica tread compound.

I do prefer the tread design of the Wild Country XTX, but I prefer the tread compound of the Hercules AT2. The tread design of the Hercules AT2 is pretty good too.

So the Hercules AT2 is still my favorite tire. I wish Multi-Mile would start using silica in the tread of the Wild Country XTX. If a future version of WC XTX has silica, I'll be buying it. If not, I'll be buying Hercules AT2.

But first I have to wear out my Cooper AT3, which will take many years.
 
#521 ·
I'm still not automatically sold on the silica thing. Just having silica isn't good enough because, used incorrectly in the rubber, it can be detrimental to grip and tread life. When the technology was first tried, it failed--grip and tread life suffered dearly. Michelin resurrected it in the mid-late 90's, and other companies followed. Michelin found a blend of silica and carbon black that was essentially a win-win. I'm sure other companies have also found the proper way to use silica, but what I'm also sure of is that some companies haven't and are content to use silica and its fame to help them sell tires whether or not they're using it correctly.

Used correctly, a silica-carbon black blend with necessary additives to properly bond the silica to the rubber...
  • increases tread life
  • reduces rolling resistance
  • improves some cold weather characteristics
  • improves wet grip
Used incorrectly, silica...
  • reduces tread life
  • reduces rolling resistance
  • improves some cold weather characteristics
  • decreases wet grip

Here is something you may also be interested in. Researchers in Oregon have had promising initial results from tires with cellulose used to replace a portion of silica in modern tires.http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archi...de-trees---better-cheaper-more-fuel-efficient
 
#522 ·
AFAIK there are no cellulose tires sold. It's still experimental AFAIK.

I'm interested in things already manufactured and proven to work. Like silica.

Though I do take your point that smaller independent tire companies who are new to silica might not have their own proprietary silica process perfected yet. While larger tire companies like Michelin, Cooper, and Goodyear have certainly perfected their proprietary silica formulas.
 
#523 ·
Even without silica, I still like the Multi-Mile Wild Country XTX Sport LT. Though I'd like it better if it had silica.

For my next tires I'll either be getting it or Hercules AT2. It's a toss up. Primarily because I'm sure they both have better ice traction than Cooper AT3. I see lots of Canadian online liking Hercules AT2 for year round and Winter. I also see some Canadians liking the Wild Country XTX too.

The Cooper AT3 almost certainly has better mid traction than the Hercules AT2, but I think the Wild Country XTX might be almost as good mud as Cooper AT3. i.e. - I think the Wild Country XTX is versatile and well rounded.

Hankook ATM is another contender, but it doesn't ride quite as soft as those others, and I have a bad back.
 
#529 ·
Update on my Nitto Terra Grappler AT's: These are on my daily driver 04 WJ in 245/65-17 load range C.
So far they have done great in this goofy Chicagoland winter. I've put about 2500 miles on them and they still look new. They are great in deep snow, packed snow, slush, heavy rain, and surprisingly decent on ice. They handled well in -17 icey/snowy conditions as well. Not once have I lost confidence driving with them. I would rate them an 8/10 in my book so far just because they are a bit noisy above 45mph for a mild A/T. I have yet to try them in any off road conditions but intend on it once spring comes around.
And what goods a review without pics right!


Little review of my Duratracs: These are on my 98 5.9 Limited ZJ in 245/75-16 load range C.
By far the best tire I have ever had! I've taken them through the trails, rocks, mud, deep snow, ice, slush, rain, darn near everything and have yet to be let down. I have total confidence in every weather/trail condition I've met so far. I even took a huge rock to the sidewall without damage, however it took a bite out of my wheel. For having a pretty aggressive tread these are surprisingly quite, quieter than my Nittos above. However they are getting noisier the more miles I put on them so time will tell. I've towed twice with them and I was pleased. Excellent on-road manners and outstanding traction in all conditions. 11 out of 10 in my book! My only regret is that I didn't go 1 size bigger as I'm already outgrowing them with my lift.

 
#530 ·
searched this thread for Treadwright tires and nothing came up. anyone else use their tires? i've had great luck with them and still use them. they have given me long service life (>50k miles) and excellent traction during the long minnesota winters.
 
#531 ·
I have experience with Treadwright Guard Dogs from before the bead-to-bead tech they use now. They weren't my tires, but I put a decent number of miles on them and trust the judgment of their owner who remains very satisfied to this day. I recommend Treadwrights when they're appropriate. Their Pumas are a proprietary tread (I think) while the Wardens are a BFG AT clone. They're both very decent AT tires.

The Guard Dogs are fantastic "mild" MT tires--probably my favorite of their lineup; they are clones of the original Goodyear MTR. If I was ever going to put MT's on my XJ, Treadwright's Guard Dogs would be one of my top picks.
 
#535 ·
I used to own a set of the original Goodyear MTR. I did not like them.

Regarding Guard Dogs, I don't see how a clone of a bad tire could be good. Then consider it's a retread clone of a bad tread/tire.
Well, if that's how you feel about the original MTR, then, no, it can't be good...for you. However, lots of people like/love them including me, so for us original MTRs are great, and more affordable versions might be even better.

Their chosen AT treads are not to my liking, but if I were running an MT for offroading purposes, it would probably be a no-brainer for me. Their selection in the smaller sizes could be better, too (sad 30" selection and virtually non-existent 235 selection). The Guard Dog is a minimum 31". The Watchman is a Bridgestone Dueler REVO (original) clone--and I'd love to have that--but it is only available in larger sizes.

Retreads are not the devil, and Treadwrights are exceptional retreads. They were exceptional retreads before they had their bead-to-bead rubber tech, and now they're even better. All tires can fail. When a new tire fails, people usually dismiss it more easily as a freak occurence, but when a retread fails, their misconceptions/prejudices lead them to blame the retreading without a second thought. Treadwright's failure rate is comparable to if not better than other "regular" tire manufacturers.

The misconception that retreads are dangerous comes from a variety of factors especially those somewhat unique to the trucking industry. Even in the trucking industry, retreads are not inherently more dangerous than new tires. Source: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyre...5-16CE599469FA/0/RetreadTireSynthesis9309.pdf

Here is the conclusion section of the study. If you have questions/criticisms, they're likely addressed earlier in the study, so I suggest reading through it because it is extremely thorough. I understand that reading scientific papers can be boring if not difficult to the point of impenetrable for many people; I am a scientist and had to learn not only how to read but also how to author this kind of literature years ago, so I'll do my best to answer questions if anyone has them.
Misunderstandings by the typical road user have incorrectly attributed the nature, extent, and contributing factors precipitating the formation of the roadside alligator. In clarifying this issue, several tire debris studies conducted since 1990 have sought to determine the probable cause of tire failure and to validate or disprove whether a commercial medium- or wide-base truck tire's retread status is also a contributing factor. The TDS was one of such studies. Executed during summer 2007, this survey involved the collection of 85,000 pounds of rubber that provided approximately 1,500 truck tire samples for subsequent failure analysis.

The TDS results suggest that the proportions of commercial medium tire debris collected according to adjusted VMT shares may not be significantly overrepresented if localized traffic flow characteristics are taken into account. Indeed, the OE versus retread proportions of the collected tire debris broadly correlated with accepted industry expectations. There was a strong similarity between casings and tire fragments with respect to probable damage/failure cause where the OE/retread status was known. In these cases, road hazard or maintenance/operational reasons were two of the top three probable damage/failure causes. The importance of this result suggests that the majority of tire debris items found on the nation's highways is not a result of manufacturing/process deficiencies. Indeed, similar findings are corroborated in earlier studies of tire debris that also prove the direct link between deficient tire maintenance and inflation pressures and premature tire failure.

U.S. trucking industry practices have strongly influenced the OE/retread tire mix on the typical 18-wheeler tractor-trailer combination (described in paragraphs #1 (page 9) and #4 (page 10)). Insulation of the driver's cab from the steer/drive versus trailer axle tires has also contributed to the extent that a failure in any tire may go unnoticed by the driver while the vehicle is in operation (discussed in paragraph #4 (page #10)). These two factors, we believe, suggest that the retread tire fragments tested were not overrepresented in the debris items collected. With respect to the tire and truck fleet industry stakeholders, there is the possibility that the TDS results confirm accepted beliefs. In any given location roadside alligators often represent tire debris from all vehicle types as inadequate tire inflation pressure has the potential to precipitate tire failure for all types of tire (i.e., OE and retread) and not just the commercial medium. However, two primary challenges remain: firstly increasing public awareness about the origins, characteristics, and impacts of tire debris, and, secondly, ensuring adherence to the highest standards in commercial driver truck operations and associated tire maintenance. Resolving these challenges has the potential to see a significant reduction in roadside tire debris, correct the understanding of all highway users regarding the origins of the roadside alligator and sustain the attention of all vehicle operators about the importance of maintaining correct tire inflation pressures.
TRB
 
#541 ·
Noisest tires I ever owned. A bit slick on wet pavement and very slick on ice.

Though the last two issues I mentioned could probably have been solved by having tire store add cut sipes.

Also didn't like the rough ride, but that was probably just because they were load E. I might have been OK with the ride if they were load C.
 
#547 ·
The family of Goodyear AT tires with small treads Mschi memtioned are actually quite good at certain things. I've owned two sets of them of two different members of the family. Don't remember the names.

They are quite good on road, including Winter roads. I've heard people say not, but those were ALWAYS people who'd bought a usedJeep with worn out tires.

New, and with at least half the tread, they are good on road, including Winter roads. Certainly as good as a typical AT.

They excel on gravel roads and are the best tires I ever drove on gravel because they offer as good gravel traction as any good AT, but unlike other ATs, the small treadblock GY tires don't pick up gravel between treads. Nor do they throw gravel. It's the ideal tread for gravel roads. They're good on sand too.

Were those tires are poor are: No mud traction. At least no more tan an all season tire IME. They also have weak sidewalls if you ever do any real wheeling. These are the only ATs I ever busted off roading.

But those tires aren't intended for offroading. They are for people who just want a good cheap AT that is good on road, Winter roads, and gravel roads. i.e. - people who drive on gravel roads, sand at the beach, and occasional mild off roading; but never any serious off roading.

The Silent Armor (with Kevlar I think?) and whatever the other one with Kevlar is, are exceptions because they are tough enough for serious offroading. The SA has SOME mud ability too (due to little ridges between treads that aid self cleaning). I'm not sure if the other GY AT with Kevlar has those ridges. Silvanus likes one of these tires and last I heard he was buying them for overlanding adventures.

I would buy SA or the other with Kevlar, if I seldom drove on mud. They have some mud ability, but I doubt enough for my needs. There are better AT for mud. But there are none better on gravel roads.

In fact, there are few as good for gravel roads. The BFG Rugged Trail is as good for gravel roads, IMO. The less aggressive, tighter packed treads of these type tires makes them ideal for gravel roads because good traction and don't pick up gravel in between treads.

More aggressive ATs with their larger voids pickup and retain a lot of gravel, and then throw it as speeds increase. The more agressive ATs do not offer any difference in gravel traction. They just pick up and throw more gravel.

More agressive ATs (larger voids) are however better on mud.

For an SUV that sees mostly paved roads and gravel roads, and little or no mud, those small tread, small void, AT tires by GY, BFG, and others can't be beat. IMO
 
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