Half Ton Truck Tire Recommendation

[94boosted]

Starting to do some research on tires for my Sierra 1500 as I'm not a fan of the factory Goodyear Wrangler SR-A's, I want something that's a bit better on ice/snow without going to a dedicated winter tire. Truck is a pavement princess and will likely remain that way, I do tow a bit here and there during the summer (~5500lb trailer). So therefore I'm not looking for some aggressive all terrain tire that's noisy as all hell but I do want something that has a snowflake rating. Size is a 275/55/20, looks like my top two choices are:

Yokohama - Geolandar A/T G015
or
Cooper Tires - Discoverer X/T4

Does anyone have experience with either of these or perhaps an alternate tire they'd recommend?

TIA

[eglove]

KO2'S for sure. Surprisingly quiet for an aggressive tire

[benyl]

KO2s are snow flake rated. It was the recommendation from Michelin for a year round tire when I went to their event.

[ExtraSlow]

Goodyear also makes much better tires than the sra. At adventure is very good mix of road manners, snowflake rated and decent off road grip

[94boosted]

The tread pattern on the K02's just screams noisy as hell and aggressive. And a lack of circumferential grooves makes me think that they'd have poor wet weather performance/hydroplaning resistance....

[mzdspd]

The tread pattern on the K02's just screams noisy as hell and aggressive. And a lack of circumferential grooves makes me think that they'd have poor wet weather performance/hydroplaning resistance....

I have about 50k on my KO2 and they still perform very well in the snow. They have definitely gotten louder but they are still quiet for a aggressive AT (vs the Duratrac). I have never had any issues with wet weather or hydroplaning. Honestly, overall the best truck tire that I have ever used.

But, if you want something less aggressive, the Michelin LTX M/S2 is a good option and also we have a few trucks at work with the GoodYear Adventure Kevlar and they are snow flake rated.

[HiTempguy1]

But, if you want something less aggressive, the Michelin LTX M/S2 is a good option

Best option. Regardless of snowflake rating or not, these tires will do just as well as anything in snow/ice conditions that aren't actual winter tires. And they ride awesome, last forever and are super quiet.

[redblack]

I just replaced my SRA’s with cooper discoverer ATW’s before winter and they have been fantastic. I was looking at KO2’s but didn’t want to spend the extra cash and suffer from increased road noise and poorer fuel economy.

[spike98]

I went with the KO2's. I sized up (35x12.5x20) so i had a bitch of a time getting them balanced properly. Even had to get two replaced. BUT they ride very nice, a quite, and handle great in the snow/slush. They handle ok on ice but its to be expected for an AT tire.

[benyl]

Best option. Regardless of snowflake rating or not, these tires will do just as well as anything in snow/ice conditions that aren't actual winter tires. And they ride awesome, last forever and are super quiet.

They've been replaced with the Defender LTX.

http://www.beyond.ca/michelin-introduces-the-defender-ltx-ms/53060.html

http://www.beyond.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Defender-LTX-MS-2-550x310.jpg

[94boosted]

Poll added for fun

I can't seem to edit the poll to switch out the Michelin LTX M-S2 for the Michelin Defender LTX M-S

[mzdspd]

I am assuming that you are using one tire for year round? In that case, the Cooper is considered a All Weather tire so it would probably wear out quicker then a traditional snowflake tire like the other options.

The defender is not a snowflake designated tire so it is not considered up to winter tire standards (I think this is an issue if you are going thru mountain passes in BC) but this tire would definitely last the longest and give the smoothest ride.

[tirebob]

I am assuming that you are using one tire for year round? In that case, the Cooper is considered a All Weather tire so it would probably wear out quicker then a traditional snowflake tire like the other options.

The defender is not a snowflake designated tire so it is not considered up to winter tire standards (I think this is an issue if you are going thru mountain passes in BC) but this tire would definitely last the longest and give the smoothest ride.

The severe winter condition is a bit of a joke really. It is an industry regulated thing and not a minimum standard set by government. There are many tires that have the symbol that outright suck in winter and others that do not have the symbol that are not too bad. They are not all created equally. Not all tires with the symbol wear fast but the ones that provide the best traction typically do wear a little quicker.

As for BC, you do not need the severe winter condition symbol. The government recognizes and tire with M&S (M+S as well) and a minimum tread depth of 3.5mm as legal for use where it says winter tires are mandatory. Many shady tire stores will tell you otherwise though to try and up-sell you.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/traveller-information/seasonal/winter-driving/about-winter-tires

[HiTempguy1]

They've been replaced with the Defender LTX.

http://www.beyond.ca/michelin-introduces-the-defender-ltx-ms/53060.html

http://www.beyond.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Defender-LTX-MS-2-550x310.jpg

Never in my life have I saw a defender.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=LTX+M%2FS2

But MS2 are still available :dunno: And it is a $50usd ($75cad) per tire difference. At only a maximum increase of 10% tread life, I'll stick with the tried and true (as well as cheaper). MS2 are good for up to 110k kms, way longer than 75% of people own their vehicles for.

[schurchill39]

I bought the KO2 for my personal F150 and love them. They are the best tire I have owned so far on any of my personal half tonnes or work half tonnes. They are very quiet for an aggressive looking tire, and are absolute beasts in snow or wet conditions. Meh on ice but for a year around tire I don't expect super amazing ice tire.

For our fleet trucks we run either the KO2 or the Duratracs. The KO2 consistently get more life and are quieter than the duratracs, although I do like the look of the Duratracs much better. This was the deciding factor for my purchase.

Go into Urban X and have a sit down with Tirebob. It would be super useful to even just have a chat with him and pick his brain.

[Abeo]

I have hankook dynapro ATM that came on my new truck... I was fully expecting to buy winters, but they have been really good so far. I only have 5000 km on them to judge though, and they may act differently in your size, but I'm incredibly impressed (and this coming from someone who has run studded winters for 6 years now).

[tirebob]

Never in my life have I saw a defender.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=LTX+M%2FS2

But MS2 are still available :dunno: And it is a $50usd ($75cad) per tire difference. At only a maximum increase of 10% tread life, I'll stick with the tried and true (as well as cheaper). MS2 are good for up to 110k kms, way longer than 75% of people own their vehicles for.The LTX M/S2's are still available in certain sizes, but many sizes have been replaced by the Defender version. I actually ran the Defender version on my F150 this past year and really enjoyed them. They are super smooth and quiet and wet traction is awesome. I only ran them in winter conditions during the first snow storm of the season in early October (I live in Water Valley and drive about 200km's a day) and they did alright for the 2 days I used them before installing my winters. By no means are they a replacement for winters, but considering the truck I had them on is a 2wd, I was not disappointed.

I have used the M/S2's in the past as well and would consider them to be virtually indistinguishable in abilities and think you would do well with either of these if you want something super smooth and quiet that is not garbage in winter, but that said, the KO2's will have more bite in the severe stuff, but it will be at the expense of treadwear and ride quality...

[94boosted]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, to clarify:

- Yes all year round tire
- Absolutely 0 off roading so I don't care about deep snow or mud performance
- Not expecting it to perform as well as a winter tire, for the really crappy, black ice days I have the Golf R on studded tires but I want it to be better in snow and ice than the Goodyear SR-A's which IMO are terrible
- Mileage isn't a big concern to me either, whether a tire is rated for 50K, 80K, 100K doesn't really matter

[r3ccOs]

Thanks for all the feedback guys, to clarify:

- Yes all year round tire
- Absolutely 0 off roading so I don't care about deep snow or mud performance
- Not expecting it to perform as well as a winter tire, for the really crappy, black ice days I have the Golf R on studded tires but I want it to be better in snow and ice than the Goodyear SR-A's which IMO are terrible
- Mileage isn't a big concern to me either, whether a tire is rated for 50K, 80K, 100K doesn't really matter

So, I'm a tire whore and have had a few offroad vehicles, and numerous tires on cars/trucks and currently on the F150 have the AT/W, which replaced Nokian Rotiivas, which replaced Duratracs, which replaced Michelin LTX... also had for a brief period, my friend's Goodyear Ultra ice grip.

IMO Part time 4x4 has no tolerance for slip, and when running pure Winter tires, you have to be cognisant of flipping that 4HI switch back and forth alot. Nothing is "better" than Winter tires. They stop better, they corner with more confidance and you need to run 4HI I'd say 30% less than Snowflake rated A/Ts.

Cons, they wear FAST and I feel they put alot more drivetrain wear when in 4x4. If you have a 4A system or a proper AWD system, I wouldn't hesitate other than the accellerated wear (i.e. Yukons, Expeditions)

Between all the A/T tires I've had on the F150, the BEST hands down is IMO the Rotiivas.

The AT/W's I thought were pretty awesome and they are in deep snow, but when it gets a bit cold out... they're better than the duratrac, but not as good as the LT/X and which of all of them are not nearly as good as the Rotiivas.

Based on the tread pattern you'd think the AT/Ws (X/T4) are going to give you awesome winter performance, being even more siped than the Rotiivas, but the compound I feel isn't as good.

That said, the AT/W (X/T4) I bought in E ply, whereas the Rotiivas and LT/X were standard C ply...

[94boosted]

So, I'm a tire whore and have had a few offroad vehicles, and numerous tires on cars/trucks and currently on the F150 have the AT/W, which replaced Nokian Rotiivas, which replaced Duratracs, which replaced Michelin LTX... also had for a brief period, my friend's Goodyear Ultra ice grip.

IMO Part time 4x4 has no tolerance for slip, and when running pure Winter tires, you have to be cognisant of flipping that 4HI switch back and forth alot. Nothing is "better" than Winter tires. They stop better, they corner with more confidance and you need to run 4HI I'd say 30% less than Snowflake rated A/Ts.

Cons, they wear FAST and I feel they put alot more drivetrain wear when in 4x4. If you have a 4A system or a proper AWD system, I wouldn't hesitate other than the accellerated wear (i.e. Yukons, Expeditions)

Between all the A/T tires I've had on the F150, the BEST hands down is IMO the Rotiivas.

The AT/W's I thought were pretty awesome and they are in deep snow, but when it gets a bit cold out... they're better than the duratrac, but not as good as the LT/X and which of all of them are not nearly as good as the Rotiivas.

Based on the tread pattern you'd think the AT/Ws (X/T4) are going to give you awesome winter performance, being even more siped than the Rotiivas, but the compound I feel isn't as good.

That said, the AT/W (X/T4) I bought in E ply, whereas the Rotiivas and LT/X were standard C ply...


Yah the GMC has the 4A system and it's quite good, I think I've used 4HI maybe 3 times lol.

Never even heard of the Nokian Rotiva AT's but people seem to like them and holy crap are they cheap $700CAD shipped to the border for a set :D and I just so happen to be going down to the border in a few weeks, very very tempted to try them

[r3ccOs]

Yah the GMC has the 4A system and it's quite good, I think I've used 4HI maybe 3 times lol.

Never even heard of the Nokian Rotiva AT's but people seem to like them and holy crap are they cheap $700CAD shipped to the border for a set :D and I just so happen to be going down to the border in a few weeks, very very tempted to try them

The Rotiiva AT IMO are the best winter A/T in the market, and it fairs very well with year round onroad mannerisms (rain, braking, driveability) and is IMO reasonably quiet. They have an awesome wear indicator and they held up towing well.

The LTX M/S are also very good contenders, but definitely did not dig up the deep snow like the Rotiivas, but were even more quiet and better wearing.

Another decent contender is the Goodyear All Terrain Kevlar... they do nothing great, but nothing bad.

I really do think the Cooper AT/W (XT/4) are very good Winter A/Ts as well, but they are definitely more aggressive than the Rotiivas, louder, handles more like a traditional A/T and a harder compound (maybe better for wear, but not Winter).

I think the only reason why the Rotiiva isn't more popular is as Kal is the only Nokian reseller here... and they're pricey, like the most premier pricing I've seen for any truck tire.

Alot of people will tell you the Hankook AT/Ms are good, which they are, as well as the Toyo Open country... I too think though they are good, but they are straddling the A/T "offroad" tire, like the duratrac or the BFG A/T.

Aggressive looking tires are only so aggressive on pavement covered with ice.

[CLiVE]

So, I'm a tire whore and have had a few offroad vehicles, and numerous tires on cars/trucks and currently on the F150 have the AT/W, which replaced Nokian Rotiivas, which replaced Duratracs, which replaced Michelin LTX... also had for a brief period, my friend's Goodyear Ultra ice grip.


Funny. I went from the LTX --> Rotiiva --> KO2. I run the KO2s in summer now, and Toyo Observe for winter.
Personally I found the Rotiivas to be lacking in grip in the wet. KO2s are way better. Never ran the Rotiivas in snow, had Blizzaks at the time for winter.

Here's how I see it. The LTX is the most practical choice - quiet and smooth. The KO2 look aggressive and is quiet for what it is. The Rotiiva is somewhere in the middle.
You won't be disappointed with any of them.

[importracer]

Anyone have experience with SAILUN TERRAMAX 3PMS A/T BSW? What are your thought's? Pros, cons?

I am looking at Duratracs, however my source offered me the SAILUN TERRAMAX 3PMS A/T BSW for $375 less than the Duratracs.

I would be using these tires for majority of highway driving and some gravel/mud. The reason for going with this style of tire is so I can keep the same tires year round.

Either tire I go with will have to be replaced once it reaches the 6mm mark.

Should I stick with Duratracs, or save a bit of money and try out the SAILUN TERRAMAX 3PMS A/T BSW?

Thanks