After wanting a Jeep Wrangler for years, I finally have one and I want to make some upgrades. I have a 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport. I want a slightly bolder look, but not to any extreme. I have already added a Rough Country 1.75" suspension lift package. I have purchased Quadratec Black 17"x8.5" Moab Style Wheels that indicate backspacing of 4.7". I also purchased black Gorilla lug nuts. My Jeep is black and I am going for an all black look (tires will show the blackwall side). I am now trying to pick the correct tire size and brand/model. I do not want anything too aggressive and spend most of my time on the road. I do not want the tires to stick outside of the fenders. I have it down to the BFG All-Terrain and Goodyear Duratrac. I am leaning toward the Duratrac because I live in an area that gets a fair amount of snow. I also prefer the look of the Duratrac.
I am thinking of a 285/70R 17, which comes in just under 33". My main concern is with the width. It is not clear to me on the backspacing for the 17" OEM wheels. I have seen anywhere from 5.5" to 6.25" backspacing (as indicated above, I have purchased new wheels with 4.7" backspacing). Because I have no experience with this, I am worried with either rubbing on the inside or the tire sticking too far out on the outside. If I go to 275/70R 17 (which BFG has, but Duratrac does not) the tire will definitely be more of a 32" than a 33".
So, my perfect set up would seem to be Goodyear Duratrac in 285/70R 17. I am just not sure it will work.
Any help will be greatly appreciated on (1) which tire to pick (and any input on road noise) and (2) what would be the best tire size based upon what I am trying to accomplish. Thanks in advance for your help.
(BTW: Sorry if I reposted this, I am a rookie I am not sure whether I successfully posted this yesterday or not)
The 285/70-17 is one of my favorite tire sizes. It's right at 33 and at 11.5 wide, it looks big enough without being over done.
The 6.2 is stock and you can typically go up to about an 11" tire. So at 4.7 and 11.5 you will be clear. It might be a tiny bit past the fender, but will likely look more flush than anything.
You might also consider the Dick Cepek Fun Country or Cooper ST Maxx in that size although the Duratrac is probably the lightest weight of those and will have the thinnest sidewall which seems to indicate that it should also ride the best.
Tires can sometimes be a hot topic with very strong feelings an loyalties to a specific tire.
I'm a BFG guy.
Since about 1996 or thereabouts , i have run the BFG/ All Terrain and the newer T/A Ko.
Up to this point i've had about 8 sets.
I've run them on a 1975 F250 a 1991 Fullsize Bronco, a 2004 F250 V-10, the list goes on.
One of the bigger reasons i stick to this tire is i typically get 60K Miles out of them even on my F250. They wear like IRON.
They are a great tire when i run around in the eastern Oregon desert and i dont usually get stuck. They do run in mud but you have to spin them up good to keep the tread clear. in no way is it an ideal mud tire.
Are there better tires? Maybe. But ive had damm good luck with them. Most have been load range "E"
I have spent WAY to many hrs on this forum that is full of knowledge.:happyyes:
The Goodyear duratrac has gained more than its shares of posts with happy customers.
They complaints i see here on the board seem to stem from a really light sidewall. not very puncture resistant. BUT most people like how well they ride.
I dont know if they are for me as most i've seen are only getting 40-45k mi out of them. That may be ok for some, but when i'm getting 60-65K out of my BFG's, its a little hard for me to stomach.
you pay a little more for them, but i think they are worth it. Americas tire/Discount tire has A TON of online reviews. I dont notice road noise until they are below 50% tread. Then they begin to hum a little.
I also live here in Vancouver, Wa
Most all of the guys in the local jeep club (jolly Jeepers) run the cooper ST MAXX or STT. about 100+ members from what im told.
I hear a lot of good about these as well. if for some reson i DID NOT go with the BFG , i woul look hard at this tire (st MAXX)
Many on the forum are really weight concious about their tires. That is probably a good thing but dont let it be the ONLY criteria for your tire selection.
As for size, you are SPOT ON with the 285/70-17. IMHO that is a great size and a very popular one. A LOT of guys run that size. If you run stock rims, you may need 1.5" spacers in order to NOT rub at full lock. if you get custom rims, 4.5" backspacing is usually the accepted size for no rubbing issues. your 4.7" wheels should be just fine.
Between the 2 duratracs....
I had bfg direct on my old race truck and pre runners for the desert and a lot of stuff....was a brand whore as well as a sponsored rig.....
Some time later and change of venue I'm more Inclined for performance and a little less mileage , something has to be sacrificed.
Grip wise the duratracs is better ha dhs down, they use a softer durometer (compound) rubber and the tread allows for a better bite, water, snow, etc it performs better than the bfg....I'm not a fan of those....at all....
Yes I lived in Washington. (Woodinville), I've ran northern Idaho for 5 years in the snow and ice, and been here off and on 18 years in socal but spend a ton of time north and in the nasty stuff...
Sidewalls are a bit thinner but not as common as stated for tears...there's a couple but not mass amounts of sidewall damage...a lot of it is the same ones....
They say bfg KM2 has soft sidewalls and I've personally used and LOVE those in the rocks...that's a damn good tire for rocks but not snow or water....heard horror stories but have actually only seen a few of these out there damaged...a lot of recirculation of the incidents more than anything....
Cooper stt was one of the best tires I ran in the northwest I had the version before the triguard sidewall so it flexxed alot. It wouldn't handle sharp rocks but man what a good tire in snow and mud.....
Only issue I had was on 4 feet of snow in my Toyota and flying along on top of it with LOW psi I seperated the tire from rim.....user error....too fast for how low it was...the new ones have a better sidewall though.
I'd opt cooper stt or duratracs well before a bfg all terrain .......
I dont really disagree with anything you said. Its all a matter or what the tire is going to be used for. If he has the original rims or can buy a set of take off OEM rims, he can run two models and have the best of both worlds.
Another wrench to throw in this debate is that BFG is updating the All Terrain K/O. Pictures are on this forum and on the internet. It looks like a Hybrid tire simmilar in style to the Duratrac. Kind of an all- terrain center section with big side blocks like a mud tire. Not sure if the compund of rubber will change. The prototype photos of the new tire at the Baja had DOT stamps on it so it may be close to introduction.
Im sure its no doubt been designed to compete with Goodyear as it seems they are selling the hell out of Duratracs.
Lets face it, the tread pattern on the BFG AT /KO could use a face lift. Im kinda holding out for the introduction of that tire.
I've had two dealerships confirm the new BFG AT KO2's will be out in November. I got a chance to see some photos and learn a bit about them. Very excited, hate to wait a couple more months but I'm going to hold off.
I'd definitely get BFGs - but don't waste your time on the old current design. Treadwear is definitely amazing on them - I've seen em go strong for 90k miles but I've seen em from personal experience start spinning losing all traction in wet grass. Also blows they have about 0 sidewall tread. They have gotten through some mud but nothing over like 2" of the stuff and you gotta really skinny pedal it. This new design they have looks way more promising
Both the KOs and DT's are great tires but they each have different strong points. For tread wear it is hard to find a match for the KOs and they are a great AT but they have a tendency to hydroplane. The KO2 was show cased at SEMA last year and will probably be released at this year's SEMA show. It was designed specifically to compete with the Duratrac so that should tell if the DT has significant market share or not.
The DT is a great all around tire but the tread is not as aggressive as many MT tires. It does well on wet and winter conditions. It has better all-around performance than the KO but it does not have the same tread wear.
Both tires are very popular for good reasons but you decide which tire better fits your needs.
BTW, 4.7" of backspacing will enable to easily run 285mm wide tires.
The KO2 was show cased at SEMA last year and will probably be released at this year's SEMA show. It was designed specifically to compete with the Duratrac so that should tell if the DT has significant market share or not.
I've been told by DT here and another shop locally that the KO2 will be out in November, you're probably right that it will be showcased at SEMA but should be on dealers shelves about then too.
Seriously, they are both good tires and usually anything under 5 inches of back spacing is good. 4.5 is even better but 4.7 is fine. One of the most popular wheels around, the Pro Comp Series 69, is 4.75.
And I hope the KO2 is coming out in Nov. I think they look great. We'll see how the weight is but if they keep the durability and AT traction but improve the mud traction, they'll have a winner. I might be a guinea pig.
Check out the BFG KM2 or Cooper ST Maxx in the 255/80/17. 33x10 give or take.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Ask a question
Ask a question
Jeep Wrangler Forum
9M posts
468K members
Since 2005
A forum community dedicated to Jeep Wrangler owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about reviews, performance, trail riding, gear, suspension, tires, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, for all JL, JT, JK, TJ, YJ, and CJ models!