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What is the best tire?

23K views 45 replies 27 participants last post by  Hilldweller 
#1 ·
I have tried to search the forums but there really is no thread on different tires when going to a 33 or 35 that works well with the Wrangler. I did a lot of research only to find myself further away from what I want. Do I go with a A/T with better tread wear or a M/T with a better Mud traction. I really like the Cooper STT but keep getting conflicting reviews on them. People either love them or hate them. Surprisingly the Firestone M/T gets great reviews on the net but haven't heard anyone that actually owns them. The Offroad shop pushes Nitro Grapplers but I have seen just so so reviews on them. Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2 gets great review but doen't look aggressive enough IMO. Well still leaning towards the Coopers at the moment but like to get feedback because since my Jeep is a Daily Driver I rather not spend a lot for a tire that will wear out quickly on pavement.
 
#2 ·
Tire Racks consumer reviews in order (They don't sell Cooper so no reviews)

A/T top 12

1) Kumho Road Venture SAT KL61
2) Firestone Destination A/T
3) Michelin LTX A/T 2
4) Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo 2
5) Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo
6) Goodyear Wrangler SilentArmor
7) Pirelli Scorpion ATR
8) General Grabber AT 2
9) Dick Cepek Radial F-C II
10) Yokohama Geolandar A/T-S
11) Bridgestone Dueler A/T D695
12) BFGoodrich All-Terrain T/A KO

M/T top 7

1) BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM2
2) Firestone Destination M/T
3) Kumho Road Venture MT KL71
4) BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM
5) Goodyear Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar
6) Dunlop Radial Mud Rover
7) Yokohama Geolandar M/T Plus
 
#3 ·
I have had the BFG mud terrains & the Goodyear MT/R with Kevlar. The second option is the best tire hands down, I drove on the slippery snowy roads today & it hangs on very well, it's good on rocks & in mud/sand. The first choice does not do well in snow or ice, it is however quiet good in the other conditions
 
#5 ·
They didn't make the list. i think it has to do with price. When I was at Sears today looking at the Coopers the Duratracs were mentioned but the sale person said that for the price you could go ahead and get the Kevlar. He basically said he thought they were way over priced but if they were priced in the same line as say the Coopers they would be a great choice.
 
#8 ·
Most of the bad reviews for the STTs are from people who ran them on heavier vehicles and they suffered premature wear. The Toyota 100s and 80s are famous for destroying tires early; their weight also has them rating the KM2s higher than I ever would.
When it comes to tires and Jeeps, apples aren't apples all the time --- even comparing between what a 4-banger YJ runs and a JKU. The weight, wheelbase, etc all skews the results.
Cooper also changed the rubber compound a few years ago so you have to throw out all reviews for tires built before the TEK3 compound.

While shopping, also bear in mind that Cooper makes the Cepek, Jones, & Thompson branded boutique tires. They make a few others for store brands as well.

Now, I've seen those Dueller Revos hook-up and carry 2WD 4Runners up snotty hills. But I've also seen them clog with mud and send people sideways...

If you're going to avoid mud as much as humanly possible, I think the MTR/Kevlars are the best all-around tire for JKs. They stick like velcro in wet highway conditions, grab all kinds of rocks, and are hard to kill.
They just don't like the southeast's mud and clog-up.

I've tried many ATs through the years and like them for trucks that don't get in the woods so often. But they've failed me in the Jeep and mud is the one place that I object to getting out to pull winch line.
 
#9 ·
Well, Sears put the Goodyear MT/R w/Kevlar on sale today for $233. So right now they are cheaper then the Coppers so I believe I going with the Goodyear's tomorrow. 285/70/17
 
#11 ·
One that is NOT flat!
Seriously tho, there really is no best or perfect tire as what may work best for me may not work at all for you. If you go with a tire specifecally for where you wheel (loose soil, mud, water) then that tire may not work if you someplace else (rock, steep climbs, ruts).
So no matter what you pick there is always going to be some compromise, especially if it is your DD as you have to handle both off & on road conditions.
I myself like the BFG Mud Terrains or Goodyear Wranglers.
 
#12 ·
There is no one best tire.. As I just disused on in another thread here when talking with Barrie about his Nokians.. There's got to be compromise..

From everything I know from a painful amount of hours researching tires.. The Cooper STT might be the best overall tire. Does nothing great and does nothing bad..
 
#18 ·
The one thing that caused me not to go with the KM2 was the snow rating which was poor at best. They have a wonderful mud rating that puts them near the top While the MT/R Kevlars got a 1/2 star less rating in the mud then the KM2's did they got a star more rating in snow. And were I live, I have a nasty little north facing hill that when snow hits it it takes forever for it to melt and need at least a little snow traction for that uphill climb.

I think the couple comments above said it best. No one tire fits everyone best. You have to take in your conditions as to what you will be driving on and fit the best tire to your needs. Hopefully I made the right choice with the Goodyear MT/R Kevlar's because they are bought and paid for now. No going back at this point. Hopefully they will be here before the weekend.
 
#22 ·
All tires are a compromise. Better off road vs worse on highway. Good mileage vs no traction. Good cornering vs soft sidewall flex.

And the problem with online reviews is that you never know which compromise was important to the reviewer. Someone who hates KM2s might not like the soft tread wearing out. Someone who loves them might live in Moab and hardly ever put their Jeep on pavement.

Personally, I don't know that I'd put up with some of the more aggressive tires on a daily driver. The noise alone can be rough.

From the 4wd.com description of the KM2:
better road manners and less noise than you'd expect in an off-road tire.
Better than you would expect. That's like the description of a blind date.
 
#23 ·
My jeep is pretty new and pretty stock still. My jeep club did a run on New Years, and I went along riding shotgun. I checked out all the rigs (and no two had the same set of tires), and how they performed on the trails. I should say I am buying tires very soon too.

Anyway, the rigs broke down into two groups. Those with all terrains, and those with more aggressive tires. For the normal trails, everyone had no problem. When it came to the somewhat crazy stuff, the all terrains worked harder. For the really crazy stuff, the all terrains struggled. Some of the rigs with the ATs did not try the really crazy stuff.

I was planning on ATs before I started the day, but after I ended up ordering a more aggressive tread. How crazy a trail you want to tackle is the place to start.
 
#25 ·
BFG Mud Terrain KM2's. I have drivin them in just about everything and love them. Rocks, great. Mud, amazing. Snow, awesome. Pavement, somewhat quiet and not very rough.
 
#28 ·
I had the MTRs w/k on my JKU for about 7000 miles and replaced them with KM2s. I'll take the km2s over the MTRs any day. Better traction offroad and they roll easier down the road. Increased mpg by 10% and I can feel the difference. fewer downshifts and it goes back into OD sooner. I don't know how they would be on icy slick roads, but don't care, as I will never be on them.
 
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