ATs vs MTs

[stone150]

I'm building up my 18" sierra for a bit more offroad action, that said it won't see anything too extreme, but I'd like to be prepared. I currently have a set of Continental Terraincontact ATs and they are fairly new and good for my 80 miles/day commute. I have another set of wheels and I'm looking for something more aggressive for trips. The thought being that my truck has a few shortcomings that a more aggressive tire may make up for those shortcomings (only a level lift, mechanical locker, no real body protection.) But I'm starting to wonder if it truly is needed for the type of trails I plan to tackle.

Currently I'm looking at a 33 to 34 in BFG KM3s but wonder if they are overkill my other thoughts are KO2s, Wildpeak AT3W, or Ridge Grapplers.

 

[ryanorr280]

the only one you list I have personal experience with is the ridge grappler, they were good on my duramax i had. I never took it off road though, it was my trailer puller/long trip truck. Though, I did prefer the terra grappler to them for my uses.

From my experience, unless you’re going to be in muddy areas, possibly snowy too, an AT tire is a better option overall. They wear better, drive better, and typically cost less.

that being said, I typically run M/T’s for those few times I need them. Though it’s a trade off in ride comfort all the time

 

[taliv]

I'm about to put my 3rd set of R/T on. seems like a happy medium. 40k miles each on the first two sets. at like 85k miles now. super happy with them

 

[JKel]

When the KMs on my Jeep wore down, I replaced them with KO2s. Instantly better ride and less noise.

I’m willing to give up the raw, mud traction to have a better ride. They work well for the forestry trails and gravel roads I normally encounter here in North Georgia.

 

[PonoAdventures]

If you are going 80 miles a day, I would stick with the AT. You are spending quite a bit of time on the road. I love my Wildpeak but I'm hearing more issues with them since they switch production to China. There is a thread somewhere about it.

 

[Charles M]

I would run what you have on some of trips first and see just how much you actually need a second set. You may discover the AT are working just fine. I have Tahoe with the same lockers you have and they have worked in some very tough situations.

I have Goodyear Wrangler® UltraTerrain ATs 35x12.5-17 I live in Nevada so I get to run them in the desert on rocks and in snow. They provide good traction off road and do very well in snow, mud, sand and are quiet on the street. On the highway I run 50 psi and if I need to air down off road I run them at 20 psi. I put them on 6 months ago and they have about 10,000 miles on them now and still look almost new. I would certainly buy them again.

 

[DiscoCam]

If you are going 80 miles a day, I would stick with the AT. You are spending quite a bit of time on the road. I love my Wildpeak but I'm hearing more issues with them since they switch production to China. There is a thread somewhere about it.

Agreed; for long highway commutes, ATs are the move IMO.

 

[Rath]

so, I've had 6 different tires on my truck so far, a mix of AT and MT. Original Falken AT, BFG km2, Hankook MT, Falken MT (current) Duratracs (studded, I run these in winter) and some off-brand MT that were on the truck when I bought it.
My favorites have been the Falken's.

With the commuting, I would say an AT is an easy choice. mostly because they will last a bit longer.

I currently run MT and won't be switching as my truck is no longer a daily. and I'm much happier with how it performs off-highway now. Really it comes down to how you use your truck. an all-terrain will be plenty capable off-road, and be much better on-road. To me, it sounds like an AT would be a perfect choice for your intended use.

 

[Jeremy M.]

I just watched this video the other day you might find it helpful to make this decision.

BFGoodrich KM3 vs KO2 35000 Km Review

 

[Charles M]

I just watched this video the other day you might find it helpful to make this decision.

BFGoodrich KM3 vs KO2 35000 Km Review

Great video that should make it an easier decision.

 

[USStrongman]

KM, KM2, KM3 is an excellent tire series with a few shortcomings. All are undersized to their specs, have shorter lives compared to an A/T, get progressively noisier with life, are not great DD hwy tires, period. Of course the original KM is the oldest and least desirable to me.

KO2 is to me the best all around tire for an SUV, JK/JL/JT, mid size truck, etc. They do run small to spec. They do everything really well, but not as well as intended use tires - mud, snow, etc. Price point is far better than anything Nitto.

Consider another option? How about an R/T? Some in this class include -

Atturo Trail blade X/T
Toyo Open Country R/T
Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac
Cooper Discoverer S/T Maxx
Nitto Ridge Grappler
Kenda Klever R/T

Becoming a bit more popular with the offroad/DD crowd, this has been an excellent choice for me. I run the Kenda Klever R/T 35/10.5/17. It has a midline tread that is neither M/T nor A/T spaced. Quiet as any A/T I have ever run for certain. They make an M/T in a full width 315/70/17, but I opted for a narrower 10.5 on my JKU. Stays mostly inside the fenders, super quiet, traction aired down to 12psi on AEV Salta rims was super sticky on some smooth 12-24"" diameter river rock and air up to 34psi on the road and are smooth as silk. Excellent and deeply offset lugged sidewalls. Price point has been all over the place. I got mine for under $900 for 5 of them at WallyWorld several months ago. I've seen them climb to $230 apiece and currently under $190 apiece.

 

[stone150]

Thank you everyone, I appreciate all the responses.
Just to add to my post, I currently run a 275/65/R18 In the contental Terrain contact A/T, which comes out to a 32" tire.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=TerrainContact+A%2FT&partnum=765TR8TCATOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I replaced them about a month ago as I had Michelin LTX A/T2 that were ok, but somewhat dangerous in the rain.
At that time I had looked at the Wildpeaks, K02s, Toyo AT2/AT3, and a host of tires.
I went with the Contentals due to their less aggressive pattern that would maintain my mileage for the 80 mile commute, the fact they came in a non-LT E load rating, they seem to be quiet and a good mix of highway and AT tire. That said, they are not the most aggressive or offer the same durability offroad as many of the others.

I live in SE-Texas and i'm pretty familiar with the terrain. For most of where I'm going to go around here, they should be fine. My pure mud-bogging days are long gone.

That said we have family out in the Sierras and we plan to do more exploring around there in the summer months, plus other parts of NV, UT, and CO. Other than MTBing, that terrain is more foreign to me. My worry is that when I get to the dryer, more sandy, and rockier terrain, I fear the Continentals won't hold up with my lack of vehicle mods. This also means that we will be driving over 2500 miles to get there. In that respect Noise is a consideration.

As I mentioned, I have an extra set of stock wheels that I can use for more aggressive tires. So I've been looking at tires in the 275/70/R18 size with is a 33 and 285/70/R18 or 295/70/R18 size which is around a 34. My only concerns with the 34 is contact with my UCAs, but I plan on getting aftermarket UCAs.

Anyways, So far the BFG KM3 has been the leader in my mind from the things I watched and seems the noise isn't too much higher than the KO2. I like the Ridge Grappler, Wildpeaks ATs, and KO2 are a good option. I know the duratracs get good reviews, I've just never been a huge fan of GY tires,
Never really looked at the Atturo, Coppers, or Kendas

 

[Jason and Cayce]

I have had some pretty good luck with a couple of different "hybrid" AT there more aggressive then regular ATs a touch more expensive but not the noise and ride issues of MTs. Years ago I had pro comp extreme ats and Coopers which I loved and still run today. Worked great for me considering I drove 40 miles each way to work and played on trails and mud on the weekends. It was the best of both worlds IMO. Also that was on a truck that towed a car trailer and a race car as well once or twice a month. I did get 10ply tires so like I said price was a little steep. Had a few buddies that had big mts and they got maybe 30k and complained about chopping and other wear issues just food for thought. (they rotated ever 5 or 6k miles even with spare.) Coopers get me between 50 to 60k as long as I dont drive like I was my 16 year-old self 14 years ago.

 

[MMc]

You did the right thing. I have a friend that has a bunch of trucks in AK that service the pipe line. He runs Michelin LTXs on all of them. These guys are driving in snow, mud and hard pack. They do the job everyday. He plays off road in Baja and runs BFGs there. His contention is he is racing In Baja and thats a different story. They don't airdown, tires are at 65 psi, always. The rest of the time the skinny tire slices through the snow and mud. He tried A/T s and he had more flats, thinks the rocks get stuck for to long.
I just replaced my KO2s at 25k and don't think I'll be doing it again if these only go 25K.

Thank you everyone, I appreciate all the responses.
Just to add to my post, I currently run a 275/65/R18 In the contental Terrain contact A/T, which comes out to a 32" tire.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Continental&tireModel=TerrainContact+A%2FT&partnum=765TR8TCATOWL&vehicleSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes

I replaced them about a month ago as I had Michelin LTX A/T2 that were ok, but somewhat dangerous in the rain.
At that time I had looked at the Wildpeaks, K02s, Toyo AT2/AT3, and a host of tires.
I went with the Contentals due to their less aggressive pattern that would maintain my mileage for the 80 mile commute, the fact they came in a non-LT E load rating, they seem to be quiet and a good mix of highway and AT tire. That said, they are not the most aggressive or offer the same durability offroad as many of the others.

I live in SE-Texas and i'm pretty familiar with the terrain. For most of where I'm going to go around here, they should be fine. My pure mud-bogging days are long gone.

That said we have family out in the Sierras and we plan to do more exploring around there in the summer months, plus other parts of NV, UT, and CO. Other than MTBing, that terrain is more foreign to me. My worry is that when I get to the dryer, more sandy, and rockier terrain, I fear the Continentals won't hold up with my lack of vehicle mods. This also means that we will be driving over 2500 miles to get there. In that respect Noise is a consideration.

As I mentioned, I have an extra set of stock wheels that I can use for more aggressive tires. So I've been looking at tires in the 275/70/R18 size with is a 33 and 285/70/R18 or 295/70/R18 size which is around a 34. My only concerns with the 34 is contact with my UCAs, but I plan on getting aftermarket UCAs.

Anyways, So far the BFG KM3 has been the leader in my mind from the things I watched and seems the noise isn't too much higher than the KO2. I like the Ridge Grappler, Wildpeaks ATs, and KO2 are a good option. I know the duratracs get good reviews, I've just never been a huge fan of GY tires,
Never really looked at the Atturo, Coppers, or Kendas