What do you think are really good tires for most off road ventures

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Hey guys, without starting a new thread I have a question for the more experienced guys related to tires.

So for my build I am looking into WildPeak 265/70r17 AT3W or WildPeak 285/70r17 AT3W.

This is my train of thought regarding the two.

The 265 is a 31.9in tire @ $140ea with S and T rating while the 285 is a 33in tire @ $181ea T rating and $206 for S. From what I have gathered the difference between T and S is a thicker sidewall and overall heavier tire correct? Is the extra inch of tire worth the $40-60 more and any idea if the ride quality between the two will be drastically different? It'll be my daily driver but also want to be as capable as possible off road, I initially planned on the 285 but if the 265 will do just as well with being cheaper I may go that route instead. I just want to get a better understanding before dropping the money for a set and regretting it later. Thank you.
Gonna preface this with "I'm not a professional offroader or tire person."

I love the wildpeak At3w. Was gonna go with that if I chose an AT instead of the MT. The biggest difference between the T and the S is the load rating. The T comes in the SL load rating so your basic tire load. Usually only a 4 ply side wall and can only run mid 30's PSI max. The S however, is an E Load. Its gonna have 10 ply sidewall so much more durable, and is capable of going up to 80psi (probably wouldn't need that part). My suggestion is no matter what size you are going with, get the E rated tire. My MT's are actually only a D rated but that still gives me a better piece of mind on trails then if I had the standard side wall.
 

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Gonna preface this with "I'm not a professional offroader or tire person."

I love the wildpeak At3w. Was gonna go with that if I chose an AT instead of the MT. The biggest difference between the T and the S is the load rating. The T comes in the SL load rating so your basic tire load. Usually only a 4 ply side wall and can only run mid 30's PSI max. The S however, is an E Load. Its gonna have 10 ply sidewall so much more durable, and is capable of going up to 80psi (probably wouldn't need that part). My suggestion is no matter what size you are going with, get the E rated tire. My MT's are actually only a D rated but that still gives me a better piece of mind on trails then if I had the standard side wall.
Gotcha, so S is the way to go. Thanks for the info!
 
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WalkerTexasRanger

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You could run into tire shops not wanting to mount 285's on a factory wheel if it's too narrow.
I think all factory wheels on American trucks can run 70 series tires with no problem. 285 has nothing to do with width of tire or wheel, it designates height of the tire. The tire dealer can tell you if they are okay to run.
Which ever tire I go with will be on a set of Icon Alloys so I’m not too concerned with fitting to the wheel. More concerned about the 33 fitting with the lift and I’ll be getting the aftermarket high clearance crash bar pieces.
 

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I think all factory wheels on American trucks can run 70 series tires with no problem. 285 has nothing to do with width of tire or wheel, it designates height of the tire. The tire dealer can tell you if they are okay to run.
This is a little backwards. The 285/70R17 is 285MM wide, and the sidewalls are 70% of that (200MM) in height, and 17 is the wheel diameter.

I run the 285/70R17 AT3W on my suburban in the 10 ply rating, load range E. I love them! The new Cooper AT3s are not getting a ton of good reviews around here. We sell bunches of the Falkens though!
 

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Hey guys, without starting a new thread I have a question for the more experienced guys related to tires.

So for my build I am looking into WildPeak 265/70r17 AT3W or WildPeak 285/70r17 AT3W.

This is my train of thought regarding the two.

The 265 is a 31.9in tire @ $140ea with S and T rating while the 285 is a 33in tire @ $181ea T rating and $206 for S. From what I have gathered the difference between T and S is a thicker sidewall and overall heavier tire correct? Is the extra inch of tire worth the $40-60 more and any idea if the ride quality between the two will be drastically different? It'll be my daily driver but also want to be as capable as possible off road, I initially planned on the 285 but if the 265 will do just as well with being cheaper I may go that route instead. I just want to get a better understanding before dropping the money for a set and regretting it later. Thank you.
The Falken T rated tire is a standard load range tire. The S rated is a 10 ply rated, load range E. There's also a Q rated 6PR load range C.

My diesel suburban has the load range E AT3Ws because of its weight and the trailer I pull. Depending on the weight of your truck I would choose one of the other two if you can as their sidewalls will be thinner and more flexible when aired down.

EDIT: because our trucks tend to carry more weight on our excursions the 6 ply may be the best bet unless you need the 10PR. One thing to keep in mind is the 10PR are designed to run around 60-80 psi, running them much lower than that on the highway will cause excess heat and may cause premature failure.
 
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Hey guys, without starting a new thread I have a question for the more experienced guys related to tires.

So for my build I am looking into WildPeak 265/70r17 AT3W or WildPeak 285/70r17 AT3W.

This is my train of thought regarding the two.

The 265 is a 31.9in tire @ $140ea with S and T rating while the 285 is a 33in tire @ $181ea T rating and $206 for S. From what I have gathered the difference between T and S is a thicker sidewall and overall heavier tire correct? Is the extra inch of tire worth the $40-60 more and any idea if the ride quality between the two will be drastically different? It'll be my daily driver but also want to be as capable as possible off road, I initially planned on the 285 but if the 265 will do just as well with being cheaper I may go that route instead. I just want to get a better understanding before dropping the money for a set and regretting it later. Thank you.
For what it is worth, I hated the Wild Peak MT that came stock on my Gladiator.
 

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This is a little backwards. The 285/70R17 is 285MM wide, and the sidewalls are 70% of that (200MM) in height, and 17 is the wheel diameter.

I run the 285/70R17 AT3W on my suburban in the 10 ply rating, load range E. I love them! The new Cooper AT3s are not getting a ton of good reviews around here. We sell bunches of the Falkens though!
OOPS, your right and I am wrong, I was thinking in terms of 70 series tires not being to wide for most truck wheels since they are usually between 7" and 8" wide.
Sorry for any confusion I might have caused. It comes with age your know.
 
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WalkerTexasRanger

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So which ever size, 265/285 I’ll go with the S rating E load range. I want a thicker side wall just for peace of mind off road. Now any advice/opinions on 265 vs 285 in terms of ride quality and how much the extra inch will matter on the 285?
 

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So which ever size, 265/285 I’ll go with the S rating E load range. I want a thicker side wall just for peace of mind off road. Now any advice/opinions on 265 vs 285 in terms of ride quality and how much the extra inch will matter on the 285?
Unless you have a bad case of Hemorrhoids I doubt you could tell the difference in ride comfort. Both have adequate tire height for a good cushion depending on your tire pressure. The 285 might have a slight advantage when airing down because of the larger foot print. Lets see what others have to say about this question.
 
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ZRex

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So which ever size, 265/285 I’ll go with the S rating E load range. I want a thicker side wall just for peace of mind off road. Now any advice/opinions on 265 vs 285 in terms of ride quality and how much the extra inch will matter on the 285?
Like Lanlubber said the 285 will have a bigger footprint, especially aired down.

The 285 being taller may rub on bumpers or fender liners, and because of its width it may interfere with sway bars, suspension, or steering components. It's hard to say whether it will or not without actually trying it. The 285 at the same pressure would ride smoother in theory but honestly the difference would be negligible, especially with a 10PR at 60-80psi. Of course with more tire height the easier it can be to get over obstacles. All things to consider, based on whether you want to trim or not, price, capabilities...
 
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Like Lanlubber said the 285 will have a bigger footprint, especially aired down.

The 285 being taller may rub on bumpers or fender liners, and because of its width it may interfere with sway bars, suspension, or steering components. It's hard to say whether it will or not without actually trying it. The 285 at the same pressure would ride smoother in theory but honestly the difference would be negligible, especially with a 10PR at 60-80psi. Of course with more tire height the easier it can be to get over obstacles. All things to consider, based on whether you want to trim or not, price, capabilities...
I currently have 255/70r/16's on my LRD2 with a 2" lift. I have really good clearance. with these tires. I recently bought a new set of tires 265/75r/16. On my trial fit my clearance was still good everywhere except at the front bottom edge of my fender well. When turning my tire just barely cleared the plastic valance on the bumper wrap around. I will trim it off and drive it like that until I get my new off road bumper. Pictue attached..
 

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I have read through about 2/3 of this thread and there have been some great arguments to the dfferent ties and their designs. The one I believe to be an unsung hero in all this is the Cooper Stt maxx.
I have this particular set of tires on 2 different tacomas and even now with over 55k miles on thm they still have plenty of tread. They are an agressive AT tire but have many positive qualities. They ride very smooth even as an E rated tire, they are still relatively quiet even with all these miles on them they have increased in noise some over stock, and lastly they have been fantastic in any driving conditions I have put them in dirt, snow, rain, rocks, mud, deeper water, and dry pavement.
Cons: they are heavy
I have had many different tires in size, brand, and tread design. Out of all the different tires i have had these have been the absolute best all around tire I have ever had.
Size makes a difference as well. This particular tire and size has become very popular in the Tacoma community in either a 255/85/16 or what I am running a 255/80/17. I freely admit I am a Cooper fan boy but thy earned my loyalty through quality and performance. I run Coopers on most of my vehicles i had one set on my daily driver that went 97 thousnd miles. I never recieved this kinda service out of any of the BFG's or Goodyears I have owned.
Just my thoughts on the Coopers. For those of you with Tacomas research this size also as they may not have the wow cool factor of a 285 because they are skinnier butt thy are a true 33" tire tht will fit on most tacomas with ittle to no lift and little to no rubbing and no CMC is required.
 

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I have read through about 2/3 of this thread
you fell asleep, too?

yeah, cooper has been around for over 100 yrs and has a decent rep as far as i know. they got bought out by a company in India a few years ago, but should still have the same quality. cooper was one of the first to do tires for agriculture and stuff, so they know how to make a tire for harsh work. they are a good solid product, i guess they just dont get advertised as much as goodyear and michelin
 

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you fell asleep, too?

yeah, cooper has been around for over 100 yrs and has a decent rep as far as i know. they got bought out by a company in India a few years ago, but should still have the same quality. cooper was one of the first to do tires for agriculture and stuff, so they know how to make a tire for harsh work. they are a good solid product, i guess they just dont get advertised as much as goodyear and michelin
Nope you see a Cooper add here and there but not a lot. I, personally, have never had abad experience with them and the STT maxx has been exceptional for an all around tire.
 

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Nope you see a Cooper add here and there but not a lot. I, personally, have never had abad experience with them and the STT maxx has been exceptional for an all around tire.
Many many years ago when I was a roustabout in the Texas oil fields, Cooper was the only tire you ever saw on all trucks. They bragged for many years of being the only tire still made in the USA. I guess from what Grubworm said they cant brag about that any more. I looked recently at Cooper but there is such a big choice of good tires it was hard to choose. I didnt buy them, I hope I made the right choice but at my age any tire will outlast me.
 
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Many many years ago when I was a roustabout in the Texas oil fields, Cooper was the only tire you ever saw on all trucks. They bragged for many years of being the only tire still made in the USA. I guess from what Grubworm said they cant brag about that any more. I looked recently at Cooper but there is such a big choice of good tires it was hard to choose. I didnt buy them, I hope I made the right choice but at my age any tire will outlast me.
Well let's certainly hope not