Help me end my tire troubles

[jckstein]

Hey all, apologies in advance for bringing in yet another tire thread, but I going to drive myself nuts if I dont.

Long story short; picked up an 07 V8 SE recently and i'm in need of some new shoes. The car will be primarily stationed in Denver, and as an avid skier I will be spending as much time possible exploring up in the mountains, often in snowy conditions. That being said, as many know, Denver has a very mild climate more often than not, and roads are often dry a few days after a storm. This has lead me somewhat away from a designated winter tire, and into the realm of a snowflake approved AT tire.

First on the radar was the Duratrac. This tire seemed to tick all the boxes until I realizied that the only LT rated size was a LT275/65R18. The same story here for another great option, the Grabber AT2..

Then I looked for my options in LT265/65R18, a tire size that many have recommended as the best route to take. Basically i'm limited to a BFG TA KO and thats it.. Ive seen mixed reviews about snow performance, and it seems as if the snowflake rating has been pulled recently. Quite skeptical

My last option is to run a designated winter tire as a temporary solution. Ive found a set of Hakka R2 SUV in 255/65R18 which is appealing beacuse it it slightly taller than a stock tire, so I get the benefit of snow clearance and better looks. This is the last set in the US currently until Jan, so I would need to act quick and I also believe there is no spare.. The up side, with a designated winter tire i wont get far into territory out of the range of AAA service if needed. I would likely run this setup until April, when the BFG KO2 comes out.


I've done the research, but basically i'm in need of some more opinions from those with experience. I know 275/65R18 is hugely popular among LR3 owners, and I really love the extended tire options. It would be great to be able to do this, but i'm hearing all these horror stories of cars going to bump stops, and being immobilized on 32" tires. Likely I would get a IIDtool in addition to a larger tire like this, so I know that reduces some of the risk, but i'm not sure how much. I havent found clear information showing exactly what wheel well mods need to be done, so overall it seems like a rather extreme setup for a truck that will not be doing much extensive trail work in the near future. As I said, I will be using it on a dry or snowy i-70 into the mountains, and possible on some snowy, but relatively basic trails. I like to adventure, so I'm looking for a setup that can take me where I would need to go. This does not mean cross country or extreme overlanding. Additionally, I will not be piling on heavy accessories to this truck any time soon. It will remain close to its stock weight.


Once again, I apologize for making this a new topic, but I hope it can serve to clear up some of my confusion, and aid anyone else in need of the same advise.

Thanks in advance
Justin

 

[Houm_WA]

Justin,

I don't know what you mean by "all these" horror stories. It has happened to me ONCE after I'd busted an air shock. Even then I used my IIDTool to get the vehicle back up, then simply pulled fuses.

...but yes it can be a concern with the 32" tires. I run the same Hakkas you mention (but in the 255/55R19 size) and they are incredible.

 

[jckstein]

Justin,

I don't know what you mean by "all these" horror stories. It has happened to me ONCE after I'd busted an air shock. Even then I used my IIDTool to get the vehicle back up, then simply pulled fuses.

...but yes it can be a concern with the 32" tires. I run the same Hakkas you mention (but in the 255/55R19 size) and they are incredible.

Perhaps i'm exaggerating it, and I suppose forums have a tendency to skew information considering no one is going to start a thread about their LR3 NOT going to bumpstops.

Still, its a frightening situation. Yet i've still seen people suggesting that even on 275/65, the call will roll (on flat surfaces) while dropped. Would love to find out for real?


Additionally, is there any indication that using the IIDtool to make normal ride height just tall enough to clear 32" tires could possible increase the risk of a suspension failure resulting in decompression?

Companies that market these suspension mods seem confident that there are no adverse effects, but I only makes sense that driving at a non factory ride height would increase the chances of dropping to bumpstops.

 

[Houm_WA]

Justin,

Let me see if I can help clear things up for you. Here is how I operate on my 275/65s: I drive around on the streets with ZERO modifications. I don't rub unless at Access. When I get to a trail head, I use the IIDTool to get a 1.5-2" lift. When I'm done I go back to normal ops.

The one time I was at bump stops was due to a worn out air shock. There were some other downstream effects of that as well. I used the IIDTool to get the EAS back up and then pulled the EAS-related fuses.

Really the only scenario where you'd be completely screwed is a compressor gone bad or maybe a ruptured air line. ....because other EAS issues can be mitigated by pulling the fuses and limping home.

....I'd say that at bump stops on 32s you'd have to NOT turn and drive <5 mph. It would be no beuno for sure. I wouldn't want to be remote in that set up. By that I mean if you're somewhere that you can call a tow truck, good. If you're way out in the boonies, maybe not. When I took the Rover to Whitehorse (Yukon) and drove it home, I put it on OE sized Hakkas.

 

[umbertob]

How about the General Grabber AT2? Sized LT285/60R18, E load range, snowflake rated, proven track record, gets great reviews on road and off, 31.5" in diameter so no horror stories, no rubbing at any height and negligibly on the bump stops and, as a bonus, you can still fit a spare (partially deflated) in the well under the car. It's even a great bargain in this class and size, especially when you compare it to a BFG, Toyo or Cooper, and it probably trumps them all on ice and snow anyway.

The only knock against it (on paper) is its pokey Q speed rating, but you don't race these trucks above 99mph much... Meets all your criteria, no? I would venture to say that 285/60R18 is probably the most popular or second most popular (along with 265/65/18s) size with the LR3/4 off-road crowd, because it offers the most rubber for your buck, with none of the inconveniences of going 32" and up. If my "territory" routinely included snow and freezing temps for part of the year, the Grabber AT2 would probably be my choice of tire that I could live with year-round, on and off pavement. I'll add that 285/60s look great, beefy and bulging, on 18" wheels under the flared fenders of the LR3, which never hurts one's self esteem.

 

[jckstein]

How about the General Grabber AT2? Sized LT285/60R18, E load range, snowflake rated, proven track record, gets great reviews on road and off, 31.5" in diameter so no horror stories, no rubbing at any height and negligibly on the bump stops and, as a bonus, you can still fit a spare (partially deflated) in the well under the car. It's even a great bargain in this class and size, especially when you compare it to a BFG, Toyo or Cooper, and it probably trumps them all on ice and snow anyway.

The only knock against it (on paper) is its pokey Q speed rating, but you don't race these trucks above 99mph much... Meets all your criteria, no? I would venture to say that 285/60R18 is probably the most popular or second most popular (along with 265/65/18s) size with the LR3/4 off-road crowd, because it offers the most rubber for your buck, with none of the inconveniences of going 32" and up. If my "territory" routinely included snow and freezing temps for part of the year, the Grabber AT2 would probably be my choice of tire that I could live with year-round, on and off pavement. I'll add that 285/60s look great, beefy and bulging, on 18" wheels under the flared fenders of the LR3, which never hurts one's self esteem.

Thanks for the input! I had considered the 285 AT2's, but my only concern had been regarding whether or not the 285 width would be way too wide for snow. Im worried that it would negate all the benefits of having the other snow properties in the tire. Have you heard any information about this?

Other than that, I do agree! The tire had a great track record, and it would certainly look great on the truck.

The car will be driven from Maine to Denver just after the holidays, so would you say that the Q speed rating would impact this at all? The roads get pretty vast, and its not uncommon to be cruising at upwards of 80mph for quite some time. Isn't the speed rating the speed at which the tire will fail if you remain there for an hour? I wonder how this failure time chances with each 5mph decrease in speed. If necessary, adjustments can be made to our cruising speed of course, but i'm just curious if its going to be a factor.

Thanks again for the help!

 

[Mx468]

Try the hankooks dynapro at rf 10 265/60/18
Great in the snow and great on rocks. Here's a link to a shootout with these tires.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/131-0903-hankook-toyo-bfgoodrich-all-terrain-tires/

I've been running them for about 16,000 miles and so far no regrets.

 

[jckstein]

Try the hankooks dynapro at rf 10 265/60/18
Great in the snow and great on rocks. Here's a link to a shootout with these tires.
http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/131-0903-hankook-toyo-bfgoodrich-all-terrain-tires/

I've been running them for about 16,000 miles and so far no regrets.

I havent been able to find them anywhere. Also I dont think theyre snowflake approved right?

 

[Mx468]

Town fair Tire

I got mine through Town Fair Tire, if they don't have the tire in stock they can order them for you. Or you could order them through amazon, discount tire, etc... if you go to amazon you can read the great reviews these tires have in cold, icy snow condition.
http://www.amazon.com/Hankook-DynaPro-RF10-Off-Road-Tire/product-reviews/B004QL68RI
I love these tires because they are not too wide and track better in the snow. I use to have the 285 wide nitto and they were a bear, heavy and wide. These tires are aggressive and work great! At least for me.

 

[hell pie]

I have the Dynapro ATMs in 265-60-18 and I am very happy with them. Slight increase in road noise (I have sensitive ears), great on road, and the handful of times that I have taken them off road, they've done well. They have almost 40,000 miles on them and still have plenty of tread left. I got mine through America's Tire, also known as Discount Tire in some parts of the country.