OWL or BSW tires?

[Scum_Frog]

Well, I finally made up my mind and ordered my tires for the Nitro.

I'll be getting BFGoodrich Long Trail T/A Tour's installed next week on the factory 17" alloy wheels.
Bonus there is a $50 mail in rebate!

Now the decision...do I go with BSW or OWL?
What do you think looks best?

 

[Bluestream]

BSW is the new OWL

 

[Jimmy9190]

I put BFG Long Trail T/A Tours on my Dakota back in January. They are a great tire so far, but I have only put about 3,000 miles on them. I say without a doubt turn the white letters out. They look great on my truck:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=2143370&page=1

 

[BobsArmory]

Oh man that is a tuff question. I say flip a coin and you will win either way.

 

[UncleS2]

I vote with Jimmy on this one, white letters all the way!

 

[Brons2]

OWL looks good on trucks and SUVs.

 

[Hallmark]

+1 for OWL.

 

[fdcg27]

Black side out.
OWLs or RWLs have always been tacky to me.
Just my opinion, of course, but I think any vehicle looks cleaner with plain black sidewall tires.

 

[Boomer]

SOme tires like the Goodrich Long Trail tell you to mount the OWL facing out as the tread on the outside is apparently developed to take the stress of turning better than the tread on the blackwall side.

 

[eljefino]

OWL is up and coming! If they look awful you can always flip them around on the rims. Then you'll only impress your brakes!!!

 

[bdcardinal]

On a white or black truck OWL all the way. Any other color its subjective.

On the BFGs you have to order one or the other, you cant flip them.

 

[bepperb]

The Long Trail Tours are symmetrical (unlike the long trails) so it won't matter which side is out. I've only seen them black one side, ORWL the other side.

 

[123Saab]

I'd have to say OWL on trucks and classic Muscle cars, but only if its a decent brand.......hahaha...

 

[George Bynum]

oh I just HAVE to say ...

why not do one side of the Nitro in BSW, the other in OWL. Everyone will remember the side they saw, only your installer knows for sure ...

No, I'm NOT serious ...

 

[Hokiefyd]

As stated, the Long Trail T/A Tour has a symmetrical tread pattern. You can mount them either way. The older Radial Long Trail T/A is asymmetrical, and had to be mounted OWL out.

For a Nitro, I'd do blackwall out. I used these tires on our Acura MDX for about a week and had blackwall out. I thought about OWL out, but not for an SUV. Pickups and muscle cars, I agree: letters out. But for road-going SUVs, run a black sidewall.

 

[Scum_Frog]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

I'll let you know what I decide when I get them installed next week.

I know you won't sleep 'till you find out ;-)

 

[Scum_Frog]

Got my new BF Goodrich Long Trail TA Tour's installed.

Not the best pictures due to the rain, but here they are

Huge improvement over the stock Goodyear HP's. And as you can see, I went with the BSW vs the OWL.....it came down to personal preference.

 

[Ramblin Fever]

Good option....with a Nitro mixed with a standard all-season/highway tire, BSW out is definitely the way to go.

Trucks or SUV's on truck platforms look best with OWL if they're an A/T or M/T tire; all seasons, personally look best BSW out, IMHO.