Stickiest/best handling all terrain tire?

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Stickygreen

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Central Valley, ca
Application is my old 2008 4.7L 6spd 4wd Dodge 1500 ranch truck with 375k miles. I drive it like a sports car (and at times a drift truck), and would like some stickier/more responsive tires. Problem is being a ranch truck, I still need to be able to get around the fields w/o getting stuck. Any recommendations on what might be the best-performing/sportiest all terrain tire?

Currently running 305/50/20 Hankook dynapro atm on 20x8 centerlines, and though they have decent grip, the wide tires on narrow rims have made the steering squishy. Plan on jumping back to a 275/55/20 next time around.
 
Toyo Open Country AT2...as used on Oz stadium trucks...

Have a set on the Captiva, and they are great...Nitto Grappler on the Colorado...they are good too...
 
BFG - Ko2 with an - off road bias

Firestone Destination Le2 / Pirelli scorpion (tie) -on road bias

Guy here in the mountains LOVE their KO2's


UD
 
any style tire giving more grip usually gives up some wear, it is what is
 
Thanks guys...Not so concerned about wear as I am traction & steering response. Unfortunately the ko2's are out bc they only come in an 8-ply in my size, which makes them 10-15 lbs heavier than a standard tire, and don't need the extra load capacity. Once ran a similar weight 10-ply set on my truck and the extra weight really made it feel sluggish & sloppy. Will take a look at the toyo's and Pirellis. Was also looking at the new Continental AT's as they seem to have good reviews.
 
I have the Costco version of the top rated Michelin LTX-M/S-2 tires, 275-55-20. They corner wonderfully and considerably better than the Pirelli Scorpions the truck came with. We drive it like a "sports truck" and the on road performance is superb. Example, the 2009 4x4 F150 they are on can take the local highway off ramp (a 270 degree corner) at 63MPH, the exact same speed as my Jaguar can.

While they are rated as M/S tires, they may not really be the right tires for ultra hard core off roading. They do just fine in the local Florida sand and work equally well as 4x4 snow tires. We've even crossed some rocky streams with them in TN. I simply feel that tougher tires may be the right choice for driving over sharp rocks.


[Linked Image from tirerack.com]
 
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If you were favorable to the Hankook ATM's, look at the new AT2 they released. It is getting rave reviews for pretty much what you are saying you want. In a more conventional size, it would probably do exactly what you want.

I was within a whisker of getting them for my SUV last week, but went with the Hankook HT as it is more practical for my usage profile. Having them installed tomorrow or Friday and very looking forward to it.

If you go that route, check out pricing at your Ford dealership. They had some huge rebates and good prices on some tires, and usually price match. I got mine at the local Chevy dealership on the same kind of deal and big rebates; GMs deal is over but Ford is still running it (have to get their credit card to get the biggest rebate, but so what, just pay it off if you don't want it).
 
Originally Posted by Oro_O
If you were favorable to the Hankook ATM's, look at the new AT2 they released. It is getting rave reviews for pretty much what you are saying you want. In a more conventional size, it would probably do exactly what you want.

I was within a whisker of getting them for my SUV last week, but went with the Hankook HT as it is more practical for my usage profile. Having them installed tomorrow or Friday and very looking forward to it.

If you go that route, check out pricing at your Ford dealership. They had some huge rebates and good prices on some tires, and usually price match. I got mine at the local Chevy dealership on the same kind of deal and big rebates; GMs deal is over but Ford is still running it (have to get their credit card to get the biggest rebate, but so what, just pay it off if you don't want it).


Good luck with your Dynapro HTs. I've had them on my Escape for 50k miles and they absolutely suck. No traction in any condition. I had Dynapro ATs on a previous vehicle and they were absolutely fabulous on and off road!
 
Originally Posted by dogememe


Good luck with your Dynapro HTs. I've had them on my Escape for 50k miles and they absolutely suck. No traction in any condition. I had Dynapro ATs on a previous vehicle and they were absolutely fabulous on and off road!



Well, definitely not the case with the Dynapro HT RH12 model (current one) that I got to drive yesterday. I got the truck back yesterday and had some unique conditions to test it in, and they were superb. Equal or better in those conditions to the Toyo Open County ATs that came off that morning. Granted the Toyos were almost at the wear bars, but I've had them for years and know how they've been - and they've been excellent and w/o much degradation in performance until they got down to ~3/32nds.

The interstate east of here had been closed the night before from heavy snow, ice, and accidents (Snoqualmie Pass), so I left the dealership and ran up there to check them out! Very good - roughly equal to the Toyo ATs last winter (which were very good in deep snow, ice, etc.). I came back down to the pass to town and a new round of precipitation was pushing up the valley and dumping a lot of rain down low - I checked later and about 1/2" in ~2 hours - pretty good rain. I tried some panic/emergency stops on some straightaways w/no other traffic around, from 55/60 mph on a very wet road surface in continuous moderate/heavy rain. I was thresholding the brakes and not using the ABS; trying to really see what I could do with them/feel from them. They were VERY good - shorter distance than the Toyo, and more linear. The Dynapro HTs were also much quieter.

My observations stack up with 95% of the reviews I've read online. I can understand if they don't act like performance tires in the dry, but they seem to do what they advertise and most people agree. I know that inflation, rotation, vehicle dynamics can all really change how a tire feels car to car and I can't speak to the Escape. But I am very satisfied and with the amazing deal GM was offering (they were well under $300 installed for all four after rebate!), I'm very pleased.

If I needed a real AT tire, I'd definitely go buy the Dynapro AT w/o reservation based on my readings, reviews, and sampling these HTs.
 
Originally Posted by dareo
You got a Dodge 4.7 to last for 375k miles??? wow


Haha yup, with some help from the factory lifetime powertrain warranty. Truck has been crazy reliable all around despite the abuse it's withstood since day one. Got a new rear end at 275k (shattered spider gears) and a new motor at about 300k, both under powertrain warranty. Engine didn't even really need to be replaced, but upon inspection the cams/rockers were worn and the valve springs were squished, as in they didn't expand fully. Bottom end looked great with little carbon and factory cross-hatching still very visible. But these days it might be cheaper to replace a whole engine than redo the top end? Other than that and a few clutches, no major problems. Gonna drive this thing forever or until it's totaled, so trying to keep it fun. No such thing as a manual v8 truck anymore...
 
For sticky handling you don't want an All Terrain. BFG Advantage TA Sport might be a good tire to consider. We put a set on my wife's CRV and it's a respectable tire. Initially the rubber feels pretty soft but that helps it grab. I'm liking what it's becoming so far.

Pirelli Scorpion gets good review for handling.

Mine came with Hankook ATMs which were great on pavement but for me left something lacking in the rain. You've had them before - in the new size they might be all you need.

There's a continental AT out there - fairly new - it is really just a highway tire with a couple of AT traits - for all purposes it's been a great tire for me, handles Great... but with continental's sidewall reputation I probably wouldn't want to put them on a truck that gets driven aggressively. It was a bit squishy for the first 500 miles.

Take a look at the BFG....
 
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