The Tundy will need new shoes soon...First time purchasing tires.

Hi all,

As the title says, my Tundy will be in need of new shoes soon, before winter of course! I am embarrassed to say that this is the first vehicle I have ever kept long enough to need new tires!

I have a 2020 TRD OR DC. My Tundy is a pavement princess, so I am looking for a quieter tire for pavement. More importantly, I live in the northeast and need a tire that is great in the snow, sometimes several inches of non packed snow covered roads, as I work in the medical field. (no interest in switching tires in winter etc.). I don't want to have to modify the truck to fit tires so I guess they will need to be whatever size is on there now, which are the Michelins it came with. I am happy with those, but I would like a tire that will last longer than 40K miles.

The tire shop I went to the other day (had a nail in one) recommended Falken Wildpeaks, but from reading on here those sound like they may effect my quiet ride and gas milage. They recommended another tire, I cannot remember the name, but I think it began with a K.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be super helpful, thank you in advance!

I just wanted to add that I do plan on towing in the future, just a smaller open trailer to get the mower, SN blower in for service, and the ATV etc.

-T

 

Honestly... just get Michelin Defenders m/s. They aren't super exciting to look at but they are quiet and last forever. They are also excellent on wet roads and pretty decent on snow packed roads. They also make them in a standard load range, which I prefer on a half ton truck..

 

What Michelins are they? What size are you running now and you want to stay with the same size?

 

This^^ as in Michelin defenders

 

Michelins would be a great choice. As an alternative, I have Continental Terrain Contact AT in factory 275/65/18 size and they have been great. Nothing too flashy, but quiet, nice looking and have never slipped a tire. They are 3 peak rated and have worn great. I’ve put over 35k miles on them myself and they still look great.

 

Why not look for low milage OR take offs? You can save some money on buying them, then flip your OEM rims for another couple hundred.

The stock Michelin's are pretty decent tires.

 

Stock tires are specifically manufactured to sell vehicles. They won't last long. Simply not the same amount of tread, the same sidewall design, etc. as retail tires. Basically they are cheap and soft to deliver the best test drive only.

 

True statement. I remember back in my Pontiac days that came with the Goodyear Eagle LS. You were lucky to get 15K miles out of them.

 

I like the 2 options presented previously. OEM AT Michelins, or switch to the Michelin defenders. The OEM tires are a good tire. Mine are at 65000, and down to 4/32... next oil change I will replace them with new Michelin LTX AT/2's. The Michelins are designed to have less rolling resistance, thus slightly better mileage. I've had defenders before, they lasted forever, and the big surprise was how well they did in the snow. I don't think you'll regret either Michelin option.

 

That rule doesn't apply to all OEM tires. The Michelins that come on TRD OR packaged trucks are decent tires and can last 40-60k miles depending on how hard you are on them.

 

I've been running the Falken Wild Peaks. Very happy with them. 275/70

 

Good in the snow too. Mine are 3 peak snowflake rated. I don't notice them being noisy.

One of the few AT tires with mileage warranty as well.

I don't know what a good rain or water tire drives like but I have slipped a bit in rain, mostly taking off at stop lights

 

Sounds like a lot of work, and I would have to pay someone to do all that, as I don't even think I could lift one of the tundra tires myself. Would rather keep my rims and just have new tires put on. Thanks for the suggestion though.

 

Yes this... /\ /\

 

Regardless of what you buy, get prepared mentally for a little shock-tires are really way more expensive nowadays. I know many things are, but tires seem a bit more over the top. Maybe its just cuz what used to be like $700 is now like $1800.

 

So, you haven't found them to be noisy on the road and they have been good in the snow then?

-T

 

I know, I have heard, but the good news is that I have no past experience to compare it to, so maybe it will be less of a shock!

 

I have had the Falken Wildpeak AT3W's on mine for 2 years now, they are very quiet and smooth, balance easy and work well in all weather conditions.

 

Any effect on MPG?

 

Highly recommend you practice a wheel swap in the comfort of your driveway before you need to in an emergency.

 

I got these about 6 months ago and have been extremely happy with them. They don’t break the bank, perform extremely well in all weather and mine is a daily driver.

https://www.goodyear.com/en_US/tires/wrangler-all-terrain-adventure-with-kevlar/2732.html

 

I haven't notice any discernable difference in MPG

 

Thankfully, I have several men in my life that are only a phone call away, worst case I call a tow truck. I am short, and the top of the tire is at my hip level, so I highly doubt I could even lift the thing high enough to get the tire on!

 

I have had both the Michelin Defenders and now the Continentals mentioned above, both are great tires. My son has the Michelins ( based on my recommendation) on his F150 with 25k and they are showing no sign of wear. To replace the crappy Bridgestone Oem tires on my 2019 DC I went with the Contis because of the great experience I had with a set I put on my car. These tires are quite, smooth and have worn like iron with about 10k on them, they have been great in the snow the few times I drove it this past winter here in upstate NY. Another factor was they were about $25 mounted and balanced a tire cheaper than the Michelins when I put them on last year so why not save close to 100 these days. Either way they are both great.

 

Fantastic in the snow, and just a bit noisier than the OEM Michelins.

 

Maybe 1-2 MPGs I average 15-16 overall. Highway at 70-75 is 17-18, 65 is a solid 19.

 

Heaviest tire on any car/truck I have ever owned.

 

I put the MICHELIN LTX A/T 2's on the Tundra, very happy with the noise level. When my wife's Kona needed tires I put the Michelin defenders on it. couldn't here them. Unfortunately after 6 months some one turned in front of her and the car was totaled. New Tuscon has Nexen tires. Very quiet, we'll see how they last.

 

Thank you everyone for your recommendations and personal experiences... Looks like the Falkens and Michelin Defenders are the top picks!! I will research those two and see which one best fits my needs!