SO MANY TIRE OPTIONS!

Hello everyone,

I currently have a 2020 Tundra Sr5 w/ TRD package. I had the factory Michelin tires on it(LTX At2) when I got it with 3 miles on it. They are 275/65R18. I did not mind them, they were great to me and I went on a bunch of road trips with them. I noticed my wheel wells looked empty so I was looking for a meatier tire to give it a meaner look. I have no leveling kit or lift on it..., YET.


I looked at the Duratracs, the KO2s, and the trail terrain.

Every time I read any article or forum, I see a completely different take on each of those tires. I live in Michigan(Metro Detroit), yeah I would like the duratracs in the snow, but it rains more than it snows and I don't want to slip, which is what people say about them. I drive alot for work, also lots of freeway driving.

So if anyone that lives in a similar climate as Michigan have any idea for the best tire that would look great and withstand the rain/snow, please let me know. Or if I should just stick with the Duratracs or the ko2s and see how they do.

Thanks in advance

 

In all honesty DON’T buy tires based on looks…

There are many tires that will handily out perform those tires in the rain and in *light* to *moderate* snow, and even ice that are really boring to look at. Michelin Defenders being one…

On unpaved/unplowed road…Duratracs or KO2’s are the winners. I have owned both, just not on my Tundra.

 

I’ve run ko2’s on plenty of vehicles with great luck but very little snow use in Texas. Same with their mud terrains. The mud terrains did just fine with a locker in the snow when we froze a few years ago. I’ve always liked nitto terra grapplers but they do get a bit squirrelly in the rain when they are getting worn out.

 

I have ridge grapplers in 295-70-18 on factory pro wheels while they look awesome and aggressive my wife's gx-460 with Yokohama GO15 with a snow flake rating would absolutely destroy my ridge graps in snow and rain ... so def what the other guy said that it's def not about looks

 

I agree with OEY12. Buy tires based on what you need them to do. Looks can still be a factor, but that should come second to the purpose and performance you need. Tires are probably the biggest safety "part" on your truck; choose wisely. For the driving you describe, and if you want to stick with Michelin, I would suggest the MICHELIN DEFENDER LTX M/S2. I am in the same boat as you getting ready to replace that exact same OEM tire on my 2020. I have different driving needs than you. I do about 55% highway and the rest of the time is dirt/gravel/low maintence roads and trails. We also have significant rain in the fall and spring and have heavy snow potential depending on the winter. So I'm going with Falken Rubitrek which is a 3 peak rated all terrain.

 

Those Defender M/S 2 are no joke. We ran them on the wife's vehicle and they were unstoppable through all Boston area weather across all seasons. Don't be mistaken by their appearance, they're amazing.

I swear by the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, but they're likely overkill for what you are looking. They look great, but are heavy and have a hard sidewall. Ultimately, not a great option for lots of commuting.

I lost pulse on them about 10 years ago, but for a while, the Dueler A/T Revo was insanely well regarded for their street manners, but I don't see them discussed on this forum, so I'm not sure if they are still an option.

Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you decide upon.

 

Falken wildpeak at3w. Ko2’s suck in rain and duratracs suck all around.

 

What do you mean the KO2 suck in rain? I have these and they do just fine for me. What aspect are you referring to? Just curious..

 

I have them too, they spin with ease and any bridge abutment or painted lines that are wet it’s like being on ice. Wildpeaks don’t act that way.

 

O yeah, I noticed that as well. I don't know any better so I just got used with it Price wise are the wildpeaks in the same range?

 

Yes they are. To be honest I only bought ko2 because I like the raised white letter out look

 

Hmm, the wildpeaks look nice. I am looking for new shoes. What is the difference between these 2? Price wise is like $40 difference. Sorry, I am a bit clueless when it comes to tires

But mixed reviews on tirerack. I hate reviews

$274+ Falken WildPeak A/T3W A Tires

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?tireMake=Falken&tireModel=WildPeak+A/T3W&width=275/&ratio=65&diameter=18&autoMake=Toyota&autoYear=2021&autoModel=Tundra+2WD++Push+Button+Start&autoModClar=CrewMax&minLoadRating=S&minSpeedRating=Q&cameFrom=selectOE&partnum=765TR8WPAT3W

 

AT3W (no additional characters) are what you are after. I believe the A was the manufacturer specs (Jeep, Dodge and I think now Toyota are using them).

https://www.tundras.com/threads/falken-wildpeaks-at3w-vs-at3wa.129671/

 

I need new tires too, looking i to the wildpeak a/t’s. I’m looking into getting a 275/70/18 rather than the stock 275/65/18. I assume you guys who went with a bigger tire bought 5 for a spare ?
Will the 275/70 fit in the spare tire space u der the truck ? Any feedback will be appreciated.

 

The more expensive is the LT or E-rated version. 10ply vs 6ply likely. Unless you're hitting a ton of rocky trail where punctures are likely, or towing and hauling daily at/near/over capacity, then E-rated/LT tires aren't that necessary. A smoother, more comfortable ride has been reported on non-LT tires too, if that is of interest.

 

Not everyone does, but I did. It was insanely tight in stock location (just need to remove the stock brackets above the spare), but that was with Coachbuilder shackles. Plenty of room with stock shackles.

 

https://youtu.be/tVSHMnkf0gY?si=t5nULihhPB-aWi90

Good run down on common AT tires in the snow and there’s a link in the description for those same tires in wet, dry and gravel. Overall nothing is going to beat winter tires in the colder parts of the country, but there are some decent compromises for snow/wet/dry. You can fit up to about a 35” tire in the spare slot with the brackets removed. To me Duratracs look the best, but definitely slide in the rain even when new.

 

What are... tYres.... ?

 

Check out the wildpeak rt/01 hybrid terrain, I also have a 2020 and had the at3w, in stock size and liked them but went up a size and got the rt/01 and like them as well. A little noisier but they Look better IMO

 

Can we ask for a baseline - how did the stock LTX AT2's do for you in the Michigan Climate? And are you ok with running a P rated tire or do you need/want an LT rated tire for any reason?

I found the older Cooper AT3's to perform about he same as my LTX AT2's in a similar climate. I say older Coopers as the newer ones have lost the 3PMSF rating somehow, with the exception of the Cooper AT3 4s which is offered in P rated only. I ran a set of AT3 LT and AT3 XLT's (obviously in an LT rating with deeper tread depth but also a different tread compound than the 4s) an found the XLT's to be great but the LT's to be somehow not as good. Don't ask me why... But the XLT's did look great; they aren't available in 275/65r18 but 275/70r18's are available - a 33" vs stock 32" tire.

Previous to that I ran Big O house brand Big O AT's which are made by Cooper and had a lot of similarities to the AT3, but with better siping. I felt they were ultimately better in the snow by a small margin until worn down to 6/32's or so, which is where all of my tires seem to degrade in winter conditions.

I have several friends with Falken Wildpeaks. They really like them until they get about half worn and they start getting noisy. They are also much heavier than most other comparable tires.

I had a truck with fairly worn duratracs a while ago and they were loud but decent traction. I know several folks that run them but they always say they are louder, not as great on road manners but good, and great in the snow but not on ice.

All that said, I just traded out my Cooper AT3's for Nokian's new offering - the Outpost nAT. Nokian has a stellar reputation for winter traction so I'm hoping that holds true with the nAT's. I barely have a couple hundred miles on them and no snow yet.. They are a fair bit more aggressive than the pictures show, which is perfect for me as I don't really want a mud terrain or necessarily a hybrid AT/Mud terrain. They make a little more noise than Coopers, but the noise is less annoying the Coopers or the Toyo AT3's that I ran for a short period.

Also, my sequoia rides on LTX AT2's and I'm looking at replacing them with AT3 4s tires since I don't mind a P rated tire on that rig. I don't need as aggressive a tire on the sequoia as I do the tundra but depending on how the Nokians do in the snow, it may get a set of p rated Outpost nAT's.