another tire recommendation request

[zuke]

Maxxis Razr's have served me well. I ran the stock GY, KO2, and Nitto Ridge Grapplers before (between my jeeps and Broncos), all had sidewall punctions. Nitto were definitely more durable out of those three. The Razr's sidewalls are gnarly, but do weigh a lot more than the GY and KO2s. Also, they do seem to wear a lot quicker on the pavement than the others. But for the trails, they have been my best tires yet.

The 37s I was running did wear quickly, I was at roughly 45,000 on the first set when they were done... Second set they were at probably 30k ish, and still looked good when I traded it in, but we're waring down at a similar rate

Sponsored

 

[brkdncr]

There really is nothing out there. All current tires that are heavier duty/more sidewall & off road durable are a minimum of 10lbs heavier, and go up from there.

I went with the MT Legend EXP's (my GYT lasted to about 20k before I no longer trusted them off road and in the rocks), and so far (10k miles) they have been more durable off road, though I probably will go with MT Boss next time...

I think i need to consider buying lighter wheels then to offset the heavier tires. The MT Legend EXPs are about 10lbs heavier right? Any negatives? Are you planning to go with the MT Boss just for better durability?

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

Absolutely not. While southern California is on the average a lot drier than the eastern U.S., sometimes it can get a lot of rain like during the past week. In particular, the mountains can get a surprising amount of rain and even snow. Did you see the news about the heavy rains and floods there the last few days?

I've lived in southern California twice for a total of 7 years, so I'm going off both official weather records and personal experience.

Oops. Somebody identified as "Southern California" posted, I got confused. Hey, I'm not far from asking Admin to change my moniker to "OctogenerianSasquatch!" My point was that in a predominantly dry climate, one can remove "wet handling" from a list of factors. There will always be exceptions. Somebody with mostly daily drive doesn't need to go for rock crawling if he's on a trail 4 times a year.

So you're Sacrament with "EasternSierra" for your moniker? The Rubicon is on my bucket list for 2026, I just might be looking you up! I hitchhiked up and down 395 in 1964.

And yeah, I saw news clips on what LA is going through. Strong winds everywhere. My brother in Mendocino was without power for 2 days. As if California doesn't have enough woe, Chevron is fleeing the state, and gasoline is projected to hit $10/gal before long.

 

[EasternSierra]

So you're Sacrament with "EasternSierra" for your moniker? The Rubicon is on my bucket list for 2026, I just might be looking you up! I hitchhiked up and down 395 in 1964.

I don't plan on doing the Rubicon or similar trails - I'm not into spending many hours per day doing the really rough stuff. What I like is exploring new places, which may sometimes involve some rough sections here and there on the trail... like what Brian Miller does in eastern Oregon.

There are various Bronco6g members in this area who like to take on trails like the Rubicon such as Snacktime.

 

[JL8jeff]

You can get aftermarket wheels that are 10 lbs lighter than the stock Sas wheels and then get a D or E rated tire that is 10-15 lbs heavier and they should provide better puncture protection. The weight difference will be minimal. I went with C rated KO2 37's and lighter wheels and I'm getting better mpg than the KM3 35's I had.

 

[Enginerd]

I ended up with Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T.

They ride quiet, are three peak rated, and great in the rocks. They are a bit heavy, otherwise very happy!

Tires are very subjective to preference.

 

[zuke]

I think i need to consider buying lighter wheels then to offset the heavier tires. The MT Legend EXPs are about 10lbs heavier right? Any negatives? Are you planning to go with the MT Boss just for better durability?

It's pretty easy to find lighter rims, I was running Procomp Vintage 69's with my Razr's Which more than made up for tire weight difference..

I Loved the old school look, but I bent the outside of rims quite a few times, and cracked them a couple times...

I'm getting ready to upgrade on my new (To Me) two door, and I'm definitely going for a look before function... Going K03 315/70r17s (for RWLs) and Mickey Thompson Canyon Polished rims, this is gonna again put me about the same weight as the stock setup on my Badlands non-squatch..

4A in the wet is keeping the K02's somewhat planted in the rain (they still suck in 2wd), and I'll use that with the KO3's if needed, I'll see if I bend the Canyons on Daniel at Uwharrie, where I bent at least one Procomp every year

 

[crenca]

I think i need to consider buying lighter wheels then to offset the heavier tires. The MT Legend EXPs are about 10lbs heavier right? Any negatives? Are you planning to go with the MT Boss just for better durability?

Going from memory there are two versions/SKU numbers in 35x12.5r17, with very slight different load ratings (both D), one listed as 62.bs and the other 64lbs on MT's website. I found one of them (can't recall which) on sale at Walmart (for hardly more then the GT's which are normally $100 or more lower then just about all other options) and my local Discount Tire price matched.

I can feel the extra unsprung weight on road (well, when pushing it a bit - I do drive hard on road at times), but the sidewall's are a bit stiffer at the same time so overall they don't feel as "squishy/squirmy" as the GT's did on road. Offroad I have to drop to 17/18 psi to get the same sidewall bulge and deformation as the GT at 20-22psi so the sidewalls (despite being "2 ply" rated) are more firm and robust it would seem. More tread depth new as well, and of course the tread design is a "hybrid", somewhere between AT & Mud (closer to AT in truth). Overall I trust them more the the GT's, and the tread is not cupping (i.e. gouging parts of thread away on sharp rocks) as much as the GT's under the same conditions so I believe it to be a fundamentally more durable off road tire.

As far as negatives, I thought the EXP's would be more of a comprise on road but it turned out not to be as much as I was anticipating.

Yes when I get around to replacing them I am thinking I will go with RRW wheels or something similiar to help offset the extra weight of an even more durable "3/4 ply" rated sidewall tire like the MT Boss...maybe...maybe the EXP's will satisfy me and I will save $ and keep using the Sasquatch wheels

 

[swooshdave]

Yeah, well said. I can’t tell the difference at 16K miles as to whether mine are self-correcting or not, but that’s because my mudflaps mute the rock flinging. I have some sports cars and do occasional amateur track stuff and have experienced how much lighter weight rotating mass can affect track and street performance. So, even with my Bronco, which obviously isn’t a track car, I’d still bias towards lightweight Goodyears. I’ll likely change my mind though if I end up doing trail repairs. My friend @swooshdave with a Badlands has K03’s (I think) and he does really well with his and he wasn’t impressed with his Goodyears.

Yes, K03s. I destroyed the Goodyears with what I only consider mild to moderate off-roading.

Sponsored