Michelin Defender Tires installed!!!

[Layman]

How come no one in the Virginia area has called dibs on the KO2s yet?

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[BWepps]

To All,
the BF stock were a bit loud for my "better half"...

So went with LT 285/70/17

Michelin Defender, LTX M/S

and hopefully "my dinner will always be in oven WRAM".

It's your and your better half's Bronco, make it your own! As long as you don't put 22" Rims and low-profile tires on it that is. Nice looking rig you've got there, especially the color!

I went the other way this weekend and removed my Bridgestone Duelers (super quiet & comfy BTW) for a set of Wildtrak (SAS) take-offs with Goodyear Territory MT's. Definitely changed the ride profile.

 

[FlyingScot]

I sure hope Michelin sees an opportunity with the volume of Ford, Dodge and Jeep vehicles hitting the road in the past few years with the 315/70r17s and start making the LTX in that size (ideally in something less than load range E). Had a set on my old Frontier, and for a 95% on-road use AT tire it's at the top of the totem pole as far as I'm concerned, and absurdly long-lived to boot.

I went through two sets of Michelin Cross Terrain Radials on a 2000 Ford Expedition. Both sets went over 100,000 miles each!

The LTX AT2 set I had was at 105k when it was changed out, and not because of treadwear, but 6 years of Texas sun had started the sidewalls cracking

 

[redone17]

We use these in our Transit Connect XLT. We’ve been happy with them, but why have a Badlands with less capable rubber?

 

[DriveAllNight]

Great road tires, have them on my truck and swear by them, I personally wouldn't put them on the Bronco but I get it.

 

[BostonSasquatch]

It's your and your better half's Bronco, make it your own! As long as you don't put 22" Rims and low-profile tires on it that is. Nice looking rig you've got there, especially the color!

I went the other way this weekend and removed my Bridgestone Duelers (super quiet & comfy BTW) for a set of Wildtrak (SAS) take-offs with Goodyear Territory MT's. Definitely changed the ride profile.

I'm curious about your decision process. I read of more people taking off their GY "Territories" and moving to something larger or tougher.
I have GY Territories on my Badlands 4Dr Sas. After a bit of back-roading in New England and West Virginia, I drove to Moab and spent a few days on easy-to-moderate trails with some introductory but authentic rockcrawling. Along with Moab's rough but graded roads, no problem.

Then I drove to my real destination--the west Utah desert. I started on the Pony Express Historic Byway out of Toelle (great family ride), got stuck in some muck outside Fish Springs Wildlife Refuge. The lugs filled up with wet-clay-like mud, got no purchase even with treadboards. Happily, a Ford Explorer was able to haul me out. That long kinetic strap was a life saver!

Now, my main point: I got a flat, got aired up sufficiently and made a mad dash to Toelle Ford, who sold me a new Goodyear. "Four rock holes," they said. (I have questions--should have taken a closer look.) Okay, sh*t happens.

But I was only driving on graded, maintained dirt & gravel roads! Two days later (in Gold Hill, Ut) another flat! I patched the puncture, mounted my spare, and drove 45 miles to Wendover and got it properly repaired. Okay, sometimes sh*t really happens. Lose another day.

Next day, just short of Partoun UT, I get my 3rd flat. That meant a 50+mile drive to Wendover, and another lost day. Again: a rock caught in the Territory's tread and working its way through the ply. I was traveling alone, and I couldn't risk this happening deep in Snake Valley or the Confusion (mountain) Range--my real destination (research for a book). Bummer. So I abandoned my trek and limited myself to asphalt sight-seeing before driving back to New England. (Check a map + images if you're curious. Very remote.

So that's my story. I'm researching good sturdy tires (BFG K02s have a loyal following) but will not take these Goodyears deep into the desert. I'm interested in your purchasing decision and other experience.

Keep wheeling!

 

[BWepps]

Hello @BostonSasquatch ,

I've heard a few negative reviews/comments on the Territory MT's which honestly does have me a bit worried. However, here's my decision tree for picking these up (which based on your post may not be relevant):

• I did not care for the look of the Bridgestone Duelers on my OBX and wanted a larger and more aggressive look.
• I did not have a big budget for a wheel/tire upgrade and got an absolutely smokin' deal on these essentially new Wildtrak Take-offs.
• I also wanted to move from the 18" wheel size of the OBX to a more standard 17".

95% of the time this Bronco will be a pavement princess. Like Boston, winters here in IL can be harsh and I bought the Bronco for it's 4WD capabilities and height. I will take this to some more "tame" off-road trails, but I doubt I'll be stressing the capabilities of the Bronco.

Happy Trails.

 

[FlyingScot]

Hello @BostonSasquatch ,

I've heard a few negative reviews/comments on the Territory MT's which honestly does have me a bit worried. However, here's my decision tree for picking these up (which based on your post may not be relevant):

• I did not care for the look of the Bridgestone Duelers on my OBX and wanted a larger and more aggressive look.
• I did not have a big budget for a wheel/tire upgrade and got an absolutely smokin' deal on these essentially new Wildtrak Take-offs.
• I also wanted to move from the 18" wheel size of the OBX to a more standard 17".

95% of the time this Bronco will be a pavement princess. Like Boston, winters here in IL can be harsh and I bought the Bronco for it's 4WD capabilities and height. I will take this to some more "tame" off-road trails, but I doubt I'll be stressing the capabilities of the Bronco.

Happy Trails.

With the escalation in tire prices over the last two years, Sasquatch take-offs can be one of the better deals for 35" (well, 35-ish) tires, regardless of what tire it is. The K02s I wish they had used in the first place are now $2100 for a set of five installed from Discount Tire.

The Territory isn't an awful tire that anyone should fear, but it was designed to be the lightest 315/70r17 by nearly 10 lbs (well, it was designed to be the most fuel-efficient 315-70r17 that was lighter as a result), and it's going to wear quickly and need regular rotation and balancing. People just need to be cognizant of that fact when they beat on it.

 

[BWepps]

With the escalation in tire prices over the last two years, Sasquatch take-offs can be one of the better deals for 35" (well, 35-ish) tires, regardless of what tire it is. The K02s I wish they had used in the first place are now $2100 for a set of five installed from Discount Tire.

The Territory isn't an awful tire that anyone should fear, but it was designed to be the lightest 315/70r17 by nearly 10 lbs (well, it was designed to be the most fuel-efficient 315-70r17 that was lighter as a result), and it's going to wear quickly and need regular rotation and balancing. People just need to be cognizant of that fact when they beat on it.

Good insight there @FlyingScot ,

I do like that it is a "C" Rated Tire and somewhat light for it's size. I think it actually is within a pound of a 285/70/R17 KO2 (33"). I'm pretty consistent about a Rotate & Balance every 6,000 miles which will hopefully extend the life on these a bit.

 

[FlyingScot]

Good insight there @FlyingScot ,

I do like that it is a "C" Rated Tire and somewhat light for it's size. I think it actually is within a pound of a 285/70/R17 KO2 (33"). I'm pretty consistent about a Rotate & Balance every 6,000 miles which will hopefully extend the life on these a bit.

I'm up to 6200 miles on mine and just did a five-tire rotation myself, which turned out to be a bit of false economy not wanting to pay DT to do it, the spare was not properly balanced from the factory and has quite a vibration at highway speeds, so it looks like I'm paying them anyways and just got a free full-body workout wrestling those things around.

The C-load ratings sure do get rarer in the bigger tire sizes, I'm disappointed such great, modern tread designs (Falken Wildpeaks, for example) are only offered in monster 10-ply sidewalls and 70+ lbs apiece. If BFG can make a C-load tire in the low 60# range, the others can too, and you'd think there'd be a not-tiny market for such a thing with how prevalent the Bronco, Raptor, TRX and Jeeps with the xtreme recon package seem to be.

 

[Dingbat]

With the escalation in tire prices over the last two years, Sasquatch take-offs can be one of the better deals for 35" (well, 35-ish) tires, regardless of what tire it is. The K02s I wish they had used in the first place are now $2100 for a set of five installed from Discount Tire.

The Territory isn't an awful tire that anyone should fear, but it was designed to be the lightest 315/70r17 by nearly 10 lbs (well, it was designed to be the most fuel-efficient 315-70r17 that was lighter as a result), and it's going to wear quickly and need regular rotation and balancing. People just need to be cognizant of that fact when they beat on it.

I use Discount Tire for my snow tires because nobody else around here can get Nokians for me but for everything else my local guy crushes them on price. Case in point, I just ordered a set of 265/75/16 Dynapros for the Bronco and they were about 25% less mounted and balanced.

 

[BostonSasquatch]

Hello @BostonSasquatch ,

I've heard a few negative reviews/comments on the Territory MT's which honestly does have me a bit worried. However, here's my decision tree for picking these up (which based on your post may not be relevant):

• I did not care for the look of the Bridgestone Duelers on my OBX and wanted a larger and more aggressive look.
• I did not have a big budget for a wheel/tire upgrade and got an absolutely smokin' deal on these essentially new Wildtrak Take-offs.
• I also wanted to move from the 18" wheel size of the OBX to a more standard 17".

95% of the time this Bronco will be a pavement princess. Like Boston, winters here in IL can be harsh and I bought the Bronco for it's 4WD capabilities and height. I will take this to some more "tame" off-road trails, but I doubt I'll be stressing the capabilities of the Bronco.

Happy Trails.

Thanks for your side of the story. Hopefully, my situation was freak, or a problem production run and you do better. I did find my territories very adequate on fairly steep slick rock, and handling various rock steps of twelve inches and more. Also, a few reviewers have noted that they're excellent for snow and adequate on ice.
If I understand it right, the "Territory" is the "Wrangler," re-branded. So they have seen a fair bit of off-road service. It's just that they're noted for grabbing rocks ("rock-chuckers," somebody on the Forum called them). If you haven't already, invest in mudflaps to protect your flanks. I'm doing that, plus a full-length step to control kicked-up stones.

Any thoughts to share on the Duelers' asphalt and off-road performance?

Happy trails, and Godspeed!

 

[FlyingScot]

I use Discount Tire for my snow tires because nobody else around here can get Nokians for me but for everything else my local guy crushes them on price. Case in point, I just ordered a set of 265/75/16 Dynapros for the Bronco and they were about 25% less mounted and balanced.

I've used them since they've been convenient as can be to both my place of work and home, and have done so for quite a few years, but their prices have gone up lately and appointment times no longer get you serviced when you show up on time it seems. Will definitely be shopping around before the next set.

 

[BWepps]

I've used them since they've been convenient as can be to both my place of work and home, and have done so for quite a few years, but their prices have gone up lately and appointment times no longer get you serviced when you show up on time it seems. Will definitely be shopping around before the next set.

I've found that you can negotiate with Discount Tire a bit and their free services are worth a ton! When I brought my Bronco in and asked them to do the full wheel swap (they were already balanced). Totally free to remove 4 x OBX wheels & tires and install the 4 x SAS Wheels & Tires. That's pretty amazing and it included relearning the TPMS.

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