The Best Truck Tires, According to Experts (September 2023 review by C&D / RealTruck)

[RADRide]

Like the Recon Grappler, I don't have any direct experience with the Nomad Grappler. It has a smaller range of sizes and the largest 17" tire is a 285/70R17. That's a good fit on a non Squatch Bronco and it's a P rated tire, so it should ride good. Nitto's wear very well, I would expect it to last longer than most other tires. And it's 3PMSF rated, so it should be better than average in winter weather.

That's the best I can do... If it was the size and spec I was looking for, I wouldn't have a problem giving it a try.

@Pressurized I've been looking into the Cooper AT3 4S, it seems like they are discontinuing it and its being replaced by the Road & Trail, they currently don't offer a 285, do you have any intel if they will be adding sizes to the line if the 4S is going away

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[Big Boss]

@Pressurized

Is the ridge grappler really that bad in wet and snow conditions? I see them on tons of jeeps/broncos and pick ups around me in the suburbs of Chicago so I can't imagine they are that bad in snow. But it seems like the reviews I read are pretty split. Some people say they are great in rain and snow and others say they are absolutely useless.

 

[Pressurized]

@Pressurized

Is the ridge grappler really that bad in wet and snow conditions? I see them on tons of jeeps/broncos and pick ups around me in the suburbs of Chicago so I can't imagine they are that bad in snow. But it seems like the reviews I read are pretty split. Some people say they are great in rain and snow and others say they are absolutely useless.

In most cases, people that have a tire tend to rate it well, it's a confirmation bias to support their decision to buy that tire. It applies to my daughter also, she has Ridge Grapplers on her 2dr Jeep and after finding how slippery they were in the rain, she tried to defend them for how good they looked... I'm not going to oversell how bad they are in snow, because my experience is all based on wet weather use and a little ice. For an all terrain, they were worse in the wet than any other all terrain I have tried or sold. They aren't a 3PMSF tire and that alone tells you they won't be as good as other tires that do carry the 3PMSF rating in inclement weather. 3PMSF is mostly a snow rating, but 3PMSF tires simply perform better in winter weather conditions.

 

[Big Boss]

In most cases, people that have a tire tend to rate it well, it's a confirmation bias to support their decision to buy that tire. It applies to my daughter also, she has Ridge Grapplers on her 2dr Jeep and after finding how slippery they were in the rain, she tried to defend them for how good they looked... I'm not going to oversell how bad they are in snow, because my experience is all based on wet weather use and a little ice. For an all terrain, they were worse in the wet than any other all terrain I have tried or sold. They aren't a 3PMSF tire and that alone tells you they won't be as good as other tires that do carry the 3PMSF rating in inclement weather. 3PMSF is mostly a snow rating, but 3PMSF tires simply perform better in winter weather conditions.

Thanks for the response! Few more questions if I may.

I guess where my head is going though is are they really that bad though lol. Like is it people are expecting them to perform like a snow tire and they don't or are they actually that bad. I used to drive Mustangs. I never had snow or winter tires, I never put extra weight in the back. I never got stuck once in Chicago winters. I ran the factory all season tires all year. Was it sketchy sometimes, yeah but I just took my time and paid attention. Never once did I feel the need for winter/snow tires.

I remember one summer I even kept my Nitto Drag radials on all summer and they were fine in the rain despite everyone saying never to do that lol(the MT drag radials on the other hand that was scary haha)

You obviously know more than me since this is what you do lol so I'm just trying to do my research as thoroughly as possible lol. I don't want to drop the $ on tires and realize they are junk lol.

 

[Pressurized]

Thanks for the response! Few more questions if I may.

I guess where my head is going though is are they really that bad though lol. Like is it people are expecting them to perform like a snow tire and they don't or are they actually that bad. I used to drive Mustangs. I never had snow or winter tires, I never put extra weight in the back. I never got stuck once in Chicago winters. I ran the factory all season tires all year. Was it sketchy sometimes, yeah but I just took my time and paid attention. Never once did I feel the need for winter/snow tires.

I remember one summer I even kept my Nitto Drag radials on all summer and they were fine in the rain despite everyone saying never to do that lol(the MT drag radials on the other hand that was scary haha)

You obviously know more than me since this is what you do lol so I'm just trying to do my research as thoroughly as possible lol. I don't want to drop the $ on tires and realize they are junk lol.

They are a great off road tire and perfectly fine in normal weather conditions. Are they like slicks? No, I just immediately noticed the rear step out under mild acceleration on a city street near where we lived while it was raining. So then I played with them a bit and noticed that they slid around a LOT more than any other tires I've had. Also have had a number of customers comment that they were slippery in the wet. Now, they certainly aren't drift tires... But with them, you can drift a little more than a 3PMSF tire would let you.

Good luck!

 

[Big Boss]

@Pressurized thanks thats very helpful! I'll bug you one more time lol

so what tire would you recommend for me. Honestly it's 95% a pavement princess, I go off-road maybe a few times a year if that. Mostly dirt and easy forest trails and some mud. The factory duelers have actually performed just fine for what I do off road but I want something slightly bigger and more aggressive looking

 

[Pressurized]

@Pressurized thanks thats very helpful! I'll bug you one more time lol

so what tire would you recommend for me. Honestly it's 95% a pavement princess, I go off-road maybe a few times a year if that. Mostly dirt and easy forest trails and some mud. The factory duelers have actually performed just fine for what I do off road but I want something slightly bigger and more aggressive looking

A per my first post in this thread, my favorite all terrain is the Falken AT3w. But make sure you get something that is no heavier than a load range C if you want to keep your pavement ride quality. They have an SL tire in 285/70R17 that is an excellent tire for a non-squatch Bronco.

The BFG KO2's are also a very good all around tire and worth consideration. The other tire I like is the Toyo ATIII. All 3 of those are 3PMSF rated so they work in all conditions.

 

[redone17]

I’m really leaning Mickey Thompson Baja Boss after my Toyo AT3 wear out…hope they sort out the balancing issues in a couple of years.

The Toyo aren’t great on wet pavement - as mentioned. I honestly just need to remember to turn off my sprint booster - but, the main issue is coming off the line - I’m going to do some hard brake testing the next rainy day. Otherwise, they have performed great for me in literally every other category.

One question I will ask you @Pressurized - there are SO many options in the 35-37” range that have a rim width spec of 8-10”. I’m pretty adamant about hanging onto the steelies - but they are 7.5”. Detrimental if only airing down to 17-18 psi? Some Northeast rocks, gravel/forest and beach sand.

Maybe one day I’ll splurge on some wheels - but, the idea of dropping $1500 on a component that is destined for damage is pretty moronic to me. Perhaps someone will make old school looking wheels with replaceable rings.

 

[Tor148]

@Pressurized what do you think of the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro?

I know its an MT. I drive about three and a half hours to where I wheel. I like the teritory but looking for an upgrade. Wet handling is priorty, then noise, then rock crawling. Any thoughts are highly appreciated.

 

[Pressurized]

I’m really leaning Mickey Thompson Baja Boss after my Toyo AT3 wear out…hope they sort out the balancing issues in a couple of years.

The Toyo aren’t great on wet pavement - as mentioned. I honestly just need to remember to turn off my sprint booster - but, the main issue is coming off the line - I’m going to do some hard brake testing the next rainy day. Otherwise, they have performed great for me in literally every other category.

One question I will ask you @Pressurized - there are SO many options in the 35-37” range that have a rim width spec of 8-10”. I’m pretty adamant about hanging onto the steelies - but they are 7.5”. Detrimental if only airing down to 17-18 psi? Some Northeast rocks, gravel/forest and beach sand.

Maybe one day I’ll splurge on some wheels - but, the idea of dropping $1500 on a component that is destined for damage is pretty moronic to me. Perhaps someone will make old school looking wheels with replaceable rings.

I try to stay within the MFG recommended wheel widths, but 1/2" off either way isn't going to make a noticeable difference in my opinion. It's 1/4" each side... We have the same 7.5" factory wheel width in the Jeep world and put on 315/70's for customers that want to keep the factory wheels. Although on the Jeep we need wheel spacers because we have a backspacing problem with the Jeeps that isn't a prevalent on the Bronco.

The Toyo AT3 has been a good all around tire for us, just not as good as the Falken or BFG. Not all of the Baja Boss are a problem, just some. And they tend to take more weight to balance than the other 2. It's made by Cooper and they make good tires, so I suspect they'll get it sorted out.

 

[Pressurized]

@Pressurized what do you think of the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro?

I know its an MT. I drive about three and a half hours to where I wheel. I like the teritory but looking for an upgrade. Wet handling is priorty, then noise, then rock crawling. Any thoughts are highly appreciated.

STT Pro is a decent tire, sell quite a few. I think I would go with the Baja Boss MT, I think it might be slightly better in the wet, but otherwise the construction of the 2 tires is identical, both made by Cooper.

The Falken Wildpeak MT is my favorite mud terrain even though I run the Patagonia's. It balances well, is quiet enough and rides good too. Not sure how I would rate it for wet handling though... Never had any negative experience, that's what I can say.

 

[Tor148]

STT Pro is a decent tire, sell quite a few. I think I would go with the Baja Boss MT, I think it might be slightly better in the wet, but otherwise the construction of the 2 tires is identical, both made by Cooper.

The Falken Wildpeak MT is my favorite mud terrain even though I run the Patagonia's. It balances well, is quiet enough and rides good too. Not sure how I would rate it for wet handling though... Never had any negative experience, that's what I can say.

Great info, thank you. I read the Baja Boss MT is really noisy? I will check out the Falken. Why the Patagonia's if you like the falken?

 

[Pressurized]

Great info, thank you. I read the Baja Boss MT is really noisy? I will check out the Falken. Why the Patagonia's if you like the falken?

At the time I bought Pat's for both Jeeps they had unreal pricing... I paid $158/ea for my 315's on the 4dr and less than $200 for the ones on the LJ. It's not like that any more...

 

[Tor148]

At the time I bought Pat's for both Jeeps they had unreal pricing... I paid $158/ea for my 315's on the 4dr and less than $200 for the ones on the LJ. It's not like that any more...

Yeah, thats an amazing price!!

 

[WestVirginia]

I do enjoy articles like this... But it's important to note that advertising money is almost ALWAYS influencing the outcome from media sources like this.

I sell tires as a consultant for a medium volume offroad shop. I do tires on over 100 Jeep, Bronco and trucks every year. So it's just my opinion, but I do get to see what brands have balancing issues, out of round tires and need warranty replacements more than most people.

But it's still just my opinion... I'm going to give them "some" credit as the list is not far from mine.

They put the Ridge Grappler as best "on road" A/T. I disagree, it's the best off road A/T. But it's the absolute worst A/T in the rain. Wet weather traction is well below all of the other tires on their list. And it's not 3PMSF rated like the others.

They have the Toyo ATIII as the best all around A/T. I would list it 3rd... It does most things well, but not as good as some others in most categories.

The Falken AT3W is listed as best winter A/T. For me, this is the best all around A/T. It does everything in the top 2 of all the tires listed. Best winter, second best on road, second best off road, etc. Literally no weakness.

BFG KO2 as all around runner up... Good all around tire and yes, my runner up to the Falken. My biggest complaint is they run smaller than the other tires in like size comparisons. But they are good in winter, good on road and good offroad. Just not the top in any of the categories.

Then they have the LTX... Yes, it's the best on road, but it's an M/S tire and not to be confused with a true A/T.

They don't include my favorite "on road" A/T and that is the Cooper AT3 4S. It's the best on road A/T and doesn't give up too much off road. And it's also good in Winter. It doesn't look very aggressive, but it's a good tire.

The Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T is becoming more popular by the day and I think it's a good tire in all categories, but I find they ride a little firmer than the Falken or BFG, so not my favorite.

Just my opinion as someone that does a lot of tires... For what it's worth, In my Jeep club, I have the nickname "tire slut"....

Enjoy!!!!

Excellent feedback. I spend 90% highway and 10% gravel trail and roads. Which do you recommend. Less road noise the better.

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