Tire question -- with a twist

[timhood]

Let's say you wanted to get a set of 315/70R/17 tires in Load C. The primary use will be rock-crawling and trails up to level 6-7 (basically the most a Badlands on 315s should be doing). These will not be used as daily drivers.

Let's say you have one perfectly good (no mileage) OEM Goodyear tire. Do you get 4 more Goodyears, and save money? Or get 5 of something else? 4 Goodyears vs. 5 KO2s is about $775 difference, so no small price difference $366/tire mounted vs. $264/tire mounted). I think other options would be priced similarly to the KO2s.

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[HighVelocity]

For dedicated rock crawling: neither. No C range tire makes the cut.

 

[Brian_B]

No real input, just dropping this here because of the title

 

[Brian_B]

Also - sounds like you were doing a 4-tire rotation. I'd say if you were doing that, you keep on with just 4 tires. I just hope you like those tires.

If you were already doing 6-7 trails on those tires, and they made the cut, unless there was something about them that you didn't like sounds like you just stick with them.

That said, if these are the Territories, not sure you can get that exact same tire again. Someone else went to get a set of Territory M/Ts, and their tread pattern was significantly different. Even the 2024 OEM tire has a different tread pattern from earlier years. That doesn't terribly matter if you are just doing 4-tire rotation, as if you are ever using the spare it's just to get you back to civilization and get your original repaired, but it may matter if it bothers you seeing the spare being a different tire. Now if you do find the same tire - disregard, just a word of warning from what I've heard others run into.

 

[SeptuagenerianSasquatch]

I assume you're driving a Badlands SAS? I've found the OEM Goodyears very adequate on a 4DR Badlands SAS for 6-8/10 rockcrawling in Utah and New England. Only needed my winch a few times, knock on wood. My complaint with them has been the rock chucking, and that they grabbed stones which worked up into the ply, which gave me flats (Utah BLM roads) because I was new and hadn't aired down. Assuming you do air down, you could save a few bucks and go with the 4 Goodyears. If your budget allows, splurge the KO2s.
It seems you're rotating 4. Do reconsider that, and rotate 5 when you make your decision. Whatever your decision, you need a compressor, if you don't have one yet, plus a plug and the GlueTread sidewall repair kit.

Edit: @Brian_B posted while I was writing, so the difference in tread makes a...difference. Check the Seller's Mart at the bottom of the forums, and Facebook Marketplace: perhaps you can find 4 Goodyears that match your spare. Do insist on a close-up image so you're matching the tread of your spare. I do recommend a 5-tire rotation. Spares, especially those mounted and exposed to the elements, do deteriorate without use.

 

[Oldhippie]

I don’t care about matching the spare as long as it is kind’a close to the same size…it is just an “emergency/get ya to a tire store“ thing…I am not a fan of the stock Goodyears for anything more than highway use and no fan of BFGs off road either…my next tires will probably be Yokohama…but what do I know…

 

[timhood]

For dedicated rock crawling: neither. No C range tire makes the cut.

I’ve been running the 285/70/17 KO2s without issues.

 

[HighVelocity]

I’ve been running the 285/70/17 KO2s without issues.

A lot of people have gotten away with doing a lot o dumb things 'without issues', but it doesn't make it the right approach if you can avoid it.

 

[timhood]

Also - sounds like you were doing a 4-tire rotation. I'd say if you were doing that, you keep on with just 4 tires. I just hope you like those tires.

If you were already doing 6-7 trails on those tires, and they made the cut, unless there was something about them that you didn't like sounds like you just stick with them.

That said, if these are the Territories, not sure you can get that exact same tire again. Someone else went to get a set of Territory M/Ts, and their tread pattern was significantly different.

I assume you're driving a Badlands SAS? I've found the OEM Goodyears very adequate on a 4DR Badlands SAS for 6-8/10 rockcrawling in Utah and New England.
...
It seems you're rotating 4. Do reconsider that, and rotate 5 when you make your decision. Whatever your decision, you need a compressor, if you don't have one yet, plus a plug and the GlueTread sidewall repair kit.

I should have added to the backstory that I have a non-Sas Badlands and have been using the OEM KO2s (285s) for off-roading in a 5-tire rotation. I recently acquired Badlands Sas wheels with one unused Goodyear Territory tire. My plan was to do a 5-tire rotation with whatever tires I get with the 315s being strictly for off-road use (and to/from).

On Tire Rack, they list two tread patterns for the Territory tires, with one being a "TPC spec." I'm assuming that one of those versions may match the tread of tire I have, and maybe their customer service can clarify that.

 

[adam1991]

Let's say you have one perfectly good (no mileage) OEM Goodyear tire.

Define "perfectly good". Is it brand new, given to you as a gift?

Or are we talking the 3 year old spare hanging off the back of your Bronco?

Tires degrade over time even without being used. That 3 year old spare is not necessarily "perfectly good" compared to 4 brand new tires.

 

[zuke]

For dedicated rock crawling: neither. No C range tire makes the cut.

If you were already doing 6-7 trails on those tires, and they made the cut, unless there was something about them that you didn't like sounds like you just stick with them.

Both of the above are solid advice.

There really isn't a reason to run a C range tire if it is truly a dedicated crawler, The places I crawl with granite and sharp rocks will eat a C range tire sidewall in no time flat.

With a dedicated crawler where you can drop the pressure into the low teens or single digits, and you're running under 15mph, the ride comfort of a D or E rated tire isn't notably different than a C rated tire.

On the other hand, Utah is mostly Limestone and sedimentary rock, So not nearly as hard on tire sidewalls, So if you've been fine with a C rated, and don't plan to wheel places with sharp igneous rocks, then you could probably continue running C range tires without issue, But be aware that with the 35" tire, you will have a taller and some what more vulnerable sidewall.

 

[timhood]

Define "perfectly good". Is it brand new, given to you as a gift?

Or are we talking about the 3-year-old spare hanging off the back of your Bronco?

Tires degrade over time even without being used. That 3-year-old spare is not necessarily "perfectly good" compared to 4 brand-new tires.

I'll have to check the date code, but I'm not worried about a tire that's a couple of years old. Tires with 50-80K warranties are expected to last a number of years. There were no visible signs of the tire showing any aging. If I had to buy 5 tires, I'd surely choose something different, though.

 

[adam1991]

Tires with 50-80K warranties are expected to last a number of years. There were no visible signs of the tire showing any aging.

One thing I've learned over the years, visual tests are unreliable.

I don't know about the high mile warranties vs the degradation rate. A very quick search shows this about high mile warranty tires:

However, it’s crucial to remember that these warranties typically have a time limit, often around 5 to 6 years. So, even if the tires haven’t hit their mileage cap, the warranty might expire.

YMMV.

 

[timhood]

Seems like a lot of people would go ahead and pay the difference to get something better than the Sasquatch Goodyear tires. It's a bit of a hard pill to swallow mentally, paying up to double the price, but at least I have some time to figure it out.

 

[BoverW]

Seems like a lot of people would go ahead and pay the difference to get something better than the Sasquatch Goodyear tires. It's a bit of a hard pill to swallow mentally, paying up to double the price, but at least I have some time to figure it out.

Hold after Black Friday. You may find some like new used tires. Good luck!

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