Power Wagon Registry

Ok a little collective input from the mob requested. Stock Duratracs are about done, 30K miles, not bad, not great. I did like them, I didn't experience any excessive shaking, swerving, noise, or vibes, despite several here having bad experiences with theirs. They were great in the snow, good on ice, no chunking, decent in muddy ground, no sand experience, never really aired down below 30psi. I've been researching high & low for suitable replacement for an all around tire and in what's the optimal FUNCTIONAL size, 35" or 37".

My PW is not my DD, so I can get away with a little more aggressive tire, I'm leaning toward a hybrid tire, either the Toyo RT, the new Nitto Ridge Grappler, or Discoverer STT Maxx. All 3 are available in 35" & 37". I can find the Nittos cheapest, but the Toyo has a 45k mileage warranty. I can get either 37 or 35's in the Toyo or Nitto for basically the same price OTD. I do like the look of the Nitto Ridge Grappler maybe a bit more than the Toyo, but that's the least important criteria.

Although 37's look the best, they're really only about a 1" mounted difference, depending on tire. However 37" tires weigh considerably more, resulting in increased rolling resistance, decreased mpg, increased braking distance, slower acceleration from stop, and increased driveline wear and tear. Several gear ratio/RPM/tire size charts out there show the optimal tire size for 4.88's at 36", so that's no real help. I'm leaning toward 35's in the Nitto thus far....

http://m.nittotire.com/light-truck-tire ... e/#reviews

https://www.toyotires.com/tire/pattern/ ... rain-tires

The functional diameter of the Toyo RT is pretty close to 36". I don't have any experience with the Nitto and they haven't been around very long. They're probably made in the same factory though. 37's are the answer.

Opinions are like assholes...but....

37 KO2s. Aggressive looking tire with street manners. I have had duratracs, falken rocky mountain ats, KOs, and now KO2s. The new KO2 is a great all around tire. I originally went with a 35" but was a little disappointed with how it measured out when it was mounted and on the truck (under 34"). I upgraded to the same tire in a 37" and couldn't be happier. They measure out to 35.25". I have a stock suspension other than a 1.5" level, like you I believe, and have very minor rubbing at full articulation. I took the long road to figuring out 37s were the way to go so just do it right the first time and take the plunge.

I personally don't like Nitto or Toyo "truck" tires, but put that aside... Throw all the math out the window and get 37's, especially since it's not your DD. I went to 35's and then to 37's, wont ever go back down. Doesn't seem like a big difference on paper but every inch counts on a long wheel base.

Will wrote:I personally don't like Nitto or Toyo "truck" tires, but put that aside... Throw all the math out the window and get 37's, especially since it's not your DD. I went to 35's and then to 37's, wont ever go back down. Doesn't seem like a big difference on paper but every inch counts on a long wheel base.

Will, didn't you just replace your Geolander's with Cooper or BFG's or Hankook's?

He went with 37" Hankook mudders.

37" RTs. Gearing makes it a no brainer.

I put 37" by 12.50 m/ts on my truck and they honest to goodness are hardly much louder than the oem duratracs. They ride exceptionally well and balanced very well. I've had them on one jobsite which was 191 acres of mostly dry agricultural field and the few spots of light mud were zero challenge for the tire. With +20mm offset wheels 9" wide they don't rub anything on the street and in 90% of situations I have truck in after I performed the trimming and heat gun work (trim pinch weld heat gun plastic inner fender liners/splash shields. They have performed great in torrential rains we've had the past month as well. With only around 700 miles of experience on them I can't recommend them more.

I would not get the 13.5" tire as it is nearly 2" wider according to Toyo and would likely rub unless lifting the truck.

I've had 37" Nitto Trail Grappler MT's on my truck for about 13,000 miles now and as others have said I will not go any smaller than a 37"... I've also had 35" Nitto Trail Grappler MT's on my stock rims for about 8,000 miles or so on my 14 wagon... My set up now with the Trail Ready Wheels and 37" Nittos only weigh about 6lbs more than when I ran 35" Nitto's on the stock wheels... Both Toyo and Nitto are the same company... I've also had the Toyo MT's on my JKUR and they were really good tires as well... My only complaint on my Nittos is they don't seem to be wearing evenly and I keep them rotated at 4K... Since this is not your DD I would say go ahead and step up to a 37", especially since you already have a leveling kit and regear... This is just my opinion... I too am looking at the Toyo RT or Ridge Grappler for my next set... I've heard great things about the RT's... The Ridge Grapplers are too new to have any good reviews yet... I too like the look of the Ridge Grappler over the Toyo RT but that won't be my only reason for going with one over the other... Go ahead and do the 37's... If you absolutely hate them then I'd bet you can sell them and drop to a 35" but I'd bet you won't be doing that once you get them on...

Ask any woman if she'd settle for one less inch...I think we all know the answer.

I have 35" Toyos on the PW (now AT-2s after the MTs wore out) and 33" Nitto Grapplers on the old GMC. No perceptible difference in ride, noise or traction among the three tires, except for some lug noise on the MTs at low speed on pavement. The Toyos seem to wear better than the Nittos. And it may just be my imagination, but the Toyo MTs may have been just a tick better in deep sand than the AT-2s. I'll never buy BFGs again unless they are almost free.

I forgot to mention I run the 37" M/T Toyos on my truck which is my daily driver.

Reloaderguy wrote:Ask any woman if she'd settle for one less inch...I think we all know the answer.

Witty--that made me laugh! Good relief from the chaos of moving right now, well done.

adeluca73 wrote:

Will wrote:I personally don't like Nitto or Toyo "truck" tires, but put that aside... Throw all the math out the window and get 37's, especially since it's not your DD. I went to 35's and then to 37's, wont ever go back down. Doesn't seem like a big difference on paper but every inch counts on a long wheel base.

Will, didn't you just replace your Geolander's with Cooper or BFG's or Hankook's?

olyelr wrote:He went with 37" Hankook mudders.

Yep, went to the Hankook Dynapro MT's this round. The Geolander AT/s is an awesome tire for what it's worth and will actually get you through way more stuff than they look like they would. I would say they're the top 37" tire economy wise, no big lugs to catch the air, light weight (lighter than many 35's), long life, great ride and good gas mileage due to those facts.

But again, 37's or go home

RamGentry wrote:Opinions are like assholes...but....

37 KO2s. Aggressive looking tire with street manners. I have had duratracs, falken rocky mountain ats, KOs, and now KO2s. The new KO2 is a great all around tire. I originally went with a 35" but was a little disappointed with how it measured out when it was mounted and on the truck (under 34"). I upgraded to the same tire in a 37" and couldn't be happier. They measure out to 35.25". I have a stock suspension other than a 1.5" level, like you I believe, and have very minor rubbing at full articulation. I took the long road to figuring out 37s were the way to go so just do it right the first time and take the plunge.

This is the direction I am leaning - I have Thuren PW coils and the duratracs look so tiny! I like having the snowflake designation and the 37 KO2s only weighing about 68 pounds which is less than most 35s. I am sticking with stock gearing so the weight is my biggest concern. Wondering if tow/haul mode will help turn the heavier, larger tires. The next lightest 37 I found was the Toyo R/T at 76 pounds.

Still trying to figure out how to deal with the spare because I want to keep a full size spare handy.

Cant speak for the Toyo or Nitto but I have had Cooper Discoverer ST MAXX on previous vehicles and really liked them. I just swapped my Duratracs for a set of Cooper Maxx's for this reason. Had the Coopers installed yesterday. 285/75/17 (Had to find them and order them). They are available in 315/70/17 as well. My Duratracs were on craigslist for one day and sold for $1000 for the set of 5 (200 miles on the set). Anyway... with the same air pressure, the Coopers are smoother and less noisy. I am happy with my purchase and although heavier, the Coopers should last much longer than the Duratracs with proper rotations. Looks like the Toyos and Nittos are equally as popular.

good luck with your choice!

Just my $0.02.

Because you have re-geared to 4.88's I would say 37" tires. I almost went with the Toyo R/T's, but ended up with the A/T II's on my truck. If I was jumping up to a 37" tire I'd go with the Toyo R/T, they seem to be a really good tire.

Hey yall, I'm liking what I'm reading so far, as I'm getting closer to the time to switch and I'd like to go to a 37 as well. However, I like the way my truck accelerates now and handles, and I don't want to lose that going to a 37. I'm on the 35X12.50X17 Nitto Trailgrapplers right now. I'm reading a bit about re-gearing, so my questions are about that. I have my 05, and therefore geared at 4.56. I see the talk of going to a 4.88, so will that offset the difference in tire size enough to match my acceleration on my current 35's? Also, dumb question, when we "re-gear" I assume that means new gears in front and rear differentials. Wait, don't answer that, that was stupid, of course you do, can't have one gear set up front and different in back. Haha. Finally, from those of you who have re-geared, where did you have it done and how much? Thanks for any input, and sorry to hijack this tire thread.

dodgeman324 wrote:Hey yall, I'm liking what I'm reading so far, as I'm getting closer to the time to switch and I'd like to go to a 37 as well. However, I like the way my truck accelerates now and handles, and I don't want to lose that going to a 37. I'm on the 35X12.50X17 Nitto Trailgrapplers right now. I'm reading a bit about re-gearing, so my questions are about that. I have my 05, and therefore geared at 4.56. I see the talk of going to a 4.88, so will that offset the difference in tire size enough to match my acceleration on my current 35's? Also, dumb question, when we "re-gear" I assume that means new gears in front and rear differentials. Wait, don't answer that, that was stupid, of course you do, can't have one gear set up front and different in back. Haha. Finally, from those of you who have re-geared, where did you have it done and how much? Thanks for any input, and sorry to hijack this tire thread.

Unfortunately for any trucks older than I want to say a '14 (maybe '13 as well) there aren't any lower gear options than the stock 4.56. Nobody makes the ring and pinion for the rear 10.5" AAM

adeluca73 wrote: My PW is not my DD, so I can get away with a little more aggressive tire, I'm leaning toward a hybrid tire, either the Toyo RT, the new Nitto Ridge Grappler, or Discoverer STT Maxx.

I had Nitto's on a previous rig the Trail Grapplers, and they were the worst tire I've ever owned. Now, I understand that tires sometimes feel different on different rigs. And I am comparing a different type too, but it was bad enough that I've stopped considering the brand. They're cheap "ME TOO" tires for a reason. And I don't know anyone that has managed to get any kind of decent mileage out of them. That's about all I have to say on Nittos. (Yes, I know Toyo makes Nittos now)

I've been running the Toyo Open Country AT in 35 since May now. And I've been very happy with the decision. At about the same time I went that route, Dave over on American Adventurist put the Toyo RT's on his Ram 2500 Torque Wagon project. So far he's been really happy. I was leaning towards that tire very heavily. But, I purchased the OC because I had them on the 1500 and really liked the tire, and it was a tad bit cheaper.

During Moab this year, another guy had the Discoverer STT Maxx in 37, and they looked great and seemed to perform really well. And the stance was awesome. That being said, I personally find the 35's to be the best in-between spot. They're not as big a WOW factor as 37's but they're going to perform better off-road than the 33's. And they're not going to harm power as much on our later trucks that are limited to 4.10's.

I'd say, look more seriously at the RT's and the Discoverer STT if you are truly more concerned with function and performance and not just, LOOK HOW COOL MY TRUCK IS on the facebook group.

MikeKey wrote:

adeluca73 wrote: My PW is not my DD, so I can get away with a little more aggressive tire, I'm leaning toward a hybrid tire, either the Toyo RT, the new Nitto Ridge Grappler, or Discoverer STT Maxx.

That being said, I personally find the 35's to be the best in-between spot. They're not as big a WOW factor as 37's but they're going to perform better off-road than the 33's. And they're not going to harm power as much on our later trucks that are limited to 4.10's.

I'd say, look more seriously at the RT's and the Discoverer STT if you are truly more concerned with function and performance and not just, LOOK HOW COOL MY TRUCK IS on the facebook group.

FB is not my brand of Burbon, I don't use it. I'm too old to be worried about about trying to impress anyone. If I didn't have 4.88's, 35's are a no-brainier for sure. I think I'll try 37's & give it a go, I'll sell them if I just don't like the way the truck drives.
I can get the Ridge Grappler for considerably cheaper, by nearly $200, that's not chump money either, so that has to be considered.

UNCLE....37's ordered, Done. Install on Tue/Wed next week.

Thanks to the mob for all the feedback & perspective, much appreciated!!

Well? Rt's then?

Peer pressure at its finest!!!!

I got RTs...